30 Oct 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake: 06:10 – 09:25
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:00

0°C > 3°C: Spell of sleety rain until c.07:25 then cleared but still cloudy. Moderate NW wind. Moderate visibility in rain, otherwise very good

Sunrise: 07:02 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:10 – 09:25

(137th visit of the year)

Viewing conditions not as good as yesterday mid-morning. However there were clearly many fewer Tufted Ducks today even though a 100% accurate total was precluded by many birds flying about and others continually diving

Other bird notes:
- the cygnets made separate sorties without adult attendance all within the confines of the lake
- 4 duck Wigeon were birds I did not note yesterday
- one pair of Mallard was seen mating
- at least 4 Little Grebes – in three different locations, all visible at the same time
- a 1st winter Herring Gull dropped in for a wash and brush-up at dawn. Otherwise all the large gulls seen were Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Both visiting and over-flying birds were all singles, birds staying on the lake for only a few minutes
- the Wood Pigeons were almost un-migrating today with all the groups flying N and / or NE. I assume these birds had been on the Shropshire Hills when the sleety rain started and were moving towards clearer conditions they could see spreading from the NE
- first significant roost dispersal of Reed Buntings this winter: a group of 4 and a single bird later

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 179 Wood Pigeons (161 migrants? in 9 groups)
- 132 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 2 Ravens
- 20 Starlings (3 groups)
- 15 Fieldfare (4 groups)
- 108 Redwings (8 groups)
- 1 Pied Wagtail again
- 2 Chaffinches
- 5 Goldfinches
- 8 Siskins

Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 24 Starlings (1 group)
- 2 Redwing at least (heard only)
- 5 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans again
- 4 (0♂) Wigeon
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall again
- 14 (10♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Pochard
- 107 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 Little Grebes
- 3 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Water Rails heard
- 9 Moorhens
- 109 Coots
- 16 Black-headed Gulls only
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

And other notes
- my log today consisted of just
- 1 Grey Squirrel

I think this is a Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus). There are several similar species and the best separation is the mark on the abdomen. Not much help when they are this way up.

If you were a prey item the last thing you might see is this. 

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:00

(109th visit of the year)

A party of 6 over-flying Redwings surprised me by being my first record from here this year. My 2018 site bird species total moves to 71

Apart from these very quiet again: where have all the birds gone?

Notes from here
- just one cygnet seen today. Meanwhile two adult Mute Swans, presumably the residents though the rings were not read, chasing another unringed adult around: to little effect
- all bar 2 of the Canada Geese left while I was present
and
- 1 presumed Garden Spider found on a lamp

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- 1 Jackdaw
- 6 Redwings
- 10 Goldfinches

The counts from the water
- 3 + 1 Mute Swans
- 25 Canada Geese
- 40 (25♂) Mallard
- [no Tufted Ducks]
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 3 Moorhens again
- 7 Coots
- 23 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2010
Priorslee Lake
10 Swans
c.60 Golden Plover
c.200 Starlings left a roost in the reeds at the W end
763 Wood Pigeons
3 Sky Larks
7 Meadow Pipits
165 Fieldfare
9 Redwings
4 Siskins
3 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
8 Wigeon
20 Pochard
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Goosander
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
100 Jackdaw
130 Rooks
1 Buzzard
Kestrel
c.60 Golden Plover
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
450 to 500 Starlings left the roost
11 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
Pair of Ruddy Duck
200+ Coot
1 Dunlin
104 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
100 Black-headed Gulls
Kingfisher
A Buzzard was seen feeding on earthworms and possibly beetles
2000+ Wood Pigeon
62 Redwing
54 Fieldfare
3 Song Thrushes 
(Martin Adlam)