14 Nov 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:30
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:20

11°C: Broken clouds with a few sunny intervals. Moderate, even fresh, S wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 07:30 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:30

(151st visit of the year)

And another: a Red Kite being chased by a Carrion Crow over the lake at 07:45 gave me my 106th bird species at or from the lake this year

Other bird notes:
- one of the two Mute Swan cygnets was keeping reasonably close company with the adult Mute Swan. Martin Grant read the metal BTO ring on the adult yesterday and determined it was a male born on Trench Lock Pool in 2010. It was also part of the three pairs that stayed here until the end of May before this bird and its then mate decided there was nowhere to build a nest and left. The cygnet with it today was unringed. I was unable to get close-enough to the other cygnet to see whether it was ringed – a blue-ringed cygnet was present last Saturday
- another reduction in the Tufted Duck numbers: however two drake Pochard were new in
- only one group of 41 Wood Pigeon flew high NE this morning. Two long streams of low-flying birds totalling 66 and then 23 flew W. A number of other singles / small groups flying both E and W
- several mixed groups of Fieldfares and Redwings. Most of these thrushes were heading W
- numbers of roosting Redwings hard to determine from calls. There are none in the NE shrubbery at the moment – birds leaving here are easy to see silhouetted against the sky
- a Song Thrush heard singing strongly for a few minutes this morning

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 Canada Geese
- 1 Goosander (brownhead)
- 3 Cormorants (singles)
- 1 Red Kite
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 157 Wood Pigeons (see notes)
- 157 Jackdaws (as well!)
- 1 Rook
- 62 Starlings (3 groups)
- 269 Fieldfares (9 groups)
- 56 Redwings (10 groups)
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Meadow Pipits
- 2 Goldfinches
- 1 Siskin again

Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- c.5 Redwings only

The counts from the lake area
- 1 + 2 Mute Swans again
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall still
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 69 (>34♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Little Grebes
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 9 Moorhens
- 101 Coots
- >150 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

And other notes
my log today consisted of
- 1 November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.) moth on a lamp post
- 1 Grey Squirrel

One of the Mute Swan cygnets touches down. No rings on this bird.

It was still very dull when the Red Kite appeared overhead, being chased by a Carrion Crow. By the time I got the camera ready it was a long way away. This is enlarged as much as I dare but the shape of the tail is clear. As is the wing-shape – longer and narrower than a Common Buzzard.

Here we get a hint of the red tail and the underwing pattern. This species is common in south and west Shropshire: much less so around here, though no doubt that will change as the population continues to grow.

Another of those impossible-to-identify Autumnal-moth types. Strangely, in view of their names, at this date it is most likely to be an Autumnal Moth: the November Moth starts flying in early October and has probably finished by this date. However the mild weather could allow a longer flight-season so it had better stay as “Autumnal-moth type”.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:20

(118th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- other than the mixed group of Fieldfares and Redwings overhead rather quiet again
- precise number of drake Goosanders hard to discern as several ‘brownheads’ looked to be beginning to moult
- with the warm temperature I decided to check the bank of ivy near Priorslee Academy. I was none too hopeful as there was no sun and the fresh wind was blowing directly on to the ivy. Nevertheless
- >50 wasp sp.
- >1 Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade hoverfly)
- >2 Eristalis pertinax (Tapered Drone-flies)
- >20 Muscid flies

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Jackdaws
- 16 Fieldfares
- 24 Redwings

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans still
- 1 Canada Goose again
- 33 (20♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 15 (5?♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 1 Moorhen only
- 9 Coots
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull (briefly)

Many Goosanders here today. A few drakes in full breeding plumage. This one in transition from ‘brownhead’ status, shown by immatures and eclipse drakes. Much white in the back and the crown and nape acquiring dark green feathering.
At first sight a duck. But is that dark green on the crown or a trick of the light?

And a trio here. The back bird seems to be getting a few white feathers in its back as if it begging to moult in to drake plumage. The middle bird is more classically a female. The front bird perhaps a bit pale for a female? Hard to say.

A car can be a great bird hide. I wound the window down and took this adult winter Black-headed Gull.

It seemed unconcerned. Would have been a different story had I opened the car door.

“Shut your bill dear”.

Here we see the yellow on the tarsi (legs) of this drone fly indicating it is an Eristalis pertinax (Tapered Drone-fly), one of the last hoverflies on the wing (and one of the first in March).

Another specimen. In this shot we also see one of the very many wasps, all taking advantage of the nectar from Ivy. Ivy is an important food-plant for insects in late Autumn when most other flowers have finished.

Muscid flies were abundant as well.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
80 Golden Plover
1 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
76 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
229 Coots
133 Wood Pigeons
254 Fieldfare
51 Redwings
391 Jackdaws
66 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
11 Tufted Ducks
150 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
2 Snipe
70 Redwings
105 Fieldfares 
c.325 Starlings left the roost 
c.645 Jackdaws
116 Rooks
Brambling
(John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
35 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
>750 Black-headed Gulls
>825 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
660 Wood Pigeons
1 Kingfisher
31 Robins
27 Blackbirds
155 Fieldfares
23 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
415 Jackdaws
194 Rooks
69 Starlings
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)