20 Nov 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

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

4°C > 6°C: Mainly cloudy start, clearing from SE though with shower to the N later. Light N wind fell away at times. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:40 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:25

(157th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- as a postscript to recent logs of a blue-ringed Mute Swan cygnet here the bird was hatched and ringed earlier this year on Ellerton Mill pool, about 5 miles north of Newport
- 6 geese seen flying S to the far E c.09:00: too far to identify
- drake Wigeon and one of the pairs of Gadwall gone; a duck Teal new in
- another increase in Tufted Duck numbers
- over-flights in various directions this morning. The Wood Pigeons were heading S; the Fieldfares E; and the Redwings N. Make of that what you will!
- I flushed only about 15 Magpies from their roost area in the NW. Numbers do build up through the winter, though this seems a rather low count. Perhaps disturbance from the housing works? At least 2 birds roosted in the NE area which is unusual
- many Redwings heard pre-dawn seemed to be calling while passing overhead rather than from roost sites in trees. No idea how many birds involved and nothing included in the log for these birds
- Meadow Pipits continue to confuse. Again two birds seemed to be flying off from the dam area: I had been standing on the dam for >15 minutes and I can’t believe they were there. Perhaps they were deciding against landing? Later another seemed as if it might have taken off from the football field, but again I had not seen it on the grass there. Until this is resolved these are logged as ‘overflights’

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 6 geese sp.
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 28 Feral / Racing Pigeons (2 groups)
- 68 Wood Pigeons (33 of these in 2 groups S)
- 99 Jackdaws
- 1 Raven
- 5 Fieldfares (a trio and pair E)
- >37 Redwings (1 group N: see also notes)
- 1 Pied Wagtail again
- 3 Meadow Pipits (see notes)
- 3 Siskins

Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 5 Redwings only

The counts from the lake area
- 1 Mute Swan
- 1 (0♂) Teal
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 9 (7♂) Mallard
- 7 (5♂) Pochard
- 141 (>55♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 Little Grebes
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens
- 114 Coots
- 118 Black-headed Gulls

And other notes
my log today consisted only of some late flowers
- Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

A rather brooding start, though the clearance visible to the E brought some sun.

And while most of the leaves have now dropped there are enough left and enough colourful stems to produce a stunning site when lit by the low autumn sun.

Even more spectacular against the very black clouds of a shower passing to the N are these larch trees at the edge of the football field.

A late flower of Red Clover (Trifolium pratense). Starts flowering earlier than White Clover and carries on longer.

These Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) flowers look as if they should be umbellifers but aren’t. They are in the Asteraceae family – daisies and their allies. Just about visible are the distinctive and very feathery leaves.

(Ed Wilson)

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Also from Priorslee Lake, a few photos from Mark Williams today of a Water Rail, Grey Wagtail, Goldfinch and Robin

Water Rail

Water Rail

Grey Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

Goldfinch

Robin

(Mark Williams)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:10

(123rd visit of the year)

Notes from here
- just about the only interest at the moment are the Goosanders. Today an ex-fisherman took it upon himself (not for the first time) to bang his walking stick loudly and flush all these birds
- for the next few days a circuit will not be possible as the footbridges over the two cut-offs are being repaired / maintained / replaced

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans again
- 32 (20♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Tufted Duck
- 25 (5♂) Goosander
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron as usual
- 1 Great Crested Grebe as usual
- 1 Moorhens
- 11 Coots
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Can often get much closer to birds at The Flash than the lake. This flying adult winter Black-headed Gull is a case in point. Shows the wing-marking to good effect and also the clean white tail of a full adult. A 2nd winter bird would have a similar wing-pattern but almost always show a few dark marks as remnant of the immature bird’s tail-band.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Pool

A male Mandarin and 25 Goosander which may well be the birds driven off The Flash by an angler this morning.

Kriss (Spider) Webb

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Local area
Today's Sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall 
8 Pochard 
15 Tufted Ducks 
149 Coots 
286 Redwings
84 Fieldfares
c.350 Jackdaws but no Rooks seen.
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
42 Mute Swan
1 Wigeon
c. 45 Tufted
36 Pochard
c. 240 Coot
c. 400 Lesser Black-backed Gull
c. 120 Black-headed Gull
10 Herring Gull
3 Yellow Legged Gull
(Mike Cooper)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 male Stonechat showing well near to sailing club hut.
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
31 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
8 Lapwings
>550 Black-headed Gulls
187 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
239 Wood Pigeons
40 Robins
32 Blackbirds
60 Fieldfares
11 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
310 Jackdaws
150 Rooks
35 Greenfinch
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
18 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
3 Ruddy Duck
1 Wigeon
c.200 Coot
4 Cormorant
C.750 birds
24 Fieldfare
3 Redpoll
12 Siskin
5 Reed Bunting
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Adlam)