11 Dec 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

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

4°C > 6°C:  Low cloud and murky start with some spits in the air. Lifted somewhat after 08:45. Light SE wind. Moderate visibility, becoming good.

Sunrise: 08:11 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:25 – 09:25

(177th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- an additional pair of adult Mute Swans present when I arrived. When the new resident cob awoke he began to chase them off. The pen stayed asleep for a while: later she joined in, with the cygnet in close company. The residents did not have much luck moving them off and indeed another adult arrived by 08:50
- number of Tufted Ducks reduced yet again. Pochard seem settled though
- low Coot count: probably the poor visibility?
- a possible only Woodcock flew over my head and away across the dam at 07:25. Too dark
- more strange behaviour by the Black-headed Gulls. c.450 were seen over the lake at 07:05, all silhouetted against the low clouds that were reflecting the lights of Telford Centre. The gulls circled around and around, apparently able to avoid collisions in the dark. It was 07:20 before any settled but they were initially very jumpy and the slightest unusual noise – car horn, ambulance siren etc. – and they were all up again. Eventually settled c.07:55 only to start streaming out again c.08:00. Fewer than 20 by 08:25. Some returned later
- I flushed a roosting Wood Pigeon when it was still very dark – a not infrequent occurrence. These always shoot off at high speed: where to? How do they see to navigate / land?
- 7 Bullfinches seen together (4 males) brightened the morning

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 8 (?♂) Goosanders
- 19 Wood Pigeons
- c.150 Jackdaws

Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- [Magpies not counted]
- 11 Redwings

The counts from the lake area: not good visibility
- 5 + 1 Mute Swans
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall still
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 11 (10♂) Pochard again
- 50 (22♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Moorhens
- 71 Coots
- c.450 Black-headed Gulls

And other notes

My log of other things, all on lamp poles
- 2 Winter Moths
- 4 Mottled Umber moths, all new specimens
- 1 Chestnut moth: my first-ever here
- 2 harvestmen (Paroligolophus agrestis)

This moth was more of a puzzle than I expected. Seeing the white on the small amount of underwing showing I suspected it was a Northern Winter Moth but thought I ought to check. Hence the photo. Turns out the wing shape is all wrong – the leading edge is too straight. The speckles are dew and don’t help as they obscure the markings. I am now certain it is a Mottled Umber of the form with almost no marks.

This, in complete contrast, is as cleanly marked a specimen as they come.

With this another rather poorly marked specimen. All these three were ‘new’ on the lamps today. Female are wingless and I have seen none this season so far ....just males.

There are not many Noctuid moths that fly in winter. I thought this would turn out to be a Brick moth. Checking I find that species lacks the white dots along the wing-edge and that this is therefore a Chestnut moth. Would have been happy with either – not recorded them in Shropshire before. Both are common-enough moths but a light-trap is normally better than a lamp pole to find them.

Possibly my best yet photo of the harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis. Here we see the median line of pale dots as well as the diagnostic thickened basal half of the legs.

A different specimen which, from this angle, does not really show the median dots. The thickened basal half of the legs is clearly shown. Nowhere in the literature does it mention the very obvious difference in leg-length as being significant – pair 2 the longest; then pair 4; with pairs 1 & 3 hard to judge.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:30 – 10:30

(137th visit of the year)

Yet another high count of Goosanders: at least 99 for a while. Some birds seen flying out and apparently others flying in. At least 11 were drakes – much smaller proportion than on Sunday. Did not seen too fazed by the workmen in the water disassembling one of the footbridges

Other bird notes from here
- the cygnet seen having a go at flying, flapping hard but not really getting anywhere as yet
- Grey Wagtail heard again
and, on lamp poles
- 2 Mottled Umber moths, all new
- 1 harvestmen (Paroligolophus agrestis)

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

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans as usual
- 3 Canada Geese
- 44 (27♂) Mallard
- 14 (5♂) Tufted Ducks
- >99 (>11♂) Goosanders
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 4 Moorhens
- 12 Coots
- 27 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Since there were nearly 100 Goosanders on the water how could I resist even if, as so often the case, the female is swimming away from me.

This female is better positioned. For the first time we can clearly see the serrations on the bill-edges, used to grip slippery fish. This give rise to a common term applied to Goosanders and Mergansers etc. as ‘saw-bills’.

Here is a fine portrait of a Cormorant. Clever to be able to stand on the perch with both feet hanging off.

From a slightly different view and with its head turned we see a ‘tuft’ beginning to appear. This will grow and then produce white plumes in the breeding season. The bird will also acquire a white thigh-patch. What appears to be just such a patch is in fact the water between the bird’s legs. Adult birds will begin to show white before the month is out.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
Scaup imm/fem
4 Yellow-legged Gull
(Gary Crowder)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow-legged Gull
8 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 duck Gadwall
3 Goosander
4 Teal
1 Wigeon
1 Redshank
8 Pochard.
55 Tufted Ducks 
1 Water Rail
172 Coots.
4 Great Black-backed Gulls . 
36 Redwings
42 Fieldfares
453 Jackdaws
64 Rooks
(John Isherwood/Roger Clay/Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
35 Mute Swans
1 drake Wigeon
1 duck Goldeneye
2 drake Shoveler
40 Tufted Duck
1 Common Gull
6 Herring Gull
163 Lesser Black-backed Gull
128 Black-headed Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
165 Coot
Lesser Black-backed Gull with a Dark Blue ring with Orange [red] numbers 567. This bird bred in Germany. 
(Martin Grant/Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Adult Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black necked Grebe
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Cormorants
18 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
27 Robins
23 Blackbirds
3 Fieldfares
2 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
750 Black-headed Gulls
1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Little Grebes
5 Great Crested Grebes
15 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
2 Redpolls
25 Siskins
15 Pied Wagtails
2 Redwings
32 Fieldfares
5 Reed Buntings
13 Robins
18 Blackbirds
11 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)