26 Dec 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:45 – 09:35
The Flash:  09:40 – 10:25

7°C:  Much better than forecast: some mist and low cloud at times with some good breaks. Very light winds. Moderate visibility

Sunrise: 08:21 GMT still

Priorslee Lake:  06:45 – 09:35

(191st visit of the year)

Bird notes
- some or all of the 14 geese flew in at 06:50. I was able to positively ID all the individuals with 4 Greylag and 6 Canada Geese leaving at 07:45 and the other 4 Canada Geese leaving at 08:00
- 5 Goosanders flew low W at 07:25 – too dark to sex. A drake flew high W at 08:25
- four Song Thrushes tempted to sing by the mild weather
- in addition to the 15 Reed Buntings seen leaving the roost there were at least 5 more calling / seen in various locations later

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 6 (1+♂) Goosanders
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 13 Wood Pigeons
- >170 Jackdaws
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- >32 Magpies (partial count)
- 5 Redwings
- 15 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area:
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 10 Canada Geese
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall again
- 10 (7♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 31 (14♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail heard again
- 11 Moorhens
- 72 Coots
- c.135 Black-headed Gulls

My log of other things, on lamp poles
- 2 Winter Moths
- 3 Mottled Umber moths
- 1 small fly sp. (perhaps a Black Legionnaire (Beris sp.) again)
- 1, probably 2, Nursery Web spiders (Pisaura mirabilis)
and
- 1 moth flushed from vegetation pre-dawn: on size probably a Mottled Umber

I did not expect this today: forecast was cloudy and dull.

There was some mist, mainly shallow and soon clearing away.

Mr. Bullfinch after the willow-herb seeds.

Was not at all sure about this spider in its web pre-dawn. Looking at the photo I think it is the second Nursery Web spider (Pisaura mirabilis) of the day. The other was in a more usual pose another lamp pole.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:40 – 10:25

(150th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here
- the Ring-necked Parakeet was calling from the island again and then seen flying around, sometimes pursued by Black-headed Gulls
- two distant Song Thrush singing
and
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Jackdaws
- 2 Starlings

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans: the usual
- 2 Canada Geese
- 36 (22♂) Mallard
- 16 (7♂) Tufted Ducks
- 77 (18♂) Goosanders
- 1 Great Crested Grebe still
- 2 Moorhens again
- 18 Coots still
- 42 Black-headed Gulls

Nothing too exciting but some shots of a flapping duck Mallard showing how the apparent extent of white on the under-wing varies with the angle of view. Very little white with the wing almost horizontal.

Lots of white when looking at 90° to the under-wing.

As the wing is closed we see on the upper-wing the white bar above the blue speculum.

Another view of that white under-wing.

As she settled on the water the white bar above the blue speculum shows even more clearly.

More Goosanders I am afraid: the duck in the foreground is mid-way through swallowing a catch. The bird behind has some white above the bill, indicating a 1st winter bird. The extent of the white in the folded wing suggests this, despite the rather straggly crest, is moulting in to drake plumage. On the evidence here an adult female has no black on the tip of its bill but....

Not quite sharp as it races to get away, this seems also to be an adult female albeit with a black tip to its bill. More examples needed.

You will probably have to take my word for it. Top right a Ring-necked Parakeet: bottom left a Black-headed Gull in not-so-close pursuit.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
Two 1st-winter female Scaup
(Unknown)

2012
Priorslee Lake
A drake Scaup
4 Gadwall
10 Great Black-backed Gull
(Kriss Webb)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Gadwall
26 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
327 Coots
5 Redwings
4 Fieldfare
10 Goldfinches 
14 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)