27 Dec 18

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

Priorslee Lake:  06:50 – 09:40
The Flash:  09:45 – 10:25
Trench Lock Pool:  10:35 – 10:45 // 11:25 – 11:55
Trench Middle Pool:  10:50 – 11:20

6°C > 8°C:  Cloudy: mist early and again c.08:30 for a while. Almost calm. Poor visibility, eventually becoming good

Sunrise: 08:22 GMT
Still getting darker in the mornings

Priorslee Lake:  06:50 – 09:40

(192nd visit of the year)

Bird notes
- 4 Greylag and 6 Canada Geese left at 07:45: the other 4 Canada Geese spent some time on the SW grass before leaving at 08:10
- 5 Goosanders W at 08:05
- a Water Rail heard calling at 08:15: then one, probably the same, seen along the Wesley Brrok at 09:00
- 5 Black-headed Gulls flew through at 07:52 and it was 08:04 before the first birds settled on the lake. 83 arrived and stayed but a few minutes. At 08:12 they had all gone. At least 75 (returnees?) by 09:20
- presumably the same occasionally seen Lesser Black-backed Gull was on its favourite buoy
- I inadvertently flushed some of the Magpies from their roost before I could complete the count
- one or more Jackdaws flew over at the very early time of 07:13. A noisy group flew over unseen in the dark at 07:19. A group of c.140 followed at the more usual time for this date of 07:43
- Song Thrushes singing from seven locations around the lake: at least six different birds involved
- the first 2 of the 16 Reed Buntings seen leaving the roost departed at 08:03: the rest left as two groups at 08:20 and 08:21. Many of these were seen climbing around the vegetation before they left – probably able to do this as there was no wind

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 5 (?♂) Goosanders
- 6 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Stock Doves
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- >>140 Jackdaws

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- >45 Magpies (partial count)
- 2 Redwings only
- 16 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area:
- 4 Greylag Geese again
- 10 Canada Geese again
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall still
- 13 (8♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard again
- 27 (11♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Water Rail heard and later seen
- 9 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- c.85 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

My log of other things, on lamp poles
- 7 Mottled Umber moths
- 4 Nursery Web spiders (Pisaura mirabilis)
It has been amazing season for Mottled Umber moths – or at least for the males. I was reading on the NatureSpot (Rutland) that numbers have been exceptional there also

Not too much to photograph at this time of year. This Pied Wagtail popped up in front of me.

Another view.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash:  09:45 – 10:25

(151st visit of the year)

Bird notes from here
- two groups comprising 10 Goosanders flew in while I was here
- the Ring-necked Parakeet seen eating Alder cones on the island
- two distant Song Thrush singing again
and
- 1 Mottled Umber on a lamp pole

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Grey Wagtail

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: the usual
- 39 (24♂) Mallard
- 21 (7♂) Tufted Ducks
- 52 (9♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Moorhens yet again
- 18 Coots again
- 29 Black-headed Gulls

A record shot at best: the Ring-necked Parakeet eating one of the Alder cones on the island in this morning’s gloom.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trench Lock Pool:  10:35 – 10:45 // 11:25 – 11:55

(32nd visit of the year)

Bird notes from here
- 44 of the Canada Geese flew in as three separate groups
- otherwise lower numbers of most species
- 2 Bullfinches good to see

Birds noted flying over / near here (other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws)
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.30 Starlings in the distance

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 77 Canada Geese
- 1 (1♂) Mallard only
- 1 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 26 (17♂)Tufted Ducks
- 7 (5♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe still
- 1 Moorhen
- 86 Coots
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls

Some of the incoming Canada Geese. Easier to photo here than they are against the tighter confines of The Flash.

Just touching down.

An adult winter Herring Gull. Note the extensive head streaking which reaches its peak at the turn of the year. Thereafter the moult begins to acquire the pure white head of breeding birds. Full adults, as this bird is, show no dark mark on the upper mandible.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trench Middle Pool:  10:50 – 11:20

(31st visit of the year)

Notes from here
- one of the two long-term Greylag Geese was very noisy and flying around. The other stayed on the water
- the long-term drake Pochard seems to have gone. Perhaps the additional drake at Trench Lock?
- no Goosanders here
- Great Crested Grebe gone yet again
- just 1 Black-headed Gull until some food arrived ....
and
- 1 Mottled Umber moth on another lamp pole. My first here
- 1 Early Moth on a lamp pole. Also my first here
- same(?) fungus as found three weeks ago still extant and looking fresh

Birds noted flying over / near here
None

The counts from the water
- 2 Greylag Geese still
- 35 Canada Geese
- 30 (23♂) Mallard
- 2 (0♂) feral Mallard
- 14 (9♂) Tufted Ducks
- 11 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 1 > 17 Black-headed Gulls

Subsequently I have re-identified this moth as an Early Moth – my first at this site and my earliest-ever record.

These fungi look much the same as they did two weeks ago.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Gadwall
7 Pochard
101 Tufted Ducks
1 Scaup
210 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Little Grebe
69 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull.
(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)

2011
The Wrekin
Flock of Crossbills near summit
(Maurice Baker)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
18 Mute Swans
59 Canada Geese
4 Gadwall
29 Pochard 
92 Tufted Ducks 
2 Water Rails
327 Coots
2 Redwings
16 Goldfinches
13 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
22 Tufted Ducks
86 Coots
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
3 Buzzards
20 Pied Wagtails
c.200 Redwing
4 Mistle Thrush
c.500 Fieldfare
1 Willow Tit
3 Brambling
14 Chaffinches
13 Greenfinches
2 Redpoll
1 Siskin
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)