25 Jan 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:50 – 09:30
The Flash:  09:35 – 10:20

9°C:  Broken cloud to start; later lower cloud and occasional light drizzle. Moderate W wind. Good visibility

Sunrise: 08:03 GMT

Another very quiet morning

Priorslee Lake:  06:50 – 09:30

(25th visit of the year)

Bird notes
- the Mute Swan is certainly on its own at the moment, sleeping in the middle of the lake. It went for a short fly-around
- the gang of 10 geese (3 Greylag and 7 Canadas) flew over shortly after a group of 7 Greylag Geese
- some of yesterday afternoon’s Pochard and Tufted Duck seem to have decamped to The Flash
- I specifically counted the Black-headed Gulls as they arrived from the W this morning
- where were the Jackdaws? Neither heard nor seen. I hope they have found another feeding site
- 5 singing Song Thrushes confirmed it was a milder morning
- sounded like more Reed Buntings at the W end than I logged leaving the roost. However today those I saw left to the W and I may have missed some: they usually leave to the E / SE and that was where I was looking for them

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 10 Greylag Geese [2 groups outbound]
- 7 Canada Geese [with 3 of the Greylags]
- 8 Wood Pigeons only
- no Jackdaws!!
- 1 Redwing
- 6 Siskins

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- 51 Magpies
- 5 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area:
- 1 Mute Swan
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall again
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 7 (3♂) Pochard
- 33 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 56 Coots
- 362 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

With the milder weather my log from the lamp poles increased
- 1 Dotted Border moth
- 2 stretch spiders, Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 Nursery Web spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 1 fly sp., likely a Long-horned Black Legionnaire (Beris geniculata)
- 2 very small unidentified presumed Mirid bugs
with lots of Winter Gnats, likely Trichocera regelationis, flying about.

A Dotted Border moth. The wavy outer cross-line is very similar to that of the Mottled Umber but Dotted Border lacks the dark spot in the wing, shows a very straight median cross-line and – a dotted border.

I seem to remember a song about a spider and a fly. When I tried another shot the spider, a Nursery Web spider (Pisaura mirabilis), had shot off, obviously not liking the camera flash – they do not usually seem bother. Perhaps I saved the fly – probably a Long-horned Black Legionnaire (Beris geniculata) – from becoming breakfast.

Yes well: the width of the photo is the width of the lamp pole so the insect is rather small to say the least. I think it is the same species of very small unidentified, presumed Mirid, bug that I photographed on 20th January.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:35 – 10:20

(23rd visit of the year)

Small amount of slushy ice remained in the most sheltered spots

Notes from here
- I presumably overlooked the pair of Gadwall yesterday: they are still here
- the drake Shoveler still present but tucked up asleep against the island
- see also notes from the lake: a Pochard and some of the Tufted Duck seem to have decamped here overnight
- the Ring-necked Parakeet still about
- an unusual count of 24 Crows sparring with Magpies over the hill on the SE side

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 5 Jackdaws

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 6 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 35 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 45 (20♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 5 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 46 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

Note:

1. Click Here for a Summary of the 2018 Priorslee Lake Report.

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Local area
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
11 Pochard
61 Tufted Duck
2 Greater Scaup
1 Velvet Scoter
98 Coots
4 Redwings
c.735 Jackdaws
c.257 Rooks
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll 
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
92 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
Peregrine
6 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
31 Wigeon 
12 Gadwall 
1 Greater Scaup
>700 Black-headed Gulls
7 Common Gulls
>1500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
>300 Herring Gulls
7 Great Black-backed Gulls.
(Ed Wilson, (John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
1 Little Grebe 
30 Swans
4 Gadwall
28 Pochard
86 Tufted Ducks
1 Buzzard 
296 Coots
5 Redwings
27 Greenfinches
c.30 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Goldeneye
1 Water Rail
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
c.120 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.45 Herring Gulls
10 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
24 Pochard
22 Tufted Ducks
152 Coot
1 Water Rail
c.48 Siskins
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)