30 Jan 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  11:40 – 12:15
The Flash:  11:05 – 11:30

2°C:  Fine after snow showers. Light WNW wind. Excellent visibility

(Sunrise: 07:56 GMT)

Wimped out of an early start

Priorslee Lake:  11:40 – 12:15

(29th visit of the year)

Again only a very small amount of ice in the NE area

One bird species added to my 2019 log from here
59      Shelduck

Other bird notes
- apparently back to a single Mute Swan. I suppose it is just possible the pen is tucked away on a nest (site) somewhere. I think it unlikely
- the Shelduck even paddled over to see what the Model Boat Club was up to before deciding to fly off. I record this species most years and pre-Spring records are quite normal as birds are returning from their annual post-breeding moult in the Heligoland Bight and looking for potential nest site. They are unusual birds as they not infrequently nest in old rabbit burrows so long as water is close-by
- I suspect the 3rd pair of Gadwall was lurking on tree roots along the N side but they would not come out to show themselves and I did not want to disturb all the other birds just to prove a point
- now 2 pairs of Great Crested Grebes in the NE area with the lone adult still in the NW area
- very few gulls at this time of day

Bird totals: counts from the lake area only:
- 1 Mute Swan
- 1 Shelduck
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 10 (6♂) Pochard again
- 70 (29♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 3 Little Grebes again
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens only
- 44 Coots again
- 28 Black-headed Gulls only

The Shelduck today was not at all cooperative. On the water it was right down the far end and when if left it stayed well away from me. So records shots only. Here we cam just about make out white on the face indicating it is a first-year bird.

And this shot shows the wing pattern rather better.

Three sleeping Great Crested Grebes in typical pose – the bird tail-on on the left is a duck Tufted Duck. The closest two grebes have well-developed head plumes: the back bird less so – likely a first year bird. (the 4th bird of these two pairs had temporarily drifted off left somewhere).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  11:05 – 11:30

(26th visit of the year)

c.60% ice: only thin but enough to deter birds from using it

Notes from here
Not much change again
- Cormorant and Heron missing
- more Tufted Duck: likely due to their restricted feeding area making the count easier and more accurate

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 6 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall still
- 35 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler still
- 46 (22♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe still
- 2 Moorhens again
- 32 Coots
- 35 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
2 Cormorants 
1 Teal 
7 Pochard 
66 Tufted Duck 
3 Greater Scaup 
1 Velvet Scoter 
91 Coots 
1 Woodcock 
50 Herring Gulls 
33 Redwings 
c.495 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
106 Tufted Ducks 
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
7 Pochard 
25 Tufted Duck 
4 Goosander 
44 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

Park Pool, Chetwynd near Newport
31 Shoveler
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
29 Wigeon 
10 Gadwall 
8 Pochard 
59 Tufted Ducks 
1 Scaup
169 Coots
 >300 Starlings
13 Redwings
46 Fieldfare 
211 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

The Flash
9 Pochard 
54 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
2 Goosander
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake
1 Gadwall
9 Goosander
1 Little Grebe
Goldcrest
Nuthatch
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
42 Tufted Duck
c.190 Black-headed Gulls
48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
8 Herring Gulls
Glaucous Gull
75 Redwing
16 Bullfinch 
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant) 

Priorslee Flash
1 Pochard
43 Tufted Ducks
282 Black-headed Gulls
3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
 1 Water Rail
4 Gadwall
2 Willow Tit
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
A female Ruddy Duck
500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Herring & Black-headed Gulls.
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)