31 Jan 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  11:10 – 12:30
The Flash:  10:25 – 11:05

-1.0°C > +1.0°C:  Fine after fog and hoar frost: clouding from SW. Light E wind. Moderate visibility

Sunrise: 07:54 GMT

With mist and fog around there was little point in an early start

Priorslee Lake:  11:10 – 12:30

(30th visit of the year)

Almost iced over: just two holes along the N side

Bird notes
- a pair of Mute Swans now. I am confused
- Shelduck again. Stayed asleep so could not see the face marking to age it
- no sign of the 3rd pair of Gadwall again: however with many birds crammed together it was easy to overlook birds
- one of my largest-ever counts of Mallard from here
- just a single Great Crested Grebe and that, unlike any of yesterday’s five birds, looked like the long-term juvenile raised here last year
- did the extra Coots come from The Flash (q.v.)?
- good number of large gulls for these days: other than a 1st winter Herring Gull all these were (near) adults

Birds noted flying over / near the lake
- 4 Canada Geese
- 2 Ravens

Bird counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Shelduck again
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall again
- 21 (15♂) Mallard
- 10 (6♂) Pochard still
- 48 (26♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 1 Moorhen only
- 58 Coots
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls

The sleeping Shelduck (with a Coot).

And from the other side. Unable to say whether this is the same bird as was here yesterday – for a while at least. Note also the nails on the Coot’s feet. Normally you only see the rather stupid-looking webbed toes and do not realise the weapon they have in their claws.

Not too often that Pochard allow close approach. Three splendid silver-backed adult drakes and a typically browner duck with them, all asleep. This species is noted as being a nocturnal feeder (on underwater vegetation) so they are often sleeping during the day. They do however also feed in daytime – they clearly have not read the books about how to behave.

A bunch of gulls: at the front all Black-headed Gulls; two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls back left; two Herring Gulls back right. On the right-most bird the extent of the black on the bill, especially the upper mandible, suggests this is a 4th winter bird – the plumage looks full adult otherwise. The immature Herring Gull has extensive pale at the base of the bill which might suggest a 2nd winter bird: however the dark eye and rather few grey-toned feathers limited to the upper back indicate this is likely a 1st winter bird well-advanced toward 1st summer.

So often when trying to photograph Long-tailed Tits as they whizz about results in an empty frame. This sort of view is also typical.

Then just occasionally, only occasionally, one stays still long-enough ...

And a perky Wren (with new-growth nettles alongside it).

Some views of the area: this is bridge over the Wesley Brook.

The NE corner.

And the SE corner.

Along the S side looking W.

From the SW area looking to the NW reed bed.

The reeds with hoar frost.

I photographed an umbel laden with snow last week. Here is a frosted umbel from last year’s Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium).

And a small twig covered in frost.

On the Wesley Brook bridge the frost was just beginning to melt off of the moss.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  10:25 – 11:05

(27th visit of the year)

Almost iced over: hole beside SW part of island

Notes from here
- difficult to census things as they were all crammed together with others hauled out of sight inside the island
- Gadwall not located
- Moorhens not located
- there were more Coots at the lake and fewer here. Tempting to conclude they could moved. Perhaps just as likely they were hiding in the island (or with the Moorhens, wherever they were)

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

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 22 Canada Geese
- 33 (20♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 41 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 22 Coots only
- 71 Black-headed Gulls

Some kind souls had been feeding the birds – not bread I am pleased to say. The cygnet joining 12 Canada Geese and 15 Mallard here.

This drake Mallard sliding about in his haste to get to the food ahead of the duck.

Rather them than me! The Black-headed Gulls seemed happy to stand or sit on the ice. Some were in the remaining water as well which seems an even colder option.

And now for some views of the hoar frost here. The island from Derwent Drive.

The wooded area in the NW part.

The N end.

Looking N along the E side ....

.... again.

The island from the S end: the drake Shoveler is just about identifiable in the open water.

Probably the heads of Greater Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum) covered in hoar frost.

Last Autumn was very poor for frosted spider webs. Here is one, belatedly. Several midges caught in the web, probably not from last night (though they were dancing in my garden yesterday afternoon).

Another web. I am sure experts could ID the spider species responsible by the web design. I am not an expert.

(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

2012
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
22 Greylag Geese
19 Pochard
42 Tufted Duck
c.390 Black-headed Gulls
c.350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
32 Herring Gulls
1 Common Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
69 Redwings
25 Greenfinches
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
Tundra Bean Goose
8 Greylag Geese
37 Tufted Ducks
c.1000 Black-headed Gulls
246 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
35 Herring Gulls.
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

Trench Pool
8 Pochard
50 Tufted Ducks
79 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

Holmer Lake
50 Goosander
(John Isherwood)