4 Jan 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:40 – 10:45
The Flash:  10:50 – 11:50

-2°C > +1°C:  Mainly cloudy. Frosty. Light mainly SW wind. Moderate / good visibility
Sunrise: 08:21 GMT: at last – lighter in the morning!

Priorslee Lake:  06:40 – 10:45

(4th visit of the year)

Small amount of ice, mainly along the sheltered N side shoreline

My extended visit involved 90 minutes of rooting about in the undergrowth litter-picking – easiest now the vegetation has died back. A bag full of glass and plastic bottles, drinks cans, sweet wrappers and the like – a bag so heavy I could scarcely lift it

Species added to my 2019 log from here, in recorded order
50      Tawny Owl
51      Raven
52      Green Woodpecker
53      Cormorant
Somewhat depressing to realise I have already logged half the bird species I am likely to record here this year

Other bird notes
- perhaps the Mute Swans did not return from their fly-about yesterday: there were none early. A single arrived after 09:30
- 10 Canada Geese seen on the lake. Birds left late at 08:05: 2 more left at 08:10. Unclear whether these were 2 more or whether only 8 had left initially
- drake Wigeon present throughout again: stayed silent this morning
- 2 Goosanders flew W 08:15. 2 more at 08:20 were very low and perhaps came off the lake? All brownheads
- the first Black-headed Gulls not seen until after 08:00 when 19 birds flew high W, followed by more. Later very few arrived on the lake
- Tawny Owl calling just inside the Teece Drive gate at 06:45 – worth getting cold to hear this. I am sure I read that it was now thought that both sexes made both the wavering hoot and the ‘kvick’ call. However in a recent BBC Radio 4 ‘Tweet of the Day’ (essential listing at 05:58 or on playback) Sir David Attenborough stated that it is the male that makes the wavering call (which is what I heard) and it is the female that responds with the ‘kvick’ call. Who am I to question the great man
- just 1 Song Thrush motivated to sing in the cold
- at least 2 Reed Buntings calling in the NW area: if this is also being used as a roost site then I could have difficulty seeing these leave, depending upon the direction they chose to go (I normally see birds leave from the W end only)

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 2 Greylag Geese [inbound]
- 4 (0♂) Goosander (2 parties)
- 33 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 131 Jackdaws
- 1 Raven
- 1 Starling
- 2 Siskins

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- >36 Magpies [partial count]
- 3 Redwings
- 7 Starlings
- 9 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area:
- 1 Mute Swan
- 12? Canada Geese
- 1 (1♂) Wigeon again
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall again
- 12 (8♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Pochard again
- 20 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 6 Moorhens
- 79 Coots
- 51 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

My log of other things
- 1 stretch spider, Tetragnatha sp. on the same sheltered lamp
- the common fungus Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor) found on fallen wood

The Cormorant that became species #53 on my 2019 site list. A few white feathers beginning to appear in the nape. Still a few white feathers in the belly so it is not yet a full adult and may not acquire full breeding plumage.

Here is a cluster of the common fungus Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor). This fungus has been placed in several different genera previously and most of my references call it Coriolus versicolor – the ‘versicolor’ bit is appropriate at least.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  10:50 – 11:50

(4th visit of the year)

About 60% thin ice here

Work on the 2nd footbridge did not start on the 7th January as it says on the notices still posted around the water – it started on the 3rd

Species added to my 2019 log from here
None

Bird notes from here
- Great Crested Grebe not located
- the Ring-necked Parakeet was squawking from the island and then seen removing something from under roof-tiles at a house in Derwent Drive
and
- 1 Early Moth where it was yesterday – the lamp pole is in a very sheltered place and I doubt there was a frost

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese again
- 26 (18♂) Mallard
- 24 (7♂) Tufted Ducks
- 51 (4♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 3 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

A winter scene here with just two Black-headed Gulls standing on the rather thin ice.

A typically angry-looking drake Tufted Duck. Note the purple / blue sheen on the head. This is not due to pigment in the feathers but from light refraction caused by the structure of the feathers. At other angles this colour disappears or can appear as a green hue.

Something spooked many of the Goosanders and a party of Tufted Ducks. Many just repositioned elsewhere on the open water. These 18 Goosanders took to the air. One eventually returned while the rest headed off W (to Trench?). Just 2 drakes visible – bottom left and centre top.

These Goosanders don’t seem to know whether they are coming or going.

For a while now the Grey Herons here have been lurking inside the island. Today it was on this fallen branch to have its photo taken.

I am not sure that Black-headed Gull was the intended recipient of the supplied bird food. They are a very aggressive species and many folk feeding the birds here get annoyed when they cannot get food to the ducks before the gulls snatch it.

Here is a posing first-winter Black-headed Gull.

Now what are you doing up there? Could the Ring-necked Parakeet be looking for a nesting site? The lack of ‘ring-neck’ on this individual suggests it is either a female or an immature male.

“who me? I am innocent”

“let me have another look”

 “anybody about?”

“I am sure this will be OK”

“I do wish all these photographers would go away”

(Ed Wilson)

Note:

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

2. Also a few photos from a trip to Venus Pool (2 Jan 19) Here.

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

2017
Local area
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Two 1st winter female Scaup
(Tom Lowe)

Horsehay Pool
Kittiwake
(Jim Almond)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2013
Priorslee Flash
Drake Scaup
(J Reeves)

Trench Middle Pool
22 Goosander
(Dave Tromans)

2012
Priorslee Lake
96 Greylags Geese
20 Pochard
15 Tufted Ducks
86 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
54 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
27 Great Black-backed Gulls
Peregrine
204 Redwings
4 Fieldfare
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

Trench Pool
2 Little Grebes
215 Canada Geese
3 Pochard
76 Tufted Ducks
131 Coots
219 Black-headed Gulls
4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

Holmer Lake
46 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
44 Mute Swans
2 Gadwall
47 Pochard
117 Tufted Duck
2 adult Common Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.3400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
 c.250 Herring Gulls
c.2500 Black-headed Gulls
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gull
3 Water Rail
324 Coots 
17 Goldfinches
13 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson/Jason)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
12 Great Crested Grebes
10 Mute Swans
1 drake Shoveler
11 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
Iceland Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
122 Coots
34 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Paul King)

2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
26 Pochard
106 Tufted Ducks
4 Water Rails
100 Herring Gull 
Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
 >7 Pochard
31 Tufted Ducks
9 Goosanders
>2000 Black-headed Gulls
 >481 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
 >33 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
28 Robins
14 Blackbirds
5 Fieldfares
67 Redwings
222 Jackdaws
3 Reed Buntings;
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
1 Goldeneye
22 Pochard
43 Tufted Duck
c.3000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.2000 Black-headed Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
131 Herring Gull
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
66 Siskins
14 Robins
15 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)