11 Feb 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:30 – 09:15
The Flash:  09:20 – 10:00

4.0°C > 6.0°C:  Clear early with the ‘Telford hat’ of low cloud soon appearing, even with a few spots of rain. Light / moderate WNW wind. Excellent visibility

Sunrise: 07:35 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:30 – 09:15

(39th visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
61      Treecreeper
It has taken me a long while to record this resident species here this year. Still need Nuthatch ...

Very quiet on the lake with a single duck Pochard the only diving duck present

Bird notes
- a lone Mute Swan asleep on the lake pre-dawn. It moved to the bottom of the concrete ramp later but I was unable to see whether it was the ringed cob. It left at 08:00 to the E
- the outbound group of c.10 geese was too far away to count much less hazard an ID. Later a pair of Canada Geese and then a single Greylag Goose, this flying very high, flew E
- a single Great Crested Grebe is back and looking to ‘own’ the NW reeds
- two of the Moorhens on the SW grass had a long scrap – it seemed to last several minutes. Both eventually walked away apparently not harmed physically
- rather few Black-headed Gulls
- at least 10 Song Thrushes singing: a bird singing at an 11th location had, I suspect, relocated
- no Reed Buntings heard at W end roost location

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 Greylag Goose [outbound]
- 2 Canada Geese [outbound]
- c.10 unidentified geese [outbound]
- 1 Cormorant
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 20 Wood Pigeons
- c.500 Jackdaws
- >22 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- 2 Redwings

The counts from the lake area:
- 1 Mute Swan: departed
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler still
- 1 (0♂) Pochard only
- [no Tufted Ducks]
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Little Grebes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Water Rail
- 11 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

On the lamp poles
- 1 Dotted Border moth
- 1 Pale Brindled Beauty moth
- 1 unidentified small Mirid bug that I have recorded on two previous occasions this year

Here is the Dotted Border moth.

This is a Pale Brindled Beauty moth of the form monacharia, devoid of the ‘brindled’ markings. This form is not uncommon, especially in NW England.

Another attempt to get a decent shot of this bug sp. – I think my third record this year. It is very small and does not like me getting too close to get a sharper photo. Unable to find anything on the web for this.

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash:  09:20 – 10:00

(34th visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
52      Jay
This species was recorded almost daily last Autumn, since when it has done a disappearing act

Notes from here:
much as yesterday afternoon
also
- 1 Dotted Border moth
- small, red cup-shaped fungus, likely Scarlet Elfcup (Sarcoscypha austriaca)

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Feral Pigeons

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 9 Canada Geese still
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall remain
- 32 (18♂) Mallard
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 64 (35♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂?) Goosander
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Great Crested Grebe still
- 8 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 28 Black-headed Gulls

Oh no – not again! Yes again. Not only is a drake Gadwall always a great photo but the contrast pattern of the water adds interest.

The first of a trio of duck Tufted Ducks. Some birds retain white at the base of the bill in to the breeding season, though three together would seem unusual. Adults show a white band across the bill behind an extensive dark tip. The tip on this bird is rather diffuse.

Whereas on this bird the dark tip is broad and the white band less distinct. Note that like all duck Tufted Ducks there is a hint of a ‘tuft’ on the crown.

A rather smudgy blend between the dark tip and the diffuse white band.

A smart Cormorant.

This fungus is probably Scarlet Elfcup (Sarcoscypha austriaca). There is a similar but less common species Ruby Elfcup (Sarcoscypha coccinea). It requires a microscope to look at the mature spores – something I did not have about my person.

A close-up. These are rather small – compare with the moss growing around them.

Quite splendid.

(Ed Wilson)

1. A few photos from Venus Pool on 7 Feb Here.

2. A few photos from Belvide on 4 Feb Here.

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

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Greater Scaup
7 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
(Gary Crowder)

2013
St Georges
5 Waxwings
(Observer Unknown)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe) 

2009
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Observer Unknown

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
12 Pochard
1 Goldeneye
15+ Redwing
33 Fieldfare
1 Willow Tit
4 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
11 Great Crested Grebes
12 Cormorants
24 Pochard
102 Tufted Ducks
131 Coots
2 Water Rails
1 Kingfisher
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
88 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
56 Herring Gulls.
598 Wood Pigeons
210 Starling roost
16 Robins
1 Willow Tit
13 Greenfinches
19 Siskin
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)