13 Feb 19

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

Priorslee Lake:  06:25 – 09:35
The Flash:  09:40 – 10:25
Trench Lock Pool:  10:40 – 10:50 // 11:30 – 11:50
Trench Middle Pool:  10:55 – 11:25

7.0°C > 10.0°C:  Early low cloud cleared to high overcast. Some lower cloud also later. Almost calm start with light S wind later. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 07:31 GMT

Notable today was the increase in Great Crested Grebes. There was a second bird at the lake. At The Flash there were two (none yesterday and just one previously this year). Also two at Middle Pool where I have seen none for three weeks. Still only 1 at Trench Lock Pool though

Priorslee Lake:  06:25 – 09:35

(41st visit of the year)

Bird notes
- no Mute Swans
- the ‘gang of 10’ geese was a ‘gang of 5’, all Canada Geese. A few more geese later
- drake Shoveler seemed to have shoved off
- a second Great Crested Grebe: they stayed well apart protecting the NW and N side reeds respectively
- most surprising sighting was a Pheasant flying off the football field in to the Ricoh copse. Against the light for me so was unable to sex the silhouette. They have attempted to breed in the copse in previous years. They are usually heard rather than seen
- I more or less gave up with the Black-headed Gulls this morning. A desultory arrival of 35 birds at 07:09 was followed by small numbers leaving to and arriving from the W. A group of 66 arrived at 07:55, likely including returnees. By 08:30 there were just 5 remaining. Then at 09:10 there were c.190 on the water
- the 62 over-flying Wood Pigeons included a tight group of 17 flying N at height
- a walk around the complete area between 06:25 and 06:50 produced 12 singing Song Thrushes, 14 Blackbirds (3 in song) and 28 singing Robins. This was the first morning this year I have heard serious Blackbird song

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 2 Greylag Goose (1 group outbound)
- 9 Canada Geese (3 groups outbound)
- 1 Cormorant
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Feral Pigeons (2 groups)
- 2 Stock Doves
- 62 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- c.600 Jackdaws
- >23 Rooks
- 3 Pied Wagtails

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- 3 Redwings again

The counts from the lake area:
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall still
- 7 (5♂) Mallard again
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant yet again
- 1 Grey Heron briefly
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 38 Coots
- c.190 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The lamp poles were disappointing after the mild cloudy night: just
- 2 Nursery Web Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis)

Taken rather early when still quite dark so not too ‘crisp’: but we see the hood well-developed on this Black-headed Gull.

An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. Not showing any head-streaking or black on the bill – indeed the ‘red spot’ even has a darker red centre. These birds have yellow legs of course – I would have trouble distinguishing these legs from grey or pink legs. The feet are more yellow.

Another spider that I am calling a Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) giving a particularly good view.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:40 – 10:25

(36th visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
54      Tree creeper

Notes from here:
- a lone Canada Goose was just dropping in as I pulled up. When doing the count I failed to find a ‘lone goose’. Whether it was part of a pair or whether it disappeared inside the island – as the geese have started to do as a prelude to nesting – is a moot point
- I only noted the drake Gadwall today but it was climbing out of the water on to the island and its mate might have preceded it
- a drake Shoveler. I am fairly certain it is not the bird missing from the lake today. May be the bird that was here for a few days last week
- after not seeing the Great Crested Grebe yesterday there were two today, together most of the time
- 3 Song Thrushes singing here
and
- another species of fungus found in squirrel alley (yet to be identified)

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 16+ Canada Geese (see notes)
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall (see notes)
- 30 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 44 (24♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant yet again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens again
- 23 Coots again
- 45 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

This is why I could not tell whether the drake Shoveler was the bird from the lake which was showing pale around the base of its bill. Shovelers have this technique of swimming in circles to stir up silt from the bottom of waters and using their bill to filter the tasty morsels dislodged. So they go around and around with their bills underwater never seeming to come up for air.

Then while I wasn’t watching it paddled to the island and went to sleep, hiding its bill again!

A small group of small fungus – compare with the moss fronds. Not had much success identifying this. Might be Wrinkly Peach (Rhodotus palmatus) or Orange Bonnet (Mycena acicula) though neither of these is normally found in late winter / spring.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  10:40 – 10:50 // 11:30 – 11:50

(9th visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
37      Greylag Goose

Notes from here
- the erstwhile lone Mute Swan was chasing the others: a pair left; the other unringed bird was proving harder to shift
- the over flying geese were in with the big arrival on the pool. They almost certainly went to Middle Pool (before I did)
- even lower number of Coots – fewer than are usually present in the breeding season

Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 5 Canada Geese

The counts from the water
- 4 > 2 Mute Swans
- 11 > 115 Canada Geese
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Feral Mallard
- 21 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 (2♂) Goosander
- 1 Great Crested Grebe as ever
- 33 Coots
- 23 > 45 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 > 0 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 0 > 1 Herring Gull

The lone resident cob Mute Swan had three visitors to chase. Here a pair leave, I assume a cob at the rear with the more pronounced swelling at the base of the bill. As far as can be seen here neither bird is ringed.

They are rather magnificent in flight.

Having chased off the pair of visitors he set about the other bird – which came rather too close! It too does not seem to be ringed.

Touchdown! for these two Canada Geese.

A text-book landing.

And some of the 112 other birds that flew in with them.

Now this is a very different-looking Lesser Black-backed Gull. Lots of head streaking, no red on either mandible and less contrast between the mantle tone and that of the folded primaries. A pale eye though. The mandible suggests that it is a second or, more likely, third winter bird, especially as the back and wings look like an adult. But look: it is wearing a ring! Thanks to the wonders of the internet I have been informed this bird was ringed in Spain. I have sent the ringer a copy of the photo and hope to have more details soon.

Another gull to puzzle about. Moulting its inner primary feathers too. Note that all the inner primaries look paler from underneath, a sure sign of a Herring Gull.

Not a helpful pose – or background come to that. The camera did well to show, from above, just how pale those inner primaries are. Note too the wide and solid tail-band on the closed tail.

Here we see the bird with its tail spread and the patterning on the uppertail is clear. All pointing to a first-winter Herring Gull. We also get a size comparison with the adult winter Black-headed Gull at the right.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  10:55 – 11:25

(9th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- rather quiet again
- some of the Canada Geese were in the iron-stained pools at the NW part of the area
- two Great Crested Grebes returned
- very few Black-headed Gulls when I arrived: some drifted in

The counts from the water
- 8 Greylag Geese
- 46 Canada Geese
- 21 (16♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Ducks again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 14 Moorhens
- 33 Coots
- 5 > 85 Black-headed Gulls

It is that time of year. Too many Coots and not enough space. They have nasty sharp claws but rarely seem to inflict actual damage on each other. Posturing?

Not yet seen at Priorslee – the micro climate here must be just that bit warmer. The first Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) flower.

(Ed Wilson)

Notes
1. Update on the ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull seen today .- 'I have been sent details of the ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull at Trench. It is full adult and this year will see its 8th birthday. In summary it was evidently born in 2011 and ringed in February 2012 in the port of Málaga, Spain (in its 2nd calendar year). In July 2012 it was seen in Norfolk. In February 2013 it was seen several times around Madrid city. In May 2013 it was seen in Leicestershire. Where it has been since then is a mystery. It is interesting that such an old bird shows so much black on its bill: all my bird books show only red on the bill after the third winter.'

2. A few photos from Belvide on 10 Feb Here.

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Greater Scaup
(Observer Unknown)

2013
Candles landfill / Horsehay Pool
1 Iceland Gull
3 Caspian Gull
8 Yellow-legged Gull
Herring x Lesser Black-backed gull hybrid
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1000+ large gulls
2 Iceland Gulls
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
4 Great Crested Grebes
4 Gadwall
39 Pochard
84 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
173 Coots
1 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Geoff Holmes)

2006
Priorslee Lake
10 Pink-footed Geese
c.70 Golden Plover
80 Fieldfares
10 Great Crested Grebes
10 Pink-footed Geese
10 Pochard
38 Tufted Ducks
151 Coots
1 Water Rail
1065 Wood Pigeons
273 Jackdaws
186 Rooks
400 Starling
27 Robins
23 Blackbirds
10 Song Thrushes
11 Greenfinches
48 Siskins
1 Redpoll
10 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson).