14 Feb 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

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

3.0°C > 4.0°C:  Mist and fog. Light SE wind. Very poor / poor visibility

Sunrise: 07:29 GMT

All sightings affected by poor visibility

Priorslee Lake:  06:20 – 09:15

(42nd visit of the year)

Bird notes
- no Mute Swans again
- the ‘gang of 10’ geese were, on size, all Canada Geese though one was calling more like a Greylag. I suspect there were 9 Canadas and the Greylag x Canada bird
- no Gadwall found despite extensive search
- apparently no Tufted Duck early: then 7 (4 drakes) at W end with all bar 1 drake flying E in to the fog. Later a pair with the remaining duck – two of the earlier birds?
- only Jackdaws passing directly over me could be seen and their numbers estimated
- Chaffinch heard in full song – first around lake this year
- a Reed Bunting heard calling at the S end of the dam. This is a new location for me, though it is but a stone’s throw from where they bred along the S side last year

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose (see notes)
- >19 Canada Geese (3 groups outbound- see notes)
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- >135 Jackdaws
- 2 Pied Wagtails

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
None

The counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 7 (4♂) Tufted Duck at least
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 10 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- >125 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

The lamp poles were disappointing again, probably because they were soaking wet from the mist: just
- 1 Nursery Web Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 1 unidentified small spider

The best I could do with the small spider on one of the lamps – compare with the size of the water droplets being deposited by the fog. No clue about the ID. It is holding its front two pairs of legs together in a similar fashion to the Nursery Web Spider but it is less than half the size.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:20 – 10:00

(37th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- both Gadwall present OK
- only one Great Crested Grebe: visibility was poor throughout
- Bullfinch heard singing – a song not often heard, though they can sing very well
and
- more Scarlet Elfcup (Sarcoscypha austriaca) fungus on a different fallen branch in squirrel alley

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
None

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans again
- 8 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 28 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler still
- 2 (2♂) Pochard again
- 51 (26♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 3 Moorhens again
- 21 Coots
- 42 Black-headed Gulls

Sometimes dull light – as it was in the fog this morning – can be an advantage. The contrast on this male Pochard is thereby reduced and it is easier to expose to see the fine vermiculations on its back. Note the wide silver band across the bill.

And again.

Either planted or a garden escape: nevertheless these Snowdrops (Galanthus sp.) make a fine sight.

(Ed Wilson)

Note
1. A few photos from Belvide on 10 Feb Here.

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

2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
5 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
1 Tundra Bean Goose
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake
3 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
35 Pochard
80 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
177 Coots
185 Jackdaws
42 Magpies
2 Siskins
39 Linnets
11 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2008
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
1 Iceland Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gull
(Rich, Vernon, Andy, Ed Wilson and Jason)

2006
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
6 Cormorants
7 Pochard
39 Tufted Ducks
140 Coots
880 Wood Pigeons
249 Jackdaws
155 Rooks
24 Robins
20 Blackbirds
11 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)