6 Feb 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:35 – 09:20
The Flash:  09:25 – 10:10

4.0°C > 5.0°C:  Few wisps of thin high cloud. Just frosted in sheltered areas. Light S wind increasing moderate. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 07:44 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:35 – 09:20

(36th visit of the year)

All ice gone

Bird notes
- the usual group of 10 geese overhead yet again. I must say that on size it looked as if there might only be 2 Greylags today – too dark to be sure
- drake Shoveler giving much better views
- try as I might I could not find any Little Grebes
- usually 8 or 9 Moorhens on the SW grass at first light: just 2 today for some reason
- after just 6 Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:20 a big rush of c.375 at 07:35 – much too fast an arrival to count
- the final group of passing Jackdaws also contained 14 Rooks (with 4 more Rooks later). In days of yore the Rooks always preceded the Jackdaws: then last year Rooks were usually with the first group of Jackdaws. Perhaps this means the relative positions of the roosts have moved?
- a Greenfinch heard giving its wheezy song on several occasions
- single short burst of what passes as a Reed Bunting’s song heard. First of year

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 3? Greylag Geese [part of group outbound]
- 17 Canada Geese [3 groups outbound]
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 19 Wood Pigeons
- c.195 Jackdaws
- 18 Rooks
- 2 Starlings
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Goldfinch

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- >41 Magpies
- 1 Reed Bunting only

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans again
- 3 Canada Geese
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall still
- 10 (7♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler still
- 6 (2♂) Pochard
- 39 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons once more
- 4 Moorhens only
- 49 Coots
- >375 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again

As a PS to these number I stopped by at 13:00 and the swans, ducks and herons were all the same bar
- 16 (9♂) Tufted Ducks
No doubt due to boating activity on the water they had gone elsewhere

The lamp poles produced
- 1 spider sp. My photo was naff but was probably and orb-web spider Zygiella x-notata
- 1 what I took to be a slug sp. but looking at the photo I remain puzzled
and
- some Blushing Bracket (Daedaleopsis confragosa) fungus found

Definitely a morning to be up and enjoying the sunrise. Here are a few shots from a variety of vantage points around the lake. Here at the W end early on.

I scooted round to the N side – as is necessary in winter when the sunrise is in the SE.

Dramatic for a while.

Beginning to fade.

Back to the W end looking along the S side: a touch of mist.

And much, much later.

The drake Shoveler was not ‘lurking’ today. The pale at the base of the bill is because this bird has yet to acquire full breeding plumage. It might be it is a first-winter bird, though many drakes do take some while to look breeding-smart.

A couple of the local Buzzards had a bit of a barney and this is one flying off.

I could almost think it is looking at me.

Not heard this species sing as yet – Mistle Thrush is an early songster, often known as Stormcock from its habit of singing from exposed perches in the strongest of winds. Separate from Song Thrush by its larger size, rather small headed appearance and more-sparse spotting on the breast.

A rather elderly fungus. I think Blushing Bracket (Daedaleopsis confragosa).

When I took this photo I assumed this was a slug of some type. Looking at the strange marks at the lower end I am not so sure. But what else?

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:25 – 10:10

(31st visit of the year)

Very small amount of ice remaining, just at S end

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
51      Starling

Notes from here:
- all the geese are clearly ‘paired’ now. A Greylag x Canada Goose is with an ordinary Canada Goose
- a 3rd drake Pochard – another refugee from the lake?
- all the Coots out of hiding and in good number
and
- 1 Dotted Border moth on a lamp

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 5 Feral Pigeons
- 5 Starlings – new for the year, surprisingly

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 17 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 35 (24♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 37 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 5 Moorhens
- 31 Coots
- 68 Black-headed Gulls

The hybrid goose with the bill of a Greylag Goose (albeit pink-toned rather than the orange-tones of a real Greylag); and the white chin-strap reminiscent of Canada Goose. It is currently paired with a normal-looking Canada Goose.

Drake Pochard are so contrasting it is difficult to show the intricate pattern on the silver back while enabling the red eye and two-tone neck to be appreciated. Note the bill pattern. There are similar species that are exceptionally uncommon vagrants that are best identified by their differing bill markings.

This Coot was holding one leg up while managing to preen while standing on the other leg. Why? No idea.

A Dotted Border moth. Seems a reasonable-enough name. This specimen shows only a hint of the median cross-line. It is a very variable species with some specimens almost dark-brown all-over.

Can Spring be far away? 

(Ed Wilson)

Note

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

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
9 Pochard
9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c80 Black-headed Gulls
(Gary Crowder)

Telford Central Railway Station
35 Redwing
(Gary Crowder)

Horsehay Pool
1 Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2013
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site:
2 Glaucous Gulls 
1 Caspian Gull
(Kris Webb)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
15 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
c.1200 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c.420 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.30 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
10 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock
2 Little Grebes
30 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
 3 Pochard
6 Goosanders
4 Pale Brindled Beauty moths
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
34 Greylag Geese
9 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
775 Black-headed Gulls
488 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
28 Robins
19 Blackbirds
8 Song Thrushes
1 Redwing
1 Willow Tit
41 Magpies
250 Jackdaws
100 Rooks
4 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
 2 Gadwall
22 Pochard
63 Tufted Ducks
164 Coots
600 Wood Pigeons
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
84 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
9 Herring Gulls
21 Robins
24 Blackbirds
9 Song Thrushes
3 Willow Tits
11 Greenfinches
15 Siskins
17 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)