15 Mar 19

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

Priorslee Lake:  05:40 – 06:45 // 07:35 – 09:40
The Flash:  06:55 – 07:25
Trench Lock Pool:  09:50 – 10:00 // 10:50 – 11:10
Trench Middle Pool:  10:05 – 10:45

11.0°C:  Cloudy: dry apart from shower c.09:00. Moderate W wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 06:25 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  05:40 – 06:45 // 07:35 – 09:40

(69th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- the Canada Geese at the lake arrived much later than usual and from the east (rather than the west)
- one of the drake Tufted Ducks left
- four Great Crested Grebes behaving as two pairs with birds displaying in NW area for the first time
- hard to judge how many Black-headed Gulls there were. Number went up and down all the while with birds moving to and from the football field and then swirling around overhead when the local Buzzard passed by. 85 my highest ‘spot count’: likely more birds involved. Up to 32 on the football field
- >350 Jackdaws at 05:55. In the cloudy conditions hard to see these
- 3 Chiffchaffs singing
- surprised to flush five Redwings from their NE roost well after daybreak – and somewhat surprised they are still here
- more Siskins in Alders again: also seen drinking from puddles

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 2 Greylag Geese (pair inbound)
- 2 Canada Geese (pair outbound)
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 1 Wood Pigeons only!
- >350 Jackdaws

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- [Magpies not counted]
- 5 Redwings
- [Reed Buntings not counted]

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese (pair arrived)
- 6 (4♂) Mallard only
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail
- 11 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- >85 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Other things
- many apparent plumed midges (Chironomus plumosus)
- Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) flowers new for here

Rather a long way away but showing what happens if there is a strong wind in the wrong direction and you are a displaying Great Crested Grebe. The Black-headed Gull seems to be wondering what is going on.

Even moving in to calmer water does not entirely solve the problem.

Not my best photo of a Goldcrest – though, given the difficulty of keeping up with these energetic sprites, perhaps it is. This one seems to have no visible means of support and to be jumping.

Unusual behaviour by this male Siskin – seems to be eating the buds of the plant – Blackthorn I think. Normally they eat seeds.

Because they usually eat seeds they need to drink. This male Siskin at a muddy pool in the ‘path’ (swamp) along the N side.

Here he is joined by a female, though you cannot tell the sex of this other bird – I was there!

I noted that the Black-headed Gulls were feeding off what seemed to be a ‘hatch’. Perhaps these midges dancing above my head – look like plumed midges (Chironomus plumosus).

A rather better angle on the Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) here.

And a close-up of some of the flowers.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  06:55 – 07:25

(63rd visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- some of the Canada Geese left
- Gadwall back or out of hiding
- Mallard gone in to hiding!
- 1 Chiffchaff in song at N end

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
None

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1  Mute Swans again
- 24 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 12 (8♂) Mallard
- 58 (36♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe still
- no Moorhens
- 31 Coots

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash
(2nd visit of year)
- 2 (1♂) Mallard in the Wesley Brook
- 1 Moorhen heard at the upper pool
- 1 Moorhen at the lower pool
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming alongside the lower pool

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  09:50 – 10:00 // 10:50 – 11:10

(15th visit of the year)

Today’s notes from here
- Pochard apparently gone
- the two Great Crested Grebes continues to ignore each other
- low number of Coots again
- most of the Black-headed Gulls left between my two visits
- perhaps the large gulls seen flying over Middle Pool later

Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]
None

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans again
- 14 Canada Geese
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard
- 29 (18♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens again
- 24 Coots
- 42 > 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Herring Gulls

There two Herring Gulls dropped in. I spent a while trying to convince myself that one was darker-mantles than the other and a candidate for a more interesting gull. In the end I decided it was just the angle of the light. On the left-hand bird the pattern of black and white on the wing-tip is classic adult Herring Gull.

The same two: note the larger-looking bill on the left-hand bird.

Today’s attempt at the ‘best’ Long-tailed Tit photo.

On the white-washed wall of the Blue Pig pub I found this Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris). A rather large specimen that I think is likely a queen looking for a nest site.

She moved to the ground and gave me this opportunity.

With the light slightly different accentuating the ‘fluffiness’.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  10:05 – 10:45

(15th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- Great Crested Grebes returned
- Coot numbers recovered
- puzzling gull
- at least 4 Siskins in Alders
and
- another groups of unidentified fungus found

Birds noted flying over / near here
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove

The counts from the water
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 42 Canada Geese
- 15 (12♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 31 Coots only
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring-type Gull

The large gull here gave – and gives – me some trouble with its ID. The mantle is clearly darker than the accompanying adult Black-headed Gull. With brown in the wings it is clearly an immature – probably 3rd winter / 4th summer as there is significant red on the lower mandible and no hint of any dark streaks on the head.

Again we see the darker mantle as a first winter Black-headed Gull passes by.

Somewhat over-enlarged to show the very large bill, the size of the red spot on the lower mandible and the immature feathering in the folded wings.

From the other side.

After waiting until someone arrived to ‘feed the ducks’ all the birds got up to partake in the scramble. Unfortunately in the wrong direction for me, but ... Here we see the underside of the inner primaries are pale and thus the bird is a dark Herring Gull-type rather than a faded Lesser Black-backed Gull. Now what colour are those legs? Yellowish legs and pink feet?

Certainly the legs and feet are different in tone. Note just a few dark marks in the tail feathers.

At which point it went behind trees. Nevertheless we get a good view of the upperwing. I remain confused! We see new inner primaries and no dark trailing edge to the secondaries suggesting a near-adult, as does the small amount of black on the bill. These support the 3rd winter / 4th summer theory. However the extensive brown in the upperwing is more like a 2nd winter / 3rd summer bird which should show a dark tail band. A Yellow-legged Gull in immature plumage has darker secondaries than a Herring Gull. Conclusion: an odd-looking immature Herring Gull.

This is what Siskins are supposed to eat – Alder seeds from the cones.

A good angle to see the pointed bill of this species – used to really dig in those cones. Note too the yellow rump.

A cluster of fungus. As usual what seems to be an ‘obvious-looking’ fungus I cannot match it with anything in my reference books or by using my usual web-sites.

The individual fruiting bodies vary in shape with age – not unusual. They look very different from below.

Another view.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2011
Priorslee Lake
2  Pochard
18 Tufted Duck
23 Redwings
5 Meadow Pipits
26 Greenfinches
8 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock
6 Sand Martins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
5 Pied Wagtails
1 Chiffchaff singing
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebe 
4 Great Crested Grebe 
1 Heron
6 Gadwall
1 Pochard
41 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
108 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Cormorant
12 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
A leucistic Black-headed Gull
3 Stock Dove
391 Wood Pigeon
27 Wren
23 Robin
21 Blackbird
8 Fieldfare
7 Chiffchaff singing
43 Magpie
11 Greenfinch
5 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
6 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
33 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
3 Chiffchaff singing
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
7 Pochard
36 Tufted Ducks
c.1110 Black-headed Gulls
22 Wrens
20 Robins
19 Fieldfares
19 Redwings
7 Greenfinches
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)