In the absence of anything much else to look at and to defeat the boredom I decided to photograph the mostly first year Black-headed Gulls flying about. The cloudy weather gave an even light that did not ‘blow-out’ the white parts of the plumage.

A rather scruffy bird.

A neater bird. Note the outer two tail-feathers almost lack any black.

...A feature that is not obvious when the tail is held tight.

A pair showing slightly different progress in moult to first-summer plumage.

One of rather few adults passes by ...

... And shows the wing pattern well. Note at this angle the tail looks somewhat triangular: it isn’t, it is being held in a shallow ‘V’.

Another first-year.

... Even closer.

An approach shot to end with!

And now for something completely different – a male Pied Wagtail.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 11:55 – 12:40

(64th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- Gadwall disappeared again
- Great Crested Grebe pair located sheltering underneath overhanging vegetation

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 9 Jackdaws

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 10 Canada Geese
- 22 (14♂) Mallard
- 47 (29♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 36 Coots

Now here is a puzzle. The bill on this drake Tufted Duck caught my attention as being very pale and almost glistened in the rather dull conditions. The bird is ploughing through the waves whipped up by a strong wind.

Here, on a different bird, is what the bill usually looks like: pale blue-grey with a silver band behind the black tip.

Here is our confusing bird again: almost all the bill looks silvery apart from the black tip. Note also that there seems to be little ‘tuft’ on this bird. The Tufted Duck / Scaup / Pochard complex is notable for producing hybrids but there are no features here that would point to any other parentage. Strangely after I had walked around the water I tried to relocate the bird and couldn’t. Conclusion? Confused.

Not often I get the opportunity to grab a shot of the normally wary Carrion Crow. This bird, like a good proportion of Carrion Crow s, shows a few white tips to some feather.

Yes well: a cluster of buds about to open. I assumed the well-patterned fleshy-looking leaves would lead to a speedy identification. Not so: looks like I will have to await the flowering and remember to look again. If you know different please get in touch.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Iceland Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull.
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Kittiwake
2 adult Little Gulls
(J Reeves / Jim Almond / Andy Latham)

2011
Priorslee Lake
13 Pochard
18 Tufted Duck
5 Great Crested Grebe
12+ Sand Martin
3 Chiffchaff
17 Pied Wagtails
23 Linnets
11 Greenfinches
(Mike Cooper, (Martin Grant, Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
2 Great Crested Grebe
c.12 Tufted Duck
4 Teal
2 Chiffchaff singing
1 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock
30 Tufted Duck
6 Sand Martins
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
( Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Great Crested Grebe
1 Heron
6 Gadwall
19 Tufted Duck
2 Reed Buntings
( Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebe
15 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
3 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
46 Golden Plover
4 Stock Dove
281 Wood Pigeon
27 Wren
38 Robin
21 Blackbird
1 Redwing
4 Chiffchaff singing
3 Jay
35 Magpie
159 Jackdaw
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

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16 Mar 19