7 Mar 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  05:45 – 09:00
The Flash:  09:05 – 09:45

5.0°C > 6.0°C:  Clear start. Clouded from W after 08:00 with light rain after 09:00. Fresh SW wind. Very good visibility, good after arrival of rain

Sunrise: 06:44 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  05:45 – 09:00

(62nd visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- 3 presumed (on size) Tufted Duck flew out W 05:51; 2 presumed this species flew in from W at 06:10: probably the pair on the water later
- the / a Lesser Black-backed Gull present on the usual buoy by 06:45
- c.120 Jackdaws passed over my head at the W end at 06:08 with at least 50 more over the E end at that time. Were there other large groups still further to the W this morning? Quite a few stragglers as well
- 3 singing Chiffchaffs
- mixed party of at least 6 Goldfinches and 8 Siskins in the Alders at the W end contained at least 1 Lesser Redpoll

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 4 Greylag Geese (2 pairs outbound)
- 4 Canada Geese (also 2 pairs outbound)
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- c.250 Jackdaws (see notes)
- 42 Rooks
- 2 Siskins

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- >42 Magpies
- 4 Redwings
- 3 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area:
- 14 (10♂) Mallard
- >2 (1+♂) Tufted Duck (see notes)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 44 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Other things
- just before the rain started there 8 small flies on one of the lamps

“Red sky in the morning”. Was already windy ...

The rain was heading in from the W.

No special reason: a Great Crested Grebe photo.

Even if you are a teenage Black-headed Gull it is hard to balance on a curved surface in a strong wind.

“Perhaps if I form a tripod it will be more stable”.

Oops: need to use the wings to steady myself.

A male Pied Wagtail. In the next few weeks we might see birds of the Continental race / species, the ‘White Wagtail’. The males of this species have a grey back and are easy to ID. But ..

This is a female Pied Wagtail and these are much harder to separate from female White Wagtails. The definitive difference is the upper tail – often hidden – which is black in Pied Wagtail and concolorous grey with the back on a White Wagtail. A good clue for most birds is in the flanks – Pied Wagtail usually has grey on the flanks: the White Wagtail is usually pure white.

There is just enough here to identify this as a Lesser Redpoll rather than one of the Siskins I could hear twittering and wheezing above me. Note firstly the small, very pointed yellow bill. The crown looks dark so it cannot be a male Siskin as it has very obvious breast streaking. The ground colour to the streaking on the sides of the breast is buffy – it grey in a Siskin. And the eye has a streak through it – a female Siskin has a staring eye out of a plain face.

Some features of the bird are more obscured here, though it confirms the ID as a Lesser Redpoll as the we see the ‘red poll’ (crown).

Here is a male Siskin for comparison. Almost no streaking on the side of the grey breast; bright yellow centre to the chest; larger bill, not yellow; and black crown.

This instance of pussy willow has already burst open to reveal the – are they stamens or stigmas? I really should have paid more attention to my science teacher. Luckily the web tells me I am looking at anthers at the end of filaments, these parts making up stamens. Not sure where the stigma would be on this ‘flower’.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:05 – 09:45

(56th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- last year’s cygnet left the island and was then rather halfheartedly chased by the cob
- drake Pochard back
- duck Goosander was rather unexpected – though perhaps not if the River Severn is in spate and fishing is difficult. So why weren’t there more?

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Buzzard
- 2 Jackdaws

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1  Mute Swans
- 16 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall still
- 20 (12♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 42 (25♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 2 Great Crested Grebes still
- 1 Moorhen only
- 33 Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls

(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

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged gull
(Gary Crowder)

Horsehay Pool
1 Iceland Gull
(Ian Grant)

2011
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
5 Teal
8 Goosander
15 Pochard
40 Tufted Ducks
7 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
6 Gadwall
26 Pochard
5 Goosanders
62 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
76 Coots
62 Magpies
2 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorant
2 Grey Heron
16 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Woodcock
425 Wood Pigeon
2 Grey Wagtail
37 Robin
26 Blackbird
7 Song Thrush
6 Redwing
47 Magpie
146 Jackdaw
10 Greenfinch
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
4 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
106 Coots
1 Water Rail
1 Curlew 
23 Blackbirds
11 Greenfinches
2 Siskins
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)