28 Sep 19

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

Priorslee Lake:  05:55 –08:50
The Flash:  08:55 – 09:30
Trench Lock Pool:  10:15 – 10:35
Trench Middle Pool:  09:50 – 10:15 // 10:40 – 10:50

12.0°C > 16.0°C:  Broken cloud with showers, heavy at first but fading. Moderate / fresh SW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:05 BST

Priorslee Lake:  05:55 –08:50

(233rd visit of the year)

Bird notes from today:
The 07:10 ‘football’ field count produced 147 Black-headed Gulls, 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull; 22 Wood Pigeons, 12 Magpies, and 39 Pied Wagtails.
At 08:45 a disappointing repeat count produced just two Magpies with not a dog in sight.

Other notes:
- There were 16 dabbling ducks (Gadwall / Mallard) in front of the shelter at 06:10 when too dark to identify them. Probably mostly Mallard that flew off.
- Three unsexed Tufted Ducks flew out W at 06:25 leaving just three duck birds on the water. Later a drake flew in.
- A very big arrival of large gulls with c.120 around 06:25. Then a brief lull before >300 arrived, mixed in with Jackdaws and Rooks on roost departure at 06:40. Almost all these birds stopped off at the lake – just 34 noted flying directly onward. All these, bar two first-winter Lesser Black-backs, had gone by 07:30, having arrived from the N / NW. Whether subsequent arrivals, mainly from the W, were returnees or new birds is a moot point – I have treated them as new. One possible adult Yellow-legged Gull noted amongst them.
- One or more House Martins heard overhead at 07:15: not located.
- Nine of the Meadow Pipits flew over together.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 22 Greylag Geese (1 group inbound)
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- 22 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: six of these a first-winter birds
- 34 unidentified large gulls: too dark to ID
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 2 Stock Doves
- 42 Wood Pigeons
- 89 Jackdaws
- 149 Rooks
- 1 Starling
- 10 Meadow Pipits

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 or more House Martins heard only.

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 4 (2) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 2 (1♂) Mallard (see notes)
- 7 (1+♂) Tufted Ducks (see notes)
- 2 Cormorants again
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 7 adult + 2 immatures + 9 juvenile (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 120 Coots
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- 95 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: at least 73 of these first-winter birds
- 15 Herring Gulls: 13 of these first-winter birds
- 1 possible Yellow-legged Gull: adult
- >400 unidentified large gulls: too dark to ID

No pre-dawn sightings on the lamp poles: too wet

Later sightings:
- 1 wasp sp.
- 1 Grey Squirrel

The very early heavy showers moving away and a rather cheerless start to the day.

Well now: is it or isn’t the bird in the middle an adult Yellow-legged Gull? The mantle colour seems too dark for a Herring Gull and the head is ‘clean’ white unlike the adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls with their winter head-streaks. There are no ‘clinching’ features here. Obviously we cannot see whether it has yellow legs. Are the white spots on the folded wing too large for Yellow-legged Gull? Is the red-spot on the bill too restricted? Is the eye really dark-enough? And then a few minutes later from a different angle ....

 ... this looks just the right tone for an adult Herring Gull. But is it the same bird? I cannot be sure. I did not see any suspect bird fly in or out, though there were large gulls flying around all the while. Perhaps just the angle of the light? On the list as a ‘possible’ Yellow-legged Gull. All the other birds in this photo are Lesser Black-backed Gulls – four adults; two second years and the rest all first-winters.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  08:55 – 09:30

(221st visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- More geese arriving throughout my stay: likely more already inside the island when I arrived.
- A ‘bouncing’ party of 20 Goldfinches seen to perch in trees on the island. I usually record a few but this is my first sizeable group of the Autumn here.
and
- 1 Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus) on a lamp pole
- 2 Dicranopalpus ramosus harvestmen on the usual lamp pole yet again with ...
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum harvestman on the same pole
- 1 Grey Squirrel again

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 4 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Raven

Hirundines etc. noted.
None

Warblers noted.
None

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- >46 Greylag Geese
- >137 Canada Geese
- 1 hybrid / feral goose
- 50 (26♂) Mallard
- 40 (6?♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens again
- 14 Coots
- 19 Black-headed Gulls: four of these a first-winter bird

A naff photo through overhanging vegetation to the very top of a lamp pole. There is just about enough showing here to confirm it as another Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus) – I photographed one here on 17th September.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  10:15 – 10:35

(42nd visit of the year)

The road to the Blue Pig is currently closed, at least during work-times on weekdays, though the signs remain in place. Not entirely clear what is going on. Perhaps constructing passing places ahead of the occupation of the newly built houses? Perhaps just infrastructure work for same?

Whatever: the bird numbers here remain depressing.

Other notes from here:
- An ‘extra’ fully-grown juvenile Great Crested Grebe was new(?)
- 1 Grey Wagtail

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

Hirundines etc. noted.
None

Warblers noted.
None

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 35 Canada Geese
- 10 (6♂) Mallard
- 2 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 6 Coots only
- 7 Black-headed Gulls: none of these first winter birds
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: a first winter birds

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  09:50 – 10:15 // 10:40 – 10:50

(42nd visit of the year)

I parked here and walked the ‘other way’ between here and Trench Lock, so two visits here.

Work continues to stabilise the N side embankment. New signs have been erected stating that the work will last 8 weeks from 12 August with the footpath closed throughout. This rather ignores the fact that work started on 05 August when the work was scheduled to take three weeks with the footpath to be reopened at weekends. So should be completed by next weekend. We shall see.

One of the dog-walkers here noted that with the contractors day’s work completed the water was still being used as a gull roost. Historically up to 2000 gulls have roosted here in winter, all but a very few Black-headed Gulls. Will have to check.

Notes from here:
- Where did the all-white Mallard-type appear from? Not noted elsewhere in the area by me.
- The brownhead Goosander seemed to depart.
also
- 2 Terrapin sp. (presumed Yellow-bellied Slider)

Birds noted flying over / near here.
None

Hirundines etc. noted.
None

Warblers noted.
None

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 84 Canada Geese
- 33 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white feral Mallard-type Duck
- 8 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 39 Coots
- 12 Black-headed Gulls: none of these first winter birds

(Ed Wilson)

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Sky Larks
3 Meadow Pipits
26 Pied Wagtails
7 Siskins
2 Redpolls
142 Greylag Geese
320 Canada Geese
Common Sandpiper
45 Robins
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Cormorant
A pair of Wigeon
220 Coots
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

2007
RAF Cosford
Juvenile Gannet flew over RAF Cosford at about 100ft
(Martin R Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
3 Redpoll
Siskin
5 Chiffchaffs
Blackcap
Kingfisher
Buzzard
2 Kestrel
Meadow Pipit
(Ed Wilson).