17 Dec 19

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool [not in that order]

Priorslee Lake:  12:35 – 13:10
The Flash:  11:40 – 12:25
Trench Lock Pool:  10:10 – 10:20 // 10:55 – 11:25
Trench Middle Pool:  10:25 – 10:50

1.0°C > 2.0°C:  The early fog had now lifted to become broken low cloud under a thin high overcast. Clearance from NW later. Almost calm. Moderate visibility at best.

[Sunrise: 08:17 GMT]

Priorslee Lake:  12:35 – 13:10

(287th visit of the year)

c.10% ice, all at the E end adjacent to the dam.

Bird notes:
- The proportion of Herring Gulls that are adults continues to increase. Very few first-winter birds noted.
- Just one of the large gulls seemed to be other than Herring / Lesser Black-backed Gulls – likely an adult Yellow-legged Gull, but it flew off almost as soon as I noticed it.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
None

Counts from the lake area: all numbers ‘best effort’ from lay-by in rather hazy conditions
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 6 Canada Geese
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 5 (4♂) Pochard
- 61 (28♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 4 Cormorants
- 2 Little Grebes
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- c.130 Black-headed Gulls
- c.275 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: mostly adults
- c.45 Herring Gulls: >30 adults
- 1 probable Yellow-legged Gull

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash:  11:40 – 12:25

(272nd visit of the year)

c.75% thin ice. Only the area around the island was clear and this was where most birds were. To the extent that some were circulating around the island in the other direction from my clockwise walk then all numbers are ‘best effort’.

Bird notes from here:
- Two of the drake Goosanders arrived, circling several times to search for a suitable area of open water for touch down.
- The Kingfishers were heard squabbling but none was seen – I was the wrong side of the island at the time.
- An over flying Rook. I rarely see this species at the times I visit.
- A Mistle Thrush was heard singing from somewhere behind (to the W of) the estate. I could not locate it and it sang for no more than a minute.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 3 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Wood Pigeon
- 1 Rook
- 3 Starlings

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans as ever
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 46 Canada Geese
- 34 (19♂) Mallard: same as Sunday
- 6 (6♂) Pochard
- 27 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (3♂) Goosanders
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhen
- 12 Coots
- 37 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: one presumed third-winter, briefly; one second winter
- 2 Kingfishers

Other sightings
- on one of the lamp poles around the water
- 1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)

With much ice it was easier to approach the Goosanders. A drake Goosander with a duck Tufted Duck lurking in the shady recesses.

More drake Goosanders flew in. A flight view showing the spread tail – a tail used to assist in swimming after fish.

Eventually I managed to get really close.

 I was well pleased with this shot ...

 .. and this.

I am sure it really wasn’t blowing bubbles! Note the two retained grey flank feathers from its recent eclipse plumage. Also note the bright feet powering him along underwater.

Why don’t gulls’ feet freeze? An adult winter Black-headed Gull of course standing on the ice.

A feature here that I did not notice until I looked at the photo of this (near) adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. The inner primaries and their coverts are paler than all the other feathers. I think this is a third-winter bird – the bill shows very little (if any) red – and perhaps these are new feathers? This bird is also a bit unusual in that while there is a white ‘mirror’ on the outer primary there is also a small mirror on the adjacent primary. None of these features would be evident ‘in the field’. As far as I know the fact this bird is very heavily streaked on the head does not help with aging it.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trench Lock Pool:  10:10 – 10:20 // 10:55 – 11:25

(53rd visit of the year)

c.20% thin ice, mainly at the E end

Notes from here:
- The Little Grebes had moved from the S side to underneath the N side dam.
- The adult Yellow-legged Gull had the decency to stand on a buoy and show its yellow legs.
- Another Herring Gull-type – a possible Caspian Gull?
- A Coal Tit singing its heart out.

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

Counts from the water:
- 1 Mute Swan: unringed
- [no Canada Geese!]
- 6  (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 3 (0♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 (3♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 7 Coots
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull: all adults
- 3 Herring Gull: three adults
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: adult
- 1 possible Caspian Gull: third-winter?

Managed to sneak up on this brownhead Goosander

I am fairly certain that this is a Yellow-legged Gull – it even has yellow legs! Adult Caspian Gulls can have grey or pale yellow legs. However the mantle would not look so dark as this. Indeed I had to do a double-check that this wasn’t one of the paler races Lesser Black-backed Gulls....

... however two nearby Lesser Black-backed Gulls reminded me that: firstly both races are much darker; and that the head would normally be heavily streaked at this date.

On the same buoy as the Yellow-legged Gull is this adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. This species is supposed to have yellow legs. Here they look a very pale yellow and the feet are definitely pink.

Another Lesser Black-backed Gull had an idea that it might take-over the buoy. The ‘resident’ started to call to indicate it was having none of it....

 ... typically bowing its head as it calls.

Time for a celebratory laugh.

This Herring Gull-type is more of a problem. The brown marks on the wing, confined to the outer greater primary coverts, suggest this is a third-winter bird. Birds of this age would normally show some black markings on the tail and a black band across the bill. Note that only the outer primary has a white ‘window’. That would point to Caspian or Yellow-legged Gull. The mantle is paler than the previous Yellow-legged Gull. Could it be a Caspian Gull? I struggle mightily with these.

Here we see both the upper and under wing and on both only the outer primary has a white ‘window’.

Goldcrests are among the hardest species to photograph. This example was more co-operative than most even if my ‘recycle bin’ has dozens of rejects.

Even when you cannot see the crown the large, almost staring, eye is unique.

Here it is with its crown feathers exposed – a gold crest indeed.

And off it goes...

.. to land again close-by. The dark band across the wing is also unique. Could have done with some sun, though I expect the Goldcrest would have been hiding deep in the Ivy had it been sunny.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trench Middle Pool:  10:25 – 10:50

(53rd visit of the year)

No ice

More work to disturb the birds. Today contractors were strimming the vegetation growing out of the water along the N bank and were wading in the water to do so.

Notes from here:
- Mute Swans gone again
- 23 of the Greylag Geese arrived in groups of 17 and six
- The trio of Goosanders ‘appeared’ and then ‘disappeared’. Did not see them fly in or out.
- The Grey Heron circled down as if to land in the trees. Not sure if it did: I could not find it later. Perhaps the bird seen at Trench Lock later?

Birds noted flying over / near here:
None

Counts from the water:
- [no Mute Swans]
- 26 Greylag Geese
- 17 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral Goose-type
- 22 (16♂) Mallard
- 12 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (2♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron briefly
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 17 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 25 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
40 Golden Plover
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
4 Siskins
2 Redpolls
8 Pochard 
83 Tufted Ducks
249 Coots
83 Fieldfare
54 Redwings
216 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

The Flash
Greater Scaup
1 Little Grebe 
179 Tufted Ducks 
1 Goosander 
(John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)

Holmer Lake
30 Goosander
1 Little Grebe
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
11 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
Snipe
1 Water Rail
163 Coots
6 Redwings
227 Jackdaws
3 Redpolls
2 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Pochard
33 Tufted Duck
30 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
29 Swans
36 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
3 Water Rails
291 Coots
6 Redwings
c.230 Jackdaws
c.30 Goldfinches
7 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
18 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
35 Fieldfare
19 Redwings
216 Jackdaws
132 Rooks
11 Greenfinches
2 Redpoll
7 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
c.400 Lesser Black-backs
18 Pochard
77 Tufted Duck
7 Shoveler
5 Great Crested Grebe
2 Dabchick
3 Water Rail
1 Snipe
40 Siskin
2 Redpoll
19 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)