2 Dec 19

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

Priorslee Lake:  13:45 – 14:35
The Flash:  14:40 – 16:15
Trench Lock Pool:  12:00 – 12:10 // 13:20 – 13:35
Trench Middle Pool:  12:15 – 13:15

4.0°C > 6.0°C > 4.0°C:  Mainly cloudy with a few brighter spells. Light WSW wind. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 08:00 GMT]

Priorslee Lake:  13:45 – 14:35

(274th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Three cygnets were loosely together along the S side. The adult Mute Swans were by the sluice exit. A fourth cygnet was, as usual, keeping well-apart. So one cygnet was missing.
- Small influx of Gadwall. Now back to last winter’s numbers.
- A higher proportion of the Herring Gulls were adults than on last week’s visits. The Herring Gull total includes some first-winters of undetermined Herring / Yellow-legged types.
- The large gulls continued to arrive and, unusually, gathered at the W end around the boat launching platforms until the arrival of a dog-walker when many of them left. So did I.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
None

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 6 Canada Geese
- 9 (5♂) Gadwalls
- 5 (3♂) Mallard again
- 5 (5♂) Pochard
- 54 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 5 Cormorants
- 4 Little Grebes
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens
- 136 Coots
- >110 Black-headed Gulls
- >225 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: mostly adults arriving
- >45 Herring Gulls: >15 adults
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: adult
- 1 Kingfisher

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash:  14:40 – 16:15

(260th visit of the year)

Stayed late for some roost counts after reports that the water was ‘white-over with gulls at dusk’. Not exactly, but the largest number I have seen for some years. With roost numbers very low last time I stayed late at Trench Middle Pool, perhaps they have decamped here? No unusual gulls with them.

Bird notes from here:
- 14 Wood Pigeons set off from trees around the water and flew off high E to roost(?) c.15:05.
- 38 Wood Pigeon. conversely, seen flying in to trees on hill to SE c.15:20.
- 52 Magpies, at least, seen going to roost on the island. Accurate count impossible as some birds were flying in and out of the roost area before eventually settling.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 124 Jackdaws: 98 of these heading to roost at 15:15

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans as ever
- 6 Canada Geese
- 34 (23♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 30 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (0♂) Goosanders
- 3 Great Crested Grebes still
- 2 Moorhen
- 12 Coots
- 65 Black-headed Gulls until roost: then >600
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults. One stayed to roost
- 1 Kingfisher

No other sightings

(Ed Wilson)

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

Trench Lock Pool:  12:00 – 12:10 // 13:20 – 13:35

(50th visit of the year)

Workmen were cutting vegetation on the N-side embankment. May have disturbed some birds.

Notes from here:
- Drake Shoveler is new: this species seems to like it here.
- Grey Wagtail flew off

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

Counts from the water:
- 1 Mute Swan: unringed
- 147 Canada Geese
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Little Grebe again
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 5 Coots
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull: all adults; arrived and departed
- 1 Herring Gull: adult arrived and departed

(Ed Wilson)

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

Trench Middle Pool:  12:15 – 13:15

(50th visit of the year)

The footpath along the N side embankment still closed.

Notes from here:
- The second Mute Swan again did not come close-enough for me to read its ring
- 1 Grey Wagtail flew in as I arrived
and
- 1 Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria) on a lamp pole
- at least three and possibly five species of fungus found

 Birds noted flying over / near here:
None

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans: one Blue 7JLE again
- 29 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral Goose-type
- 25 (17♂) Mallard
- 18 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 (5♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 16 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 82 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 adult
- 2 Herring Gulls: 2 adults
- 1 possible fourth-winter Caspian Gull

Nothing special: just a well-positioned trio of duck Tufted Ducks.

A drake Goosander rolling as it preens showing its vivid leg colour. Now why would that be an evolutionary advantage when chasing fish under water? Perhaps it just attracts Mrs. Goosander.

I was as impressed with the pattern of the water as the drake Goosander.

A duck Goosander floats by.

Here is a classic adult winter Herring Gull with its pale mantle, pale eye, significant head streaking, especially around the eye and red on the lower mandible only.

Whereas this gull warranted further examination. Rather darker on the mantle, with less streaking on the head and a darker looking eye. Note too the very small white spots in the folded primaries.

This view reveals that it is not quite an adult, with some brown on the outer primary coverts. Note too that only the outer primary has a white ‘window’ and the other primaries do indeed have a very restricted amount of white.

Here again as it wrestles with a discarded single-use plastic water bottle. It is either a Caspian Gull or a Yellow-legged Gull. My vote would be the former.

Slightly more light than on my last visit – slightly. So a slightly better photo of one of the gang of Long-tailed Tits.

And another. Are those buds I see? Does that mean it is nearly Spring? Probably not!

“Look Mum – no wings”! Must have quite strong legs to push off like this.

The Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria) amongst the spider detritus on a lamp pole.

In the shady areas around the S and W sides of the pool there was an abundance of fungus. I have no idea what they all were. These two seem to be different species even though they are growing side my side ....

... the closer one having a more purple-tinged cap rolled under while the more orange-washed one further away has upturned edge and obvious gills.

These broken off (probably just collapsed) examples were nearby.

Hard to know what to make of this mess. I had done considerable ‘gardening’ to clear away leaves and twigs that were partially covering the bodies. It may be that pushing against this leaf litter is what has distorted them.
An interesting funnel-shaped fungus with, it seems either moss or lichen growing on it.

And here from the side it definitely is funnel-shaped!

This collapsed individual may (or may not) be the same species.

These look more delicate, like one of the Mycena group of fungus. The upper one has probably been split by growing around a twig.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day..........
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

 2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

 2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

 2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

 2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

 2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall.
8 Pochard.
51 Tufted Ducks
156 Coots.
1st-winter Great Black-backed Gull on the water. 
35 Redwings
c.407 Jackdaws
82 Rooks.
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

 2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
Caspian Gull
(John Isherwood / Another Observer)

 2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Pete Nickless)

 2006
Priorslee Lake
21 Pochard
50 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
73 Coots
>750 Black-headed Gulls
1904 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
29 Robins
25 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
6 Song Thrushes
31 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
258 Jackdaws
248 Rooks
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

 2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
3200 Black-headed Gulls
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1st-winter Great Black-backed Gull
7 Pochard
36 Tufted Duck
208 Coot
246 Jackdaws
83 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)