27 Dec 19

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

Priorslee Lake:  13:00 – 13:30
The Flash:  12:20 – 12:55
Trench Lock Pool:  10:25 – 10:35 // 11:40 – 12:10
Trench Middle Pool:  10:40 – 11:35

6.0°C:  Very low cloud with mist at Priorslee. Keen SSE wind. Moderate visibility, poor at Priorslee.

[Sunrise: 08:22 GMT]

Mist and fog suggested an early start would not be productive. The later start was not too productive either.

Priorslee Lake:  13:00 – 13:30

(296th visit of the year)

A check from the E-end lay-by only

Bird notes:
- Coots almost certainly under-recorded in the poor visibility.
- Low number of gulls and no sign of any large gulls moving in or out.
- The return of the burger van heralded the return of the two Pied Wagtails to the lay-by.

Counts from the lake area only:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall again
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 42 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (1♂) Goosanders: departed
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- [no Little Grebes]
- 3 Great Crested Grebes once more
- 3 Moorhens
- 111 Coots
- 71 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls

No other sightings

A first-winter Black-headed Gull. Some brown in the folded wing.

Here are two first-winter Black-headed Gulls. The bird in front is ‘more immature’ with extra brown in its folded wing, Note too the different tone of their legs.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  12:20 – 12:55

(281st visit of the year)

Bird notes from here:
- The decline in Tufted Ducks numbers continues – more drakes ‘missing’.
- One Great Crested Grebe back – assuming it really went away.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Jackdaws

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese again
- 37 (22♂) Mallard
- 10 (10♂) Pochard
- 15 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Moorhen only
- 14 Coots
- 55 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 1 adult; 1 first-winter; 1 second-winter
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winter
- Kingfisher heard again

No other sightings

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  10:25 – 10:35 // 11:40 – 12:10

(57th visit of the year)

When the contractors working for the Canal and River Trust trimmed the vegetation along the front of the dam they left all the branches and twigs where they fell. The coppiced shrubs will likely regrow. If the intention was to prevent roots compromising the dam then that does not seem a good idea. So why did they cut them? Interestingly most of the brambles are untouched.

Bird notes from here:
- Two Little Grebes relocated today: they were well tucked inside overhanging vegetation.

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

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 4 (4♂) Mallard
- 5 (4♂) Goosanders: three departed
- 2 Little Grebes
- 7 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens again
- 4 Coots only
- 31 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults
- 1 Herring Gull: 1st winter
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: adult
- 1 Kingfisher

‘A rose between two thorns’. A brownhead Goosander passes two sleeping Great Crested Grebes.

This is why I had trouble finding the Little Grebes. Camera on full zoom and the result as enlarged as I dare. One is easy to see. The other, to its left (our right), is less so.

Here is a ‘classic’ adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. This is of the paler European race graellsii showing an obvious contrast between most of the wing and the black wing-tips.

This is a different adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull – note it has more dark on the bill. Rather unusual is that the outer three primaries show three white ‘mirrors’. It shouldn’t according to my bird books.

Here is that second bird at rest. Legs yellow? I suppose so as the feet are pink and certainly different in colour.

From below a first-winter Herring Gull. Note that the pale area along the trailing edge of the wing covers the inner primaries and outer secondaries. Note also the spotted area ahead of the tail-band. Not sure what it has in its bill.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  10:40 – 11:35

(56th visit of the year)

A rather strange sighting was what appeared to be three goose eggs on the island. I would have thought any remaining from the breeding season would have been broken or eaten long ago. Would a goose lay at this time of year?

Other notes from here:
- Some of the drake Tufted Duck gone from here as well as The Flash
- The sun most certainly did not get in my eyes. Counting the Coots was easy and a larger number was found.
- All the large gulls came and went dependent upon whether there was any food being provided. I suspect these ‘hop over’ from Trench Lock Pool. I doubt there are two adult Yellow-legged Gulls in the area.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
None

Counts from the water:
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 32 Canada Geese: 12 of these arrived
- 1 all-white feral Goose-type
- 32 (20♂) Mallard
- 17 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 (7♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 15 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 86 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull: all adults
- 7 Herring Gulls: 3 adults; 1 1st winter; 1 2nd winter; 1 3rd winter and 1 4th winter
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: adult again

On this ‘gull visit’ here we see the similarity of tone on the backs of adult winters Black-headed and Herring Gull.

And proof that white is not always white. The drake Goosander on the right is much whiter than either of the gulls.

Note the wing-tip pattern on this adult winter Herring Gull

A big bill on this bird. Note that in winter there is often a black smudge on the upper mandible even on adults.

Here it takes off with another adult in front of it and a more heavily-streaked third-winter bird behind. Note the bill on this third bird ....

Compare the third-winter bird shown in the previous photo with this second-winter Herring Gull. Here the bill is almost all-dark and there are more immature feathers on the mantle.

Here are four winter Herring Gulls. Book-ended by two adults, a fourth-winter shows dark feathers in the greater primary coverts and a first-winter looks very different.

The ‘smart’ appearance of this gull is the first clue that this is an adult Yellow-legged Gull. The mantle is too dark for a Herring Gull and not dark-enough for a Lesser Black-backed Gull. Both of these species would show head-streaking at this date. Some will soon begin to lose this as they come in to breeding plumage.

And here it is showing its wings. Compared with the Herring Gull note that only the outer primary shows a white ‘mirror’. The legs look yellow, though I always find the true colour of pale legs difficult to judge. In winter leg colour of all gulls is rather muted which makes it even harder. Rather unexpectedly this bird show a few dark feathers in the greater primary coverts which would suggest this is not a full adult – fourth-winter?

For comparison here is an adult winter Herring Gull showing white ‘mirrors’ on three outer primaries (the poor light prevented a faster shutter speed to ‘freeze’ the action). The legs look pink.

A direct comparison between an adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull and the adult winter Yellow-legged Gull.

In the wooded area there was rather little light. One of the ever-present Long-tailed Tits.

(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

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Gadwall
7 Pochard
101 Tufted Ducks
1 Scaup
210 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Little Grebe
69 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull.
(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)

2011
The Wrekin
Flock of Crossbills near summit
(Maurice Baker)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
18 Mute Swans
59 Canada Geese
4 Gadwall
29 Pochard 
92 Tufted Ducks 
2 Water Rails
327 Coots
2 Redwings
16 Goldfinches
13 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
22 Tufted Ducks
86 Coots
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
3 Buzzards
20 Pied Wagtails
c.200 Redwing
4 Mistle Thrush
c.500 Fieldfare
1 Willow Tit
3 Brambling
14 Chaffinches
13 Greenfinches
2 Redpoll
1 Siskin
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)