2 Jan 20

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

Priorslee Lake:  06:55 – 09:40
The Flash:  09:45 – 10:20
Trench Lock Pool:  10:30 – 10:40 // 11:30 – 11:50
Trench Middle Pool:  10:45 – 11:25

4.0°C > 8.0°C:  Clear start. Cloud increasing from the W all the while. Moderate SSE wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:22 GMT

Highlight of the day was a Great White Egret leaving Trench Lock Pool as I arrived. Pink-footed Goose again at Trench Middle Pool

Priorslee Lake:  06:55 – 09:40

(2nd visit of the year)

Generally another quiet morning – apart from the traffic noise from the M54. First-day back at work for many folk and I had got used to the reduced level of traffic the last 10 days or so.

Bird notes:
- A lone Canada Goose among eight Greylags flying outbound.
- A pair of Goosander was seen taking off and departing to the W. Unsure how long they had been on the water.
- Five of the Cormorants arrived in a group. Most did not stay long – apart from the presumed usual bird sitting on one of the buoys.
- A lone Lapwing circling overhead for a while was unusual for this usually gregarious species.
- Just a single Wood Pigeon was noted in the trees – and that when it flushed pre-dawn. Where were they all?

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 8 Greylag Geese: outbound
- 29 Canada Geese: 1 with Greylags: 28 outbound in another group
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- >580 Jackdaws
- >135 Rooks

Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- 9 Redwings
- 7 Reed Buntings

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Gadwall
- 12 (8♂) Mallard
- 7 (6♂) Pochard
- 39 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosanders
- 7 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 94 Coots only

Gulls:
The first Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:40. Only c.200 arrived at this time and they soon dispersed.
A group of 24 Herring Gulls, mostly first-winter birds, arrived at 07:50 with just two Lesser Black-backed Gull. An unusual species ratio.

Early arrival counts
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 24 Herring Gulls

After 08:00 at least 425 Black-headed Gulls arrived / re-arrived from the W / NW. Very few large gulls around.

Later arrivals
- >425 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls

On the lamp pole pre dawn:
- 1 Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria)

No other sightings

Additional bird species recorded here this morning (in order logged)
38      Common Buzzard
39      Goosander
40      Little Grebe
41      Grey Wagtail
42      Jay
43      Coal Tit
44      Lapwing
45      Siskin
46      Mistle Thrush

The sunrise with an unexpected almost cloudless sky.

Another view. Did not stay cloudless for long.

A mean looking adult Lesser Black-backed Gull passes by. Rather less head-streaking than on many individuals, although they will begin to lose the streaks quickly as they begin to moult in to breeding plumage any time soon. Note on this bird the whole of the underside sub-terminal edge of the wing looks dark with no paler area around the inner primaries.

On this different individual there is that slightly paler area around the inner primaries.

A group of four Gadwall went for a fly-around. We can tell the three drakes from their all-black bills.

The Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria) all covered in dew.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:45 – 10:20

(1st visit of the year)

Lower numbers due to many fishermen all around the water?

Bird notes from here:
- The Greylag Geese just flew over, without a pause.
- Song Thrush singing.
- Most unusually no Goldfinches noted

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans as ever
- 13 Canada Geese
- 34 (20♂) Mallard- 5 (5♂) Pochard only
- 37 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- [no Goosanders]
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 14 Coots
- 28 Black-headed Gulls

No other sightings:

The following bird species were noted this morning – in the order in which I first logged them (seen or heard)
1       Blackbird
2       Black-headed Gull
3       Tufted Duck
4       Mallard
5       Coot
6       Magpie
7       Wood Pigeon
8       Robin
9       Dunnock
10      Carrion Crow
11      House Sparrow
12      Jackdaw
13      Blue Tit
14      Pochard
15      Canada Goose
16      Chaffinch
17      Mite Swan
18      Great Tit
19      Song Thrush
20      Wren
21      Great Crested Grebe
22      Moorhen
23      Greylag Goose

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  10:30 – 10:40 // 11:30 – 11:50

(1st visit of the year)

As I was getting out of the car in the Blue Pig car park my attention was diverted by a commotion overhead. As I looked up a Great White Egret was being chased away by angry Black-headed Gulls. My first Great White Egret at this location.

Other bird notes from here:
- The Yellow-legged Gull probably the bird seen over Middle Pool.
- Song Thrush singing.

Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]:
- 1 Feral Pigeon

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 18 Canada Geese
- 3 (3♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (5♂) Goosanders
- 1 Little Grebe at least
- 1 Great White Egret: departed
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen
- 7 Coots
- 51 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults
- 1 Herring Gull: second-winter
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: near adult
- 1 Kingfisher

The following bird species were noted this morning – in the order in which I first logged them (seen or heard)
1       Black-headed Gull
2       Blackbird
3       Mute Swan
4       Magpie
5       Great White Egret
6       Great Tit
7       Dunnock
8       Coot
9       Goosander
10      Canada Goose
11      Mallard
12      Grey Heron
13      Robin
14      Lesser Black-backed Gull
15      Great Crested Grebe
16      Tufted Duck
17      Wood Pigeon
18      Chaffinch
19      House Sparrow
20      Kingfisher
21      Blue Tit
22      Jackdaw
23      Wren
24      Long-tailed Tit
25      Feral Pigeon
26      Song Thrush
27      Moorhen
28      Little Grebe
29      Yellow-legged Gull
30      Herring Gull

As I arrived a Great White Egret was flying off. I tumbled out of the car, camera in hand and managed this shot. The long neck and legs rule out Little Egret which is just as well. While the bill looks pale at this range it hardly looks yellow. And it would be a struggle to say that the feet were not yellow.

As it gets chased by two Black-headed Gulls we can judge the size of this bird. Note also that by now the head is more or less retracted and the neck makes almost a keel-shape.

Taking off on the left is the near-adult winter Yellow-legged Gull. Is that the top of the yellow leg that is just visible?

The black markings on the greater coverts suggest that this is the same bird that has been in the area for some weeks.

Here it is on the water with a regular adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull taking off – gives a good indication of the difference in mantle colour.

And here on its own in profile showing how ‘smart’ and ‘clean’ this species can appear even in winter when so many adult large gulls acquire head-streaking.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  10:45 – 11:25

(1st visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- After weeks of a lone bird there were a pair of Great Crested Grebes, displaying briefly.
- More Moorhens but fewer Coots
- Most of the Black-headed Gulls flew in when bread was in the offing. It seems they sit on the street-lamps around the Wombridge Interchange and keep watch.
- A Yellow-legged Gull was later at Trench Lock. I am almost certain this is what flew over here, though it is hard to check for this species as a fly-over.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull

Counts from the water:
- 1 Pink-footed Goose: with Greylags
- 124 Greylag Geese
- 37 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral Goose-type as usual
- 19 (13♂) Mallard
- 14 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (2♂) Goosanders
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 19 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- 54 Black-headed Gulls

The following bird species were noted this morning – in the order in which I first logged them (seen or heard)
1       Wood Pigeon
2       Blue Tit
3       Pied Wagtail
4       Robin
5       Magpie
6       Canada Goose
7       Greylag Goose
8       Moorhen
9       Coot
10      Tufted Duck
11      Black-headed Gull
12      Great Crested Grebe
13      Goosander
14      Mallard
15      Lesser Black-backed Gull
16      Pink-footed Goose
17      Yellow-legged Gull
18      Goldfinch
19      Wren
20      Long-tailed Tit
21      Carrion Crow
22      Chaffinch
23      Great Tit
24      Blackbird
25      Grey Wagtail

On the bottom right we see the Pink-footed Goose again. Can almost see the pink feet – well legs anyway.

A pair of Goosanders

And two drakes. The bird in the foreground is beginning to show a slight pink flush as it comes in to breeding condition

(Ed Wilson)

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

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Local area
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup still present.

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
4 or 5 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
(Ed Wilson and et al)

2010
Priorslee Lake
c.1500 gulls
Adult winter Ring Billed Gull.
Adult Common Gull
3 adult Yellow-legged Gulls
Black-necked Grebe
(Ed Wilson and Rob Stokes)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
Adult Yellow-legged Gull
Iceland Gull
(Dawn Balmer, Peter Wilson and et al)