30 Jan 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:50 – 09:30
The Flash:  09:35 – 10:10

6.0°C > 8.0°C:  Initial broken medium/high-level cloud soon replaced by a ‘Telford hat’ of low cloud. Light SSE wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:56 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:50 – 09:30

(20th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The outbound group of seven geese could have been the family group of adult Greylag and Canada Goose with their five mixed offspring: there was certainly Greylag-like calls.
- A Sparrowhawk dashing around the W end while it was still very dark was my first of the year here.
- Jackdaw counting was a challenge today as most flew below tree-height to the E, briefly lifting to cross the M54.
- In addition to groups of 19 and four Redwings overhead another nine were in trees alongside Teece Drive
- 11 Song Thrushes singing. [for the last two mornings a Blackbird has been singing near my home in Newport, but no song heard here as yet]
- My first Goldcrest of the year here. At last!

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 5 Canada Geese (single, duo and trio outbound)
- 7 unidentified geese (outbound family group?)
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 34 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 7 Wood Pigeons only
- 1 Collared Dove
- >900 Jackdaws
- c.25 Rooks
- 23 Redwings (2 groups)

Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- 32 Magpies
- 7 Starlings
- 7 Reed Buntings

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 20 (9♂) Tufted Duck only
- 4 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Little Grebes
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 51 Coots

Gulls:
Arrival:
-.The first 10 Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:30. Thereafter a significant arrival of c.100 large gulls from the W which included Yellow-legged and Great Black-backed Gulls (my first of the year here for the latter species). Only after this did more Black-headed Gulls arrive, also from the W. As usual most gulls left around 08:00.
counts
- 160 Black-headed Gulls
- 78 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 16 Herring Gulls
- 3 Yellow-legged Gull: adults
- 2 Great Black-backed Gulls: adults

Thereafter no new gulls arrived – just presumed returning Black-headed Gulls from the SE

Nothing on any lamp pole pre dawn:

Other sightings:
- 1 Grey Squirrel.

Additional bird species for my 2020 bird list at this site:
#58     Sparrowhawk
#59     Great Black-backed Gull
#60     Goldcrest

A good size-comparison between adult Lesser Black-backed and adult Greater Black-backed Gulls. Note the darker tone of the Greater and also the more extensive white in the folded primaries.

A Redwing of course. Rather misnamed as it is the flank that is red. This bird seems to have a broken leg – it is hanging down while it uses its belly to maintain balance. I did wonder why this bird had not flown off with the other eight in the group in these trees.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:35 – 10:10

(19th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here:
- Kingfisher eventually located after calls heard in several different areas. Somehow a small piece of electric blue plastic has become draped over a tree on the island inviting confusion.
- A Bullfinch flew high over the whole length of the water, calling. Unusual to see this species flying so high.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk again
- 2 Jackdaw
- 1 Bullfinch

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 5 Canada Geese
- 38 (23♂) Mallard
- 10 (10♂) Pochard
- 54 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 10 Coots only
- 53 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: both first-winters
- 1 Kingfisher

No other sightings:

(Ed Wilson)

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

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Cormorants 
1 Teal 
7 Pochard 
66 Tufted Duck 
3 Greater Scaup 
1 Velvet Scoter 
91 Coots 
1 Woodcock 
50 Herring Gulls 
33 Redwings 
c.495 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
106 Tufted Ducks 
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
7 Pochard 
25 Tufted Duck 
4 Goosander 
44 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

Park Pool, Chetwynd near Newport
31 Shoveler
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
29 Wigeon 
10 Gadwall 
8 Pochard 
59 Tufted Ducks 
1 Scaup
169 Coots
 >300 Starlings
13 Redwings
46 Fieldfare 
211 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

The Flash
9 Pochard 
54 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
2 Goosander
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake
1 Gadwall
9 Goosander
1 Little Grebe
Goldcrest
Nuthatch
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
42 Tufted Duck
c.190 Black-headed Gulls
48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
8 Herring Gulls
Glaucous Gull
75 Redwing
16 Bullfinch 
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant) 

Priorslee Flash
1 Pochard
43 Tufted Ducks
282 Black-headed Gulls
3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
 1 Water Rail
4 Gadwall
2 Willow Tit
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
A female Ruddy Duck
500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Herring & Black-headed Gulls.
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)