31 Jan 20

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool (not quite that order)

Priorslee Lake:  12:20 – 13:00
The Flash:  09:35 – 10:50
Trench Lock Pool:  11:00 – 11:05 // 11:55 – 12:10
Trench Middle Pool:  11:10 – 11:40

10.0°C > 11.0°C:  Cloudy. Occasional light rain. Moderate SW wind. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:54 GMT]

Priorslee Lake:  12:20 – 13:00

(21st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The first-winter Great Black-backed Gull the only notable sighting. One immature gull remains unidentified

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Common Buzzard

Counts from the lake area only:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 12 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- [no Little Grebe]
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 49 Coots
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- 43 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: mostly adults
- 11 Herring Gulls: five of these (near) adults
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: adult
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull: first-winter

No other sightings:

No entirely sure what this gull is attempting to eat. The gull is a first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull.

What species of gull has a dark-back and a black head? Not a rarity: just a Lesser Black-backed Gull with extreme winter head-streaking. The red on the bill suggests a full adult.

This first-winter gull will have to stay unidentified. The inner primaries are only very slightly paler than the rest of the flight feathers suggesting Yellow-legged Gull as does the all-dark bill. A view of the upper-tail would be needed to confirm. In truth, the overall tone of the bird looks rather too pale for a Yellow-legged Gull.

On the left with the white-head and large all-dark bill is a first-winter Great Black-backed Gull obviously larger than the two Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

This is, I think, the same bird in flight. This species also has pale inner primaries as a first-winter. However it is the white tail-tips that suggest this is not a Herring Gull as is the rather scaly appearance on the back with no trace of pale-grey. (Typically the Coots are out on the SW grass behind this bird)

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:35 – 10:50

(20th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here:
- The lone Greylag Goose did a circuit overhead and left to the SE.
- A third Great Crested Grebe keeping its distance
- Sparrowhawk heard calling from the E side trees.
- One of the Coots is already sitting on a nest. I have noted it nest-building recently. I was told it has been sitting for several days now. Seems very early.
- Small movement of gulls W overhead – they were not at Trench later.
- Still a group of Goldfinches feeding on Alders on the island – at least 16 seen flying off.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 41 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 18 Wood Pigeons (tight group)
- 11 Jackdaws

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 10 Canada Geese
- 39 (25♂) Mallard
- 7 (7♂) Pochard
- 46 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (2♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen only
- 16 Coots again
- 73 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winter
- 1 Kingfisher

No other sightings

Numbers of Pochard have been very variable recently – always all drakes. Here one has a preen...

... and here it looks around.

A trio of drake Pochard here. Note the different bill patterns – no idea why. Note too the false ‘black-eye’ on the left-most bird – looks like a cyst. Also not sure why their foreheads look so dark – did not notice it at the time.

Coot nests are not an attractive work of art and look rather painful to sit on. This one is settling very early in the year.

It would be good to see Long-tailed Tits on a sunny day for a rather better photo. This will have to do for a dull January day.

Of course in three months leaves will get in the way so make the best of it.

Not a species I often photograph – and in truth not one that often stays still long-enough to provide photo opportunities. A male House Sparrow of course.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  11:00 – 11:05 // 11:55 – 12:10

(8th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here:
- Now four drake Pochard. Perhaps some of the birds ‘missing’ from The Flash?
- The two drake Goosanders flew off during my first visit. One flew in during my second visit. I suspect these birds, like many of the gulls, commute between here and Middle Pool.
- Strangely quite for large gulls with just three birds dropping on, only for a while.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Common Buzzard again

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 14 Canada Geese
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 4 (4♂) Pochard
- 11 (7♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 (2♂) Goosanders (see notes)
- 3 Great Crested Grebes remain
- 1 Moorhen
- 7 Coots again
- 33 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults, briefly
- 1 Herring Gull: second-winter

One of the two drake Goosanders leaves. Good view of feet and tail.

You can almost see the concentration on the face of this second-winter Herring Gull as it carefully touches down on the ‘buoy’.

“Easy: how many out of 10 will you give me?”

The same bird on the water. It is the extent of the pale on the back that suggests it is a second-winter bird. It crossed my mind it might be a first-winter already moulting in to second summer plumage. I cannot find any illustrations of birds at this age, though the moult is noted as normally starting in March / April. So it is in my log as a second-winter bird.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  11:10 – 11:40

(8th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- Rather quiet again.
- Goosanders possibly from Trench Lock?

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Common Buzzard

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans [7JLE and 7JLL]
- 34 Canada Geese again
- 1 all-white feral goose-type
- 26 (17♂) Mallard
- 9 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (2♂) Goosanders
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Moorhens only
- 30 Coots only
- 133 Black-headed Gulls
- no large gulls

Additional bird species for my 2020 bird list at this site:
#33     Common Buzzard

One of the adult Black-headed Gulls here was showing an almost complete breeding ‘hood’. None of the others show any sign of acquiring breeding plumage – though the change, when it comes, happens very quickly.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
22 Greylag Geese
19 Pochard
42 Tufted Duck
c.390 Black-headed Gulls
c.350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
32 Herring Gulls
1 Common Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
69 Redwings
25 Greenfinches
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
Tundra Bean Goose
8 Greylag Geese
37 Tufted Ducks
c.1000 Black-headed Gulls
246 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
35 Herring Gulls.
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

Trench Pool
8 Pochard
50 Tufted Ducks
79 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

Holmer Lake
50 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

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)

29 Jan 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash (not in that order)

Priorslee Lake:  10:55 – 11:40
The Flash:  09:50 – 10:45

6.0°C:  Scattered cloud. Moderate WSW wind. Very good visibility.
[Sunrise: 07:58 GMT]

Priorslee Lake:  10:55 – 11:40

(19th visit of the year)

Another short visit to check on water birds only. The model boat club was active at the W end without any obvious impact on many of the birds though the Tufted Ducks did fly between there and the NE area.

Other bird notes:
- Just as I arrived most of the large gulls arrived. Many drifted away before I left.

Counts from the lake area only:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- [no Mallard]
- 20 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Little Grebe again
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhen
- 49 Coots
- 64 Black-headed Gulls
- 171 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: almost all adults
- 49 Herring Gulls: about 60% first winters
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull

No other sightings

About 200 large gulls dropped in just as I arrived. Here are 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls – all adults, with no obvious head-streaking; and four Herring Gulls – two adults and two first-winters. Guess which way the wind is blowing? One of the first-winter Herring Gulls is not sure.

Two first-winter Herring Gulls. Pink legs are almost universal in immature large gulls. It is the paler inner primaries that are the most obvious feature here.

Another first-winter Herring Gull, this one diving in to the water to wash.

This is an adult Herring Gull powering in to the air. You can almost experience the effort as it stretches its wings...

... and achieves left-off.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:50 – 10:45

(18th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here:
- More Pochard today: direction of wind was discouraging them from hiding under over-hanging vegetation.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 8 Canada Geese
- 30 (17♂) Mallard
- 12 (12♂) Pochard
- 45 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (2♂) Goosander
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 3 Moorhens
- 15 Coots
- 107 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull: one adult; two second-winters; one first-winter
- 2 Herring Gull: 1 near adult; two first-winters

Other sightings:
- a single Muscid fly was briefly on the Ivy. Nothing else was tempted by the sun.

This Tufted Duck caught my eye. At first sight the brown tones suggest it is a duck though it has an unusually prominent tuft. I suspect that it is a late-moulting first winter drake – the white feathers just showing hint at this.

One of the resident Great Crested Grebes now sporting extensive breeding plumes. These seem to have been acquired very quickly: I assume it is the same pair and they have not been usurped.

Two things to note here. The Cormorant shows no white head-plumes but a rather fuzzy white thigh patch. The rather worn Lesser Black-backed Gull is a second-winter bird – the mantle is mostly adult-toned. Note the almost all-black bill with a pale tip.

With a death-wish is this first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. Note the very neat and contrasting black tail – quite different from first-winter Herring Gull. (this bird was carrying something it its bill to height before dropping it and trying to catch it before it hit the water).

Yet another ‘interesting’ gull. A rather ‘snouty’ looking Herring-type gull. But is it? The clean head might suggest a Caspian Gull – it is too pale to be a Yellow-legged Gull. However very early in the New Year some adult gulls rapidly lose all the head-streaking. But look: the rather extensive black on the bill separates a tip that is paler than the base of the bill. Also there is some brown in the folded wings and there is very little white showing in the folded primaries.

Here it is alongside an adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull still with head-streaking. Several winter Black-headed Gulls in view as well.

And again. Looking along the bill, as here, there seems to be a pronounced gonydeal angle – the bulge under the lower mandible at the red spot, and this would seem to rule out Caspian Gull.

Now we see it in flight and it certainly does not look like an adult. It most closely resembles a third-winter bird though the dark secondaries are unusual at this age.

A friendly Robin allowed one photo before flying off.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
14 Pochard
71 Tufted Duck
3 Greater Scaup
1 Velvet Scoter
103 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
141 Redwings
502 Jackdaws
383 Rooks
2 Ravens
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)

The Flash 
89 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
26 Wigeon 
12 Gadwall 
12 Pochard 
60 Tufted Ducks 
181 Coots
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
246 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
34 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
21 Redwings
147 Jackdaws
c.30 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Unknown Observer)

Trench Lock Pool
18 Swans
8 Pochard 
45 Tufted Duck 
1 Goosander 
99 Coots counted
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
51 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
c.2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
109 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.250 Black-headed Gulls.
1 Buzzard
1 Merlin
(Martin Adlam)

2007 
Priorslee Lake
1 Goldeneye
(Ed Wilson)

28 Jan 20

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool (not quite that order)

Priorslee Lake:  11:40 – 12:00
The Flash:  09:20 – 10:00
Trench Lock Pool:  10:10 – 10:25 // 11:05 – 11:30
Trench Middle Pool:  10:30 – 11:00

3.0°C > 6.0°C:  Scattered / broken cloud with light showers. Moderate WSW wind. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:59 GMT]

Priorslee Lake:  11:40 – 12:00

(18th visit of the year)

Short visit to check on water birds only

Bird notes:
- Typically low day-time count of Moorhens. Once they leave the SW grass soon after dawn they are always tricky to find.

Counts from the lake area only:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- [no Gadwall]
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 14 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen
- 52 Coots
- 73 Black-headed Gulls
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 11 of these adults
- 12 Herring Gulls: 10 of these first winters

No other sightings:

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:20 – 10:00

(17th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here:
- One of the Cormorants in full breeding plumage.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 10 Canada Geese
- 32 (19♂) Mallard
- 8 (8♂) Pochard
- 47 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (1♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens
- 13 Coots again
- 39 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull: one adult; one first-winter
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winter

Other sightings:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Two Cormorants this morning. The bird on our left has its head twisted at an awkward angle though we can just about see the extensive white head-plumes that give breeding adults like this a crested appearance. Older birds tend to have the more extensive plumes like this bird. The other bird lacks these but now has a crisp white chin patch. It shows no other features of an immature bird, the belly being solid black.

At extreme range from the other side we also see the white thigh patch acquired ahead of the breeding season by both sexes.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  10:10 – 10:25 // 11:05 – 11:30

(7th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here:
- Further decline in Great Crested Grebe numbers

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Starlings

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 17 Canada Geese
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard again
- 10 (8♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Little Grebe again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes only
- 1 Moorhen again
- 7 Coots
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults
- 7 Herring Gulls: six first-winters: one adults; one second-winter; five first winters
- 1 confusing immature Herring-type Gull (see pictures)
- 1 possible Yellow-legged Gull: (near) adult again
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull: near-adult

Additional bird species for 2020 recorded here this morning
- 38    Common Buzzard
- 39    Starling

A first-winter Herring Gull drops down to the water. The inner primaries are obviously pale.

Splat! We can see the pale grey on the mantle from this angle.

Possibly the same first-winter Herring Gull – the bill-pattern looks identical. There were several of this age present.

A good view of the underwing. A Lesser Black-backed Gull would show much more contrast in the markings. We can see the pale inner primaries on the right-hand wing – this feature is less obvious from below.

This, I thought, was the long-staying putative near adult Yellow-legged Gull .....

... however when it flew it showed more extensive dark marks on the coverts – including the secondary coverts. Still just one white mirror in the outer primary. It seems to show an unusually broad trailing edge to the wings. Also odd is that there appears to be no remnant black band in the tail, present in almost all immature gulls. It is a strange mix of features and I can find nothing like it in any of my books. It is clearly a ‘Herring Gull-type’. Beyond that ....?

Now THIS is our long-staying putative near adult Yellow-legged Gull.

But where are its yellow legs?

Splat again! How did it manage to pick up a sheet of water? Note the white mirror only in the outer primary also shows from the underside of the wing.

Those legs are NOT yellow. But then it is not an adult .... So?

This brutish-looking gull is, I think, a near adult female Great Black-backed Gull. With that massive bill I don’t think it could be a large male fuscus (dark) race of Lesser Black-backed Gull. The slight streaking on the crown and the black on the bill suggests it is not a full adult. The tone of the mantle matches that of the wing-tip – fuscus would appear a tad lighter on the mantle. In a full adult the folded wings should show larger white spots.

Here it flies away. While it did not seem to ‘lumber’ away – which is why I suspect it is a smaller female – then the white trailing edge to the wings extends more or less evenly on to the inner primaries whereas it tapers off on Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  10:30 – 11:00

(7th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- Rather quiet: very little apart from the regular ‘bread-feeders’.
- The possible Yellow-legged Gull seemed to be commuting between here and Trench Lock.
- Two small groups of Chaffinches an unusual sighting.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
None

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Greylag Goose
- 34 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose-type
- 31 (20♂) Mallard
- 6 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (1♂) Goosanders
- 2 Great Crested Grebes as ever
- 17 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 92 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly
- 1 Herring Gull: adult, briefly
- 1 possible Yellow-legged Gull: (near) adult, briefly

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
12 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
3 Greater Scaup
Velvet Scoter
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
16 Redwings over
555 Jackdaws
345 Rooks
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)

The Flash
120 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
3 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
31 Wigeon 
10 Gadwall 
11 Pochard 
44 Tufted Ducks 
1 Greater Scaup 
177 Coots again 
38 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
9 Redwings
52 Magpies
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Shoveler 
4 Pochard 
57 Tufted Duck 
1 Goosander 
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
38 Tufted Duck
150 Wood Pigeons
57 Redwings 
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
36 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool 
7 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

27 Jan 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:55 – 09:25
The Flash:  09:30 – 10:20

3.0°C > 4.0°C:  Mainly clear: a few clouds later. Light SW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:01 GMT

After many cloud, misty and wet days much better today.

Priorslee Lake:  06:55 – 09:25

(17th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I suspect that all the unidentified geese were in fact Greylags: they were unusually quiet and it was just too dark to be certain.
- Just one drake Gadwall remains.
- Low number of Tufted Duck: I wonder whether all the mud washed in to the lake recently has affected their ability to feed on the submerged vegetation?
- Usual problem trying to determine how many Great Crested Grebes present. Singles / pair seen all around the water but never more than two at any one time ....
- At least 75 more Wood Pigeons seen over fields to the E.
- Jackdaws in two main groups with c.150 at 07:21 and then no more until c.600 passed ten minutes later – an unusually long gap between groups.
- A few Jackdaws stragglers with the unusual sight of nine sharing the Magpies’ post-roost tree for a while.
- The only Reed Bunting seen leaving a roost was one departing the N side. At the W end there were birds calling and then, for the first time I can recall, eight together feeding at the edge of the concrete ramp pre-dawn. Later one (of these?) was singing. None was seen to leave here.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 10 Greylag Geese: eight outbound in two groups: two singles inbound
- 37 Canada Geese: outbound in three groups
- 50 unidentified geese: outbound, also in three groups
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 4 Stock Doves
- 44 Wood Pigeons
- >750 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 2 Redwings

Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- 24 Magpies
- 4 Starlings
- 1 Reed Bunting (see notes)

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall only
- 12 (7♂) Mallard
- 11 (7♂) Tufted Duck only
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2? Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Moorhens
- 51 Coots only

Gulls:
Early arrival:
- First 15 Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:31 with another 188 counted arriving.
- A few large gulls dropped in and left quickly
Counts
- 203 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls

No gulls arrived after 08:10.

Nothing on any lamp pole pre dawn:

No other sightings

Unusually out in the open this Jay gave me an opportunity for a distant photo.

These Hazel catkins seem a bit hopeful: there are few, if any, insects around to pollinate them.

Perhaps they are wind pollinated?

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:30 – 10:20

(16th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here:
- Two Greylag Geese present when I arrived: these soon left. Later a party of eight came from the S, circled around and left to the E.
- The Grey Heron was, surprisingly, my first of the year here. One had been regular through most of December but then went AWOL.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 8 Greylag Geese
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 8 Canada Geese
- 30 (20♂) Mallard
- 6 (6♂) Pochard
- 37 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (3♂) Goosander
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 5 Moorhens again
- 13 Coots
- 53 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult

No other sightings:

New bird species for my 2020 bird list at this site:
47      Grey Heron

Don’t scowl! This drake Tufted Duck looks none too pleased to have its photograph taken.

Yes: they do have webbed feet.

Rather unusual behaviour by this pair of Goosander. The duck stayed flat on the water behind the drake for many minutes while they moved slowly across the water. Part of a pairing ritual? Not noticed it before.

Definitely sparring time. All these years I thought DA had something to do with the rear end of ducks when it seems to refer to the crest on a duck Goosander. I shall call it a GC in future – not that I have enough hair to worry about it these days!

A drake Goosander showing the hooked tip to the bill. On this bird the lower mandible is not as red as I would expect.

My first Grey Heron of the year here. A drake Mallard gets in on the (in)action.

The Black-headed Gulls were taking offered food and were rather nicely lit. Here an adult (at the top) and a first-winter look to pounce.

Going down ....

The first-winter’s wing pattern is well-shown at this angle.

“Shall we dance?”. Note the very obvious red legs on the two adults.

 “all together: wings forward”.

“Oops: seem to have lost the beat”.

A different first-winter in close-up.

This adult practices to become a contortionist.

And the wings operate independently too!

An adult in close-up. The shadow that will be the breeding plumage dark hood is beginning to show.

A different adult. The bill and legs of this bird are not so brightly coloured yet.

And they manage to avoid each other too.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
13 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
2 Greater Scaup
1 Velvet Scoter
101 Coots counted
31 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
7 Redwings
522 Jackdaws
335 Rooks
71 Magpies
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
111 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
26 Wigeon 
10 Gadwall 
14 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks 
1 Greater Scaup
177 Coots
4 Redwings
30 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Dave Tromans)

The Flash
1 Little Grebe
4 Goosander
(Dave Tromans)