13 Feb 20

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

Priorslee Lake:  06:40 – 09:05
The Flash:  09:10 – 10:05
Trench Lock Pool:  10:15 – 10:30 // 11:05 – 11:30
Trench Middle Pool:  10:35 – 11:00

4.0°C > 6.0°C:  Broken cloud with a few light showers. Moderate S wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:31 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:40 – 09:05

(31st visit of the year)

With gull numbers fast diminishing I have reincorporated their numbers in the main totals

Bird notes:
- Many geese are noticeably in pairs now.
- The four Great Crested Grebes were behaving as two pairs and were seen in rather desultory display on several occasions.
- The first two Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:12. By this time six unidentified large gulls had paused overhead but carried on. No large gulls stopped off.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 3 Greylag Geese (pair outbound; single inbound)
- 27 Canada Geese (26 in 9 pairs / groups outbound; single inbound)
- 7 unidentified geese outbound – the mixed family again?
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull again
- 6 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 18 Wood Pigeons
- c.725 Jackdaws
- 2 Redwing

Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- 38 Magpies
nothing else noted

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose: departed
- 5 Canada Geese: 1 throughout; 2 pairs arrived at different times
- 2 (2♂) Mallard
- 7 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Grey Herons
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 57 Coots
- 58 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

Nothing else of note.

As the BBC would say “another chance to see ....” the relatively full moon complete with craters and ‘seas’.

It was often not good light for photography this morning. This Great Spotted Woodpecker clings to a rather thin-looking twig. Does not look like a good drumming post.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:10 – 10:05

(30th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The adult Mute Swans spent some while at the traditional nest site on the island – though of course last year they did not use that site.
- Initially three Greylag Geese. When two flew over the lone bird flew off after them. It or another flew in a few minutes later. And then flew off.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
- 2 Ravens

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 3 or 4 Greylag Geese
- 14 Canada Geese
- 37 (21♂) Mallard
- 5 (5♂) Pochard
- 43 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (2♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 5 Moorhen
- 16 Coots
- 25 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Kingfisher again

A Greylag Goose in typical pose – mouth open making a lot of noise.

A lucky capture: synchronised touch-down by the Greylag Goose and a duck Goosander. The Goosander is amazingly vertical here as she slows down, but then they are very fast-flying ducks so they will have to slow down quickly.

Touch-down.

Well: splash-down really.

An adult Cormorant. This bird shows its white thigh-patch but shows only the fainted trace of white head plumes. Probably a relatively young, though adult, bird. None of my bird books suggest that males and females differ in the amount of white on the head when in breeding condition – seems purely age-related.

From this angle we can see that the some of the bare skin at the base of the bill goes yellow in breeding season. Tip of the tail just getting wet.

The same bird in typical fishing pose – half-submerged.

The big head and huge, curving bill along with the well-separated primaries (fingers) identify this Raven. Call helps too. Note the long tail – when seen from below a big diamond shape.

A camera-shy Long-tailed Tit.

Just peering behind it to check what I am doing.

A better behaved Long-tailed Tit.

“Perhaps I should fly up there ...”

This one is checking me out as well.

Not often Bullfinches sit up like this. Pity about the light conditions.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  10:15 – 10:30 // 11:05 – 11:30

(12th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here:
- No Canada Geese is somewhat unusual at this date.
- Six Tufted Ducks flew out.
- Just five Great Crested Grebes: two birds seen displaying.

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

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- [no Canada Geese]
- [no Mallard]
- 7 (7♂) Pochard
- 21 (13♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 (2♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen again
- 7 Coots as usual
- 25 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults
- 1 Herring Gull: adult

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  10:35 – 11:00

(12th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- Both Great Crested Grebes seen, though not taking too much interest in each other.
- Two ‘real’ Herring Gulls: no sign of any Yellow-legged Gull.
- First Great Spotted Woodpecker here this year. Heard calling.
- My first Goldcrest here this year. It was also my first singing Goldcrest of the year.
- A single Redwing flew out of the trees.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Rook

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 38 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral duck?-type
- 27 (19♂) Mallard
- 5 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 33 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls

Additional bird species for my 2020 bird list at this site:
#36     Great Spotted Woodpecker
#37     Goldcrest
#38     Redwing

After close examination I am logging this as a female adult Herring Gull. Although it has a ‘beady-looking eye’ and rather thin, straight bill both of which could suggest a Caspian Gull there is too much white in the folded wing-tips for that species. A handsome bird anyway.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Greater Scaup
(Observer Unknown)

2013
Candles landfill / Horsehay Pool
1 Iceland Gull
3 Caspian Gull
8 Yellow-legged Gull
Herring x Lesser Black-backed gull hybrid
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1000+ large gulls
2 Iceland Gulls
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
4 Great Crested Grebes
4 Gadwall
39 Pochard
84 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
173 Coots
1 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Geoff Holmes)

2006
Priorslee Lake
10 Pink-footed Geese
c.70 Golden Plover
80 Fieldfares
10 Great Crested Grebes
10 Pink-footed Geese
10 Pochard
38 Tufted Ducks
151 Coots
1 Water Rail
1065 Wood Pigeons
273 Jackdaws
186 Rooks
400 Starling
27 Robins
23 Blackbirds
10 Song Thrushes
11 Greenfinches
48 Siskins
1 Redpoll
10 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson).