14 Feb 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:35 – 09:10
The Flash:  09:15 – 10:10

1.0°C > 4.0°C:  Mostly clear and frosty start. Increasing and lowering high cloud from the W. Light S wind, gradually increasing. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:29 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:35 – 09:10

(32nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The cob Mute Swan was, from time to time, gently ushering one of the cygnets away. He was doing this while ignoring the Canada Geese.
- Two Woodcocks chasing around at the W end as I arrived. They seemed to be heading towards the Ricoh area to roost.
- The first two Black-headed Gulls arrived at 06:55. Only 34 more noted arriving.
- A party of c.30 Wood Pigeons seen over fields to E of Castle Farm Way. Flocks of Wood Pigeons have been unusually scarce this winter.
- A Green Woodpecker seen bounding high overhead.
- Many fewer Magpies from the roost. At least two seen that had not been in the roost – so are they beginning to stay overnight at their nest sites?
- Only one group of c.250 Jackdaws noted. Just a few singles / duos later.
- A trio of Bullfinches – all males rather unusually.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 42 Greylag Geese (41 outbound in four groups; single inbound)
- 17 Canada Geese (11 outbound in four pairs / groups; pair inbound)
- 7 unidentified geese outbound – the mixed family yet again?
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: all first-years
- 2 Stock Doves
- 37 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Green Woodpecker
- c.255 Jackdaws only
- 2 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails

Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- 18 Magpies only (see notes)
nothing else noted

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese: 2 pairs throughout
- 4 (4♂) Mallard
- 7 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 3 Grey Herons
- 4 Great Crested Grebes again
- 9 Moorhens again
- 54 Coots
- 36 Black-headed Gulls only
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults

Other things:
- 1 Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria) on a lamp pole before dawn
- 1 Grey Squirrel
At last: something on the lamp poles.

“Another chance to see ...” – oh I’ve done that! Not quite so sharp this morning as there was a thin layer of high cloud.

The VERY early sunrise was colourful.

The colourful sliver still visible. A few remnant aircraft trails and the start of the high cloud approaching ....

... in time to catch some colour from the rising sun.

The colour was so extensive that even looking due north there was colour.

Much later the incoming high cloud started covering the sun.

Geese usually pass very early when it is too dark to photograph them. This Greylag Goose had obviously been sleeping in. The big orange bill is very obvious.

This adult Lesser Black-backed Gull has lost all trace of the winter head-streaking. This individual is very dark-backed and hence of the intermedius race from Northern Europe. This species has bright yellow legs in breeding plumage, but less so in winter.

This is a first-winter Herring Gull. Note the wing-tips. Perhaps Boeing and Airbus purloined the design for their latest wing-tip designs.

This Song Thrush is a different bird from the one I photographed last week.

A female Blackbird. To separate from Song Thrush remember that female (and juvenile) Blackbirds have small white spots / flecks on a brown background. On Song Thrushes this is reversed – black spots on a brown background.

And a male Blackbird of course. Note the bill colour.

Another male Blackbird – here the bill is more orange suggesting it is well in to breeding condition.

The Robins are now singing their ‘summer song’ and using exposed perches.

The flash highlights the dew and / or frost but cannot quite disguise the markings of this Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria). My first lamp pole inhabitant for many days.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:15 – 10:10

(31st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Still confused about the Great Crested Grebes here. Yesterday I did a recap. when I saw the birds for the second time they looked rather devoid of head plumes and I did not recall those seen previously as being like this. But I could not find any others then. Today I only ever found a single bird and that seemed well-adorned with plumes. Could it depend upon whether they have been diving?
- Good view of a Treecreeper today

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

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 5 Canada Geese
- 42 (26♂) Mallard
- 4 (4♂) Pochard
- 48 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 4 Moorhen
- 13 Coots
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winter
- 2 Kingfisher again

The first-winter Herring Gull finding something to eat. Still with an all-black bill.

I had some difficulty locating this noisy Kingfisher. Eventually I found it lurking amongst the twigs. The red berries are almost certainly Black Bryony (Tamus communis).

After some while the bird moved a short distance and I was able to get a clearer view.

A Treecreeper shins up – always up – a trunk. Look at the length of the hind claw.

The back view. The tail used as a prop.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
5 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
1 Tundra Bean Goose
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake
3 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
35 Pochard
80 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
177 Coots
185 Jackdaws
42 Magpies
2 Siskins
39 Linnets
11 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2008
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
1 Iceland Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gull
(Rich, Vernon, Andy, Ed Wilson and Jason)

2006
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
6 Cormorants
7 Pochard
39 Tufted Ducks
140 Coots
880 Wood Pigeons
249 Jackdaws
155 Rooks
24 Robins
20 Blackbirds
11 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)