19 Feb 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:25 – 08:55
The Flash:  09:00 – 09:50

2.0°C > 4.0°C:  After clear start increasing and lowering cloud. Light / moderate WSW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:19 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:25 – 08:55

(36th visit of the year)

Best sighting today was two Woodcock at 06:40, again over the SW area. I even managed to get the binoculars on them this morning. After they had circled together twice, then one (presumably of these) did another circuit before apparently dropping to roost.

Martin Grant had just updated me on the ‘missing 5th cygnet’ from our 2019 brood. Was picked up a month ago on the A442 near Telford and taken in to care by Cuan Wildlife Rescue. It has just (13th February) been released on Chasewater near Cannock.

Bird notes:
- While I was unable to specifically identify all the birds in the presumed family party of geese I could confirm hearing both Greylag and Canada Goose calls.
- Not sure that all the 113 Black-headed Gulls that were counted arriving from the W actually landed. Some may have moved on through and almost all soon left to the SE.
- 41 was my highest Magpie roost count this winter. Perhaps due to the lighter mornings and the Jackdaws having passed before the Magpies gather on their post-roost trees and I can devote more time to checking this species.
- A Sky Lark was seen singing in display flight over fields to the E again.
- Two Redwings noted rooting around tossing leaves like Blackbirds. These shy birds are usually off to the tree-tops before I spot them on the ground.
- I was surprised to see two Reed Buntings leave the W end roost. Since the territorial bird started singing from the same location over two weeks ago there has been no indication that the roost was still operative

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 2 Greylag Geese (pair outbound, with one turning back)
- 14 Canada Geese (five pairs outbound; quartet inbound)
- 7 geese: family party outbound again
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Common Buzzards again
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults
- 22 Wood Pigeons
- c.475 Jackdaws
- 2 Redwings

Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- 41 Magpies
- 2 Reed Buntings

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: one pair arrived
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 9 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 2 Great Crested Grebes only
- 11 Moorhens
- 52 Coots
- 113 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults

Also noted
- 1 Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria) on a street lamp pre-dawn: ***new for this year
- first flower of Dandelion sp. (Taraxacum officinale agg.?)

Another morning: another sunrise ahead of cloud and rain.

Colouring up nicely.

And no: I didn’t stand in the water ....

A different viewpoint.

With the sun just about to pop up.

A pair of Tufted Duck, drake on the right, in water tinged by the sunrise.

Yesterday I noted how quickly Black-headed Gulls acquired their black hood. Here the opposite with an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull showing it has lost its black winter head-streaking ahead of looking smart in the breeding season.

Their song might not be very melodic but you can’t fault male Reed Buntings for effort.

I nearly misidentified this Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria). The shape of the outer cross-line matches that of the very common Mottled Umber but this specimen lacks the black spot in the crook of that cross line. While plain examples of Mottled Umber may not show the black spot that form would not show obvious cross lines. Anyway the almost straight cross-line in the middle of the wing is never shown by Mottled Umber. Our specimen does have a ‘dotted border’: the similar marks on Mottled Umber are on the very tip of the wing.

My first flower of Dandelion sp. this year. Taxonomy of this family / species / complex is a matter of much debate among the experts. By some measure just about every plant is a different hybrid of several species. Taraxacum officinale agg. (short for aggregate) will suffice.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:00 – 09:50

(35th visit of the year)

I was told that yesterday a Canada Goose was seen with what appeared to be a dart sticking out of its head. Whomever was contacted to effect a rescue – Cuan Wildlife Rescue? – was unable to do so as their boat had sunk! I could not locate an injured bird this morning. The bird that had been sitting on the island in the same place the last two mornings was not doing so today, though several birds were in the same general area and seemed OK.

Bird notes:
- Not at all clear why the Pochard and Tufted Duck numbers are so variable. In most year I have assumed this is due to interchange with the lake. At the moment numbers are consistently low at the lake and cannot explain the variability.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 4 Jackdaws

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 9 Canada Geese
- 26 (16♂) Mallard
- 5 (5♂) Pochard
- 56 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (2♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants once more
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhen
- 13 Coots
- 19 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: immatures
- 1 (2?) Kingfisher(s)

It is a pity the island is not slightly closer for clearer photos, but then the birds might not feel as safe. Here a breeding condition Cormorant dries its wings. As it does so it exposes its white thigh patch. It has some white speckling on its head and also shows the crest that is grown at this time of year.

(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 Little Grebe 
1 Cormorant 
7 Pochard 
24 Tufted Duck 
5 Greater Scaup 
92 Redwings
216 Jackdaws
163 Rooks
12 Siskins
1 Yellowhammer
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Pochard 
169 Tufted Ducks 
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes 
1 Pochard 
54 Tufted Duck 
1 Goosander 
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
6 Tufted Duck 
3 Buzzards
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Horsehay Pool
Iceland Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Paul King)

2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes 
1 Heron 
2 Teal
4 Gadwall
48 Pochard
75 Tufted Ducks
1 Goosander
1 Sparrowhawk
>500 Black-headed Gulls
>350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
27 Herring Gulls
126 Coots 
1 Lapwing
1 Oystercatcher
2 single Redwing
16 Fieldfare
15 Siskins
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
12 Pochard
16 Tufted Ducks
107 Coots
2 Water Rails
425 Wood Pigeons
1 Sky Lark
20 Robins
12 Blackbirds
17 Greenfinches
45 Siskins
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)