25 Feb 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:15 – 08:50
The Flash:  08:55 – 09:50

3.0°C > 5.0°C:  Late shower clearing; then clear for a while before a few puffy clouds. Light / moderate W wind. Excellent visibility.
Sunrise: 07:06 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:15 – 08:50

(42nd visit of the year)

Best this morning was a Common Kestrel that flew S over the dam. In level flight it looked most un-falcon-like. It was the typical falcon ‘moustache’ that gave it away.

Also worth highlighting was my best and most prolonged view of the Woodcock flying around the W end at 06:25 silhouetted against the very early light.

Bird notes:
- The cob Mute Swan was chasing one of the cygnets and forcing it to fly until it stayed at the opposite end of the lake. Another cygnet was keeping its distance. The other two cygnets remained happily alongside the pen throughout.
- Many of the Black-headed Gulls passed SE overhead. Some stopped off briefly before joining them. There was no return from the SE as is normal after 30 minutes or so.
- A small passage of Wood Pigeons today with a few loose groups heading W / NW, flying somewhat higher than the usual local movements.
- Most unusually a Collared Dove, perhaps flushed from the dam top, spent a few minutes in a tree in the SE corner. Usually all I see of this species are fly-overs.
- No big early passage of Jackdaws. Perhaps the floods have changed their foraging locations.
- Unexpectedly, a small passage of Rooks took place in the opposite direction – heading NNW. Rooks have been rather scarce for several weeks.
- Many Carrion Crows flying around in groups of up to eight birds – very difficult to keep track of numbers.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 20 Greylag Geese (single and two groups outbound)
- 15 Canada Geese (13 outbound in four groups; pair inbound)
- 7 unidentified geese (outbound)
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Common Kestrel
- 62 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults
- 50 Wood Pigeons exactly
- 57 Jackdaws
- 35 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails

Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- 40 Magpies exactly
- 2 Redwings

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 3 (3♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck only
- [no Grey Heron]
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 51 Coots
- 37 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winter

Also noted: first signs of Pussy Willow – the catkins of Salix sp., likely Salix caprea (Goat Willow) – breaking out of their sheaths.

Additional bird species for my 2020 bird list at this site:
#66     Common Kestrel

One of the cygnets being ‘persuaded’ to leave. Did not go far, making a circuit and then ...

.... arriving back – ready to be chased off again.

A ‘record shot’ of this morning’s Common Kestrel. Was confused by this bird as the wings did not look ‘falcon-shaped’, yet the flight-action was quite different from the similar-sized Sparrowhawk. Only by (over) enlarging this photo could I see the characteristic falcon moustache to confirm it as this species. A Merlin would be much smaller. A Peregrine, even the smaller male, would appear much bulkier.

This photo is the right way up. The Long-tailed Tit was foraging at the very tips of the willow sp.

Male Blackbirds are not always jet black as shown by this example. I suspect a first year bird as the eye-ring does not look large and bright as it would on a full adult.

Song Thrushes are LOUD. There were eight singing this morning around the area and careful positioning meant that five were audible at the same time – but not much else!

As noted the first signs of Pussy Willow – the catkins of Salix sp., likely Salix caprea (Goat Willow) – breaking out of the sheaths

The remains of the ‘flowers’ from last year’s growth of Common Reed (Phragmites australis) blowing in the breeze and, I thought, attractively back-lit by the sun.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  08:55 – 09:50

(41st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The resident Mute Swans again visited last year’s nest site.
- Geese and ducks noted inside the island as breeding begins. All counts affected because, I am sure, others remained unseen.
- A third Great Crested Grebe today. At a long distance these birds are easily confused with duck Goosanders. Almost the best way to be sure is to check the diving action – very different between the two species.
- As at the lake the split between Black-headed Gulls on the water and flying over somewhat difficult.
- Also as at the lake many Carrion Crows were seen together: 12 on one tree and four more nearby.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 31 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Jackdaws

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 19 Canada Geese
- 24 (13♂) Mallard
- 8 (8♂) Pochard again
- 34 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (3♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhen yet again
- 16 Coots
- 8 Black-headed Gulls only
- Kingfisher heard again

Also: a fly sp. disturbed from a lamp pole. However nothing found on the Ivy even though it was in full sun.

Count the retrices (tail feathers) of this landing drake Goosander!

At splash-down note the back plumage stands proud as the airflow effectively ‘stalls’.

“My territory”. The song of Robins has now changed from the winter territorial song given by both sexes to the stronger breeding season notes, mainly given by the male.

(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
8 Pochard 
5 Tufted Duck
5 Cormorant
1 Kittiwake
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
1 Iceland Gull
1 Caspian Gull
23 Redwings
c.800 Jackdaws
 >300 Rooks
 9 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, J.Reeves, P.Jordan, John Isherwood, Gary Crowder)

The Flash
1 Little Grebe
215 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
11 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Telford Crematorium
Cackling Goose
300 Lesser Black-backed Gull
c.20 Herring Gull
500 Black-headed Gull 
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Gary Crowder)

Nedge Hill
1 Stonechat
(John Isherwood)

2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
25 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
17 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
Greater Scaup
50 Tufted Duck
12 Pochard
(Jim Shannon)

2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Redpoll

Priorslee Flash
1 Goosander

Nedge Hill
8 Lapwing
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Gadwall
47 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
c.550 Black-headed Gulls
c. 800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls 
56 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Pochard
7 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
2 Kestrel
1 Peregrine Falcon
1 Lapwing
3 Grey Wagtail
26 Wren
28 Robin
21 Blackbird
15 Redwing
53 Magpie
14 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
9 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
5 Cormorants
121 Coot
1 Mediterranean Gull
c.1100 Black-headed Gulls
211 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
33 Herring Gulls.
741 Wood Pigeon
289 Jackdaws
108 Rooks
290 Starlings
21 Reed Bunting
1 Sky Lark
11 Greenfinches
6 Siskins
23 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)