27 Feb 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash (not in that order)

Priorslee Lake:  10:30 – 10:45
The Flash:  09:30 – 10:20

3.0°C > 5.0°C:  Cleared after rain and sleet showers. Fresh NW wind. Excellent visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:02 GMT]

Priorslee Lake:  10:30 – 10:45

(44th visit of the year)

Very little going on apart from a walking party finding the very muddy and slippery paths rather hard going.

Notes:
- One cygnet on its own in the SW area. One cygnet with the pen on the nest-site. Two cygnets with the cob nearby. Surprising sighting of a cygnet at the nest – mother showing a daughter what to do?

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 Canada Goose
- 3 (3♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen
- 43 Coots exactly
- 21 Black-headed Gulls
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults
- 2 Herring Gulls: 1 adult; 1 first-year

Nothing else of note.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:30 – 10:20

(43rd visit of the year)

Not the easiest viewing conditions with a cold fresh breeze blowing along the water with very few sheltered areas

Bird notes:
- I am sure the other Great Crested Grebe was lurking somewhere ....
- A presumed female Sparrowhawk was heard and then seen calling from trees. Normally this species is silent though begging juveniles can be heard in late summer. [I am obtaining opinions on the photos I took to rule out it being a most unlikely Goshawk]
- Party of four Bullfinches (two males; two females) near the surgery.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
None

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese only
- 34 (19♂) Mallard
- 8 (8♂) Pochard once more
- 57 (31♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (3♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 4 Moorhen
- 13 Coots
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

An attempt to prove you do not have to sit in a hide at Venus Pool to photograph Blue Tits!

A female Bullfinch munching a bud – as they do. There were two males and two females in the area. This species goes around in groups and it would be presumptuous to say ‘two pairs’.

One of the male Bullfinches also munching a bud.

What you might call ‘nipped in the bud’.

Not easy to find, let alone photograph. I heard an unfamiliar call and eventually located the source. The barring suggested this was a female Sparrowhawk. I very rarely hear this species – most years it is begging juveniles in late summer.

Female Sparrowhawks are much larger than males and invite confusion with the much less frequently seen Goshawk. Early Spring is the best time to see that species so could it be? I had to check with others with more experience of Goshawk. The conclusion is: ‘no’: Goshawk has a much more pronounced white eye-brow, an orange eye, barring that would appear more grey; and it would show more obvious tail bands. Crucially this bird shows some warm tones on its cheeks and while this does not seem to be mentioned in field guides this is apparently never shown by Goshawk.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Iceland Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Greater Scaup
26 Wigeon
4 Gadwall 
33 Tufted Ducks 
84 Coots 
c.800 Black-headed Gulls
c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.60 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull 
(Ed Wilson)

Horsehay Pool
1 Glaucous Gull
(J W Reeves )

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shelduck
4 Pochard
30 Tufted Duck
35 Robins
24 Wrens
15 Dunnocks 
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
9 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron 
4 Gadwall
35 Pochard
51 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
103 Coots 
c.700 Black-headed Gulls
c.225 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
27 Herring Gulls
Common Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
2 Willow Tit
124 Jackdaws
86 Rooks
1 Linnet
14 Siskins
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Iceland Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Pochard 
19 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
600 Black-headed Gulls
100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
36 Wren
28 Robin
7 Redwing
20 Magpie
134 Jackdaw 
8 Greenfinch
4 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorant
2 Gadwall
7 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
110 Coots
150 Starlings
23 Pied Wagtails
21 Wrens
15 Robins
17 Blackbirds
2 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
16 Greenfinches
38 Siskins
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)