12 Dec 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.0°C: Early drizzle; then dry but cloudy for a while; more rain; then clearing after 09:00; still mainly cloudy. Moderate W wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:13 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 06:40 – 09:40

(277th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- All the Mute Swans went for a fly this morning. I have still not seen them at any height and certainly never outside the confines of the lake. The previous two years the parents have taken strongly flying cygnets away in late October / early November.
- A Kestrel was hovering over the remnant part of the Celestica site yet to be converted in to houses.
- I confirmed Jackdaw(s) were calling pre-dawn near the Magpie roost. Too dark to see anything and none seen to leave here later.
- Some of the Jackdaws stopped off on the pylon and its surrounding wires to the ESE of the lake. They do this several times a year. I can see no obvious reason for this behaviour.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 4 Cormorants: two singles and a duo
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 73 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 14 Wood Pigeons
- c.500 Jackdaws
- c.80 Rooks
- 17 Redwings: party of 12 and singles.

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
None

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 1 Canada Goose: arrived and departed
- 11 (7♂) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 45 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Grey Herons
- 3 Great Crested Grebes only
- 8 Moorhens
- 187 Coots
- >250 Black-headed Gulls
- 38 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 28 pre-dawn; 10 later
- *3 Herring Gulls: 1 (near) adult pre-dawn; two immatures later

On / around the street lights etc. pre-sun(?)rise:
It is rain that moths do not like; light drizzle is often good.
- 6 Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
- *3 Mottled Umber moths (Erranis defoliaria)
- *1 small black beetle sp., possible the flea beetle Crepidodera fulvicornis again
- 3 winter midges
- 2 Tetragnatha stretch spiders sp.
- 2 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen

Noted later:
Nothing

It is in the log as an immature Herring Gull - second winter I think. I was hoping for a better angle as the head seemed rather white though the mantle colour seemed OK for Herring Gull. Before I could get that better angle ...

... it was 'bounced' by this other immature Herring Gull. Too little light to stop the action. However the pale inner primaries show clearly.

After a few days' absence there were three male Mottled Umber moths (Erranis defoliaria), all on the same lamp. Perhaps they could detect the pheromones of a near-by female - I could not find one. This specimen is perhaps a typical example of this rather variable species - a wavy cross-line and a dark spot in each forewing. The ground colour can vary.

This specimen is certainly 'mottled'. It shows only a very indistinct cross-line and no dark spot in the forewings.

This looks to me the same as the beetle I noted on 2nd December. At the time I suggested it might be the flea beetle Crepidodera fulvicornis, noting that all flea beetles show a swollen hind leg to allow them to jump when threatened. I have no reason to dispute or amplify that statement.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:44 – 10:50

(259th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Some Pochard and Tufted Ducks seem to have returned from the lake.
- Only a single Great Crested Grebe for certain. Seen in several locations: could never find another.
- Yesterday and today a Collared Dove was 'singing' from a tree near Priorslee Academy. This species has been scarce for a number of weeks.
- Two Song Thrushes seen: relatively unusual.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Jackdaws

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 21 Canada Geese: 11 of these departed
- 31 (17♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 74 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosanders
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 11 Moorhens
- 33 Coots
- 48 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: yes: 'that' floating body.
- *2 Herring Gulls: one (near) adult; one second winter

On a lamp pole
- 1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)

On / around the Ivy or elsewhere:
Nothing of note

No doubt about this being an immature Herring Gull. The pale tip and base to the horn coloured bill are typical of a second-winter bird. The extent of the adult-like grey feathers on the mantle are also typical.

From a different angle note the head and bill profile giving it a 'snooty' look.

A muddy puddle due to a blocked drain (of many months standing) would not seem the ideal bath-water for this Blackbird.

Seems they have to work hard to get the feathers actually wet. Quite a few pale bits in the flanks. Blackbirds, and males in particular, are prone to stray while feathers - even 'albino patches'.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Scaup (imm/fem)
4  Pochard
2 Teal
2 Goosanders
101 Tufted Duck
Adult Yellow-legged Gull
c.478 Lesser Black-backed
c30 Herring
c.5 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Water Rail 
245 Coots
18 Fieldfare
201 Redwings
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Gary Crowder)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull.
Great Black-backed Gull
2 Gadwall
2 Teal
45 Tufted Ducks
1 Goosander
10 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
(Ed Wilson/Martin Grant)

2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
c300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
11 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
Little Grebe
36 Swans
29 Pochard
79 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
277 Coots
5 Redwings
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow-legged Gull
7 Great Black-backed Gull
4 Gadwall
45 Golden Plover
( John Isherwood) 

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Cormorants
25 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
72 Coots
>2000 Black-headed Gulls
228 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
15 Herring Gulls
25 Robins
16 Blackbirds
31 Fieldfares
5 Redwings
278 Jackdaws
105 Rooks
32 Starlings
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
2 Little Grebes
7 Great Crested Grebes
16 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
244 Coot
262 Jackdaws
285 Rooks
1 Redpoll
24 Siskins
21 Pied Wagtails
2 Grey Wagtails
8 Redwings
15 Fieldfares
13 Reed Buntings
13 Robins
19 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
14 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)