19 Dec 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.0°C: Good breaks in clouds with shower c.09:30. Moderate SW wind, dropping light later. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:19 GMT

* = a photo today

Some confusion about Tufted Duck numbers today. I had completed a count at the lake when a group appeared in the centre of the water that I had not seen before. Re-doing the count showed that these were indeed 'new' birds. A few minutes later 18 flew off W - more than the number of 'new' birds. These presumably went to The Flash. Just as I arrived there another(?) c.10 birds were arriving - perhaps from the lake?

Priorslee Lake: 06:44 – 09:34

(282nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- c.250 Black-headed Gulls were first seen at 07:15 circling above the lake. Whether these were arrivals summoning up the courage to drop on to the water or whether they had been present earlier and disturbed by the local Grey Heron is impossible to say. At least 600 more birds skimmed in from the W after 07:25. Birds dispersed in all directions and all subsequent sighting assumed to be these birds moving around.
- Rather few (just 11) large gulls arrived early. Later a motley group drifted in with the Lesser Black-backed Gulls almost outnumbered by six Herring Gulls, two Yellow-legged Gulls and a Caspian Gull, the latter a different bird (an adult) from yesterday's second-winter.
- A group of c.20 Jackdaws flying very low across the water were most likely the birds that I have recently heard calling from (and presumably roosting in) trees near the Magpie roost.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Greylag Goose: single outbound
- 29 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 6 Feral Pigeons: groups of two and four
- 4 Stock Doves: single group
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- >350 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks only
- 8 Starlings: one group
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Greenfinch

Birds seen / heard leaving roosts around the lake:
- 1 Starling
- 1 Redwing
At least two Reed Buntings heard calling from their roost area: none seen to leave

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall again
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- *40 (23♂) Tufted Duck: 18 (?♂) flew off
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 Great Crested Grebes again
- 11 Moorhens
- 152 Coots
- >850 Black-headed Gulls
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: just 10 pre-dawn; nine later
- 7 Herring Gulls: one immature pre-dawn; four adults and two second-winters later
- 2 Yellow-legged Gulls: adult and second-winter later
- 1 Caspian Gull: adult later

On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise: no moths but:
- 2 Sminthuridae (globular springtails)
- *1 leaf hopper sp.
- *1 small fly sp., perhaps Suillia variegata
- 1 winter midge sp.
- 1 Tetragnatha stretch spider sp.
- *1 unidentified web-spider sp.
- 2 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen

Noted later:

Nothing

This probably constitutes a good sunrise in December.

Some of the group of Tufted Duck heading off, likely to The Flash. Drakes show a clean demarcation between the black neck and the white flanks and belly. This is more blurred on ducks that also show dark 'arm-pits'.

Just some of the c.850 Black-headed Gulls that were present soon after first-light.

A species of leafhopper. There are several green species illustrated on the web though none has red eyes so I am unable to provide a better ID.

This small fly with the dark tips to the wings ought to be identifiable. 'Ought' being the operative word. May be Suillia variegata which occurs all year round though there are normally small dark spots in the wings - the photo is none too sharp however and these may be present. Don't be confused by the dark tips also showing on the wings' shadow!

This unidentified spider seems to be in the act of spinning its web.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:38 – 10:35

(264th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Perhaps some of the Pochard had relocated to here from the lake since yesterday?
- The Cormorant was on the island drying its wings as I set off around the water. Gone later.
- I searched and searched for any Great Crested Grebes without success. Just as I sat in the car to leave one was directly in front of me! Where did that come from?

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 15 Canada Geese
- 34 (18♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- *103 (51♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosanders once more
- *1 Cormorant: presumed departed again
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 12 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: the usual unsinkable body

On the lamp pole, around the Ivy or elsewhere

Nothing of note

Drake Tufted Ducks are coming in to 'full tuft' now as they get ready to pair up.

This drake shows almost no tuft and some grey in the flanks. Likely a first winter bird, still to complete its moult.

And here is a duck. This bird has more white on the face than is usual at this date and invites identification as a duck Scaup. That species would show more extensive white, reaching back to the eye but most importantly would never show even a hint of a 'tuft' on a more rounded head.

An unhelpfully placed Alder branch (note the cones) across the face of this Cormorant. A few white feathers in the breast indicate it is not a full adult. Note the blue eye. [A headless Black-headed Gull in the foreground]

(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

2015

Priorslee Lake

Today's sightings Here

2014

Priorslee Lake

Today's sightings Here

2013

Priorslee Lake

3 Gadwall 

7 Pochard

80 Tufted Ducks

231 Coots

268 Black-headed Gulls

8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

11 Herring Gulls

27 Fieldfare

103 Redwings

356 Jackdaws

251 Rooks

2 Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

2012

Priorslee Lake

3 Gadwall

11 Pochard

44 Tufted Ducks

180 Coots

1 Great Black-backed Gull

2 Redwings

17 Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

2011

Priorslee Lake

1 adult Yellow-legged Gull

5 Great Black-backed Gull

10 Goosander

(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake

14 Goosander

(John Isherwood)

2009

Priorslee Lake

Black necked Grebe

7 Great Crested Grebes 

45 Pochard

130 Tufted Duck

302 Coot

>3500 gulls

1 Great Black-backed Gull

20 Swans

1 Water Rail

15 Lapwing

15 Herring Gulls

5 Redwings

c.20 Goldfinches

7 Siskins

(Ed Wilson/ John Isherwood)

2006

Priorslee Lake

31 Pochard

33 Tufted Ducks

c.400 Black-headed Gulls

c.2800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

31 Herring Gulls

1 Yellow-legged Gull

18 Pied Wagtails

2 Redpoll

7 Reed Buntings

(Martin Adlam)

2005

Priorslee Lake

c.400 Black-headed Gulls

150 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

9 Pochard

16 Tufted Duck

200 Coot

1 Water Rail

15 Pied Wagtails

243 Rooks

532 Jackdaw 532

Redwing with a full-blown song

31 Siskins

2 Redpoll

16 Reed Bunting

(Martin Adlam)