20 Dec 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 4.0°C: One light shower; often sunny with shower clouds around. Light S wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:19 GMT again

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 06:45 – 09:14

(283rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A Woodcock flew over my head at 07:20. Could not see its final drop in to cover. This seemed likely to be in the Ricoh grounds though I have not recorded any using that area previously.
- After yesterday's gull bonanza rather few today. The first Black-headed Gulls did not arrive until 07:25 and I only logged c.200
- There were rather few Jackdaws as well as few gulls. The first birds seen were 6 leaving N side trees at 07:40

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 25 Canada Geese: duo and a group of 23 outbound
- 14 (?♂) Goosander: groups of five and nine W
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 46 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 17 Wood Pigeons
- 44 Jackdaws only
- 4 Rooks again
- 1 Starling
- 1 Greenfinch again

Birds seen / heard leaving roosts around the lake:
- 8 Starlings
- 1 Redwing again
As yesterday at least two Reed Buntings heard calling from their roost area: none seen to leave

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 5 Canada Geese: departed
- 8 (3♂) Gadwall
- 5 (2♂) Mallard
- 26 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander very briefly
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 2, perhaps 3, Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 4 Great Crested Grebes still
- 12 Moorhens
- 144 Coots
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 24 pre-dawn; only two later
- 1 Herring Gull: one second-winter later
- 1 Yellow-legged Gulls: one second-winter later

On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise: no moths but:
- 1 winter midge sp.
- 2 globular springtails, apparently different species.
- 1 unidentified millipede

Noted later:
Nothing 

Difficult to get the sunrise reflected in the lake at this time of year due to the angle of the sun. Impressive shower clouds.

More impressive clouds. The front-drop (if there is such a word: perhaps I meant foreground) is the roof of Holy Trinity Academy.

And again.

More strange things on the lamp poles. I am sure this is a species of millipede. The brown marks on (I think) the head do not seem to match anything on the web.

And another really really small insect enlarged as much as I dare. I am sure this is another globular springtail.

Perhaps a different species. The markings are certainly different. No idea of the species involved though.


(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:19 – 10:15

(265th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Six Tufted Duck flew in and landed at the far end and after I had done the count: no idea of the sexes of these birds.
- After days trying to find a second (and sometimes the first) Great Crested Grebe two birds were asleep together in the middle of the water and unmissable.
- At least two of the Black-headed Gulls perched on bushes near the small children's play area (until flushed off by walkers). No real idea why they would do that - all the Hawthorn berries are long-since gone.
- Another day when the Moorhens were AWOL. I searched all the usual places and found just three.
- Grey Wagtail in Derwent Drive: this one having been ringed locally I suspect. I will try and find out where and when.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Cormorant: decided too many people about
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult again
- 2 Feral Pigeons

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 17 Canada Geese: two of these flew in
- 30 (18♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Pochard
- 83 (>43♂) Tufted Duck: six of these flew in
- 6 (2♂) Goosanders
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens only
- 35 Coots
- 62 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: yep: the same body
- 1 Herring Gull: second winter

On the lamp pole, around the Ivy or elsewhere
Nothing of note

I have not seen too many drake Goosanders here recently. Only the breeding pink flush on the breast is still missing from these handsome birds.

A slight change in the angle of the light and the head colour changes.

This immature (still some white flecks in the belly) Cormorant looked at the water and all the people taking morning exercise and decided to move on.

The Little Grebe seems happy here. In winter plumage now.

A typical Little Grebe photo.

A second-winter Herring Gull looking imperious.

This Grey Wagtail is wearing rings to enable ID 'in the field'. The left leg shows green over the silver BTO ring that is numbered (but hard to read!). The right leg shows yellow over red. Three colours, three positions gives a large range of possibilities which allows unique identification. (Anyone better at maths permutation and combinations than me? Gone from my memory banks).

Stepping out with a morsel in its bill.

It looks as if the silver could be read. I can't! I think the man who rings these does so at Shifnal Sewage Works. If it is he I should be able to find out more.

Bending down for more food. At which point it flew off. 

(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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall 
2 Teal 
6 Pochard 
94 Tufted Ducks 
10 Goosander
1 Water Rail
229 Coots
2 Fieldfare
85 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Little Grebe 
151 Tufted Ducks 
1 Greater Scaup 
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
1 Little Grebe 
1 Shoveler 
1 Pochard 
95 Tufted Duck 
133 Coots 
54 Black-headed Gulls
4 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
7 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

Horsehay Pool
Iceland Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Mallard x Pintail
c.200 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
110 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gulls
1 Redwing
4 Fieldfare
5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
Water Rail
>3000 Black-headed Gulls
28 Swans
2 Gadwall
52 Pochard
112 Tufted Ducks
287 Coots
10 Redwings 
199 Jackdaws
6 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

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 Redpolls
7 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)