4 Jan 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

0.0°C > 1.0°C: Mainly cloudy with a few light snow flurries giving a dusting. Light N wind. Very good visibility except in snow.

Sunrise: 08:21 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 06:44 – 09:37

(4th visit of the year)

- very little ice remains

Bird notes:
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls were present by 07:05. More continued to arrive until c.07:45 when at least 750 were present.
- Large gulls once again in short supply with two adult Great Black-backed Gulls the highlight.
- A small number of Jackdaws were heard passing at 07:15 when the combination of a snow flurry and the low light precluded me seeing them. Just 72 counted after 07:40.
- At least 15 Redwings were either on the academy playing field or adjacent trees. Two Mistle Thrushes were with them.
- A group of six Bullfinches flew out of the Ricoh hedge together.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 15 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants: single, duo and trio
- >72 Jackdaws
- 3 Redwings

Birds were seen / heard leaving roosts around the lake:

None apart from uncounted Magpies

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: departed
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 8 (7♂) Pochard
- 49 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- 4 Little Grebes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- >750 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Great Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: two adults; one immature
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:

Nothing

Noted later:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

My 2021 bird species list for here:

With today's additions in the order I recorded them, now stands at 47
Treecreeper
Great Black-backed Gull

Surprisingly I am so far this year missing Rook and Long-tailed Tit. Two species I normally log almost every day.

(Ed Wilson)

Note: Ed Wilson's Priorslee 2020 Newsletter can be found HERE.

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The Flash: 09:40 – 10:41

(4th visit of the year)

- c.40% ice

Bird notes:
- Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were together (so presumably a pair though too distant to confirm) in tree-tops near the medical centre.
- Four Redwings popped up on trees at the top end. More surprising was that a Fieldfare joined them.
- Later at the top of squirrel alley at least 15 more Redwings flushed out of tree-tops.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 6 Feral Pigeons

Counts from the water:
- 11 Canada Geese
- 3 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 37 (21♂) Mallard
- 5 (4♂) Pochards
- 56 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 31 Coots
- 77 Black-headed Gulls

On the lamp poles or around the Ivy

Nothing

Noted elsewhere:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

My 2021 bird species list for here:

With today's additions in the order I recorded them, now stands at 37

Fieldfare
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Chaffinch

A Fieldfare. I do not see these sitting anywhere too often so this somewhat distant bird was a welcome target for the camera. Note the grey head and (just visible) grey rump. The back is brown. Note the belly is well-spotted on a plain background. That means this is a first-winter bird: on an adult the spots would be on a rusty-yellow tinged breast. The black-tip to the yellow bill also indicates a first-winter bird. This species is larger than either Redwing or Song Thrush being a tad smaller than a Mistle Thrush. More usually seen hopping along in open fields.

It's smaller 'winter thrush' cousin, a Redwing. An annoying criss-cross of twigs in the way but hey-ho!. It is the flank and underwing that are red and not the upper wing. The creamy eye-stripe is probably an easier identification at long range.

(Ed Wilson)

Note: Ed Wilson's Priorslee 2020 Newsletter can be found HERE.

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On this day

2020

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2017

Local area

Today's Sightings Here

2014

Priorslee Lake

Two 1st winter female Scaup

(Tom Lowe)

Horsehay Pool

Kittiwake

(Jim Almond)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site

3 Yellow-legged Gulls

(Tom Lowe)

2013

Priorslee Flash

Drake Scaup

(J Reeves)

Trench Middle Pool

22 Goosander

(Dave Tromans)

2012

Priorslee Lake

96 Greylags Geese

20 Pochard

15 Tufted Ducks

86 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

54 Herring Gulls

1 Yellow-legged Gull

27 Great Black-backed Gulls

Peregrine

204 Redwings

4 Fieldfare

(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

Trench Pool

2 Little Grebes

215 Canada Geese

3 Pochard

76 Tufted Ducks

131 Coots

219 Black-headed Gulls

4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

3 Herring Gulls

1 Great Black-backed Gull

(Ed Wilson)

Holmer Lake

46 Goosander

(John Isherwood)

2010

Priorslee Lake

Black-necked Grebe

5 Great Crested Grebes

44 Mute Swans

2 Gadwall

47 Pochard

117 Tufted Duck

2 adult Common Gulls

1 Great Black-backed Gull

c.3400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

 c.250 Herring Gulls

c.2500 Black-headed Gulls

Caspian Gull

2 Yellow-legged Gull

3 Water Rail

324 Coots 

17 Goldfinches

13 Siskins

1 Redpoll

(Ed Wilson/Jason)

2009

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

12 Great Crested Grebes

10 Mute Swans

1 drake Shoveler

11 Pochard

44 Tufted Ducks

Iceland Gull

3 Yellow-legged Gulls

122 Coots

34 Siskins

(Ed Wilson/Paul King)

2008

Priorslee Lake

1 Wigeon

5 Gadwall

26 Pochard

106 Tufted Ducks

4 Water Rails

100 Herring Gull 

Yellow-legged Gull

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

3 Great Crested Grebes

 >7 Pochard

31 Tufted Ducks

9 Goosanders

>2000 Black-headed Gulls

 >481 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

 >33 Herring Gulls

1 Great Black-backed Gull

28 Robins

14 Blackbirds

5 Fieldfares

67 Redwings

222 Jackdaws

3 Reed Buntings;

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Wigeon

1 Goldeneye

22 Pochard

43 Tufted Duck

c.3000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

c.2000 Black-headed Gulls

2 Great Black-backed Gulls

131 Herring Gull

5 Yellow-legged Gulls

66 Siskins

14 Robins

15 Blackbirds

1 Willow Tit

4 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)