28 Feb 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 7.0°C: Clear and frosty again after early mist. Calm. Good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:00 GMT]

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 08:55 - 09:30

(19th visit of the year)

It was very misty in Newport when I would normally have been leaving. Visibility in lake area is usually much worse than at home so I decided not to venture out. Once the mist began to thin I left for a quick visit only to find it clear from Donnington onwards. Wrong decision!

Viewing from E end lay-by only

Notes:
- A Little Grebe was very vocal but incredibly hard to see - I saw just part of the rear end sticking out of the reeds on one occasion.
- A lone Black-headed Gull when I arrived. Two more drifted in. All of these were adults and none showed any hint of summer plumage.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 2 Canada Geese: inbound
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe again
- 6 Great Crested Grebes again
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

My 2021 bird species list remains at 65.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 - 10:55

(9th visit of the year)

Notes:
- A pair of Gadwall new arrivals.
- c.25% reduction in Tufted Duck numbers since yesterday.
- Seems a rather late date for a Goosander to appear here.
- The Grey Wagtail with rings seen again.
- Siskins head from trees on the island and in squirrel alley.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls: two adults
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Counts from the water:
- 36 Canada Geese
- 3 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 25 (14♂) Mallard
- 76 (37♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 5 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 15 Black-headed Gulls

My 2021 bird species list for here moves on to 50: new today was:
- Gadwall
- Goosander
- Goldcrest: one singing near one of the footbridges
- Lesser Redpoll: one overhead

Also recorded
- 1 Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria) on a lamp pole: my first moth of the year.
- 1 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina).
- 1 bee sp., my first of the year, heard flying past while I was photographing the shieldbug.
- 1 Grey Squirrel

The pair of Gadwall would not come too close. Here is the drake - note the black rear and all-black bill. This species is slightly smaller than Mallard.

Here is his mate. Less distinctive. Features to separate from duck Mallard are the brighter orange edges to the bill, rather more mottled flanks and, as visible here, a white speculum.

Later they became even less visible tucked up against the island, the duck on the left of the view. I see a few of this species here most years.

I am not at all sure why Mallard start to perch on house roofs at this time of year. Here is a drake.

And here his smart partner. There were two different pairs on roofs this morning.

My first Goosander of the year here and on a rather late date - I would have expected them to have moved away to their breeding streams by now. It is not very obvious in the photo but there was some white between the bill and the eye suggesting this is a first-winter bird. Perhaps still to work out how it should behave?

'That' Grey Wagtail again. Rather against the light in this view but shows the extent of the black bib on breeding males of this species. Still to go fully jet-black. The white moustache will remain.

Here is the Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria). My previous records from here were on 26th February 2014 and 6th February 2019

This is a Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) still in the brown colour they acquire in Autumn. Will soon revert to normal green colouration.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2017

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2015

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2014

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site

2 Iceland Gulls

(Observer Unknown)

2013

Priorslee Lake

31 Wigeon 

7 Gadwall 

5 Pochard 

18 Tufted Ducks 

1 Greater Scaup

2 Lapwings

c.1600 Black-headed Gulls

c.800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

c.100 Herring Gulls

1 Iceland

1 Glaucous Gull

1 Caspian Gull

1 Yellow-legged Gull

38 Redwings

2 Fieldfare

15 Siskins

(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant, Tom Lowe)

The Flash

1 Little Grebe

10 Pochard 

123 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool

21 Tufted Duck 

1 Goosander 

(Ed Wilson)

Horsehay Pool

1 Yellow-legged Gull

(Tom Lowe)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site

2 Yellow-legged Gulls.

(Tom Lowe)

2012

Priorslee Lake

4 Great Crested Grebes

3 Pochard

32 Tufted Duck

4 Curlew

2 Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock

26 Tufted Duck 

9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

13 Herring Gulls

1 Yellow-legged Gull

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe as noted 

6 Great Crested Grebes

4 Gadwall

39 Pochard

57 Tufted Ducks

99 Coots 

29 Blackbirds

4 Redwing

8 Song Thrushes

22 Siskins

3 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

2009

Priorslee Lake

Common Gull

6 Ravens

(Ed Wilson)

Woodhouse Lane

Stonechat

(John Isherwood)

2007

Priorslee Lake

4 Cormorant

2 Pochard

15 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

1 Peregrine Falcon

26 Robin

11 Redwing

63 Magpie

196 Jackdaw

12 Greenfinch

10 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

2 Little Grebes

6 Great Crested Grebes

2 Cormorants

7 Pochard

35 Tufted Ducks

1 Water Rail

800 Wood Pigeon

142 Starlings

14 Pied Wagtails

18 Robins

20 Blackbirds

11 Fieldfare

10 Song Thrushes

2 Willow Tits

15 Greenfinches

11 Siskins

7 Reed Buntings 

(Ed Wilson)