2 Mar 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

2.0°C > 3.0°C: Grey and overcast. Light SE breeze. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 06:55 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:55 - 08:55

(21st visit of the year)

Notes:
- Very few Black-headed Gulls. A lone bird at 06:47 then no more until after 07:00. At most 12 birds. I presume this species is now off to its breeding sites and it will be July before we see significant numbers again.
- Now eight Great Crested Grebes, perhaps nine. One first-year bird with no head plumes certainly new in. Other birds mostly seen in pairs, though odd birds would appear from time to time - the partners perhaps in the reeds. I never confirmed more that eight.
- A pair of Mistle Thrushes s very upset at a Magpie and scolding from unusually low down in vegetation - this species is normally seen on open grassy areas or high in trees. Mistle Thrushes have up to three broods and these have probably already laid the first of up to three clutches of eggs. I did wonder whether the Magpie had found their nest, though this seems unlikely as the nest is normally high up in trees and the birds were scolding at a height of no more than six feet in scrubby habitat.
- Chiffchaff heard calling c.06:40 only.
- Many Siskins flying around and at least eight high in Alders near the Teece Drive gate.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 6 Canada Geese: two pairs outbound; one pair inbound
- 1 Mallard: a duck on her own, unusually
- 1 Stock Dove
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Common Buzzards
- c.235 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
- 6+ Siskins

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe heard only again
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Black-headed Gulls only
- 3 Herring Gull: all immatures
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Grey Herons

My 2021 bird species list for here remains at 65.

Nothing else of note.

(Ed Wilson)

Thank you to Kev Mattley for the Reed Bunting photos. The pair were first seen at the lake on 28 Feb and again today. Hopefully they will be looking for a nest site.

A male Reed Bunting 

A female Reed Bunting

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:00 - 10:15

(11th visit of the year)

Firstly an addition to yesterday's log: I omitted a drake Pochard from the list: it had gone by this morning

Notes:
- The resident pair of Mute Swans were sorting out their nest site. I was told that they have been seen mating recently - seems rather early to me. The third 2018 bird was keeping well out of the way at the other end of the lake.
- There seemed to be Mallard everywhere today. There was a group of ten drakes together. Pairs were sitting on roofs, some emerged from the wooded areas, and some were lurking in the reedy edges. Seems that some of the ducks have gone off to find a safe place to sit on eggs.
- Another significant reduction in Tufted Duck numbers.
- A Little Grebe hiding under overhanging vegetation in the NW corner.
- Now a pair of Great Crested Grebes here.
- An adult Cormorant on its favourite perch at the edge of the island.
- At least eight Siskins along the E side, with at least one Redpoll with them.

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

Counts from the water:
- 23 Canada Geese yet again
- 3 Mute Swans
- 37 (25♂) Mallard
- 42 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: second year?
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly
- 1 Cormorant

My 2021 bird species list for here moves on to 52 with today's additions:
- Little Grebe
- Cormorant

Nothing else of note recorded

The pair of breeding Mute Swans were organising the nest site.

What seems at first sight to be a duck Tufted Duck. The small amount of white at the base of the bill suggests this is a first year bird as does the rather brown tone to the back and neck. The contrasting and rather pale rear flanks makes me wonder whether this might just be a very late moulting first year drake.

This drake Tufted Duck is a bit a spiv with its 'tuft' slicked back.

After a Great Crested Grebe seemed to be 'here one day and not the next' there were two today. This one looking smart with bright breeding plumage along its flanks and extensive head plumes.

Based on the bill pattern I think this Herring Gull is a second winter bird. The extent of the adult blue-grey on the back is greater than I would have expected, probably as the bird starts its moult in to third year plumage.

My first Cormorant of the year here. An adult with some breeding plumage - the white thigh patch and the bare skin under the bill acquiring an orange tone. The beginnings only of the white head plumes are showing - this is a rather variable feature with older birds becoming more white-headed [I am saying nothing ....!]

There were at least eight Siskins in the Alders along the E side. So long as I stayed still (and no-one walked along the path beside me) the birds stayed happily feeding. I had to wait for them to appear between the cones , the catkins and the twigs to give me a clear shot. They probably will not stay around much longer so despite the rather dull conditions I rather 'went to town'. Here is a typical female with streaked flanks.

This male seems to be licking pollen from a catkin, so perhaps the bird I photographed last week at the lake was doing the same with the pussy willow catkin.

Whereas this male is, more typically, after the seeds in the cones. Upon reflection I am not sure I maintained SD (social distancing) with this one!

A few blurry bits in the foreground of this male.

And another male busy on the cones.

Note the streaking goes right under the tail. A male again with the black crown.

A female with food in the bill.

"yes: you are being photographed".

And in profile. The pointed bill for getting in to those small Alder cones to extract the seeds.

This won't win prizes but was one of only a few glimpses I had of a Redpoll amongst all the Siskins. The red 'poll' (crown) can be seen. Note too the warm brown tone of the body, lacking any of the yellow and olive of Siskins.

An even worse view highlighting the warmer tones and showing this species has less streaking on the flanks.

Peering at me the red 'poll' again visible, also the yellow bill and the black under the bill, often called a black moustache though my moustache is above my mouth.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day
2020
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
The Wrekin
c.35 Crossbills near the summit.
(Frank Hinde)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Grey Wagtail
10 Song Thrushes
c.20 Redwings
2 Siskins
4 Great Crested Grebes
3 Pochard
12 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
4 Great Crested Grebes
11 Pochard
69 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
9 Great Crested Grebes
12 Tufted Duck
6 Goosander
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Iceland Gull.
17 Fieldfare
4 Redwings
1 Kingfisher
 >350 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson, Jim Almond)