29 Oct 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

13.0°C > 11.0°C: Showers after overnight rain. Fresh / strong S wind, veering WSW. Good visibility.

Sunrise: [08:00 BST]

*= a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 11:05 – 12:05

(244th visit of the year)

A later visit with all viewing from the dam-top area only.

Firstly an update on the Mute Swans:

Courtesy of Martin Grant, keeper of the ring information:
- Three of the four cygnets raised this year were ringed. The one I had not recorded was 7JVL. This is presumably what I have referred to as the fourth cygnet and which I did not see after it was ringed. It had been noted flying strongly, often on its own, by that date.
- Of the two recent arrivals 7JVC is a pen (female) hatched in May 2020 at The Hem near Shifnal. In early September this year it was noted with at least 22 other Shropshire-ringed birds in a flock of c.120 swans near Bangor in North Wales.
- Nothing is known about the unringed bird, though the assumption is that it is a cob (male).

Bird notes:
- All the large gulls were 'passing through', stopping for a wash and brush up.

Overhead:
- 3 Common Buzzards
- 35 Starlings: two groups
Wood Pigeons not counted: very few

Count from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall again
- 1 (0♂) Pochard still
- 40 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Moorhen
- 61 Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls only
- 6 Herring Gulls
- *71 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

I paused over this first-winter gull with a white-looking head. It is 'just' a Lesser Black-backed Gull as evidenced by the dark primaries and secondaries with the greater coverts almost as dark. There is no suggestion of the inner primaries being paler apart from small white fringes. Note that the bill has a tiny pale tip. Note too the broad dark tail with only a hint of pale on the outer edge of each outermost feather.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:55 – 10:55

(221st visit of the year)

A bit windy and some things likely to be hiding away.

Bird notes:
- No Teal found.
- Goosanders back with at least three drakes.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 2 Jackdaws

On /around the water:
- 20 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 29 (20♂) Mallard
- no Teal
- 16 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- *10 (3♂) Goosander
- 3 Moorhens only
- 22 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Herons

On the lamp poles:

Nothing on any of them

Noted elsewhere:
- Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris) on the Ivy flowers.
- *Several flies, all perhaps Phaonia errans.
- *1 planthopper, most likely Empoasca vitis

The resident pair of Mute Swans. When they can be compared this closely it is possible to say the back bird is the cob (male). He is slightly bigger and the swelling at the base of the bill is larger. When a bird is seen on its own neither of these features is necessarily obvious. Martin Grant provides information that I have been telling people incorrectly. The pen (female) has the green ring – CF59. Green rings are put on birds in Cheshire and not Worcestershire as I have reported. Oops!

A trio of drake Goosanders was among a small group of ten birds. Here is one. Still to acquire full plumage with some white showing at the base of the bill and the flanks still with some grey areas.

Two drakes and three brownheads (and an adult Black-headed Gull).

Ostensibly two brownheads (again with an adult Black-headed Gull). The front bird has too much white showing in the wing as it preens and the breast is too pale for a duck; it is a drake beginning its moult in to adult plumage. Indeed the head is not really 'brown' and beginning to 'go green'.

In addition to many Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris) on the Ivy flowers there were a few of these flies. I am never sure how they manage to hold on when the leaves they are sitting on are blowing about. They must have very sticky feet. This individual has spiky hairs which suggests it is a species of House Fly of the Muscidae family. If I had to guess I would go for Phaonia errans as the species.

I also found this planthopper, most likely Empoasca vitis. There are similar species: however the pale oval area on what appears to be the flanks suggests this species. This species is active throughout the year when the temperature is warm enough. I think the brown leaf mine alongside it is unrelated. The planthopper did not behave as if it had just emerged, springing far away as I tried to get a closer shot.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2013
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
1 Teal
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
Location
1 Pochard
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow legged Gull
2 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
1 Wigeon
Chiffchaff
10+ Fieldfare
Siskin
Willow Tit
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
Location
3 Pochard
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
34 Pochard a high count
500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
432 Jackdaws
228 Rooks
171 Fieldfare
5 Redwings
2 Siskins
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
115 Canada Geese
9 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
c.200 Golden Plover
23 Pied Wagtails
17 Robins
18 Blackbirds
12 Song Thrushes
70 Redwing
1 Mistle Thrush
9 Fieldfare
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Tit
195 Jackdaws
206 Rooks
31 Greenfinches
4 Redpoll
10 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Buzzard feeding on earthworms, mobbed by Black-headed Gulls
1 Raven
7 Pied Wagtails
3 Grey Wagtail
11 Meadow Pipits
Kingfisher
1700+ Wood Pigeon
192 Redwing
111 Fieldfare
(Martin Adlam)