29 Jan 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

10.0°C > 12.0°C: Some areas of medium-level cloud and some good clearer spells. Fresh, even strong, WSW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:58 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 06:45 – 09:25

(27th visit of the year)

It seems almost every day I note that it is very quiet. It seems to get quieter.

Bird notes:
- Again one of the outbound Greylag Geese might have been one of the Canada x Greylag hybrids: its sounded even more like it had swallowed a squeaky toy.
- Yet another change amongst the Tufted Ducks with fewer than half the number I recorded yesterday.
- I assume many Coots were hiding from the wind by staying inside the reeds.
- For a change there were c.350 Black-headed Gulls already on the water by 07:15. The early large gull arrival was restricted to just five Herring and ten Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- Fewer gulls overhead and not many arriving later for a bathe and drink either.
- At least 35 Redwings were in trees to the E of Castle Farm Way, all flying off S. Later one was seen on the football field.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 17 Canada Geese again: 15 outbound together; duo inbound
- 8 Greylag Geese: two groups outbound; duo N
- 78 Wood Pigeons: 52 of these in three groups
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Herring Gulls
- 38 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 32 Jackdaws only
- 1 Raven
- 1 Siskin

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 9 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 32 Coots only
- c.350 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived separately; one departed

On or around the street lamps:
- *4 small plumed midges
- *1 Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider

One of four of these small plumed midges that were all on the same lamp pole. I cannot recall seeing this small species in previous years. It has been a frequent sighting this winter.

This morning's Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider unusually with its legs spread out. Probably to hold on as the wind whistled around the lamp poles.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:35

(26th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The party of 36 Wood Pigeons may just have been flushed from local trees by a passing Sparrowhawk.

Bird noted flying over here:
- 36 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 5 Jackdaws

On /around the water:
- *85 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 46 (28♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- no Teal
- 1 (1♂) Pochard still
- *51 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens only
- 26 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *103 Black-headed Gulls
- *8 Herring Gulls: one (near) adult; one second winter; one third winter; five first winters
- *5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron

On /around the street lamp poles:

Nothing

Otherwise
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Food was being offered and all my photos today were of birds trying to partake of the feast. A pair of Canada Geese with tongues hanging out – not perhaps at the thought of the food but because they look like this when calling.

A drake Tufted Duck flies in as three adult winter Black-headed Gulls position in for the feeding frenzy.

The majority of the Black-headed Gulls were adults. This first winter shows the brown band across its wing and the dull orange base to its bill was one of the exceptions.

For comparison a winter adult Black-headed Gull in a very similar pose.

I was surprised to see the larger gulls coming close. They did not attempt to grab the food from the melee but tried to steal food grabbed by the Black-headed Gulls. Here is a third winter Herring Gull – the dark of the wing-tips is 'bleeding' along most of the front of the wing. Just visible are dark markings in the tail.

These tail markings, remnants of the tail band on younger birds, are better seen in this view.

Here it is in pursuit to try robbery. The unfortunate Black-headed Gull is beginning its head-moult.

A first winter Herring Gull showing the underwing markings. Note the way the light shines through the paler inner primaries.

What seems to be an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull (with a crick in its neck!). I note 'seems' as the bill has a very obvious black band and no red so just perhaps it is a third or fourth winter. On this bird the upper wing does not obviously darken toward the wing-tip suggesting it is a bird of the fuscus race that breeds on the continent.

A different Lesser Black-backed Gull. It is certainly an adult with a red spot on the lower mandible of an otherwise unmarked bill. Note on this bird there is a contrast between the almost black wing tips and the more charcoal grey of the rest of the wing. Thus it is of the intermedius race of primarily UK breeding birds.

From underneath note the dusky shading along the trailing part of the wing; the broad white trailing edge on the upper wing; and the yellow legs.

(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

2014

Priorslee Lake

14 Pochard

71 Tufted Duck

3 Greater Scaup

1 Velvet Scoter

103 Coots

1 Yellow-legged Gull

2 Great Black-backed Gulls

141 Redwings

502 Jackdaws

383 Rooks

2 Ravens

(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)

The Flash 

89 Tufted Ducks

2 Goosander

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

Drake Scaup

26 Wigeon 

12 Gadwall 

12 Pochard 

60 Tufted Ducks 

181 Coots

c.400 Black-headed Gulls

246 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

34 Herring Gulls

2 Great Black-backed Gulls

21 Redwings

147 Jackdaws

c.30 Siskins

(Ed Wilson, Unknown Observer)

Trench Lock Pool

18 Swans

8 Pochard 

45 Tufted Duck 

1 Goosander 

99 Coots counted

(Ed Wilson)

2012

Priorslee Lake

5 Great Crested Grebes

21 Pochard

51 Tufted Duck

(Ed Wilson)

2008

Priorslee Lake

c.2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

109 Herring Gulls

1 Yellow-legged Gull

1 Great Black-backed Gull

c.250 Black-headed Gulls.

1 Buzzard

1 Merlin

(Martin Adlam)

2007 

Priorslee Lake

1 Goldeneye

(Ed Wilson)