5 Jan 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

2.0°C > 2.0°C: Showers in the area but fine and often clear here Some snow on the ground. Moderate W wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:21 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 06:50 – 09:15

(4th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Even fewer Black-headed Gulls with none before 08:00 and at most 28 birds. Indeed a trio of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were the first to arrive at 07:47.
- The usual passage of Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls passing SW was supplemented by a smaller passage of birds flying N / NW
- A Cetti's Warbler called once at the W end.
- Just one Song Thrush singing: no Mistle Thrush seen or heard.
- 31 Redwings flew out of trees alongside Teece Drive at 09:10.

Overhead:
- 2 Stock Doves: duo
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Collared Doves
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 127 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 88 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 2 Pied Wagtails

Birds seen leaving roost sites around the lake:
None

Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: call only again

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 13 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 28 Black-headed Gulls only
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

On and around the lamps
Nothing. A combination of overnight snow showers and low temperature no doubt

Later
Nothing of note

Additions to my 2022 bird log for here in species order:
Rook, Pochard, Collared Dove

Year to date: 54 bird species

I am now just about half-way to my projected annual species total. Another 360 days to find the other 54!

Not the best of lighting. My first Pochard of the year here – a drake – accompanied by an adult (dark red base to the bill) Back-headed Gull. The gull can be seen beginning to acquire the dark hood (the head is never black but dark chocolate brown and it is only a hood anyway).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:10

(4th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- As at the lake a very quiet morning. A small group of Siskins and Goldfinches in Alder trees at the top end were the most exciting.

Birds noted flying over here:
None

On /around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 35 (23♂) Mallard only
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- 61 (37♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (1♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens only
- 23 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 39 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- no Grey Heron

On the street lamps:
Nothing on any of them

On / around the Ivy:
Nothing

Additions to my 2022 bird log for here:
None

Year to date: 37 bird species

It may have white on the face but the vestigial tuft means there is no mistaking this as a duck Tufted Duck.

But not a good a tuft as this drake.

Compare this first winter Black-headed Gull with the adult at the lake. The base of the bill is more of an orange tone and there are retained Black feathers in the folded wing. It may, or may not, acquire some or all of a black hood in its first summer to come.

A sunny female Siskin at work on the Alder cones. These were last year's female flowers; the long catkins are the male flowers.

Hazel catkins. Can Spring be far away? Probably! These catkins are the male flowers. The female flowers wind pollinated. By good fortune you can just see the tiny red female flower at the very extreme right side of the photo!

Willow stems in the sun against a shower-cloud backdrop. I cannot be more specific about the type of willow involved.

(Ed Wilson)

Note
Click Here for Ed Wilson's trip to RSPB Burton Mere and New Brighton on 4 Jan 22

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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
151 Coot
220 Black-headed Gull
18 Lesser Black-backed Gull
28 Tufted Duck
2 Great Crested Grebe
6 Mute Swan
8 Herring Gull
10 Pochard
(Tony Beckett)

Horsehay Pool
11 Goosander
(Tony Beckett)

2013
Priorslee Lake
Female Goldeneye
2 Gadwall
10 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
14 Great Black-backed Gulls
75 Herring Gulls
2 Caspian Gulls
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
125 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Martin Grant/Kriss Webb)

Donnington Wood
1 Waxwing
(Dave Tromans)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
13 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Bittern 
3 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Caspian gull was present
1 Ring Billed Gull.
2500 Black-headed Gulls
42 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson/Jack Wildman/Richard Vernon)

2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
>20 Pochard
>70 Tufted Duck
A drake Goosander
1 Water Rail
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
>150 Herring Gulls
Glaucous Gull 
Yellow-legged
Common Gull
6 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
10 Pochard
26 Tufted Duck
1 Common Gull
c.2100 Black-headed Gull
c.1600 Lesser Black-backed Gull
126 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Water Rail
1 Goldeneye
1400 Black-headed Gulls
400 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
74 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
8 Great Crested Grebes
18 Pochard 
40 Tufted Duck
236 Coot
40 Siskins
14 Robins
13 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)