11 Feb 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 3.0°C > 5.0°C: Early cloud prevented any significant frost. Soon cleared. Light SW breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:35 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:00

(38th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The lone drake Tufted Duck flew off.
- One Great Crested Grebe spent most of the time at the W end and in the NW area. Another spent time along the E end of the N side as if it might be a bird looking at a different nest location.
- No Black-headed Gulls arrived until after 07:30 and my highest count was just 13.
- Large gulls appeared overhead at 07:10 and despite the absence of any Black-heads on the water they decided to stop off. They revealed themselves as six Herring Gulls and 30 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Very few large gulls dropped in later.
- I noted eight different Chaffinches in various locations. Many more than usual. Two of them were heard in song. Last year there were three breeding territories.
- Just eight Siskins noted today.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose: outbound
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 24 Wood Pigeons: 15 of these flew N together just after dawn
- 39 Black-headed Gulls
- 14 Herring Gulls
- 85 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 44 Jackdaws only
- 1 Rook

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: throughout
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck: departed
- 2 Moorhens again
- 37 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 13 Black-headed Gulls only
- *9 Herring Gulls
- 34 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

On and around the street lamps.
- 1 Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria): presumably the same as it was still on same lamp pole
- 1 small fly
- 1 plumed midge
- 1 'winter cranefly'
- 1 globular springtail sp.
- 1 Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider
- 1 other spider, possibly a Neriene montana.

Another odd-looking gull. It seems rather short and tubby and the wings are noticeably broad. The thick all-black bill means that it must be a first-winter Herring Gull however strange it looks.

A different aircraft today: this is a Cessna 182 Skylane, one of those assembled by Reims Aviation in France. Its owner lives in the Penarth area and this 43 year-old veteran was flying to Leeds / Bradford.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:05 – 10:15

(36th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Bumper number of Tufted Ducks, again very mobile.
- Just the two adult Great Crested Grebes noted. They were not seen in close company.
- Also a bumper number of Herring Gulls, mostly first-winter birds.
- *Treecreepers seen at both ends of the water.
- A Grey Wagtail seen on roofs in Derwent Drive.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw

On /around the water:
- 21 Canada Geese: two of these departed
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 36 (23♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- no Teal
- 5 (5♂) Pochard still
- 89 (48♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
- *19 Herring Gulls
- *3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *2 Grey Herons again

On /around street lamp poles:

Nothing

Elsewhere:
- *several unidentified flies on the Ivy bank
- 2 Grey Squirrels

There were no fewer than 19 Herring Gulls here. All of them were immatures with the majority being first winters. Here is one of them.

Another from below.

And another from above.

A formation team of two first winter Herring Gulls.

This view shows the difference between the first winter Herring Gull on the left as it chases a first winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. The latter shows no contrast in the wings and has a neat black tail band with a clean upper-tail.

The same two birds from underneath.

The bill pattern is the best clue to age this bird as a second winter. The rather weak underwing pattern and the paler inner primaries identify it as a Herring Gull.

There is just about enough of the upper wing visible on his bird to identify it as a first winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. I think the mark in front of the eye is likely a tick.

A smart immature Lesser Black-backed Gull. The bill pattern suggests it is a second winter. The limited extent of the chequered feathers in the back is more indicative of a third winter bird.

A few thin branches mar this view of one of the two Grey Herons. A drake Mallard is just about visible.

A Treecreeper. Not my best photos with the usual branches in the way. I was not helped by having to shoot this fast-moving bird against the light. The thin and curved bill shows well as does its use of its tail as a prop as it shins up – always up – a tree.

Even worse! However note the strong claws used for gripping trunks.

One of the flies resting on the bank of Ivy and warming up in the sun. It is one of the many species of Muscid flies: I am not sure which.

An aircraft from here as well. The distinctive orange markings of easyJet. It is an Airbus A320 en route from Belfast's George Best City Airport to London's Gatwick Airport.

(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

1 Velvet Scoter

3 Greater Scaup

7 Pochard

47 Tufted Duck

(Gary Crowder)

2013

St Georges

5 Waxwings

(Observer Unknown)

2012

Priorslee Lake

1 Iceland Gull

3 Yellow-legged Gull

1 Caspian Gull

(Tom Lowe) 

2009

Priorslee Lake

Glaucous Gull

(Observer Unknown

2007

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

12 Pochard

1 Goldeneye

15+ Redwing

33 Fieldfare

1 Willow Tit

4 Reed Buntings

(Martin Adlam)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

11 Great Crested Grebes

12 Cormorants

24 Pochard

102 Tufted Ducks

131 Coots

2 Water Rails

1 Kingfisher

c.1500 Black-headed Gulls

88 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

56 Herring Gulls.

598 Wood Pigeons

210 Starling roost

16 Robins

1 Willow Tit

13 Greenfinches

19 Siskin

6 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)