23 Nov 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.0°C: Mainly clear after early heavy rain. Moderate SW breeze. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:45 GMT]

Short visits after the rain.

Priorslee Lake: 10:35– 11:05

(239th visit of the year)

Viewing only from the dam top area again.

Significant number of Tufted Duck. Little else to note.

Birds noted flying over here:
None

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 81 (>35♂) Tufted Duck
- 15 Moorhens
- 201 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 29 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:25

(232nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- All four Mute Swan cygnets went for a fly, lifting well clear of the water with one more or less circumnavigating the island.

Birds noted flying over here:
None

Noted on / around the water
- 2 Canada Geese only
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 47 (31♂) Mallard
- [the all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck) not seen]
- 8 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 24 (3♂) Goosander
- 10 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants
- 3 Grey Herons

On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted

Noted later:
Around the Ivy bank which was very active after the rain, though mainly with flies:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): only three noted
- Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax): just one
- Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax): just one
and plenty of unidentified flies.

The four Mute Swan cygnets taking themselves for a fly.

One was much more confident than the others climbing higher and circling behind the island.

Lighting conditions were not good. Here is my best attempt at capturing a drake Goosander.

One of the five Cormorants departing.

Here it goes.

I noted three Grey Herons today. Here is one

Here is the second.

This one was lurking in the trees.

I noted just two hoverflies on the Ivy. This is a male Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax).

Most of the insects on the Ivy were flies, many of them what appeared to be a faded greenbottle.

(Ed Wilson)

NOTE:
In Readers Corner there are a few photos from Ed Wilson's trip to the USA. Click Here.

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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
2 Gadwall 
2 Pochard 
123 Tufted Duck 
1 Goosander 
2 Water Rails 
15 Moorhens 
227 Coots counted 
1 Snipe
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Great Black-backed Gulls
2 adult hybrid Lesser Black-backed x Herring Gulls
102 Fieldfare
39 Redwings 
266 Jackdaws
Redpolls
Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Tom Lowe)

Trench Middle Pool
22 Swans
6 Shoveler 
14 Tufted Duck 
183 Coots 
61 Black-headed Gulls
14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
17 Herring Gulls
Caspian/Yellow-legged Gull
2 Ravens
1 Redwing
(Ed Wilson)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Adult + 1st winter Yellow-legged Gulls
1500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
30 Greylag
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard.
21 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
153 Coots 
c.640 Wood Pigeons
8 Redwings again.
453 Jackdaws
61 Rooks logged.
2 Siskins 
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
6 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Andy Latham)

2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Cormorants 
>60 Greylag Geese
14 Pochard
177 Tufted Duck
1 Lapwing
1 Snipe
2 Water Rails
159 Coot
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
c.100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5+ Herring Gulls
74 Redwings
c.60 Fieldfare
132 Jackdaws
166 Rooks
c.1750 Starlings
c.30 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)