1 Dec 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

5.0°C: Low overcast with mist. Light SSE wind. Moderate / poor visibility

[Sunrise: 07:58 GMT]

* = a photo from today.

Priorslee Lake: 10:25 – 11:25

(245th visit of the year)

Once again viewing only from the Castle Farm Way lay-by and dam-top.

Bird notes:
- An extra drake Gadwall noted.
- I could not find the duck Common Teal but visibility was not good for finding small ducks.
- Many fewer Tufted Duck than yesterday – vide the increase at The Flash.
- As yesterday there was a steady movement of large gulls dropping in to bathe and drink before carrying on.

Counts from the lake area:
- 25 Canada Geese: 23 of these flew in together
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Gadwall
- 10 (7♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Common Teal
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 46 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- 184 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 71 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- 102 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant

Noted later.

Nothing

One of the Canada Geese that flew in had a very restricted white chin-strap. Here it is alongside an ordinary bird. None of rest of the plumage suggests there are any genes from other goose species.

Here is the other side showing that the restricted white chin-strap is identical both sides.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:20

(238th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A significant increase in the number of Tufted Duck, matching the decrease at the Balancing Lake.
- One of the drake Goosanders is already showing the delicate salmon-pink tones they acquire in full breeding plumage.
- A Song Thrush was just about managing a few quiet song phrases.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water
- 1 Canada Goose
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 43 (30♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 48 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 (4♂) Goosander
- 10 Moorhens only
- 26 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

On / around the street lamp poles or later around the Ivy bank:
Nothing noted

An example of the problem I face with Tufted Ducks. Is this is a drake or not? I rather suspect it is due to some pale appearing in the flanks and the pale area on the bill behind the dark tip. But there is no 'tuft'. So?

How about this one? The white around the base of the bill indicates it is a first winter bird. Not much else to go with again no tuft. I do not include these puzzling individuals in the "drake" totals, only those with bright white flanks.

(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

2012

Priorslee Lake

3 Gadwall 

7 Pochard 

29 Tufted Ducks

1 Goldeneye 

1  Goosander

142 Coots

33 Redwings

2 Fieldfares

203 Jackdaws

50 Rooks

3 Siskins

1 Redpoll

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

1st-winter Mediterranean Gull

500 Black-headed Gulls

Yellow-legged Gull

800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

3 Great Black-backed Gulls

30 Herring Gulls

A drake hybrid Mallard x Pintail

(Tom Lowe)

Overdale

11 Waxwing

(Observer Unknown)

Granville Country Park

10 Waxwing

100+ Redwing 

6 Bullfinch 

20+ Redpoll 

1 Tawny Owl

3 Sparrowhawk 

1 hovering Buzzard

(Stuart Edmunds)

2009

Priorslee Lake

Yellow-legged Gull

(Richard Vernon)

The Wrekin

Firecrest

(Observer Unknown)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

3 Great Crested Grebes

23 Pochard

58 Tufted Ducks

65 Coots

>450 Black-headed Gulls

1128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

30 Robins

29 Blackbirds

46 Fieldfares

6 Song Thrushes

19 Redwings

2 Mistle Thrushes

168 Jackdaws

122 Rooks

1 Siskin

15 Linnets

4 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

2005

Priorslee Lake

10 Reed Buntings

A duck Wigeon

3500 Black-headed Gulls

2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

6 Herring Gulls

2 Pochard

53 Tufted Duck

228 Coot

496 Jackdaws

193 Rooks

(Ed Wilson)