Nothing else

It was a 'gull day' with plenty to search through. The weather was both good and bad. Good in that there was flat lighting making judging the relative mantle tones of the birds easy. Bad because the light-level was low and the misty conditions did not allow good photos. With that proviso lets see what we can find. All but three of these are Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The right-most bird is a Herring Gull. Of the two in the middle a Herring Gull is at the back. The one at the front I'll come back to.

Here an adult winter Great Black-backed Gull is in front of a similarly-aged Lesser Black backed Gull. The Great Black-backed is probably a female as it is not obviously that much larger but note the mantle is jet black rather than dark charcoal-grey, the head shows no streaking and the bill is more massive. This species is not common away from coasts. I usually see a few in any mid-Winter cold snap.

The gull of interest here is third from the right. Its small size, rather weak bill and dark eye identifies it as an adult winter Common Gull. Not at all a common gull in this part of Shropshire. Confirmation is that the mantle is darker than the Herring Gull on the extreme left but paler than the Lesser Black-backed Gulls (and the Carrion Crow).

Here it is on the water showing its size relative to a Lesser Black-backed Gull and also its dark eye.

Directly in front of the green buoy is a very white-headed gull whose mantle is darker than a Herring Gull but paler than the accompanying Lesser Black-backed Gulls. It is an adult Yellow-legged Gull. At this age they almost never show any head streaking.

Here it is second from left with two Herring and two Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The legs do indeed look yellow, certainly compared with the Herring Gull on the extreme right.

The gull front right is one I am not totally convinced about. The mantle is only slightly darker than the Herring Gull behind it and it has a dark eye. These suggest it might be a Caspian Gull but it seems rather small and perhaps the head and nape are too streaked.

And again: second from the front.

Here it is wing-flapping. Sadly there was not enough light for the camera to freeze the action and show the exact pattern of white on the wing-tip. This would have provided a positive ID. There is enough to indicate it is not a Herring Gull but not to eliminate Yellow-legged Gull. There is a rather puzzling restricted amount of black on the outer wing. A Cormorant photo-bombing the shot.

Some winter adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls show extensive dark streaking on the head and some don't: I have never read any explanation for this. This one, head-on behind a Coot, is about as streaked as they get and gives the bird a hooded effect. If this were to be seen on a Herring-type gull there would be an invasion of bird-watchers as that would indicate an Azorean Gull. Not impossible and I'll keep watching.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:25 – 11:20

(243rd visit of the year)

Mostly iced over with a clear area around one of the footbridges and another close around the island.

Bird notes:
- I was surprised not to see or here any Redwings. Normally harsh weather and snow brings them in to the suburbs.

Noted on / around the water
- 10 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 41 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 2 (2) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 43 Coots again
- *128 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull
- *3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *2 Grey Herons

Noted elsewhere:
- Grey Squirrel

Very smart. A second winter Herring Gull with a combination of new and retained feathers obvious on the mantle.

Well I suppose it keeps the feet warm but... An adult winter Black-headed Gull rests on the ice.

The darkest-headed adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull I noted here.

I suppose standing on one foot reduces the heat-loss. This Grey Heron has a good collection of 'aigrettes' as it comes in to breeding condition. Herons will be repairing their nests, and stealing twigs from neighbours in heronries, from mid-January onwards.

Not too badly obscured by a twig is one of the party of Long-tailed Tits foraging alongside squirrel alley.

It was a twig day. Here one gets in the way of a Goldfinch's attempt to brighten a gloomy day.

(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

2013

Priorslee Lake

2 Scaup (imm/fem)

4 Pochard

2 Teal

2 Goosanders

101 Tufted Duck

Adult Yellow-legged Gull

c.478 Lesser Black-backed

c30 Herring

c.5 Great Black-backed Gulls

1 Water Rail

245 Coots

18 Fieldfare

201 Redwings

2 Siskins

(Ed Wilson/Gary Crowder)

2012

Priorslee Lake

1 Yellow-legged Gull.

Great Black-backed Gull

2 Gadwall

2 Teal

45 Tufted Ducks

1 Goosander

10 Redwings

2 Fieldfares

(Ed Wilson/Martin Grant)

2011

Priorslee Lake

2 Yellow-legged Gulls

c300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

11 Great Black-backed Gulls

(Tom Lowe)

2009

Priorslee Lake

Black-necked Grebe

Little Grebe

36 Swans

29 Pochard

79 Tufted Ducks

1 Water Rail

277 Coots

5 Redwings

(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

2008

Priorslee Lake

2 Yellow-legged Gull

7 Great Black-backed Gull

4 Gadwall

45 Golden Plover

( John Isherwood)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

5 Cormorants

25 Pochard

44 Tufted Ducks

72 Coots

>2000 Black-headed Gulls

228 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

15 Herring Gulls

25 Robins

16 Blackbirds

31 Fieldfares

5 Redwings

278 Jackdaws

105 Rooks

32 Starlings

7 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

2005

Priorslee Lake

Water Rail

2 Little Grebes

7 Great Crested Grebes

16 Pochard

54 Tufted Duck

244 Coot

262 Jackdaws

285 Rooks

1 Redpoll

24 Siskins

21 Pied Wagtails

2 Grey Wagtails

8 Redwings

15 Fieldfares

13 Reed Buntings

13 Robins

19 Blackbirds

1 Willow Tit

14 Greenfinches

(Ed Wilson)

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12 Dec 22