13 Dec 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

0.0°C: Hazy sun through thin medium / high cloud. Still a little snow / ice on the ground. Calm. Moderate visibility

[Sunrise: 08:13 GMT]

* = a photo from today.

I again walked carefully around The Flash before visiting the lake.

Priorslee Lake: 14:20 – 15:00

(253rd visit of the year)

Viewing only from the Castle Farm Way lay-by and dam-top. Slightly less than 50% thin ice.

Bird notes:
- Yesterday's duck Eurasian Wigeon had gone. A drake Shoveler was new in.
- A Little Grebe was found. As usual it soon disappeared in to the reeds.
- Gulls were arriving all the time and the numbers shown are the approximate totals by the time I departed.
- Despite there being at least 350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls I only noted two immatures amongst them (both first winters). A greater proportion of the Herring Gulls were immatures of all ages.

Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 5 (3♂) Gadwall
- 11 (8♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard again
- 66 (25♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 176 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- *>200 Black-headed Gulls
- *>80 Herring Gulls
- *2 Yellow-legged Gulls
- *1 probable Caspian Gull
- *>350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant

Noted later
Nothing else.

It made a change to see the sun, albeit a watery low sun, here seen with a partial halo. Still some snow evident.

The drake Shoveler was rather camera-shy and paddled off as soon as he saw me.

Another 'gull' day. Here is just a small part of the gaggle standing on the ice. There are three (and two small bits of) Herring Gulls here amongst the Lesser Black-backed Gulls. All are adult winter birds, the Herring Gulls are the two paler-mantled birds in the foreground and one between and behind them.

Adult winter Black-headed Gulls.

In the foreground is an adult Yellow-legged Gull with the clean-looking white head and dark eye.

Two adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gulls with the same (or another?) Yellow-legged Gull dispute some food. Note on the Lesser Black-backed Gull with spread wings the diagnostic dark shading along the trailing edge of the underwing. An adult winter Black-headed Gulls looks on.

"I've told you many times not to play with your food". Four adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls chase whatever has been dropped.

Very aerobatic they are too.

The middle bird is another puzzle and possibly an adult winter Caspian Gull. It does not look dark-enough for a Yellow-legged Gull and there is some obvious shading around the eye. Note the two Lesser Black-backed Gulls have differently-toned backs and are likely of different races, the darker bird on the left looking like one of the intermedius race from north-west Europe, the other a graellsii bird that breeds around the UK.

I am more confident that the hunched bird front right is an adult winter Caspian Gull. Its small beady-looking eye is notable.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 13:35 – 14:15

(244th visit of the year)

Still mostly iced over. The clear area around one of the footbridges was rather larger than in the last few days.

Bird notes:
- All the gulls suddenly took to the air and departed. I could not see why. A very few Black-headed Gulls drifted back.
- A Great Tit was heard in song: not perhaps at full volume but definitely in song rather than calling.
- A Greenfinch was calling from trees near the surgery. My first here for several months.

Noted on / around the water
- 4 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 45 (29♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 17 Moorhens
- 43 Coots yet again
- 48 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Grey Heron

Of note.
Nothing else

The Grey Heron, still standing on one leg, was staring in to the sedges beside one of the footbridges.

 It seems to be willing some tasty morsel to emerge.

But was still keeping an eye on who was passing on the bridge. 

(Ed Wilson)

Note:
Click Here for a few photos taken on the Wirral by Ed Wilson last week.

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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
1 ‘Nelson's Gull' but also colloquially ‘Viking Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Little Grebe
2 Siskins
4 Gadwall 
2 Teal 
4 Pochard 
87 Tufted Duck
3 Goosander 
236 Coots
1 Snipe
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
45 Redwings
(Ed Wilson/JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Ring-billed Gull hybrid
1800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
500 Black-headed Gulls
100 Herring Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gull
6 Greater Black-backed Gulls
1 Common Gull
1 Little Grebe
3 Redwings
1 Teal
9 Pochard.
40 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
c.170 Coots
3 Redwings
c.300 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson / Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Goldeneye
2 Sky Larks
c.25 Redwing
c.8 Fieldfare
12 Bullfinches
c.30 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
31 Swans
2 Greylag
33 Pochard
1 Willow Tit
c.35 Goldfinches
3 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
26 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
73 Coots
7 Lapwings
>1500 Black-headed Gulls
>1300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
38 Herring Gulls
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
24 Robins
13 Blackbirds
5 Fieldfares
11 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
132 Jackdaws
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Wigeon
Water Rail
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
2 Little Grebes
5 Great Crested Grebes
13 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
235 Coot
270 Jackdaws
154 Rooks
2 Redpoll
5 Siskins
12 Pied Wagtails
2 Redwings
10 Fieldfares
21 Reed Buntings
13 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)