27 Dec 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

National Fruitcake Day(!)

2.0°C > 3.0°C: Early broken clouds gave way to low cloud and, for a while, mist. Cleared to medium overcast by 10:00 with very light rain. Significant white frost early. Light SE wind. Very good visibility except during the misty period when poor.

Sunrise: 08:22 GMT: still getting later

* = a photo from today.

Priorslee Lake: 06:50 – 09:10

(262nd visit of the year)

Small amount of ice in lee of the dam.

Bird notes:
- The number of Black-headed Gulls that arrive early has been declining for some days. Just c.110 today with first arrival later than usual at 07:50. Almost all these had gone by 08:15.
- Almost as many Herring Gulls were noted as Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- Both Jackdaws and Rooks seen in respectable numbers passing over after 07:38.
- *48 Redwings flew off the football field in to the Ricoh copse at 09:00.
- A Mistle Thrush heard calling to the East of Castle Farm Way. What was likely a different bird flew off the football field in to the Ricoh copse with Redwings. No song heard.
- No Reed Buntings were heard calling from either of their usual roost sites.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 30 Canada Geese: two groups outbound
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 5 Wood Pigeons only
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 94 Jackdaws
- 74 Rooks
- 1 Fieldfare
- 1 Redwing
- 2 Siskins again

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:

None

Counts from the lake area as best I could in rather dull conditions:
- 29 Canada Geese: 24 departed in two groups
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall
- 2 (1♂) Mallard only
- 5 (4♂) Pochard
- 24 (17♂) Tufted Duck again
- 10 Moorhens again
- 184 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- c.110 Black-headed Gulls only
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Cormorants: one arrived and departed; another(?) arrived

On / around the frosted street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Nothing noted

Seen later:

Nothing of note

Here are nine of the 48 Redwings that flew off the football field in to these trees alongside Teece Drive.

In terrible light and over enlarged but at least we can confirm it is a Redwing.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:15 – 10:05

(252nd visit of the year)

Particularly misty when I arrived here though this lifted somewhat later. No ice here.

Bird notes:
- *One of the four Cormorants was already in breeding plumage
- At least 35 Goldfinches flying around.

Noted flying over:
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water
- 9 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 45 (29♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- *30 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 (3♂) Goosanders
- 20 Moorhens
- *43 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *104 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull, briefly
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: departed
- 2 Grey Herons
- *4 Cormorants

On / around the street lamp poles:

Nothing noted

Elsewhere:
- 1 Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

There were more Tufted Ducks today. Here is a group of nine drakes and two ducks. Drakes usually outnumber ducks.

Always dangerous to anthropomorphise but this drake Tufted Duck does look as if it is looking at me suspiciously.

By this time of year it is easy to separate drake and duck Tufted Ducks. This is a duck with brown flanks. Note the vestigial tuft.

A good study of a first winter Black-headed Gull. This one has more extensive brown in the wing than many first winter birds. Note the pale orange base to the bill and pale pink legs.

An adult winter for comparison. No brown in the wing and the base of the bill is red.

Here one is in flight. The left wing looks rather blunt-ended: I did not notice this at the time and it may just be the angle of the wing.

Two Cormorants here, the one on the left being an adult coming in to breeding condition. Note the white head plumes and the white thigh patch. On the other Cormorant the pale area just visible at the top of the breast indicates that it is an immature. An adult winter Black-headed Gull and two Coots share the photo.

I have enlarged a photo of the adult Cormorant. Here it is obvious that the head plumes are only just stumps as yet. Note too the crested effect and that the colour of the bare skin at the base of the bill is changing from yellow to a more orange tone.

Yesterday it was Moorhens fighting. Today the Coots were at it. A duck Mallard passes by ignoring the melee.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 Little Grebe

7 Gadwall

7 Pochard

101 Tufted Ducks

1 Scaup

210 Coots

1 Great Black-backed Gull

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

1 Little Grebe

69 Tufted Ducks

(Ed Wilson)

2012

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site

1 Caspian Gull

1 Yellow-legged Gull.

(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)

2011

The Wrekin

Flock of Crossbills near summit

(Maurice Baker)

2010

Priorslee Lake

2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull

(Observer Unknown)

2009

Priorslee Lake

Black-necked Grebe

4 Great Crested Grebes

18 Mute Swans

59 Canada Geese

4 Gadwall

29 Pochard 

92 Tufted Ducks 

2 Water Rails

327 Coots

2 Redwings

16 Goldfinches

13 Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee lake

2 Great Crested Grebe

22 Tufted Ducks

86 Coots

2 Great Black-backed Gulls

3 Buzzards

20 Pied Wagtails

c.200 Redwing

4 Mistle Thrush

c.500 Fieldfare

1 Willow Tit

3 Brambling

14 Chaffinches

13 Greenfinches

2 Redpoll

1 Siskin

3 Reed Buntings

(Martin Adlam)