13 Jan 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 7.0°C: Early showery rain soon cleared with cloud gradually dispersing. Fresh W wind after overnight gales. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:16 GMT

* = a photo from today.

Another very quiet morning. I expected the wind to produce more gulls. Rather the opposite for Black-headed Gulls.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:45 – 09:20

(10th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A single Goosander flew fast West at 07:55: too dark to sex reliably.
- Certainly a second Great Crested Grebe today
- 10 Black-headed Gulls were noted arriving at 07:35: only one stayed. Then seven (more?) at 07:45. These too moved away. By 08:30 c.50 were scattered on the water: the largest number I noted.
- In addition to the Mistle Thrush singing from the Ricoh copse alongside Teece Drive another flew East over Castle Farm Way.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Goosander: sex not determined
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 15 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Jackdaws

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:

None

Counts from the lake area:
- 13 Canada Geese: see notes
- *2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 3 (1♂) Gadwall
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 35 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens again
- 146 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.50 Black-headed Gulls only: see notes
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 4 Cormorants: arrived separately; at least one departed

Found on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn.
- several winter midges
- *aphid / springtail sp.
- *spider sp.

Later:
Nothing noted

The four Mute Swan cygnets preening out their juvenile feathers. It does not look as if these are going to be ringed this time.

The sky beginning to clear with a hint of pink. Note the almost complete absence of birds on the water.

A slightly later, longer view of the colour after dawn.

I remain confused by many of these small insects. This one looks similar to many that I identify as species of 'globular springtails' yet the spines sticking out of the base of the abdomen are a feature of some aphids. Whatever it is I cannot identify it!

This small spider also remains unidentified. As previously noted the markings on spiders' abdomen are very variable within most species. The shape usually provides experts with a starting point as to the genus. I am not an expert!

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash: 09:25 – 10:20

(10th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The only Cormorant noted was one flying over. Perhaps they have eaten all the fish.

Birds noted flying over here:
- *1 Cormorant

Noted on / around the water
- 15 Canada Geese: a trio of these arrived
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 42 (28♂) Mallard again
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 44 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- *3 (0♂) Goosander
- 16 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *45 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull; immature briefly
- 2 Grey Herons

On / around the street lamp poles
Nothing noted

Noted elsewhere:
- *Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax) at the Ivy bank
- Grey Squirrel

 The closest of the three duck Goosanders.

An adult winter Black-headed Gull. Note how much brighter in tone the legs are than the base of the bill.

The same bird a second or so later and there is no appreciable tone variation. A trick of the light.

This first(?) winter Herring Gull dropped in briefly.

Note the tips to the underwing coverts are only very slightly dark. On an immature Lesser Black-backed Gull they would be both extensively and contrastingly dark giving the underwing a much more patterned appearance.

Here is the upper side of the same bird. I am struggling to age this bird. The extent of dark on the tail and the upper tail spotting both suggest a first winter bird. The bill is dark rather than black and the inner part of the visible right wing is acquiring the grey tone of an adult. These suggest it is a second winter bird. Perhaps an advanced first winter bird coming in to second year plumage?

The only Cormorant seen here today flies by.

A trio of 'arty' photos of a passing Magpie. #1

#2

#3

This Coal Tit was too close! It at least shows the white stripe up its nape. Although Great Tits also have white napes theirs are never as neat as this.

It just would not show its face for the camera. One eye is just about visible on the join between the white and black on the face.

And still no face.

What a poseur!

Apologies this is not sharp – I will get used to the camera settings! But a January sighting of any hoverfly is worth recording. It is a Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax), the only species in the group likely to be seen before mid-March. Although the Ivy bank was sheltered from the wind and in full sun I doubt the temperature was above 10°C, usually recognised as the temperature needed for flying insect activity.

(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

2014

Priorslee Lake

1 drake Scaup

2 female Scaup

(Paul King)

2013

Priorslee Lake

103 Coot

147 Black-headed Gulls

25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

63 Tufted Duck

1 drake Scaup

2 Great Crested Grebe

17 Pochard

(Tony Beckett)

Priorslee Flash

4 Goosander

38 Tufted Duck

(Tony Beckett)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site

1 Caspian Gull

(Observer Unknown)

2012

Priorslee Lake

Water Rail

5 Great Crested Grebe

20 Pochard

17 Tufted Duck

c.200 Black-headed Gulls

92 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

6 Herring Gulls

2 Great Black-backed Gulls

24 Redwings

(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash

66 Tufted Duck

236 Black-headed Gulls

36 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

3 Herring Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

East of Priorslee

Willow Tit

Skylark

Brown Hare

(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake

69 Goosander

(John Isherwood)

2010

Priorslee Lake

Bittern

8 Swans

4 Gadwall

23 Pochard

55 Tufted Ducks

256 Coots

c.800 Black-headed Gulls 

c.500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

1 Yellow-legged Gull 

c.40 Herring Gulls 

2 Great Black-backed Gulls

Willow Tit

2 Siskins

(Ed Wilson and unknown observer)

2007

Priorslee Lake

38 Pochard

53 Tufted Ducks

15 Goosanders

2 Buzzards

>1000 Black-headed Gulls

>215 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

22 Herring Gulls

32 Robins

15 Blackbirds

179 Fieldfares

104 Redwings

274 Jackdaws

266 Rooks

218 Starlings

5 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

9 Great Crested Grebes

13 Cormorants

10 Pochard

24 Tufted Duck

207 Coots

2 Lapwings

c.850 Black-headed Gulls

2 Great Black-backed Gulls 

96 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

61 Herring Gulls

1 Yellow-legged Gull

309 Jackdaws

493 Rooks

12 Pied Wagtails

10 Fieldfare

15 Robins

12 Blackbirds

1 Willow Tit

2 Siskins

1 Redpoll

11 Greenfinches

3 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)