15 Jan 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

5.0°C: Broken cloud with some light showery rain clearing. Chilly and fresh WSW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:15 GMT

* = a photo from today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:50 – 09:20

(12th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Yet again the four Mute Swan cygnets took themselves for a fly along the length of the lake. They give no indication of wanting to explore further.
- A third Great Crested Grebe was found today
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls were on the water by 07:30. No more were noted arriving and all had gone by 08:00.
- On this chilly morning only one Song Thrush was heard singing.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 25 Herring Gulls
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 36 Jackdaws
- 8 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 5 (2♂) Gadwall
- 10 (6♂) Mallard
- 4 (4♂) Pochard
- 37 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- 147 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gull: all immatures and all briefly
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly
- 6 Cormorants: arrived separately; at least two departed

Found on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn.
- *1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
- *1 Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria): female
- aphid / springtail sp.

Later:
Nothing noted

A morning where the most colourful part of the sunrise was 'looking the other way'. Here from the dam top.

Later during one of the sunny spells and also from the dam top was this view of the North side trees and vegetation.

This is, I think, a Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata). I have been increasingly concerned that recently I seemed to been seeing too many of the rather scarce Northern Winter Moths (O. fagata). I have identified these by way the under wings project beyond the folded upper wings at rest. Further examination of several web sites suggests that on this example (and the others I have seen this year) the degree of the projection is too little for Northern Winter moth and they are likely all Winter Moths.

I have mentioned previously that females of almost all the 'winter flying' moths are flightless. Here is one. It is a Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria). The species are best separated by the extent of the vestigial wings. Some species have no obvious wings: Dotted Border is the species with the most extensive wings, reaching over halfway down the abdomen. Often, as in this specimen, the wings are banded. This will have crawled up the street lamp pole and be awaiting the attentions of a male attracted by her pheromones. After mating she will drop to the ground and crawl away to lay the fertilised eggs on suitable vegetation. This species can feed on just about every native tree and shrub.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:20

(12th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- This is the third morning that I have noted one of the Mute Swan cygnets on it own on the island. I hope it is alright.
- Another bumper count of Coots. Why?

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water
- 13 Canada Geese: four of these departed
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 44 (30♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 33 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- *4 (0♂) Goosander
- 20 Moorhens
- 61 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe as ever
- 39 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: one of these departed and a different bird arrived
- 2 Grey Herons

On / around the street lamp poles or elsewhere
Nothing noted

This duck Goosander was the highlight here. The other three present this morning were keeping tight to the island.

One of the three singing Song Thrushes here trying to hide.

Here it is again after I sneaked around to get it in the clear though right against the light. It required a lot of editing to get it this clear. I am sure that will be singing for months to come and I will do better.

(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

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
10 Pochard
87 Tufted Duck
2 Goosander
121 Coot
23 Herring Gull
4 Great Black-backed Gull
181 Lesser Black-backed Gull
157 Black-headed Gull
Kingfisher
(Gary Crowder, Chris Cameron)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Greater Scaup
4 Gadwall
1 Goldeneye
82 Tufted Ducks 
15 Pochard
143 Coots
1 Dunlin
1 Great Black-backed Gull
3 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
184 Jackdaws
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Mike Cooper, John Isherwood)

The Flash
29 Tufted Duck 
8 Goosanders 
14 Goldfinches
(Ed Wilson)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Caspian Gull
Yellow-legged Gull.
(Observer Unknown)

2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
19 Pochard
22 Tufted Duck
2 Goosanders
14 Magpie
1 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Mediterranean Gull
2 Yellow legged Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
20 Herring Gull
100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
80 Black-headed Gulls
c. 60 Tufted Duck 
9 Pochard
(Mike Cooper, Andy Latham)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Geoff Holmes) 

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
8 Cormorants
11 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
>252 Black-headed Gulls
>66 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
23 Herring Gulls
200 Wood Pigeons
35 Robins
15 Blackbirds
76 Fieldfares
17 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
39 Magpies
217 Jackdaws
175 Rooks
11 Greenfinches
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
9 Cormorants
200 Wood Pigeons
11 Great Crested Grebes
11 Pochard
24 Tufted Duck
243 Coot
1 Water Rail
236 Jackdaws
216 Rooks
33 Siskins
15 Pied Wagtails
24 Robins
19 Blackbirds
8 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)