31 Jan 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 10.0°C: A sunny spell while at The Flash: otherwise mostly cloudy and often dull. Fresh WSW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:54 GMT

* = a photo from today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:40 – 09:15

(26th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I did not see the additional Mute Swan cygnet arrive. Is it feasible that it has been lurking somewhere since late last week? Today it was chased by both adults and then some of the resident cygnets joined it. The interloper left to the West at 08:35.
- Another very low count of Black-headed Gulls. Where have they gone? Numbers are holding up well at The Flash.
- The first gull to arrive at 07:40 was a first year Herring Gull-type but looked to have a restricted amount of pale in the inner primaries, suggesting a possible Yellow-legged Gull. The light was too poor to be certain.
- Four Jackdaws and 54 Rooks flew South at 07:15 in three concurrent groups on slightly different flight-lines. Twelve minutes later eight Jackdaws and 20 Rooks flew North – something I have never seen them do at such a time. Groups only usually fly North when they are returning to their roost in late afternoon. A few more of both species flew South later.
- The / a Cetti's Warbler sang once from the middle of the North side again. Later presumably the same bird was heard giving a long trill: a possible alarm call. I can find no reference to such a call in the literature or any on-line recording of it.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose: outbound
- 16 Wood Pigeons only: and nine of these flew high North together
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron: over fields to the East
- 16 Jackdaws
- 83 Rooks: see notes

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 1 Redwing

Counts from the lake area:
- 14 Canada Geese: ten of these departed
- *2 + 5 Mute Swans: the same(?) additional cygnet for a while
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 10 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 Moorhens
- 115 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 possible Yellow-legged Gull: see notes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Cormorant

Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
A stiff breeze blowing
- *1 small black beetle

Later:
Nothing of note

This does look very much like the same Mute Swan cygnet that visited over two days last week. It certainly was given a clear message that it was not welcome today.

Just about the only colour of the morning were a few Goldfinches, all resolutely staying at the very top of the tallest trees they could find.

One day I might be able to identify this small black beetle with the rather swollen hind femurs. Then again: one day I might manage to take a nice crisply-focussed shot of one!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:30

(23rd visit of the year)

New Bird Species
A star addition to my 2023 bird species list from here:
- A Water Rail was seen scurrying around in waterside vegetation at the top end near the bridge over the small stream. This is my first record of this species here for at least eight years.
This takes my 2023 bird species total for here to 48.

Some more signs of Spring here:
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling at the bottom of squirrel alley and then heard drumming from the hillside.
- A Greenfinch was giving its nasal territorial call – you could not really call it a song!

Other bird notes:
- Rather fewer ducks for no obvious reason.
- Only two drake Pochard found.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Cormorant

Noted on / around the water
- 56 Canada Geese
- *1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 32 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 51 (32♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Water Rail
- 16 Moorhens
- 57 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 88 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: different immatures at different times
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: briefly
- *2 Grey Herons

On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted

Of note elsewhere:
- *1 Grey Squirrel eating bark
- 1 lone fly sp. flitting about the bank of Ivy in the sun.

One Canada Goose and one mainly Canada Goose with some Greylag genes. These are most obvious in the bill and leg colour as well as in the more extensive pale area on the side of the face.

A Grey Heron at rest, standing on one leg – as they do.

This is why Grey Squirrels need to be treated as vermin. It is eating the bark of the tree which may well die as a result. As an alien introduction Grey Squirrels have no natural predators to control their numbers and do untold damage in woodlands (as well as probably to your bird-feeders). Don't be misled by their furry-tailed good PR.

(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

2012
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
22 Greylag Geese
19 Pochard
42 Tufted Duck
c.390 Black-headed Gulls
c.350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
32 Herring Gulls
1 Common Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
69 Redwings
25 Greenfinches
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
Tundra Bean Goose
8 Greylag Geese
37 Tufted Ducks
c.1000 Black-headed Gulls
246 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
35 Herring Gulls.
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

Trench Pool
8 Pochard
50 Tufted Ducks
79 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

Holmer Lake
50 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)