23 Feb 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash 

3.0°C > 5.0°C: Mostly clear. Light N wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:11 GMT

* = a species photographed today.

Another quiet morning.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 09:15

(44th visit of the year)

Yesterday contractors were brought in by the leaseholder of the lake from Severn Trent. The contractors cleared some reeds and vegetation at the West end to allow the sailing club easier recovery of their boats to the ramp and launching platforms. This is done periodically with the agreement of Severn Trent. Covid precluded the usual three-year cycle and so this year's result looks rather dramatic. Care was taken to avoid the suspected active Moorhen nests. All such work must legally be completed by the end of February. It seems likely that in future years the cut-off date for such work will be brought forward to the end of January. Global warming means birds are commencing nest-building earlier.

Bird notes:
- It was too dark at 06:55 to sex the Goosanders that flew West in a tight group.
- A Little Egret flew high East at 07:20: my second of the year here.
- The Cetti's Warbler was very vocal again this morning.
- Just one Blackbird heard singing on a chilly morning.
- *In contrast there were three Reed Buntings singing.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 8 (?♂) Goosander: see notes
- 9 Wood Pigeons only
- 1 Collared Dove
- 1 Herring Gull
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Common Buzzards: separately
- 1 Little Egret: see notes
- 1 Jackdaw only
- 2 Rooks only

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 8 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 78 Coots
- *5 Great Crested Grebes
- 22 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Herring Gull
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived and departed

Noted on / around the breezy street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *1 Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria)
- *1 slug / millipede puzzle
- *1 Clubiona sp. spider

Later:
Nothing of note

A chilly and rather cheerless sunrise with no colour at all.

To repeat the introduction to the blog. Yesterday contractors were brought in by the leaseholder of the lake from Severn Trent. The contractors cleared some reeds and vegetation at the West end to allow the sailing club easier recovery of their boats to the ramp and launching platforms. This is done periodically with the agreement of Severn Trent. Covid precluded the usual three-year cycle and so this year's result looks rather dramatic. Care was taken to avoid the suspected active Moorhen nests. Apart from some tidying up the work was completed yesterday.

Love (or perhaps lust) is in the air for these two Great Crested Grebes.

"Spiky haircuts at 12 o'clock"

And off they go looking like spivs.

A different male Reed Bunting from the one I photographed last week. Here it is among what are probably stems of Red Stem Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera).

He was singing too. This one has a more solidly black head with just a few brown flecks remaining on his crown.

A male Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria) with, for a change, a near row of dots along the wing-edge.

I am not at all sure about this. It was leaving a trail as if it were a slug. However the banded body and what appear to be two sets of protuberances at the tail (I believe the head to be at the top) are more indicative of a millipede.

The shape of the abdomen indicates this is a Clubiona species of spider but which I could not say.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:15

(40th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Missing from my gaze today were the lone Greylag Goose; last year's remaining Mute Swan cygnet; the pair of Teal and the drake Pochard. There were rather fewer Mallard around: conversely there were more Tufted Duck than I logged on Tuesday.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling from trees at the top of the hill in the south-east area. Only my third record of this species here this year.
- Siskins were in trees at the top end again.

Birds noted flying over here:
None

Noted on / around the water
- 26 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 25 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 77 (44♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosander
- 16 Moorhens yet again
- 37 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- *53 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adult and first year
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron

On / around the street lamp poles or of note elsewhere.
Nothing noted

At this time of year gulls, especially immature gulls, seem fascinated by objects on the water and pick them up, drop them and then dive after them again. I have never seen this behaviour explained. I wonder whether it all about learning to collect nesting material. Here a first year Black-headed Gull performs.

Again.

And flying off with it. Note that this bird is beginning to moult in to first summer (non-breeding) plumage and has replaced the central tail-feathers so that it no longer has a complete tail-band.

A good view of the upper wing pattern of a first year Lesser Black-backed Gull, with dark along the trailing edge of the complete wing. On the underneath view of the right wing the light shining through does just make the inner primaries partially pale but nowhere near as extensively pale as they would appear on an equivalent-age Herring Gull. The body of this individual is darker than most individuals.

It was a change to find a Long-tailed Tit in full sun.

"I can see you". A Blue Tit attempts to hide.

 "I can still see you".

A female Chaffinch still finishing breakfast.

(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
5 Cormorants
3 Grey Herons
8 Pochard
8 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
1 Kingfisher
6 Redwings
391 Jackdaws
217 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
201 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
(Ed Wilson)

Hortonwood
21 Redwings
(Dave Tromans)

2013
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Observer Unknown)

The Flash
Drake Scaup
(Richard Vernon)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
55 Pochard
104 Tufted Duck
1 Common Gull
2 Ravens
22 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
200 Black-headed Gulls
400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
20 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
Glaucous Gull
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
(Pete Nickless)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Cormorant
5 Pochard
9 Tufted Duck
2 Kestrel
556 Wood Pigeon
27 Robin
23 Blackbird
1 Fieldfare
14 Redwing
47 Magpie
100 Jackdaw 
96 Rook
16 Greenfinch
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorants
9 Pochard
36 Tufted Ducks
3 Water Rails
c.420 Wood Pigeon
c.60 Starling
29 Pied Wagtails
23 Blackbirds
6 Greenfinches
17 Siskins
1 Redpoll
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)