31 Jan 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

0.0°C > 2.0°C: Clear and frosty start with cloud soon spreading over making it dull again. Light southerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:55 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:40 – 09:25

(29th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- most of the large gulls came and went before there was enough light to critically examine them all with pale birds logged as Herring and dark birds as Lesser Black-backed. Later singles of apparently both Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls noted.
- a Great Tit confused me: I know they have a wide range of calls but this one sounded just like a Long-tailed Tit. It was only because it was on its own (Long-tails are always in groups) that I checked what was making the noise.
- Song Thrushes were singing from 13 locations this morning despite the frost. I noted three birds calling. Whether these were additional bird (females) or just the males 'winding up' is hard to say.
- two Mistle Thrushes flew out of the wooded area by the Castle Farm Way gate. Not a usual place to see them. Later one was sitting on a tree at the West.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair flew North to the East
- 4 Greylag Geese: two pairs outbound
- 4 Stock Doves: two pairs
- 13 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 75 Jackdaws
- 26 Rooks
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:

None

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: pair throughout
- 11 (8♂) Mallard
- 11 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 9 Moorhens
- 55 Coots again
- c.165 Black-headed Gulls:
- *21 Herring Gulls: see notes
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- *1 probable Caspian Gull: second winter?
- 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 2 Grey Herons: the usual sparring

On or around the very frosted street lamp poles pre-dawn

Nothing noted

Later:

Nothing of note

The waning Wolf Moon during the clear skies very early.

Cloud soon rolled in giving a colourful sunrise.

 The full view down the length of the lake.

An attempt at an 'arty' shot using one of last year's reeds as foreground.

The colour soon faded with darkening clouds arriving.

A first winter Herring Gull with a pale grey back and pale inner primaries. Another distinction from the dark-backed and darker-winged Lesser Black-backed Gull is the rather smudgy tail band. On a Lesser Black-backed this a solid dark area contrasting with an almost white upper tail area.

A different first winter gull with a more scaly appearance and less obvious pale inner primaries. Obsidentify said this was most likely a Lesser Black-backed Gull.

It isn't. The pale bases to the back feathers clearly put it in the Herring/Caspian/Yellow-legged group. With the messy tail band shown in the previous photo I see no reason to think it is other than another first winter Herring Gull.

Seems it is tiring sitting about on the lake.

Don't you just love gulls? So what is this? A very smart-looking second winter bird. I reckon, on the basis of the white head and dark-looking eye it is a Caspian Gull. The white head is becoming a less reliable feature of this and Yellow-legged as birds begin a rapid moult in to Summer plumage.

Not an identification shot per se but a useful size comparison between the Redwing (bottom left) and the boldly-speckled Mistle Thrush (top right).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30– 10:25

(28th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I counted 70 Tufted Duck (36 drakes) on the water and then as I was walking back to my car seven more flew in from the direction of the Balancing Lake.
- back to a single Great Crested Grebe.
- two Goldcrests were noted chasing around at the top end.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 13 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 44 (29♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 77 (>36♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 13 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *25 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: two first and one third winters
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult

Of note.

Nothing

An adult winter Black-headed Gull concentrating one where to pounce for the proffered food.

Homing in.

Amazing aerial contortions may be needed...

...to get in to position.

The grey marks on the wings here are caused by the feathers lifting as the airflow 'stalls' over the top of the wing.

Your guess is probably as good as mine. No webs on the feet so not a duck or a gull.

Turning it over did not help. I suspect a Wood Pigeon. How and why I cannot say.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

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)

30 Jan 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

6.0°C: Low / medium overcast with some spells of light drizzle. Moderate, fresh-feeling north-westerly wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:56 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:40 – 09:20

(28th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the pen Mute Swan looked to be examining her nest site.
- what is presumably the same duck Goosander here for its seventh day.
- Song Thrushes were singing from 12 locations this morning. I cannot be positive that these were all different birds. Their song is somewhat intermittent and birds are not always in the same place on successive days so are probably still establishing their territories.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 6 Canada Geese: three pairs outbound
- 1 Greylag Goose: inbound
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 20 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 1 Redwing again

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: pair throughout
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 11 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 8 Moorhens
- 55 Coots
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls:
- *5 Herring Gulls
- *2 possible Caspian Gulls: adults
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn

Moths:
- 1 in flight only. Possibly a Winter Moth Operophtera brumata though rather late in the flight period for this species.

Beetles:
- *1 weevil, possibly Nedyus quadrimaculatus

Other insects:
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
- *2 other springtail
- *2 Dicyrtoma globular springtails, probably D. fusca.

Spiders:
- *1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- *1 Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis

Later:

Nothing of note

Gull puzzle time again. The adult gull at the left shows a gentle rounded head and a beady eye so perhaps it is a Caspian Gull. The adult gull on the right has a narrow, parallel-sided bill so perhaps it too is a Caspian Gull. Yet they look very different. Obsidentify was happy to suggest that both were indeed Caspian Gulls. I have been known to disagree with Obsidentify about gulls in the past so who knows.

I am happier with this as a second year Herring Gull even though the tail band looks rather too solid and the head rather pale.

This may or may not be the same bird. With the tail spread the outer feathers are in fact pale.

A Grey Wagtail.

Here it is again. Reminder: wagtails are named after the colour of their back so this is not a Yellow Wagtail as is easy to presume.

One of the unknown springtails on the street lamp poles pre-dawn.

And another. I have not seen one with a pale / silver rear part to its abdomen.

One of the Dicyrtoma globular springtails, probably D. fusca.

This weevil was not resting at a handy angle for positive identification. Possibly Nedyus quadrimaculatus, associated with nettles.

And this angle is not much better.

A Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.

A Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis that seems to have been in the wars. Only five legs. On the spider's right side the two front legs are, typically, held close together. It would probably have done the same on the left had it been full-legged.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25– 10:25

(27th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the two Great Crested Grebes, one with extensive head plumes, spent some time asleep together.

Bird/s noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 16 Canada Geese
- 17 Greylag Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 37 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 61 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 19 Moorhens
- 45 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: first and third winters

Noted on or around the street lamp poles:
- *1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni

Last seen on the same lamp on Friday. An Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Cormorants
1 Teal
7 Pochard
66 Tufted Duck
3 Greater Scaup
1 Velvet Scoter
91 Coots
1 Woodcock
50 Herring Gulls
33 Redwings
c.495 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
106 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
7 Pochard
25 Tufted Duck
4 Goosander
44 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

Park Pool, Chetwynd near Newport
31 Shoveler
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
29 Wigeon
10 Gadwall
8 Pochard
59 Tufted Ducks
1 Scaup
169 Coots
>300 Starlings
13 Redwings
46 Fieldfare
211 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

The Flash
9 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
2 Goosander
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake
1 Gadwall
9 Goosander
1 Little Grebe
Goldcrest
Nuthatch
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
42 Tufted Duck
c.190 Black-headed Gulls
48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
8 Herring Gulls
Glaucous Gull
75 Redwing
16 Bullfinch
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)

Priorslee Flash
1 Pochard
43 Tufted Ducks
282 Black-headed Gulls
3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Water Rail
4 Gadwall
2 Willow Tit
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
A female Ruddy Duck
500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Herring & Black-headed Gulls.
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

29 Jan 24

No sightings in today.

Note:
There are a few images Ed Wilson took at Venus Pool on Saturday 27 Jan 24 here.

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Sightings from previous years

2014
Priorslee Lake
14 Pochard
71 Tufted Duck
3 Greater Scaup
1 Velvet Scoter
103 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
141 Redwings
502 Jackdaws
383 Rooks
2 Ravens
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)

The Flash
89 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
26 Wigeon
12 Gadwall
12 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
181 Coots
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
246 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
34 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
21 Redwings
147 Jackdaws
c.30 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Unknown Observer)

Trench Lock Pool
18 Swans
8 Pochard
45 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
99 Coots counted
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
51 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
c.2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
109 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.250 Black-headed Gulls.
1 Buzzard
1 Merlin
(Martin Adlam)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Goldeneye
(Ed Wilson)

28 Jan 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 7.0°C: High overcast with yet again significant low cloud from the Telford microclimate. Light south-easterly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:59 GMT: hooray – before 08:00 at last

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:40 – 09:20

(27th visit of the year)

New Bird Species
One and a half new bird species for the year here:
- a lone Fieldfare flew over calling. Bird species #60.
- at 07:15 I glimpsed an owl flying around the small copse between the dam and the M54. It then flew over and back across Castle Farm Way, out toward the interchange island and then was lost from view. I cannot say what species it was. It did not look ghostly-enough for a Barn Owl yet Tawny Owls rarely stray far from cover. I have heard no owls calling recently and never any in this area. So it remains a mystery.

Other bird notes:
- Four Tufted Ducks (three ♂♂) were noted on the water near the dam at 07:45. I had not checked the other end. At 08:10 I noted seven birds flying around gaining height before leaving to the East. None was on the water later and I assume all seven were birds from here.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 23 Canada Geese: outbound in three groups
- 2 Greylag Geese: outbound together
- 3 Stock Doves: a single and duo (also one displaying over the North side)
- 26 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 47 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 42 Jackdaws
- 13 Rooks
- 1 Fieldfare

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 1 Redwing

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: pair throughout
- 13 (9♂) Mallard
- 7 (4?♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 70 Coots
- c.350 Black-headed Gulls:
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: adult
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived together but did not stay
- 2 Grey Herons

On or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn or of note later:

Nothing noted

Just one from here. The Telford 'hat' of cloud managed to result in the only colour in the sky around dawn being to the West! Looking from the dam here.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25– 10:30

(26th visit of the year)

While I still ponder whether a near adult gull I saw yesterday was a Yellow-legged Gull I now have *a first year gull that seems possibly a Yellow-legged Gull.

Bird notes:
- yesterday's Great Crested Grebe with extensive head-plumes not noted.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Redpoll

Noted on / around the water:
- 13 Canada Geese: eight of these flew off together
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 42 (27♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- *5 (3♂) Pochard
- 65 (39♂) Tufted Duck
- *2 (1♂) Goosander
- 16 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 49 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first winter
- *1 Yellow-legged Gull: first winter
- *1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Kingfisher

Of note

Nothing else

A very smart drake Mallard flies by.

And the pair.

A drake Pochard.

And now a duck Pochard throwing some water around.

A drake Pochard showing its wing markings. In flight it looks uniformly pale...

...despite the darker central bar and feather-tips.

I have mixed views about taking this drake Goosander photo. It was coming unusually close and while sneaking up on it a hitherto unseen Kingfisher dropped off a branch just in front of me!

Drakes in breeding plumage are really smart.

Well now: a gull with a large all-black bill and a very scaly appearance. First thought: a first winter Great Black-backed Gull. But is it bulky-enough? Is the head pale-enough?

Here it comes. The wings do not look broad-enough.

The upper view. The strength of the tail-band suggests it cannot be a Great Black-backed Gull. The pale inner primaries suggest it could be a first winter Yellow-legged Gull. I have not seen, or at least recognised, this aged Yellow-legged Gull often. It still seems a rather dark individual.

For over two weeks there has been an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull here. The same one all the while?

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2014
Priorslee Lake
12 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
3 Greater Scaup
Velvet Scoter
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
16 Redwings over
555 Jackdaws
345 Rooks
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)

The Flash
120 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
3 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
31 Wigeon
10 Gadwall
11 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
1 Greater Scaup
177 Coots again
38 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
9 Redwings
52 Magpies
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Shoveler
4 Pochard
57 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
38 Tufted Duck
150 Wood Pigeons
57 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
36 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
7 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

27 Jan 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 6.0°C: Medium / high overcast with a few early breaks. Light southerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:01 GMT

* = a species photographed today: running out of time today so a select few with less text than usual.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:40 – 09:30

(26th visit of the year)

New Bird Species
A fly-over Lesser Redpoll was new for the year here. Bird species #59.

Other bird notes:
- It was a quartet of Mute Swans that made a fleeting visit this morning, also circling low and returning to the East rather than face the threatening resident cob. They all seemed to be adults / sub-adults with no obvious first winter bird.
- Nine Song Thrushes were in voice today.
- Three Mistle Thrushes were noisily disputing around the Teece Drive gate.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 52 Canada Geese: outbound in seven groups
- 10 Greylag Geese: outbound in three groups
- 4 Mute Swans
- 2 Stock Doves
- 27 Wood Pigeons
- 24 Herring Gulls
- 72 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 14 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 1 Raven
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 5 Redwings

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 5 Canada Geese: two pairs and a single arrived; only one pair remained
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 14 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 74 Coots
- 54 Black-headed Gulls:
- 18 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 female Northern Winter Moth Operophtera fagata

Flies:
- 1 barkfly Ectopsocus sp.

Other insects:
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
- 1 globular springtail

Noted later:
- leaves of Italian Lords and Ladies Arum italicum (also known as Large Cuckoo Pint): garden escape?

 Not quite sure why the camera produced a rather mauve tone to the sunrise.

The four Mute Swans that thought better about dropping in.

Compare and contrast: on the left a first winter Herring Gull; on the right a first winter Lesser Black-backed Gull.

A closer view of a first winter Herring Gull...

...about to be jumped by an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.

My second female Northern Winter Moth Operophtera fagata this year.

A barkfly Ectopsocus sp. with a globular springtail.

Obsidentify told me these are leaves of Italian Lords and Ladies Arum italicum (also known as Large Cuckoo Pint). NatureSpot tells me there are four cryptic species involved and they are usually garden escapes though I found these some way from any gardens.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35– 10:55

(25th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a different Great Crested Grebe noted: a bird with extensive head-plumes.
- a probable Yellow-legged Gull: to be confirmed when I have had more time to critically examine my photos.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 9 Greylag Geese: together
- 1 Herring Gull
- 22 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Common Buzzard

Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 40 (27♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 5 (3♂) Pochard
- 54 (33♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 15 Moorhens
- 47 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 37 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: see notes
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull: two adults and one second year

Noted on or around the street lamp poles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni

Two drake Pochard asleep.

A duck Pochard spreads a wing.

A pair of Tufted Duck.

Two drake and a duck Tufted Duck.

Another Mrs. Angry Tufty.

The Great Crested Grebe with extensive, albeit soggy, head plumes.

I still need to do some work on more photos to be sure. The bird on the right I think is the bird that when I noted it on the water I thought was smart-enough to be a Yellow-legged Gull. This photo clearly shows it has pink legs. But there is a hint of dark immature plumage so perhaps it is a different bird. An immature Herring Gull on the left, first winter I think though the bill looks rather pale.

This shows the dark in the plumage.

The legs are not as pink as the feet...

A first winter Herring Gull.

Another same aged bird. More dark on the bill.

A few speckles of brown age this as a third winter Herring Gull.

This was a caution. Obsidentify gave me choices, in order of likelihood, of Herring, Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls. The tone of the back clearly shows it to be a Lesser Black-backed Gull!

A distant passing Common Buzzard.

I have not seen any of these Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni for a while.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2014
Priorslee Lake
Velvet Scoter
2 Scaup
(Martin and Ian Grant)

2013
Priorslee Lake
39 Wigeon
8 Gadwall
24 Pochard
74 Tufted Ducks
1 Greater Scaup
173 Coots
169 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
18 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
(Observer Unknown)