10 Jan 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

0.0°C > 3.0°C: A clear start with low cloud encroaching from the north-east soon after 07:30. Almost calm. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:19 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:30 – 09:30

(10th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A pair of Gadwall were new arrivals and my first of the year here: bird species #51.
- What are Pochard doing here on an even-numbered day?
- Only four Moorhens noted. They are always reluctant to come out on to the grassy areas when these are frosted.
- Black-headed Gulls were heard as early as 06:45 with >400 over the lake by 07:00 and at least 500 present when they all briefly settled c.07:20.
- The second Grey Heron was chased off to the East. The bird flying over also flew East so I presume it was a third.
- The cold snap has quietened the Song Thrushes: none was singing this morning.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 28 Wood Pigeons
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 31 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.
- 7 Redwings:

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 21 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 76 Coots
- *>500 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull: first year
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 2 Grey Herons: one chased away

An omission from my log for Sunday 7 January was House Sparrow, my 50th bird species for the year. Several birds were in the hedge between the academy and the football field.

On or around the frost-covered street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Nothing noted

On the Teece Drive fence either.

Nothing noted

The sunrise caught me out. The low cloud that had spread in from the north-east seemed to have blocked the sun. Suddenly a gap appeared and I was not in a good place to capture the reflection in all the lake.

A longer view as the colour began to fade.

A burning bush anyone?

A Black-headed Gull silhouetted against the sunrise.

One or two Black-headed Gulls! Part of the group of c.500 as they settled at 07:30 when it was still very dark – a "hand-held moonlight" setting on the camera.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:40

(10th visit of the year)

A small amount of ice in sheltered areas, especially the bays behind the footbridges.

Bird notes:

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Siskin: new for my 2024 bird list from here: species #45

Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese: of these two pairs flew off separately
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 45 (31♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 58 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 19 Moorhens
- 66 Coots
- *2 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first winter
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Of interest elsewhere
- Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus
- *fruit of hybrid Coralberry Symphoricarpos x chenaultii (S. microphyllus x S. orbiculatus)

Just two Great Crested Grebes remain here and are seemingly paired. This one shows little sign of the head plumes and is perhaps a first winter bird.

Its 'friend' has more well-developed head plumes.

The flowers on this plant attracted the bees well in to Autumn. No one seems interested in eating the berries. Obsidentify was 100% sure this is the fruit of hybrid Coralberry Symphoricarpos x chenaultii (S. microphyllus x S. orbiculatus). I am in no position to disagree.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
(Kris Webb)

Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Kris Webb)

Horsehay Pool
Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid
Glaucous x Great Black-backed Gull hybrid
1500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
20+ Greater Black-backed Gulls
400 Herring Gulls
Yellow-legged Gull
(Kris Webb)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
5 Great Crested Grebes
14 Pochard
24 Tufted Duck
c.1200 Black-headed Gulls
c.900 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.300 Herring Gulls
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
44 Great Black-backed Gulls
5 Song Thrushes
18 Redwings
Tawny Owl
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Pool
204 Canada Geese
3 Pochard
83 Tufted Duck
104 Coot
110 Black-headed Gulls
34 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
17 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
33 Swans
4 Gadwall
6 Wigeon
15 Pochard
70 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rail
2 Snipe
c.200 Black-headed Gulls
c.200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
2 Yellow legged Gull
3 Adult Great Black-backed Gulls
2 Willow Tits
13 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Jim Almond, John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
18 Greylag Geese
12 Pochard
39 Tufted Ducks
6 Goosanders
c.80 Golden Plover
>1000 Black-headed Gulls
c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Great Black-backed Gulls
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
Caspian Gull
9 Herring Gulls
22 Robins
14 Blackbirds
41 Redwings
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Jason)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
13 Pochard
51 Tufted Duck
227 Coots
Glaucous Gull
c.1100 Black-headed Gulls
c.170 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.120 Herring Gulls
302 Jackdaws
385 Rooks
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)