16 Jan 24

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

0.0°C > 3.0°C: Clear and sunny start; clouded from the North after c.11:45. Another thin covering of snow, melting. Light south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 08:14 GMT]

* = a species photographed today

Another late start.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 11:10 – 12:30

(15th visit of the year)

c.50% ice.

Bird notes:
- Has the duck Goosander been here since yesterday? This species rarely seems to stay long here.
- A small number of gulls was drifting in and out much of the time. Numbers given are from 'typical' counts at any one time.
- *Two of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls could be seen wearing rings as they stood on the ice. One had just a small metal BTO ring. The other also had a coloured, coded ring on its other leg. It was too far for the camera to resolve.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Stock Doves
a few Wood Pigeons and gulls not checked and counted

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 15 (9♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 43 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 11 Moorhens
- 73 Coots
- *c.170 Black-headed Gulls
- *c.40 Herring Gulls
- *2 Yellow-legged Gulls
- *c.210 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant

Four gulls: four species. From the left: a first winter Herring Gull; an adult winter Black-headed Gull; an adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull; and a presumed third-winter (dark on the bill) Yellow-legged Gull. The latter does not look so yellow-legged on the photo as it did in real life but is clearly not 'pink-legged' as is the Herring Gull.

It looks more yellow-legged when alongside red-legged Black-headed Gulls.

Look at the two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the foreground. The rear bird shows a BTO-type metal ring on its right leg and a larger coloured ring with embossed lettering on its left leg. I was not able to read the ring.

Not offered as a good photo but rather as a puzzle. The back and tail suggest a second winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. So why is the head so white and the inner primaries so pale? Good questions that I cannot answer. If the back was not so dark I would say a second winter Yellow-legged Gull.

A car can act as a good hide. I would never have got this close to an adult winter Black-headed Gull otherwise.

Or this third winter Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Another adult Black-headed Gull, this one beginning to show a hint of the breeding 'black-head' (in reality more of a 'chocolate hood').

And one stepping out. The legs and bill are a brighter, deeper red in the breeding season. It retains the black tip to the bill.

The car hide in use again with this Magpie. Although they appear brash and noisy they are wary birds and do not allow close approach. The hind claw is raised because the bird was walking through the grass.

A Carrion Crow crowing

Here in full cry. Note that its nictating membrane – a third but translucent eye-lid used to keep bird's eyes clean while continuing to afford some visibility – is passing across the eye.

Seems I am about to be run over by a female Pied Wagtail (males have black backs).

Phew: it veered away! There is a hint of yellow in the face suggesting this is a first-winter bird.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:00– 11:00

(15th visit of the year)

>80% ice

Bird notes:
- A general clear-out of geese and diving ducks following the expansion of the ice overnight.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adults, together

Noted on / around the water:
- 24 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 55 (34♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 18 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 Moorhens
- *64 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult

Elsewhere:

Nothing noted

Almost iced-over with a thin covering of snow on top. Looking from Derwent Drive towards the island.

And here looking North, towards what I still regard as the A5, from one of the foot-bridges.

A quartet of Coots on the march for reasons best known to themselves.

An adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull apparently impervious to the ice.

This Blue Tit might get a nasty shock later if it tries to make a nest in the Nuthatch's hole. I have yet to hear a Nuthatch here so far this year so perhaps it is safe.

Plane of the day #1: This is a brand new Gulfstream GVII-G600 on the Isle of Man aircraft register as M-INKE. The registered owner is Hampshire Aviation of Lyndhurst, Hampshire. There is not much information about this company's operations on the internet. They operate several executive jets, at least some on behalf of the Ineos Group (think Sir Jim Radcliffe and Manchester United). Even a second-hand Gulfstream like this would set you back $50 million (there are no 'list prices': if you have to ask you can't afford it). You could take up to 18 friends on a non-stop flight to Lima in Peru. Typical running costs of $11,000 per hour so about $125,000 for a one-way trip. (airways and airport charges on top of that)

Plane of the day #2 and a complete contrast. This is an Evektor-Aerotechnik EV-97 team Eurostar UK. This is a two-seat kit-plane designed and manufactured in the Czech Republic. This example was assembled in the UK by Cosmik Aviation. Its owner lives in Tividale and he flies it out of the small airstrip at Otherton near Penkridge.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2014
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Gary Crowder/Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
1 adult Yellow legged Gull
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Goldeneye
(Ed Wilson/ Jim Almond / John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Bittern

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)