22 Jan 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C: Broken cloud. Several very light showers. Gusty fresh westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:09 GMT

* = a species photographed today

All the ice gone, broken up by the gales and melted away. Broken twigs and small branches but no major impact from the storm.

As usual I hope for birds to have been blown in and end up with birds having been blown out.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:40 – 09:35

(21st visit of the year)

New Bird Species
"Best" bird of the day was a long overdue Greenfinch as an addition to my 2024 bird species list from here. Species #57.

Bird notes:
- A Common Buzzard flew out of the north-east copse and along the dam face where a Grey Heron was fishing. I was surprised that the Grey Heron flushed as the Common Buzzard neared and they had a quick sparring match before both flying off.
- The Cetti's Warbler was in full voice after a single call-note much earlier.
- One Song Thrush heard in very hesitant song.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 47 Canada Geese: outbound in six groups
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 94 Jackdaws
- 12 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 3 Redwings
Historically I have counted Magpies leaving their roost in the north-west area. Since commencement of the house building on the brownfield site the roost has diminished and moved such that it is harder to see the birds disperse. In addition the tree they used as a post-roost orientation area blew down several years ago. I can no longer make any sensible counts. I would judge at most 30 birds. At one time over 80. I do not miss them.

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 39 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 77 Coots
- c.250 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived

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

Moths:
- *1 Pale Brindled Beauty Phigalia pilosaria: moth species #5 here this year

Flies:
- *1 possible Scoliocentra villosa

Beetles:
- 1 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
- *1 weevil sp.

Other things
- 1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
- *2 globular springtails

No colour at sunrise today. This view later.

Another that will not win prizes but enough detail for me to claim my first Greenfinch of the year.

The accepted collective noun for Goldfinches is 'charm'. Mote like a 'melee' here.

Pale Brindled Beauty Phigalia pilosaria. I record this species most years though not in 2022.

With red eyes, grey thorax, orange abdomen and wings only marked with veins this may well be the fly possible Scoliocentra villosa. On the other hand there may be many other flies with this combination.

Perhaps the same weevil species that I noted yesterday. Still no idea as to species.

Two of the globular springtails. The larger one is c.0.4" (10mm); the other c.0.1" (2mm)? No idea as to the species involved.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:40– 10:30

(20th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Gadwall, Common Teal and Pochard were all 'back', assuming they did not just sit out the ice inside the island.
- Two Jays were heard at the top end.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 15 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- *2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 36 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- *2 (1♂) Common Teal
- *3 (3♂) Pochard
- 26 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 19 Moorhens
- 48 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Grey Heron

Elsewhere:

Nothing of special interest

I will try harder next time. A drake Gadwall. All-black bill and black stern with brown-edged feathers on the back.

A better photo of the duck. Smaller and browner than a duck Mallard. The easiest distinction is her broad orange edges to her bill – on a Mallard the edges are narrow and greenish-yellow.

Right against the island Common Teal have reappeared. On the right an obvious drake. The sleeping left-hand bird is more difficult but I think a duck.

Also new in today were three drake Pochard. Here is one at too greater distance.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
9 Pochard
106 Tufted Duck
1 Velvet Scoter
106 Coots
c.260 Black-headed Gulls
3 Herring Gulls
204 Redwing
c.250 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
32 Wigeon
6 Gadwall
25 Pochard
105 Tufted Ducks
166 Coot
>1700 Black-headed Gulls
>1500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
>450 Herring Gulls
13 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Water Rail
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake
28 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
65 Herring Gulls
(Martin Adlam)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
31 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
c.200 Black-headed Gulls
128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gulls
20 Robins
23 Blackbirds
19 Fieldfares
17 Redwings
3 Jays
31 Magpies
183 Jackdaws
159 Rooks
7 Greenfinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)