26 Jan 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 6.0°C: Fine and clear. Moderate westerly wind, still gusty after overnight gales. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:02 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:40 – 09:35

(25th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *A trio of Mute Swans made a fleeting visit, circling low and returning to the East rather than face the threatening resident cob. Probably an adult pair with a first winter cygnet.
- A Cetti's Warbler was heard giving its explosive call noted (not song) and also seen towards the north-east area. Later perhaps another was giving contact 'tac' calls in the south-west area. Male and female?
- Just three Song Thrushes in voice on this slightly cooler morning.
- *A flock of at least 25 Siskins were in Alder by the Wesley Brook bridge

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 46 Canada Geese: outbound in seven groups
- 12 Greylag Geese: outbound in two groups
- *3 [2 + 1] Mute Swans
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Black-headed Gulls:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 50 Jackdaws
- 11 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 9 Redwings

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 19 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 9 Moorhens
- 69 Coots
- 82 Black-headed Gulls:
- 12 Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 2 Grey Heron: perhaps three as after usual chase two noted still present

On or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn or elsewhere later.

Nothing at all noted

Just over 12 hours since the Wolf Moon was full. Just the hint of craters in the 5 o'clock position.

The three briefly-visiting Mute Swans as they departed, the cob in the lead followed by the pen and then a first winter cygnet.

A large number of Siskins were in the Alders alongside the Wesley Brook bridge. Here are two males.

Makes my head ache to look at how these birds like to feed.

They obviously have a different metabolism.

Another male.

A male with a paler and streakier female behind him.

The angle of the light was not quite right (photographers are never happy!). Moving was no really an option without thigh waders and the possibility of flushing all the birds.

The male bottom left shows a very scaly crown.

Another with the scaly crown. This arises when the new feathers still have white fringes. The fringes will wear off and males will look smart with a jet-black crown in the breeding season.

Another male. There did not seem to be many fewer females.

Prising open another cone for a seed.

Munch, munch.

From the other side.

Another male.

One more. Not often I get the opportunity to get such a number of photos.

At last: a female!

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:35– 10:35

(24th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A drake Common Teal was heard calling: I could not locate it.
- Three Coal Tits chasing around near the medical centre. A presumed different bird in song at the top end.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 22 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 47 (32♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 1 (1♂) Common Teal: heard only
- 5 (3♂) Pochard
- 61 (33♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 16 Moorhens
- 49 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 32 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult

A Great Tit hanging from a street light as it searches for spiders and the like.

Of course there was a Robin....

 ...or two...

...or three.

So that is what you had for breakfast.

Plane of the day #1: another product of Piper Aircraft from Lockhaven in Florida. This is a PA-28-161 Warrior III with a vaguely appropriate registration. This aircraft has no transponder so I cannot be sure of its routeing. However it is registered to The Flying School Ltd. at Wolverhampton Business Airport (also known as Halfpenny Green at Bobbington) so was probably flying from there.

Plane of the day #2: also a Piper Aircraft but a PA-38-112 Tomahawk registered to Merseyflight Ltd. of Saltney Ferry. Saltney Ferry is the postal address for the general aviation area of Hawarden (or Chester) Airport.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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)