2 Feb 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 10.0°C: Some good breaks in the cloud although the Telford microclimate was feeding more cloud to the south. *Another red-sky sunrise. Fresh south-westerly wind. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 07:52 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:40 – 09:20

(31st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *two duck Goosanders flew in from the East at 07:30 and were present until at least 08:00 after which I could not locate them. Neither did I see the long-standing bird (though I suppose it might have flown in each day?). Four more birds flew high West as silhouettes.
- all the Black-headed Gulls arrived together in one large swirling mass. How many?!
- at c.08:15 there were at least 250 large gulls circling to the far North and streaming south-west to pass well to the West of the area. Much too distant to attempt any identification.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 1 Greylag Goose: outbound
- 4 Goosander: together; sexes not determined
- 14 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 62 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.250 large gulls
- 2 Cormorants: singles
- 55 Jackdaws
- 17 Rooks
- c.25 Starlings: together

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:

None

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: pair throughout: these seem settled and likely to nest
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 8 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- *2 (0♂) Goosander: arrived together and apparently departed
- 9 Moorhens
- 67 Coots
- c.400 Black-headed Gulls:
- *1 Great Black-backed Gull
- *23 Herring Gulls
- 2 Yellow-legged Gulls
- 47 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

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

Moths:
- *1 Early Moth Theria primaria

Flies:
- 1 wood gnat, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis

Beetles:
- 1 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
-. *1 small beetle, possibly a pollen beetle.
- *2 weevils presumed Parathelcus pollinarius

Other insects
- *3 springtails Tomocerus vulgaris
- 2 globular springtails, *one likely Dicyrtomina saundersi

Spiders:
- 1 money spider sp.

Noted later:
- *a new location for Turkeytail fungus Trametes versicolor

Just about half the Wolf moon is visible.

It was "another day, another sunrise". Here just beginning to colour.

As before, views from different vantage points.

The colour seemed to be fading and a fellow photographer headed off.

Wrong decision! Coloured up again with...

...dramatic cloud-effects.

Taken in poor light just after these two duck Goosanders arrived. Not enough depth of field to get them both sharp.

The adult Great Black-backed Gull on the right dwarfing the first winter Herring Gull. I cannot ever recall ever noting so many Great Black-backs as I have this winter, even going back to the days when the Granville Tip was open and many thousands of gulls could be found drinking, washing and loafing on many winter days.

An immature Cormorant standing on a buoy that seems to be a favoured resting place.

A better-positioned Early Moth Theria primaria this morning. On the same lamp as yesterday but I doubt it is the same individual. Yesterday's example had gone when I checked at c.09:00.

This small beetle is possibly a pollen beetle. I'll try and get it checked.

One of two weevils presumed to be Parathelcus pollinarius.

And the other one.

Not sure whether the tip of the abdomen is clear-enough for a positive ID by the expert. I'll ask.

A springtail, probably Tomocerus vulgaris.

To my eyes the pattern on this globular springtail matches that of the Dicyrtomina saundersi shown on the Naturespot web site.

This Turkeytail fungus Trametes versicolor was in a new location and is a neater-looking example than many.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25– 10:35

(30th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the Great Crested Grebe with extensive head-plumes has reappeared.
- *two Common Buzzards were chasing around near squirrel alley much to the annoyance of the Carrion Crows.
- a Greenfinch was heard giving its rasping territorial call note for the first time this year. Spring is on the way. Maybe.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 20 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- *2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 37 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- *68 (43♂) Tufted Duck
- *19 Moorhens
- 45 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 21 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: one second and one third winters again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult as usual

I was told of the presence of a male Blackcap since December visiting a nearby garden feeding station.

Also noted:
- *new fruits of the fungus King Alfred's Cakes Daldinia concentrica

The drake Gadwall posed reasonably well. His mate did not. I wonder if they are like Zebras and each has a unique pattern on its flanks? Could I get sponsorship for a PhD to find out?

A drake Tufted Duck with a long tuft – almost a 'plumed duck'. Note the side of his head is glossed green. They can also gloss mauve, depending on the angle of the light.

A duck for balance. This one is likely a first year bird because of the retained white around the bill-base.

Over the winter there has been a number of small groups of Moorhens comprising adults and first year birds. It seems the first year birds are now being "seen off" to establish their own territory. Running around with their white under tail fluffed up is a threat posture.

Look closely. Just now many different tones are there on the head and neck area of this Wood Pigeon? And what strange pupils they have? Also look at the feet: I think they suggest that the carcass I photographed earlier was this species.

The two Common Buzzards sparring and causing the Carrion Crows to complain.

A better view of one of the buzzards.

 The same bird.

Seems it is difficult to pick up small items when you have a bill as large as a Carrion Crow.

I noted new fruits of the fungus growing on the cut-off tree at the bottom of squirrel alley, where the Nuthatch has nested. I thought I would use Obsidentify directly to see what they were.

This was its answer! In fairness the photo on my phone was not good with the fungus at least 15' up. When I edited the photo from the camera and showed Obsidentify the PC screen it confirmed my suspicion that these are King Alfred's Cakes Daldinia concentrica. I always try to double-check the results from Obsidentify.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 female Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup

2012
Priorslee Lake
Dunlin
6 Great Crested Grebes
14 Pochard
58 Tufted Duck
1 Dunlin
>5000 gulls, mostly Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Common Gull
20 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson, Mike Cooper)

Trench Pool
11 Pochard
46 Tufted Ducks
94 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
14 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
2 Sparrowhawk
16 Linnets
Siskin in song
4 Pale Brindled Beauty moths
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
3 Golden Plover
Willow Tit
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
19 Pochard
32 Tufted Ducks
1 Goosander
1 Goldeneye
>700 Black-headed Gulls
>432 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.30 Herring Gulls
34 Robins
17 Blackbirds
3 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
34 Magpies
11 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
2 Little Grebe
2 Gadwall
16 Pochard
101 Tufted Ducks
159 Coots
1 Water Rail
c.1100 Black-headed Gulls
16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
14 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls.
1 Willow Tit
2 Siskins
13 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)