3 Mar 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

0.0°C > 6.0°C: Early frost with fog / most coming and going. Sunny later. Light north-easterly wind. Poor visibility becoming good.

Sunrise: 06:51 GMT

* = a species photographed today

With mist and fog it seemed wise to delay my arrival. Even then there were periods of poor visibility between good sunny spells.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 07:45 – 09:00

(45th visit of the year)

As usual when I make a late start it was watching from the dam-top area only.

Highlight today was my first sighting here this year of Kingfisher. On its second pass in front of the dam it was climbing away to the North and seemed to be carrying food. Where to? I read that this species has begun nesting very early this year but where is there anywhere with a suitable stream-side bank for it to make a nest hole? Bird species #65 this year for me here.

Bird notes:
- no Mute Swan cygnets noted. One of the fishermen reported sporadic appearances by cygnets over the last two days with both parents soon putting them to flight.
- a duck Goosander again

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Jackdaws

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 29 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 3 Moorhens
- 38 Coots
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

Of note.

Nothing else

A Magpie stepping out. Note the blue sheen in the folded wing.

Autumn already?

Seem so. Nothing else in the mist.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:10– 11:00

(47th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Cormorant
- 36 Jackdaws: together

Noted on / around the water:
- 20 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 21 (14♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- *65 (37♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 45 Coots
- *1 Great Crested Grebe
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

Of note.

Nothing else

A single duck flies with a trio of drake Tufted Ducks.

Here they are again. Note the second in line has the alula feather extended on his left wing as it manoeuvres to avoid colliding with the bird in front.

The only Great Crested Grebe was working close to the edge all around the water. Here in the shady area along the East side.

And now in full sun alongside Derwent Drive. Like many members of the grebe family it has bright red eyes.

Preening from a strange angle. Here the lobed feet used as paddles are well seen.

From this angle it is obvious just how far back the feet are mounted on the body. This means that this species cannot walk on land, just scramble in and out of its nest.

Plane of the day, advertising its role. It is a twin-engined Partenavia P68B Victor owned by Ravenair Aircraft Ltd. based at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. The 1977-build aircraft has been with the company and its forerunners since 1995. Partenavia aircraft were built near Naples in Italy. In 1998 the company was declared bankrupt with production continuing by Vulcanair who have continued to make improvements to the design.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Caspian Gull
1 Iceland Gull
(Tom Lowe)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Iceland Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
6 Gadwall
33 Pochard
71 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
11 Mute Swans
10 Tufted Ducks
1 Iceland
1 Glaucous Gull
(Ed Wilson, Mike Cooper)