20 Nov 24

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

1.0°C > 3.0°C: Mostly sunny. Lying snow melting. Light westerly wind.
Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:42 GMT]

I wimped out of the early snowy and icy roads. As usual with a later start it was to The Flash first.

* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 11:35 – 13:15

(252nd visit of the year)

A few changes with the cold weather. Notable was the arrival of a splendid drake Goldeneye. Bird species #103 for me here this year.

Bird Notes
And a comment about species #101 logged as Red-legged Partridge. A local resident from the new estate across Castle Farm Way showed me a photo he had taken of a feral Red-legged Partridge x Chukar in the lanes to the East. These cross-breeds are raised game birds that have, so far, escaped the gun and are possibly breeding in the wild. I did not get a clear-enough view to eliminate this possibility. It was an addition to my year list but perhaps of doubtful origin.

Other bird notes:
- the drake Eurasian Wigeon was not found.
- an influx of Tufted Ducks amongst which was a duck Pochard.

Counts from the lake area:
- 44 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 21 + 2 Mute Swans
- 1 (0♂) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 51 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- *1 (1♂) Goldeneye
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 2 Moorhens
- 219 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
Gull counts taken at one point in time. Large gulls were coming and going all the while
- 82 Black-headed Gulls
- *16 Herring Gulls
- *92 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
also
- 2 Cormorants: arrived together

Of note:

Nothing else

Bird of the day: a drake Goldeneye. He always stayed well away from anywhere I could get close. Adult drakes are instantly recognisable by the white circle on the face. The white on the flanks is also obviously a brighter white (if that makes any sense) than on a drake Tufted Duck. Side-on both sexes show a distinctive almost triangular head-shape. I see just one most years often just briefly. I can only ever recall seeing drakes here (and at The Flash come to that).

A first winter Herring Gull. The extensive pale at the base of the bill is more reminiscent of a second winter: at that age the tail-band would be less contrasting.

A different bird (lacking a dark area behind the 'ear'). I cannot age this one for sure without seeing the upper side. I suspect another first winter.

Now an adult winter Herring Gull. Despite the black on both mandibles of the bill there are no other signs of immaturity: no dark on the bend of the wing; no dark markings on the tail.

An adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. This example has no black on the bill, no residual dark tail marks and an 'average' amount of head-streaking.

Probably a third winter Lesser Black-backed Gull, though the smudgy bill with no red spot is unusual. There is almost no black in the tail and that could be a smudge rather than a feather mark. This one with extensive winter head-streaking.

Compare and contrast time. Nearer bird is an adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. Behind it a first winter Herring Gull. Herring Gulls average larger than Lesser Black-backed Gull and males of both species average larger than females. So size can be misleading compounded by any difference in posture.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:35 – 11:25

(255th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- three drake Shoveler in full breeding plumage. Just two others found, both ducks I think.

- with the Greylag Geese congregating on and around the island it was almost impossible to see what else might be lurking there.
- a Common Buzzard flew low across the water, apparently with food in its talons, pursued by Carrion Crows and Magpies.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Common Buzzard

Noted on / around the water:
- 33 Canada Geese
- 61+ Greylag Geese
- 2 'feral' Snow Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 5 (3♂) Shoveler
- 22 (13♂) Mallard
- *35 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 15 Moorhens
- 98 Coots
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: adult
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, departed

Around The Flash:

Nothing noted

A drake Tufted Duck still with some grey feathering along the flanks to be moulted out before he is in full breeding plumage. He needs to grow a better crest ('tuft') as well.

On the right another drake in much the same plumage transition. A duck on the left. The few white feathers, or perhaps just tips, are unusual. The closely related duck Greater Scaup would show more extensive white on her back, an extensive white area around the bill-base and a differently-shaped head.

Plane of the day. If only they were always this clear! It is a Beech B200 Super King Air registered to Thales UK Ltd. part of a French multinational. This aircraft is one of several that perform regular inspection of the air navigation systems around the UK.

(Ed Wilson)

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2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
15 Tufted Ducks
149 Coots
286 Redwings
84 Fieldfares
c.350 Jackdaws but no Rooks seen.
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
42 Mute Swan
1 Wigeon
c. 45 Tufted
36 Pochard
c. 240 Coot
c. 400 Lesser Black-backed Gull
c. 120 Black-headed Gull
10 Herring Gull
3 Yellow Legged Gull
(Mike Cooper)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 male Stonechat showing well near to sailing club hut.
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
31 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
8 Lapwings
>550 Black-headed Gulls
187 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
239 Wood Pigeons
40 Robins
32 Blackbirds
60 Fieldfares
11 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
310 Jackdaws
150 Rooks
35 Greenfinch
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
18 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
3 Ruddy Duck
1 Wigeon
c.200 Coot
4 Cormorant
C.750 birds
24 Fieldfare
3 Redpoll
12 Siskin
5 Reed Bunting
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Adlam)