23 Dec 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 5.0°C: A clear start. Cloud from the West with several very light showers. Moderate north-westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:21 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:30 – 09:20

(279th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the Canada Goose with the injured leg not seen again: it did not seem to be among the group of 10 on the dam-top.
- more movement among the Mute Swans. At first light there were 12 (near) adults. A trio was seen to leave to the North. Later I noticed two more had departed. The three first winters were present throughout.
- two drake Pochard were new arrivals as were some more Tufted Duck. Perhaps from The Flash where numbers were slightly reduced.
- at least 600 Black-headed Gulls were settled on the water by 07:15. I had not seen any arrive so could they have roosted here? Unusual. They were also even noisier than usual when most departed around 08:00.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Greylag Geese: outbound together
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 92 Jackdaw
- 23 Rooks
- 4 Siskins

Counts from the lake area:
- 19 Canada Goose: of these eight departed and another arrived: 10 throughout
- 12 > 7 + 3 Mute Swans: see notes
- 3 (1♂) Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- *2 (2♂) Pochard
- 32 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 265 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.600 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived separately; two departed together
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great White Egret: arrived 07:35

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Yesterday blast of cold wind seemed to sent most things in to hiding:

Moths:
- none

Flies:
- none

Beetles:
- 1 Orange Ladybird Halyzia sedecimguttata: presumably hibernating by the warmth of the light (do LEDs emit significant heat?)

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 spider, species not determined

Telford Sailing Club
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:

Barkflies:
- *1 short-winged female barkfly from Ectopsocus briggsi group
- *4 barkflies Valenzuela flavidus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 spider, species not determined

Later:
Nothing noted

I have concluded the waning Cold Moon is at this angle because of the relative position of the sun at this time of year and not because I was leaning over!

Wall-to-wall clear skies greeted my arrival.

Dark cloud spreading from the West suggested it would spoil any sunrise.

In fact the opposite. The cloud broke somewhat and coloured up.

Worth getting out of bed for. And you did not have to be up at silly o'clock: this just after 08:00.

One of two drake Pochard that were new in.

On the left is one of the barkflies Valenzuela flavidus. On the right what is likely a short-winged female of the barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi group. The NatureSpot web site makes it clear that only females are short-winged but not whether all females are so under-endowed or indeed whether an individual might be fully-winged at another time.

One that got away. A spider sprinting for cover – and who can blame it.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Absolutely nothing!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:35

(281th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- when I arrived many of the Greylag Geese came off the island in to the water. Among them and the two mainly white feral geese was a single Pink-footed Goose. It is tempting to suggest it is the same bird that was here among the Greylags last December and in to January. But where has it been between times?

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 44 Wood Pigeons: flew North together
- 1 Herring Gull
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- *>54 Greylag Geese
- *1 Pink-footed Goose
- 2 mainly white feral geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 27 (17♂) Mallard
- 10 (>5♂) Pochard
- *79 (>48♂) Tufted Duck
- 22 Moorhens
- 75 Coots
- 29 Black-headed Gulls

Elsewhere:
Nothing noted

On the left one of the many Greylag Geese. On the right a smaller, darker goose with a mainly dark bill – a Pink-footed Goose. Geese always attract geese and it is always worth checking groups for strangers. This was taken at long range as birds paddled toward the bottom end of the water. Of course by the time I got round there for a closer shot they were back on the island.

A drake Tufted Duck keeping careful watch on me.

A party of Long-tailed Tits was seen again. Mostly against the bright sky.

Another individual who has already had too many mince pies.

With them a Blue Tit. I have seen Blue Tits with a 'gap' in the feathering around the nape before. I do not know what causes it. They should not be moulting at this time of year.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
1st-winter female Great Scaup

Horsehay Pool
Kittiwake

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
14 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
178 Coots
2 Redwings
4 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
3 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
28 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
30 Mute Swans
40 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
161 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Black-necked Grebe
18 Swans
4 Gadwall
41 Pochard
75 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
311 Coots
600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
12 Goldfinches
10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Dawn Balmer/Peter Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
3 Cormorants
32 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
c.100 Black-headed Gulls
23 Redwing
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee lake
10 Pochard
15 Tufted Duck
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
c.100 Lesser Black-backs
1 Water Rail
20 Pied Wagtails
365 Rooks
325 Jackdaw
1 Kingfisher
51 Siskin
7 Redpoll
13 Greenfinch 13
12 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)
3 Redwing
c.50 Siskin
7 Redpoll
8 Reed Bunting
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Adlam)