3 Dec 24

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

3.0°C > 5.0°C: Mist and low cloud. Lifted somewhat with a few breaks. Light southerly wind. Moderate visibility at best.

[Sunrise: 08:02 GMT]

* = a species photographed today

After a mist-delayed start it was The Flash first and then the Balancing Lake with a walk around.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:35 – 12:35

(264th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- 21 adult Mute Swans. Perhaps there always have been recently: one bird seems to be mostly on its own hiding in the reeds.
- as I noted many times last winter the majority of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls area adults while most of the Herring Gulls are immatures.
- *a Lesser Redpoll was in trees at the West end.
- during the time I was present the only fly-overs I noted were just two Wood Pigeons.

Counts from the lake area:
- 11 Canada Geese
- 21 + *2 Mute Swans
- *3 (1♂) Gadwall
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 11 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 240 Coots
- *5 Great Crested Grebes
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- 28 Herring Gulls
- 92 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret

A careful examination of the street lamp poles and the walls of the Telford Sailing Club HQ failed to find a single insect / spider etc.

I was told of a "recent" sighting of a Weasel on the dam-face.

One of the two visiting Mute Swan cygnets. These seem to have declared UDI and are no longer staying with the main group of visiting adults. They do get chased by the resident cob from time to time: he does not seem too serious when he does so.

A pair of rather distant Gadwall, the drake on the left. The pale edge to the duck's bill stands out even at long range.

A close Great Crested Grebe. The head plumes acquired during the breeding season are just beginning to show.

I do not often get to photograph a Lesser Redpoll. In addition to its red 'poll' (crown) note the pointed yellow bill.

A back view. The taxonomy of this species has long been debated with birds from different populations looking distinct, albeit some birds are difficult to ascribe to any of the populations. Recent DNA work suggests that what have sometimes been treated as three or four different species are better thought of as just one species. Now the debate starts on which of the four names to use. Scientists have strict rules of precedence. I do not think vernacular names are subject to the same rigour. On this bird the whiteness of the wing bar and the extensive white edges to the flight feathers are more akin to what was called Common (or Mealy) Redpoll though the buff rump suggests otherwise!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:25

(265th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- careful scrutiny of the Pochard suggests that only one is not a drake. There are eight adult drakes and I think three first winter drakes.
- a Little Grebe seen again.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Herring Gulls

Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Shoveler
- 42 (27♂) Mallard
- 12 (11?♂) Pochard
- *51 (33?♂) Tufted Duck
- 18 Moorhens
- 95 Coots
- *1 Little Grebe
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: adult and two second winters separately and briefly
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted around The Flash:

Moths:
- 1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria : for its third day

This Mrs. Tufted Duck has a splendid 'tuft'.

The Little Grebe about to disappear in to the reeds watched by a Coot.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
60 Golden Plover
6 Gadwall
3 Pochard
2 Shoveler
2 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Teal
3 Gadwall.
8 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
163 Coots
7 Redwings
c577 Jackdaws
c149 Rooks
8 Siskins
22 Goldfinches
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Adult Caspian Gull
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(JW Reeves)

Priorslee Flash
Tundra Bean Goose
Great Black-backed Gull
8 Goosander.
(JW Reeves/Andy Latham /Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
3rd-winter Caspian Gull
(JW Reeves)

Wellington
Pair of Blackcaps in my garden
(JW Reeves)

2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Pete Nickless)

2007
Priorslee Lake
8 Goosander
Woodcock
21 Greylag Geese
A drake Gadwall
6 Pochard
58 Tufted Duck
2 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
6 Meadow Pipits
14 Redwing
3 Fieldfares
31 Magpies
47 Siskins
12 Goldfinches
11 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
22 Goosander
27 Pochard
16 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
27 Pochard
69 Tufted Ducks
4 Buzzards
68 Coots
1 Woodcock
528 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
20 Robins
22 Blackbirds
3 Song Thrushes
3 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
187 Jackdaws
168 Rooks
11 Greenfinches
10 Goldfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
5 Cormorants
8 Pochard
32 Tufted Duck
201 Coot
Water Rail
c.2100 Black-headed Gulls
c.175 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
440 Jackdaws
225 Rooks
1 Kestrel
2 Collared Dove
1 Skylark
18 Pied Wagtails
5 Meadow Pipits
5 Redwings
40 Fieldfare
1 Kingfisher
11 Robins
19 Blackbirds
2 Song Thrushes
2 Goldcrest
5 Redpolls
12+ Siskins
2 Yellowhammers
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson/Martin Adlam)