5 Dec 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

1.0°C > 4.0°C: Early thin high overcast. It soon became very misty and murky and only began to clear after c.10:00. Light south-easterly breeze. Moderate visibility at best, often poor.

Sunrise: 08:05 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:20 – 09:10

(295th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- seven Canada Geese throughout.
- a new arrival was a pair of Gadwall.
- many of the Mallard fly out to the East well before it is light (to the storm pools at the edge of the housing perhaps). They tend to fly back in small groups c.08:15 and seem to disappear in to the reeds. So I know how many there are but have no idea of the split between drakes and ducks.
- I could not find any Pochard.
- the early gulls were often "lost in the mist" to me. The very first arrivals were noted at the late time of 07:08. Eventually there were c.650 large gulls on the water. Some had begun to leave before it was light-enough to check them all. The vast majority were adult / near adult Lesser Black-backs with only six obvious Herring Gulls. c.150 Black-headed Gulls were also present for a while. It is amazing that these all managed to find the lake!
- the later arrival produced 16 Herring Gulls, and 64 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- six Cormorants arrived together and did some communal fishing for a while. They then all took off, though only four departed, the other two returning to sit on buoys.
- the Great (White) Egret present again but elusive. I saw it once when I flushed it, otherwise it hid away.
- only Jackdaws and Rooks passing directly over were noted.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Wood Pigeons only
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 29 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 2 (1) Gadwall
- 11 (?♂) Mallard
- 39 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 || 16 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- c.650 || 64 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants: arrived together; four departed
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata

Nothing else at all

Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:
Nothing noted

My best shot at getting a picture of the more-or-less full Cold Moon shining through a layer of high cloud. Within 30 minutes the whole area was misty and murky with the sky obscured.

A male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata improving its language skills courtesy of the sticker on the lamp overhang on one of the street lamps alongside the West end path. The only photo from the lake area. Too misty otherwise.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Flies:
- 3 midges only

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- none!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:25

(288th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- perhaps different drake Shoveler from any seen earlier in the week.
- no (Common) Teal seen
- for the first time I can remember there were more drake Goosanders (three) than brownheads (two).
- I have no idea why the water seems so popular to Herring Gulls.
- three Cormorants: none of them seemed to be the bird tied-up in fishing lines on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- *1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 24 (15♂) Mallard
- *8 (4♂) Pochard
- 49 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (3♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 48 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- *12 Herring Gulls: all ages
- *2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both (near) adults
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- *1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- *1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria

The bank of Ivy was devoid of insects.

This drake Shoveler seems to have significantly more rufous on the flanks than any of the birds I saw earlier in the week. They should me moulting quickly in to breeding plumage. That rapidly?

A clever trick if you can manage to do it. The drake Pochard was swimming in a straight line despite having its leg nearest me tucked up. I assume it has applied "full right rudder" to compensate.

A first-winter Herring Gull. The feathers on the back and wings are too brown for it to be an any age Lesser Black-back. The clincher anyway are the folded tertials – the long, darker feathers beyond the wing. These have a wavy separation between the black and the white. On a Lesser Black-back the separation is a straight edge. Easily seen!

Either an adult-winter or, more probably, a fourth-winter Herring Gull, aged by the black mark on both mandibles. The rest of the plumage looks adult-winter.

A trio of immature Herring Gulls. The left-most bird, a first-winter, has either food or something to play with and the others want to harass it so that whatever it has in its bill drops in the water and they can retrieve it. The pursuers are not easily aged in the poor and flat lighting. The strength of the tail-band would suggest they are both first-winters. Yet the extent of the grey on the back and the inner part of the wing would suggest second-winters.

Perhaps whatever the chase was all about it has dropped in to the water and this squabble ensued. All Herring Gulls. Taking off left is a third-winter bird with what seems to be an adult behind it. Joining the two first-winters on the water is a second-winter with only a dark tip to its bill.

The adult – well probably the same fourth-winter – Herring Gull attempting to repel boarders. It confirms the other two on the water are first-winters.

A face-off between "in the left corner" a first-winter Herring Gull, this one already showing some pale at the base of the bill: while "in the right corner" either an adult-winter or, more probably, a fourth-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull, again aged by the black mark on both mandibles. This bird shows little head streaking.

For a change the male Winter Moth here was on a street lamp pole at the top end.

It was a male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria that was in squirrel alley today. As so often at the very top of a street lamp pole.

(Ed Wilson)

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2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall.
9 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye
158 Coots
9 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
27 Redwings
4 Fieldfares
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
7 Pochard
71 Tufted Duck
5 Goosander
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
5 Adult Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
36 Swans
15 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
1 Woodcock
300 Coots
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
5 Stock Doves
5 Redwings
c.35 Goldfinches
c.10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
7 Pochard
58 Tufted Ducks
>1000 Black-headed Gulls
>2350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
20 Robins
20 Blackbirds
c.40 Fieldfares
4 Song Thrushes
6 Redwings
2 Willow Tits
190 Jackdaws
278 Rooks
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
12 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
239 Coot
Golden Plover
c.1600 Black-headed Gulls
397 Jackdaws
261 Rooks
2 Meadow Pipits
3 Redwings
16 Robins
24 Blackbirds
62 Fieldfares
15 Wrens
2 Willow Tits
Redpolls
Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

4 Dec 25

No sightings in today.

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2012
Priorslee Lake

3 Gadwall

9 Pochard

20 Tufted Ducks

1 (1) Goosander

155 Coots

28 Herring Gulls

1 Great Black-backed Gull

14 Redwings

2 Fieldfares

c.368 Jackdaws

97 Rooks

(Ed Wilson)

2009

Priorslee Lake

3 Cormorant

33 Mute Swans

Water Rail

13 Pochard

85 Tufted Ducks

274 Coots

1000 Black-headed Gulls

2000 Lesser Black-backs

3 Yellow-legged Gulls

1 Great Black-backed

5 Redwings

2 Willow Tit

c.325 Jackdaws

20 Siskins

4 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood )

2006

Priorslee Lake

3 Cormorants

15 Pochard

45 Tufted Ducks

1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck

2 Sparrowhawks

2 Buzzards

1 Kestrel

>700 Black-headed Gulls

324 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

8 Herring Gulls

1 Great Black-backed Gull

649 Wood Pigeons

25 Robins

22 Blackbirds

16 Fieldfares

4 Song Thrushes

6 Redwings

322 Jackdaws

224 Rooks

2 Siskins

5 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

2005

Priorslee Lake

140 Golden Plover

8 Cormorants

900 Black-headed Gulls

c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

13 Pochard

43 Tufted Duck

2 Little Grebes

225 Coot

371 Jackdaws

313 Rooks

6 Redwings

32 Fieldfares.

8 Reed Buntings

19 Robins

30 Blackbirds

16 Greenfinches

(Ed Wilson)

3 Dec 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 5.0°C: Very low cloud, misty and murky. Moderate south-easterly breeze. Moderate visibility.
Sunrise: 08:02 GMT

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:20 – 09:30

(294th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
Nothing very exciting this morning.
- the Tufted Duck count may be incomplete. Something spooked some of them while I was in mid-count.
- Black-headed Gulls were again later arriving, all after 07:25. I thought c.125 though as they streamed away (and I was not counting) there seemed to be more.
- c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were on the water by 07:05 and another large arrival took the total to at least 500 by 07:20. Among these were at least 23 Herring Gulls.
- a later arrival produced 27 Herring Gulls, on Yellow-legged Gull and at least 107 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- the Great (White) Egret present again. I did not see it arrive.
- some Jackdaws and Rooks lost in both low cloud and poor visibility.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 16 Wood Pigeons only
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: together
- 121 Jackdaws
- 72 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 4 Siskins

Counts from the lake area:
- 11 (7♂) Mallard
- *2 (0♂) Pochard
- *44 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 44 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.125 Black-headed Gulls
- 23 || 27 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- *>500 || 107 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived and departed
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moths Operophtera brumata: flushed from vegetation under a lamp

Slugs, snails etc.:
- *1 Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella

Nothing else at all

Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:

Nothing noted

A gull that still puzzles me. It seemed dark for an adult-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull albeit there is a contrast between the folded wings and the black wing-tips. It has some head-streaking that a Great Black-backed Gull would not show: yet the legs look pink rather than yellow as they should if it is a Lesser.

Definitely pink legs. Most odd. While the yellow of the legs is brightest when this species is in breeding condition I think as an adult this bird's legs should appear yellow at this date.

A duck (female) Pochard in flight. This species does have a pale wing-bar but because the wings are essentially pale it is not obvious.

Apart from one Winter Moth Operophtera brumata flushed from underneath a street light the only creature I noted here pre-dawn was this Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella. One of the easier snails to identify with the pale line around the apex of the shell.

A duck (female) Tufted Duck looking for somewhere to splash down. You can almost count its retrices (tail-feathers). Most species of bird have 12 retrices (Feral Pigeons often don't due to selective breeding).

A duck (left) and drake (right) Tufted Duck.

A quartet. A duck leads three drakes. On the central two birds the "tuft" can be seen blowing in the wind.

And here are seven. None of these is a sharp as I would have liked: the light-level was poor.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata: presumed same as yesterday

Flies:
- 4 midges

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- none!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:40

(287th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- no Shoveler noted.
- *two pairs of (Common) Teal
- a single brownhead Goosander flew off leaving two drakes and four other brownheads on the water.
- I could only find two Great Crested Grebes.
- three Cormorants: one was the bird seen yesterday tied-up in fishing lines and still like it.
- no Grey Herons yesterday: three today!

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 35 (22♂) Mallard
- *4 (2♂) (Common) Teal
- *6 (3♂) Pochard
- 15 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 (2♂) Goosander: departed
- 9 Moorhens
- 52 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls only
- 3 Cormorants
- *3 Grey Herons

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 3 male Winter Moths Operophtera brumata: two of these where they were yesterday
The bank of Ivy was devoid of insects.

*Fungus:
- possible Crystal Brain Fungus Exidia nucleata
- unidentified bracket fungus.

Two pairs of (Common) Teal with the drakes in the centre.

Now the two ducks are central. On the left-hand duck the white flash on the side of the tail is well-seen.

A selection of Pochard photos. A drake.

Another drake. In dull conditions the fine vermiculations show. Sadly the colours don't!

Here a duck.

One I am puzzling over. The head pattern looks like a duck yet the flanks show some vermiculations and the stern is dark, both features shown by drakes. Perhaps a first-winter drake late to acquire adult plumage?

Pity about the twig across the head of this Grey Heron. I could not reposition without even more twigs getting in the way.

Very small fungi growing on the end of broken branch. Small bracket fungus apparently. No idea of the species. I also note bottom left a jelly fungus. That could be Crystal Brain Fungus Exidia nucleata. There are of course many similar species. This species is common and widespread on rotting wood.

(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)

2 Dec 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 7.0°C: Mostly clear. Slight frost in sheltered areas. Very light southerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:01 GMT

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:20 – 09:30

(293rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
Nothing very exciting this morning.
- the gulls were late arriving and early leaving. Not many arrived later.

- there may have been many more Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying over (well, more "past" than "over"). Birds flying South to the East were mixed up with birds leaving the water.

- the Great (White) Egret arrived from the East at 07:35. It and the Grey Heron remained on opposite sides of the water.
- Cetti's Warbler heard calling and seen in flight. No song.
- *eight Song Thrushes were heard in song and another seen.
- no Mistle Thrush song. One was seen on the south-west grass.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Stock Dove
- 28 Wood Pigeons only
- 1 Herring Gull
- 65 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 313 Jackdaws
- 110 Rooks
- 1 Redwing

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Canada Goose: arrived
- 15 (?♂) Mallard: flew in a hid away
- 2 (0♂) Pochard
- 41 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 || 19 Herring Gulls
- c.300 || 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret: arrived

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 3 male Winter Moths Operophtera brumata
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria

Nothing else at all

Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:
Nothing noted

It did not look as if there was going to be an interesting sunrise.

I was about correct.

This Common Buzzard had just seen me and was preparing to jump off its twig. Note the hook on the bill-tip.

Off it goes.

A very smart adult male Blackbird.

"Now which one shall I eat first?"

"This one".

Down the hatch it goes.

Gulp!

"That looks tempting"

 "Gotcha".

A Song Thrush with a ring of confidence? I cannot explain what the white circle is. I did not note it at the time.

The thrush has left its ring behind.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata

Arthropods:
- 6 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus

Slugs, snails etc.:
- *1 possible Chestnut Slug Deroceras invadens

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 4 spiders: usual species

 This male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata was only my second record of this species in the tunnel.

Yes well: possibly a Chestnut Slug Deroceras invadens. Possibly not!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:45

(286th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *an immature drake Shoveler again – possibly the same as seen Saturday. Did I overlook it Sunday? This was at the top end. Later what looked to be a different immature drake was at the bottom end.
- *only a single brownhead Goosander which flew off.
- *only two Cormorants one of which appeared to be tied-up in fishing lines.
- no Grey Heron either
- no Great (White) Egret (presumably the bird at the Balancing Lake today)
Have we run out of fish? Or has the rain made the water too murky for fishing?

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- *2 (2♂) Shoveler: see notes
- 25 (15♂) Mallard
- *2 (1♂) Pochard
- *29 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- *1 (0♂) Goosander: departed
- 11 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls only
- 8 Herring Gulls: at least one (near) adult
- *2 Cormorants
- no Grey Herons

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 3 male Winter Moths Operophtera brumata
- *1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
The bank of Ivy had only a few insects in the chilly conditions:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Flies:
- *>15 Common Blow Flies Calliphora vicina
- >5 other flies of several species.

The immature drake Shoveler I noted at the top end. Note the rufous tone toward the front of the flanks.

And the bird at the bottom end. The pattern and tone of the flank feathers looks different. It is hard to be sure as the lighting conditions were so different.

 I think I will give up trying to get close to Pochard: a distant drake.

And his lady companion.

The only brownhead Goosander looks surprised as a drake Tufted Duck dives.

A very soggy and unhappy-looking Cormorant. I have no idea what to do about this. I doubt it would be possible to catch a Cormorant as Cuan can with a Mute Swan. Exactly what the relation is between the fish and the fishing line is unclear.

Not a good photo I know but this shows a Song Thrush eating a sloe. What will it do with the stone? I could not persuade the camera to focus through the branches.

It does seem to be swallowing.

A male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria high up on a street lamp pole in squirrel alley.

One of many Common Blow Flies Calliphora vicina on the Ivy. Note the position of the eyes.

Another with eyes much larger and closer together. I surmise this is male and the previous one a female. Note this one is rubbing its back legs together.

Plane of the day. This is another one of the 91 Grob G115E Tutor T.1s operated on behalf of the RAF by Babcock Aerospace Ltd. As with the one I photographed on 20 November this aircraft was also en route from deep maintenance with Southern Sailplanes at Membury in Wiltshire to RAF Woodvale, home of both Liverpool and Manchester University Air Squadrons. A few hours later one flew the other way.

(Ed Wilson)

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2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall.
8 Pochard.
51 Tufted Ducks
156 Coots.
1st-winter Great Black-backed Gull on the water.
35 Redwings
c.407 Jackdaws
82 Rooks.
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
Caspian Gull
(John Isherwood / Another Observer)

2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Pete Nickless)

2006
Priorslee Lake
21 Pochard
50 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
73 Coots
>750 Black-headed Gulls
1904 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
29 Robins
25 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
6 Song Thrushes
31 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
258 Jackdaws
248 Rooks
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
3200 Black-headed Gulls
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1st-winter Great Black-backed Gull
7 Pochard
36 Tufted Duck
208 Coot
246 Jackdaws
83 Rooks

(Ed Wilson)