10 Jan 25

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

0.0°C > 2.0°C: High cloud from the South retreated again. Almost calm. Good visibility.

[Sunrise: 08:18 GMT]

Much as yesterday.

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 11:25 – 13:35

(8th visit of the year)

>c.75% ice.

Bird notes:
- today's Great Crested Grebe was a bird without head plumes. Yesterday both birds noted has developing head plumes
- as yesterday the gull count was made soon after I arrived. Birds were continually coming and going. There was a very small passage of gulls overhead.
- an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was noted wearing a metal BTO-type ring, impossible to read "in the field". It did not have any larger plastic rings that might have provided a clue as to where it was ringed.
- the Great (White) Egret was either not present or stayed hidden.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Grey Heron
- 1 Sparrowhawk

Counts from the lake area:
- 17 Canada Geese: arrived together
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (3♂) Gadwall
- 17 (11♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Pochard
- 57 (34♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 248 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
see notes regarding gull counts
- >330 Black-headed Gulls
- *3 Great Black-backed Gulls
- >110 Herring Gulls
- >3 Yellow-legged Gulls
- *1 Caspian Gull
- *>630 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- *1 Kingfisher

Noted elsewhere:
Nothing

New Bird species
Additions to the bird species on my site list for here in 2025:
50 Sparrowhawk
51 Caspian Gull

Here is why gulls can be hard. Both these are winter-plumage Herring Gulls. The adult bird on the left is likely a male – these average larger than females. That suggests the bird on the right is a female, and with some brown in the folded wings is a second winter.

Four gulls here. On the left an an adult Great Black-backed Gull. In front a first-winter of the same: note the scaly appearance and the unmarked white head. The other two birds are adult winter Lesser Black-backs.

In the centre is a pale-backed gull that I believe to be an adult winter Caspian Gull mainly from its dark eye and sloping forehead. I have to say it looks rather small with a weak-looking bill but no other species seems to fit. A female?

A Grey Heron flies over. I am sure he is watching me. There was another around the lake looking for some open water to fish.

Very much against the light but an unmistakable Kingfisher.

Plane of the day. A Military aircraft so only limited details available...

It is an Airbus A330-243MRTT Voyager KC.2 operated by RAF's 10/101 squadron based at Brize Norton. 'MRTT' stands for Multi-Role Tanker / Transport indicating its ability to flight-refuel any NATO-aircraft while also acting as a troop and/or cargo transport.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:15 – 11:15

(8th visit of the year)

>90% of the water frozen.

As yesterday almost all the birds were crammed in to a small area of open water around the island. There was much flying about due to a drone being flown over the area. I have subsequently checked with the CAA web-site which clearly states "Do not fly where you’ll disturb or endanger animals and wildlife". I was unable to remonstrate with the drone operator because he challenged my knowledge of the CAA rules (and because he was bigger than me!)

Bird notes:
- perhaps my record high count Mallard here.
- a Great Spotted Woodpecker gave a very short and somewhat hesitant attempt at drumming.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- *1 Sparrowhawk

Noted on / around the water:
- 13 Canada Geese
- 4 Mute Swans
- *63 (40♂) Mallard
- *1 (1♂) all-white feral Mallard (Aylesbury Duck)
- *52 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 73 Coots
- 36 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls: one adult; all others immatures
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls; all (near?) adult

Noted elsewhere:
Nothing

New Bird Species
Two more additions to the bird species on my site list for here in 2025:
38 *Sparrowhawk
39 Long-tailed Tit

 Today's view of the ice at the top-end. No sun at this moment though the cloud retreated.

Here is the offending bird-scaring drone.

The cold weather has brought the drake Aylesbury Duck among the Mallard. The curled tail feather indicates there are Mallard genes in this 'species'.

He doesn't often fly but can do so strongly, here with a duck Mallard.

A pair of Mallard take flight with all the others in response to a close approach by the drone. Note the dark centres to the drake's tail-feathers.

Also put to flight were many of the Tufted Duck.

Here a duck Tufted Duck, flanked by drakes, returns.

And here turning on to final approach...

...moments from splash down.

Three drakes make an undignified splash-down.

Another drake with undercarriage down.

I think "barrelling in" would be a good description of this approaching duo.

And well might it looked surprised. Is that really how splash-down is supposed to be done?

One of my 'record shots': the Sparrowhawk flying by.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
(Kris Webb)

Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Kris Webb)

Horsehay Pool
Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid
Glaucous x Great Black-backed Gull hybrid
1500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
20+ Greater Black-backed Gulls
400 Herring Gulls
Yellow-legged Gull
(Kris Webb)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
5 Great Crested Grebes
14 Pochard
24 Tufted Duck
c.1200 Black-headed Gulls
c.900 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.300 Herring Gulls
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
44 Great Black-backed Gulls
5 Song Thrushes
18 Redwings
Tawny Owl
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Pool
204 Canada Geese
3 Pochard
83 Tufted Duck
104 Coot
110 Black-headed Gulls
34 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
17 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
33 Swans
4 Gadwall
6 Wigeon
15 Pochard
70 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rail
2 Snipe
c.200 Black-headed Gulls
c.200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
2 Yellow legged Gull
3 Adult Great Black-backed Gulls
2 Willow Tits
13 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Jim Almond, John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
18 Greylag Geese
12 Pochard
39 Tufted Ducks
6 Goosanders
c.80 Golden Plover
>1000 Black-headed Gulls
c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Great Black-backed Gulls
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
Caspian Gull
9 Herring Gulls
22 Robins
14 Blackbirds
41 Redwings
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Jason)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
13 Pochard
51 Tufted Duck
227 Coots
Glaucous Gull
c.1100 Black-headed Gulls
c.170 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.120 Herring Gulls
302 Jackdaws
385 Rooks
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)