2 Jan 25

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

0.0°C > 2.0°C: Cloudless. Light north-westerly wind. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 08:22 GMT yes once again]

I decided to avoid the early slippery paths in the dark and started later again.

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:35 – 12:20

(2nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the resident cob Mute Swan quickly dispatched a pair(?) of newly arrived (near?) adult swans. He had less success in persuading the first winter bird to leave, chasing it around and around.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose
- 1 Wood Pigeon
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Jackdaw
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Greylag Goose: departed?
- 5 Mute Swans: an additional two (near?) adults being chased away as I arrived
- 5 (2♂) Gadwall
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Pochard
- 31 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 257 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- *11 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *5 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great White Egret
- 1 Kingfisher

Noted later.

Barkflies:
- *1 unidentified barkfly species

Bird Species List
Here are today's additions to the birds on my site for here in 2025:
31 Chaffinch
32 Jackdaw
*33 Song Thrush
34 Dunnock
35 Siskin
36 Canada Goose
37 Bullfinch
38 Kingfisher
39 Grey Wagtail

Also noted was my first Grey Squirrel of the year, an introduced invasive species that is out-competing our native Red Squirrel. This species has damaged and destroyed trees around the lake and also kills many nestlings every year. I won't mention it again.

 The first winter Mute Swan was being pursued relentlessly by the resident cob...

 ...and put to flight from time to time. It did not leave though.

A first winter Herring Gull. As it matures there is extensive pale at the base of the bill as well as a small pale tip.

A "grab shot" as I flushed this adult Cormorant now showing the features of breeding condition – a large white thigh patch and white plumes on head and neck.

The Cormorant was clearly surprised. Many birds will defecate when startled. As a fish-eater the results are very unpleasant in texture and smell.

I think it is the top bird here as two depart together. The lower bird is also an adult with the white thigh patch not yet so prominent.

One of the local Common Buzzards flies over.

 Who is that looking at me? A Song Thrush.

The slightly elongated pale eye-ring gives it a surprised look.

Peering closely at me!

At the time I thought this was a well-marked example of a globular springtail. The photo shows that it has long antennae and it is therefore a wingless form of a barkfly. There is a gallery of this group of insects on the internet from the National Barkfly Recording Scheme. I cannot find a match. That part of the web site that is a "News Archive" seems to have ceased a few years ago...

Plane of the day: this a Piper PA-31-325 Navajo C/R flying from Biggin Hill to Hawarden (Chester). As with all Piper Aircraft products it has a name associated with Native American Nations. Probably not a PC thing to do today. They ran out of names associated with the area of Florida around Lock Haven where the factory is located. The Navajo Nation resides in what is now Nevada, Utah and New Mexico. The 'C/R' refers to a feature of this model whereby the propeller on the left engine rotates in the opposite direction that of the right engine. This minimises the torque effect that tries to rotate an aircraft around its propeller.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:25

(2nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a Cormorant snuck on to the year list by arriving just as I engaged reverse gear to leave.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 15 Canada Geese
- 12 Greylag Geese
- 4 Mute Swans
- 39 (28♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 60 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 Moorhens
- 69 Coots
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: second winter
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Cormorant: arrived

Noted elsewhere:

Nothing

Bird Species List
Here are today's additions to the birds on my site for here in 2025:
27 Pochard
28 Collared Dove
29 Grey Heron
30 Song Thrush
31 Cormorant

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup still present.

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
4 or 5 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
(Ed Wilson and et al)

2010
Priorslee Lake
c.1500 gulls
Adult winter Ring Billed Gull.
Adult Common Gull
3 adult Yellow-legged Gulls
Black-necked Grebe
(Ed Wilson and Rob Stokes)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
Adult Yellow-legged Gull
Iceland Gull
(Dawn Balmer, Peter Wilson and et al)