9 Jan 25

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

0.0°C: Medium/high overcast. Almost calm. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 08:19 GMT]

Another late start. I did manage to stagger around the Balancing Lake without much reward.

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:55 – 12:40

(7th visit of the year)

c.30% ice.

Bird notes
Very quiet overhead: a few large gulls heading North and some Wood Pigeons. I hoped to see hard-weather movements of Redwings or Fieldfares, perhaps even Lapwings. Nothing.

Other bird notes:
- most of the Coots were milling about together in the north-east area and impossible to count accurately.
- a high count of gulls when I arrived many of which soon departed to the North. What I assume were many of the same birds flew back in some 15 minutes later. All the gulls panicked when the Great (White) Egret flew across.
- a mixed finch party consisting of Lesser Redpolls, Goldfinches and *Siskins was at the West end.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 16 Wood Pigeon
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (3♂) Gadwall
- 10 (7♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 39 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 247? Coots: see notes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 102 Black-headed Gulls
- 62 Herring Gulls
- 193 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: two of these departed together
- 1 Grey Heron
- *1 Great (White) Egret
- 1 Kingfisher

Also noted.

Nothing else

New Bird Species
Again there were no additions to the bird species on my site list for here in 2025

The only one of the mixed finch flock at the West that stayed for a photo was this male Siskin.

The Great (White) Egret was doing much flying around. I get the impression it is looking at me out of the corner of its eye.

Here it is headed for the reeds. On the extreme left of the water is a drake Gadwall showing its black stern. In front and to the right of the right-hand Mute Swan is a pair of Gadwall.

The egret landing on Jock's pitch (one of the CFSG's [Castle Farm Specimen Group] fishing pegs) with a small part of the melee of Coots in the foreground (forewater?).

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 10:00 – 10:50

(7th visit of the year)

At least 85% of the water frozen.

Bird notes:
- *a pair (I presume) of Mute Swans flew around a few times before deciding not to visit.
- *two drake (Common) Teal were in a sliver of open water beside the island. Have they been lurking here since I last saw them in mid-December?

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- *2 Mute Swans

Noted on / around the water:
- 10 Canada Geese
- *4 Mute Swans
- 39 (26♂) Mallard
- *2 (2) (Common) Teal
- 55 (30♂) Tufted Duck
- *7 Moorhens
- *55 Coots
- *61 Black-headed Gulls
- *6 Herring Gulls: one adult; four second winters and one first winter
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near?) adult – departed

Elsewhere:

Nothing noted

New Bird Species
One addition to the bird species on my site list for here in 2025:
35 Common Teal

What a difference a day made: yesterday.

Today.

A pair of Mute Swans decide not to visit.

 The residents look pleased.

Four birds of three species. left and right are sleeping drake (Common) Teal. In the foreground a duck Tufted Duck. At the back on the edge of the island is a Moorhen.

Another photo of a Coot on the ice. This clearly shows the sharp claws on the tips of the strangely-lobed feet.

An adult winter Black-headed Gull makes a close fly-by.

A first winter Black-headed Gull skids to a halt. Most obvious features that identify this as first winter are the orange-toned legs and bill (almost scarlet red on an adult). Harder to spot on this view are the black tail tip and in the middle of the wing leading-edge is a brown mark from the line of dark feathers across the upper-wing.

Why gull identifications is a challenge. Two Herring Gulls, a first winter at the front and an adult at the back: though this one could be a fourth winter bird due to the dark mark on the lower mandible: not all individual gulls age at the same rate. It typically takes three years for large gulls to reach maturity. Maturing birds have differing plumage each summer and each winter (and many are seen in transition!)

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
Goldeneye
(Martin Grant)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Observer Unknown)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
41 Great Black-backed Gulls
11 Bullfinches
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
29 Swans
4 Gadwall
c.22 Pochard
c.66 Tufted Duck
c.280 Coots
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
c.500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.60 Herring Gulls
Caspian Gull
2 Buzzards
1 Siskin over
(Ed Wilson/Unknown Observer)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
(Paul King)

2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
23 Herring Gulls
(Martin Adlam)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
3 Pochard
28 Tufted Ducks
>1050 Black-headed Gulls
51 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
34 Herring Gulls
10 Great Black-backed Gulls
31 Robins
13 Blackbirds
32 Fieldfares
34 Redwings
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
1 Little Grebe
1 Kingfisher
1500 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c.84 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
8 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
22 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
210 Coot
2 Water Rail
1 Reed Bunting
21 Robins
20 Blackbirds
10 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)