11 Feb 25

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

3.0°C > 4.0°C: Another gloomy overcast day. Light north-east wind. Good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:34 GMT]

Another "poor weather" itinerary, visiting The Flash first. I had limited time at the Balancing Lake and view only from the dam-top area.

The possibility of there being avian flu in the area has increased. There was a Canada Goose floating in the water at The Flash. Assuming the council removed the body of the dead bird first noted last Friday then this is the third dead bird at The Flash in a week. There was also a dead Canada Goose floating in the Balancing Lake – likely the bird I noted yesterday as separate from the others. Time to inform DEFRA. [Code WSF-D47C-LGKH-D98F (trips off the tongue!]

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:20 – 11:00

(35th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- from the dam top I doubt I would have been able to identify any duck Pochard at the far end.
- the dead Canada Goose was the only goose present.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Wood Pigeons

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 dead Canada Goose only
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- ? Pochard
- 14 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 7 Moorhens
- 123 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 1 Kingfisher

Of note:
Nothing else.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:10

(33rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- two drake Shoveler today.
- as I was pressed for time I made a quicker than usual walk around: that does not entirely explain why there were so few Moorhens (yet more Coots – and yes, I can tell the difference!)

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None

Noted on / around the water:
- 33 + *1 dead Canada Geese
- 4 Mute Swans
- *2 (2♂) Shoveler
- 36 (25♂) Mallard
- *3 (2♂) Pochard
- 42 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 19 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: adults
- 1 Cormorant: arrived

Of note:
Nothing else

As reported to DEFRA one of the two dead Canada Geese I noted this morning: one here and one at the Balancing Lake.

Two drake Pochard in poor light.

One drake here, edited in a failed attempt to show the vermiculations on the back feathers.

 Front...

 ...back...

 ...and side view of two drake Shoveler, typically with bill-tips just under water. The bird on the left is an adult drake; the other an immature.

(Ed Wilson)

Note:
Here are a few photos from Ed Wilson which he took at Venus Pool on 9 Feb 25.

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2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Greater Scaup
7 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
(Gary Crowder)

2013
St Georges
5 Waxwings
(Observer Unknown)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
12 Pochard
1 Goldeneye
15+ Redwing
33 Fieldfare
1 Willow Tit
4 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
11 Great Crested Grebes
12 Cormorants
24 Pochard
102 Tufted Ducks
131 Coots
2 Water Rails
1 Kingfisher
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
88 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
56 Herring Gulls.
598 Wood Pigeons
210 Starling roost
16 Robins
1 Willow Tit
13 Greenfinches
19 Siskin
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)