3 Mar 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

0.0°C > 9.0°C: Early patchy / broken mid-level cloud gave way yo a thin high overcast. Almost calm start with light south-westerly wind developing. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:52 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Am I right to be suspicious? There were single dead adult Mute Swans in the water at both the Balancing Lake and The Flash.
The one at The Flash, the erstwhile resident cob, was retrieved by council workers. I looked at it in the back of their usual rubbish collection vehicle. There seemed to be blood on its neck
I was not able to get close to the dead swan at the lake. Its erstwhile partner was hunched up by the boat launching jetty and I could not see the Darvic ring to read it and hence determine its sex. Its plumage was stained.
My initial thought was avian flu. But that seems unlikely to have affected both pairs, especially as the pair at The Flash were very active as if about to mate on Saturday.
With blood and staining I suspect foul play with an air rifle or similar.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:20

(51st visit of the year)

Bird notes
A Peregrine flew fast East at 08:20 becoming my 71st bird species here this year.

Other bird notes:
- at least 10 Canada Geese: a pair and later a trio were seen to depart with a single and two pairs arriving. Five were present throughout.
- two Stock Doves were on the south-west grass briefly.
- just five Great Crested Grebes. Two pairs.
- very few gulls. After a fly-over Lesser Black-backed Gull at 06:23 the first of three singles visited the lake after 06:57 with a fourth on the football field at 09:15.
- the first of five Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:04. These had all gone by 08:00. Six at 08:45 may, or may not, have included some of the earlier birds.
- two Redwings were in trees at the West end briefly.
- no Reed Buntings heard or seen.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- *2 Greylag Geese: outbound together
- 3 Stock Doves: single and pair
- 41 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 1 Peregrine
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 49 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Counts from the lake area:
- *10+ Canada Geese: see notes
- *2 Mute Swans: one deceased – see introduction
- 5 (3♂) Gadwall
- 4 (2♂) Mallard
- 15 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhen
- *65 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 6? Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Herring Gull
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- *2 Cormorants: arrived together
- 1 Kingfisher: heard

Seen later:

Nothing

Of note:

Nothing else
The frost on the street lamp poles once again meant there were no insects or spiders.

An early view of the dawn with the cloud yet to increase from the North.

The first colouring of the clouds.

I was caught out this morning as to how much the rising sun had moved out of the south-east and missed the best view.

A quick scamper retrieved some of today's impressive sunrise.

A trio of Canada Geese.

Greylag Geese have been scarce for some weeks. These two flew outbound today.

The surviving Mute Swan. I an uncertain as to what caused the staining on its plumage. Is it dried blood? Or mud? Normally I would expect a healthy bird to wash and preen this off.

Coots doing what Coots do – fight.

These two Cormorants were early arrivals.

This is one of them later, fishing for its breakfast.

This may, or may not, be the same one after breakfast.

The Peregrine that flew fast East 08:20. I think a male – as with many birds of prey species the male is smaller than the female. It is always difficult to judge the size of a lone bird.

This is a Mistle Thrush I photographed as it left the south-east area and flew across Castle Farm Way. The spots on the breast of this species are more disorganised than on the smaller Song Thrush and the inner part of the underwing is white rather than pale yellow/brown.

A number of Great Tits were making a big commotion. This is a female with a narrow 'zip'.

And in profile.

Two males scrapping – too fast for the camera to freeze the action. The bird on the left clearly shows the wide 'zip' also seen...

...here. This male's plumage is much brighter than the female I photographed. I am not sure whether this is a consistent feature.

Today's Long-tailed Tit photo. From a different party building a nest in a very different location.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:35

(49th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- just a single Great Crested Grebe.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 13 Canada Geese
- 4 Mute Swans: the cob deceased and taken away: see introduction
- 26 (19♂) Mallard
- *2 (2♂) Pochard
- 49 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls: two adults; the rest un-aged immatures
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- *2 Cormorants: arrived separately

Of note

Nothing apart from:
- *Scarlet Elfcup fungus Sarcoscypha austriaca

It was amusing to watch this trio of Mallard. The drake beside the duck always kept himself between the other drake and his 'partner' no matter how much the interloper tried to reposition and muscle in.

Sleeping beauty. A drake Pochard.

Recently a Common Buzzard has been seen sitting on the island several times. I have noted very few flying this year, today being an exception.

The second of the two Cormorants arrives.

While doing some litter picking I noted these Scarlet Elfcup fungus Sarcoscypha austriaca.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Caspian Gull
1 Iceland Gull
(Tom Lowe)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Iceland Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
6 Gadwall
33 Pochard
71 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
11 Mute Swans
10 Tufted Ducks
1 Iceland
1 Glaucous Gull
(Ed Wilson, Mike Cooper)