7 Mar 25

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

9.0°C > 12.0°C: Broken cloud at multiple levels. Light south-easterly breeze. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 06:43 GMT]

* = a species photographed today

A later start to avoid the forecast early rain that never materialised! Starting with The Flash.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 09:25 – 10:30

(55th visit of the year)

Bird notes
*Another new species for the year here. A Red Kite floated over to the North at 11:15. Unlike Common Buzzards this species does not utilise thermals and soar. Nevertheless it is more often seen in the middle part of the day. I have single records from each of the years 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2022. A species that increasing in abundance in our area. It becomes bird species #73 for me here this year.

Other bird notes:
- no matter how many times I counted I could only ever find eight Great Crested Grebes. Loosely as four pairs.
- all the gulls dropped in only briefly before moving off.
- possibly one or two additional Cormorants. Most were fishing much of the time and moving long distances underwater.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: inbound together
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- *1 Red Kite

Counts from the lake area:
- 8 Canada Geese
- *1 Mute Swan: plus one dead
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- *7 (5♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhen
- 57 Coots
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *4 Cormorants at least

So now I know the identity of the surviving Mute Swan. All I now have to do is find where I filed the information about which sex had which ring attached!

Mallard formation team with the drake hot on the heels of the duck. It seems to be a trick of the light but on neither bird the white border to the blue speculum is visible on their respective right wings.

The white border shows clearly-enough on this view of a drake – albeit a different individual.

And on this view of a drake.

A "head and shoulders" view of a Cormorant with soggy head plumes. I was unable edit the photo to further highlight the blue eye of this species.

This picture of the Red Kite that passed well to the North is not going to win prizes. You can identify it my its long, forked tail and the way it holds its wings very differently from a soaring Common Buzzard.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:40 – 11:45

(53rd visit of the year)

At least two singing Chiffchaffs were new for the year here. As they have almost certainly still to set up territory they are more mobile: there could have been a third. Bird species #55 for me here this year. Only 2019 and 2022 have provided earlier records of this species here.

Bird notes:
- a further reduction in Tufted Duck numbers.
- the gulls noted only visited briefly. At least two of the Black-headed Gulls were different bird (only one had a full 'black head').

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water:
- 29 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 3 Mute Swans
- 27 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard [’Aylesbury Duck’]
- 15 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 Moorhens
- 31 Coots
- 3 Black-headed Gulls: all briefly
- 1 Herring Gull: first year, briefly
- 3 Cormorants

Of note:

Nothing else

A Stock Dove probably with nesting material and not an olive branch. I don't know what a Stock Dove's nest looks like. Had this been a Wood Pigeon this would comprise about a quarter of the nest. They provision just enough to stop the eggs rolling away.

Yes I know: more Long-tailed Tits. This shows where lichen can be gathered.

While its partner takes things easy.

"Butter wouldn't melt...."

There are always twigs in the way... a female Bullfinch eating buds.

Keeping one eye on me. Never mind. In a few weeks there will be leaves as well twigs and they can really hide away.

Plane of the day. Not, as you might think, one I have shown before. This Airbus Helicopters EC 145T2 is the replacement helicopter with the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. It is normally assigned to "East Midlands" activities. It operates from the same base adjacent to RAF Cosford as the "West Midlands" example registered G-RMAA which is the one we usually see. I had thought the previous East Midlands incumbent, registered G-HWAA, was away on maintenance and this one, G-HMAA, was a temporary stand-in from the pool maintained by Babcock's of Gloucester (who operate many of the Air Ambulances nationwide). However I doubt a stand-in would be painted with these titles. I would get out less but my anorak needs regular airing.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged gull
(Gary Crowder)

Horsehay Pool
1 Iceland Gull
(Ian Grant)

2011
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
5 Teal
8 Goosander
15 Pochard
40 Tufted Ducks
7 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
6 Gadwall
26 Pochard
5 Goosanders
62 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
76 Coots
62 Magpies
2 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorant
2 Grey Heron
16 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Woodcock
425 Wood Pigeon
2 Grey Wagtail
37 Robin
26 Blackbird
7 Song Thrush
6 Redwing
47 Magpie
146 Jackdaw
10 Greenfinch
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
4 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
106 Coots
1 Water Rail
1 Curlew
23 Blackbirds
11 Greenfinches
2 Siskins
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)