8 Mar 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 12.0°C: Some early cloud cleared away to the West leaving hazy sun. Light south-easterly breeze. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:43 GMT

* = a species photographed today

An additional pair of Mute Swans at both locations.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 08:50

(56th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- there were nine Canada Geese seen together. Small groups departed and arrived so more individuals were likely involved. Also a dead Canada Goose that seems likely to be yet another avian flu victim – the body seemed unmarked
- just one pair of Gadwall noted and these seen mating.
- I noted a duck-type Pochard distantly. It was not seen well-enough to confirm that it is the bird that has been present for several weeks (but not the last tow days?). My impression was it was not the same.
- 44 Black-headed Gulls flew in from the West. I think many of them probably flew through.
- Otherwise very few gulls, all briefly.
- three singing Chiffchaffs noted.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 8 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 42 Wood Pigeons
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 103 Jackdaws
- 65 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 9 Canada Geese: plus one dead: see notes
- 3 Mute Swan: plus one dead
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard: see notes
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 54 Coots
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 44 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 1 Kingfisher: heard only

Of note:
Still nothing on the street lamp poles early: *some unidentified small flies sunning themselves later.

The beginning of the sunrise. The cloud here moved away to the West later.

Peak colour.

This Canada Goose looks freshly dead and therefore different from the dead bird seen about two weeks ago. It looks unmarked and the angle of the head and neck is apparently characteristic of birds that have avian flu.

This is known as feathering your own nest. Long-tailed Tits construct their nests using spider webs to make them elastic to accommodate their growing brood, camouflage them on the outside with moss and lichen and line the insides with feathers.

It appears to be tricky to fly with a large (to them) feather...

...and keep it under control.

There were four birds in the group. Here are two others, another of which has found a feather.

Zoomed right in. I don't recall noticing a Long-tailed Tit with its bill open before.

One of a dozen or so unidentified flies sunning on the street lamp poles.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 08:55 – 10:05

(54th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the "here today, gone tomorrow" Great Crested Grebe was here today.
- all the gulls overhead were more or less together circling as they flew East.
- two Grey Herons were in the tops of trees on the island. One chased the other and they both departed.
- two singing Chiffchaffs noted.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 6 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 30 Canada Geese
- 7 Greylag Geese
- *5 Mute Swans
- 21 (14♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard [’Aylesbury Duck’]
- 21 (14♂) Tufted Duck: yes same number as Mallard
- 10 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Black-headed Gull: very briefly
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: very briefly
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Of note:

Nothing else

The newly arrived pair of Mute Swans, the cob with the larger swelling at the base of his bill is the furthest bird.

My pair of friendly Long-tailed Tits seemed to be taking a break from nest building. Here is one.

And the other. Unlike the party of four I photographed at the Balancing Lake there seems to be just two birds involved here.

I have no idea why one limb of this long-dead tree has been felled and cut. The erstwhile Nuthatch nest hole remains at the top of the other limb. I did not note it being used last year though bird(s) inspected and cleaned it out. Two (three?) trees on the East side grassy area have also been felled. As many as six were marked for felling due to ash die-back. I understood that after a local out-cry the order had been rescinded. Apparently not completely.

(Ed Wilson)

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2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake
1 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
13 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
1 Oystercatcher
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
9 Cormorant
15 Tufted Duck
1 Woodcock
311 Wood Pigeon
36 Robin
24 Blackbird
10 Redwing
53 Magpie
5 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
1 Cormorant
6 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
103 Coots
1 Water Rail
1 Ring-billed Gull
141 Wood Pigeon
142 Jackdaws
23 Blackbirds
11 Song Thrushes
1 Redwing
14 Greenfinches
6 Reed Buntings.
(Ed Wilson and et al)