Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash
3.0°C: Yet another clear start ruined by the Telford micro-climate. Mist and fog rolled in after 07:15 and had only begun to thin by the time I had to leave The Flash. Light and variable wind. Good visibility soon became very poor and later merely poor.Sunrise: 08:14 GMT
A very few photos will be added later
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:25 – 09:20
(301st visit of the year)
For what it is worth this what I noted.
Bird notes:
- two Mute Swans had arrived by 08:30.
- a drake Goosander was present c.07:45 at least.
- the first Lesser Black-backed Gulls were heard at 07:01 with c.40 circling the water by 07:15 after which they began to settle. Soon afterwards they were all lost in the mist.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 22 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant again
- 5 Jackdaws: others heard
- no Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: one of these flew in
- 2 Mute Swans: arrived
- 11 (8♂) Mallard
- 15 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- >36 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 18 Black-headed Gulls only
- 2 Herring Gulls only
- >250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants: arrived as a duo and a quartet. Some (of these?) departed
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 3 male and one female Winter Moths Operophtera brumata
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
Nothing else
Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:
Nothing noted
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:35
(295th visit of the year)
Visibility slightly better here.
Bird notes:
- I did not seen any Shoveler.
- the Great (White) Egret eventually appeared out of the murk.
- after yesterday's singing Collared Dove I noted a pair (I assume) together.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 19 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard only
- 30 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (1♂) Goosander
- 11 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: third-winter, arrived
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (near) adult arrived
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Noted around the area:
Flower:
- Red Dead-nettle Lamium purpureum
(Ed Wilson)