23 Dec 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 7.0°C: The weather forecast was correct: "thick cloud and a moderate (easterly) breeze". Good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:21 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:45 – 09:50

(311th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a drake Shoveler in breeding plumage was a new arrival. No Mallard seen though.
- I did count the Coots today and only found 21. The light-level was nit good but surely not that bad. Where are they all?.
- higher gull numbers today. The first arrivals were c.30 Lesser Black-backed Gulls at 07:42 with eventually c.100 present by 07:55 when a Grey Heron flying across spooked them and they all departed with only a few, all Herring Gulls, returning.
- Black-headed Gulls did not arrive until c.08:10 with c.200 present. Much later I noted 19 on the football field.
- the Great (White) Egret not seen. (None was at The Flash either.)
- 12 Fieldfare flew over heading East c.08:20
- only eight Song Thrushes were singing in today's cooler conditions.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Greylag Goose: outbound
- 2 Wood Pigeons only
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 74 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 66 Jackdaws
- 127 Rooks
- 12 Fieldfare: together
- 12 Goldfinches: together

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- no Mallard
- 36 (25♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 21 Coots only
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Herring Gulls
- c.100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 3 Grey Herons
- no Great (White) Egret

As a postscript to yesterday I am indebted to Martin Adlam for the identity of the fish falling victim to the Grey Heron. It was a Ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus. (me neither!). Sometimes called a Daddy Ruffe, Tommy Ruffe or Pope Fish.

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: fifth day in the same place

Flies:
- 1 "is it a fly or an ichneumon?"

Springtails:
- 3 springtails sp., probably Dicyrtomina saundersi
- 2 other springtails

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 possible Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Seen later:

Nothing

Today's breeding plumage drake Shoveler. Other than Mallard this is by far the most common species of dabbling duck to visit.

Twigs in the way but the Grey Heron probably wanted it that way. This alongside Teece Drive and near the gate to the lake. Whether this was one of the two I had noted around the edge of the water or a third is hard to say.

It took much photo-editing to produce this poor photo of two Siskins enjoying the Alder cones.

A few weeks ago five pumpkins were dumped on the "boxing ring" atop the dam. This being Telford two were quickly thrown in the water. The three survivors have been gradually getting smaller. I noted a culprit this morning – a Moorhen. I have no doubt the local Magpies have had a go as well.

The mystery "is it a fly or an ichneumon?". The similar "fly" I photographed a few days ago had spurs on its legs. It is hard to be certain with all the lichen on the street lamp pole but this one does not seem to have spurs. Not that this is any help with identification.

One of three globular springtails I noted. The abdomen pattern shows better in this photo than on most I have taken. Confirmation that it is Dicyrtomina saundersi depends on the pattern of light and dark on the antennae. Pass!

An unknown springtail. This is very small: I would judge between a quarter and a third the size of the common Pogonognathellus longicornis-type.

Similar remarks here though slightly a larger specimen. I am not sure whether I should be interested in what is top left!

Both Obsidentify and Google Lens gave Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica as the identity of this small spider. It doesn't look like any of the photos of the species on NatureSpot.

A male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli.

Trying to escape my torch-light is a harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis. It can be identified by the shape of the pale area at the end of the abdomen. The pale stripe down the abdomen is not visible here.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:55 – 11:00

(304th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the first Greylag Goose for many days: and a very noisy on at that until it departed.
- one Mute Swan chased the other in to flight though it eventually splashed back down at the other end out of sight of its aggressor.
- no Goosanders noted.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose: departed
- 2 Mute Swans
- 29 (21♂) Mallard
- 7 (5♂) Pochard
- 29 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- no Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 44 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes still
- 54 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gull: third- and first-winters
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron

Around the area:

Nothing noted 

The first Greylag Goose for several days deciding to leave us.

Not enough light for the camera to "freeze" the action but here the two-tone primary feathers can be seen – paler grey on the outer webs.

Serious chasing going on with the two adult Mute Swans.

This one...

...made two circuits...

...before splashing down out of sight of the aggressor.

This Herring Gull shows much black on its bill.

The pattern of black on the primaries suggests an adult and also rules out any thoughts of "Herring-type" Gulls (Yellow-legged, Caspian).

From this angle the extent of black on four of the primary coverts (along the leading edge of the wing) indicates it is most likely a third-winter bird.

A small amount of movement in the water prevents a perfect reflection photo of the Grey Heron.

A pair (one cannot presume!) of Collared Doves behaving as if it is Spring. Actually given half a chance they will attempt to breed at any time of the year.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
1st-winter female Great Scaup

Horsehay Pool
Kittiwake

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
14 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
178 Coots
2 Redwings
4 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
3 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
28 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
30 Mute Swans
40 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
161 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Black-necked Grebe
18 Swans
4 Gadwall
41 Pochard
75 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
311 Coots
600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
12 Goldfinches
10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Dawn Balmer/Peter Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
3 Cormorants
32 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
c.100 Black-headed Gulls
23 Redwing
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee lake
10 Pochard
15 Tufted Duck
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
c.100 Lesser Black-backs
1 Water Rail
20 Pied Wagtails
365 Rooks
325 Jackdaw
1 Kingfisher
51 Siskin
7 Redpoll
13 Greenfinch 13
12 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)
3 Redwing
c.50 Siskin
7 Redpoll
8 Reed Bunting
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Adlam)