7.0°C > 9.0°C: Dull and overcast. Light rain at times. Light south-easterly wind. Good visibility.
[Sunrise: 08:07 GMT]
* = a species photographed today
Another day when it seemed prudent to wait until it was (sort of) light before venturing out.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:50 – 11:45
(19th visit of the year)
Of Interest:
For reasons I am sure they know Severn Trent have employed contractors to cut all the reeds along the dam-face. The logic escapes me: unless they dig out the roots they will regrow as they did last year. Surely they are not worried about the reeds affecting the integrity of the dam? Do the reeds not grow in mud and thus help by protecting the dam-face from wave action?
Viewing only from the dam-top.
Bird notes:
- the pair of Goosander still present despite the work on the dam.
- more Coots than recently though still very low numbers historically. It may be that with the cutting of the reeds there were a few more out of hiding.
- very few gulls: none when I arrived with only a few flying in.
Just one bird noted flying over:
- 1 Great (White) Egret flew East: probably the bird seen earlier at The Flash.
There were a very few Wood Pigeons flying about and but one Lesser Black-backed Gull
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 11 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 4 Moorhens
- 19 Coots
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
That was all folks.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:40
(15th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- an unsexed Goosander was flying off as I arrived.
- only one Great Crested Grebe noted: a bird with more extensive head plumes than the one I photographed yesterday.
- six Song Thrushes seemed untroubled by the weather and were happily singing away.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 24 (16♂) Mallard
- *9 (7♂) Pochard
- 30 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- *6 (2?♂) Goosander
- 8 Moorhens
- 38 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret
One of the fisherman reported that a Kingfisher had flown past him earlier. I checked all the usual places without success.
Noted around the area:
Fungus:
- *Silverleaf Fungus Chondrostereum purpureum
- *Yellow Brain Tremella mesenterica
A different duck Goosander wing-flapping to illustrate that the white on each wing is confined to the trailing edge. On drakes it extends across the whole width of the wing.
I think this is a pair of Pochard, the back bird being a duck showing "spectacles" around her eyes. I am sure it is too late in the season for this to be a late-developing drake.
Always perky: a Blue Tit. All the rest of today's bird photo were taken in the vicinity of the feeding station between Wordsworth Way and the water. Considering the very dull conditions and the position of the feeders in a sheltered area I was pleased with the results.
- *Silverleaf Fungus Chondrostereum purpureum
- *Yellow Brain Tremella mesenterica
A duck Goosander in the murk.
This is another pair.
And another Blue Tit.
One of the party of Long-tailed Tits
Another
A Robin joins the feeding party.
A "noisy" photo of a female Chaffinch.
...alongside more Silverleaf Fungus was a different fungus – Yellow Brain Tremella mesenterica.
(Ed Wilson)
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2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
9 Pochard
106 Tufted Duck
1 Velvet Scoter
106 Coots
c.260 Black-headed Gulls
3 Herring Gulls
204 Redwing
c.250 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
32 Wigeon
6 Gadwall
25 Pochard
105 Tufted Ducks
166 Coot
>1700 Black-headed Gulls
>1500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
>450 Herring Gulls
13 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Water Rail
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)
Holmer Lake
28 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
65 Herring Gulls
(Martin Adlam)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
31 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
c.200 Black-headed Gulls
128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gulls
20 Robins
23 Blackbirds
19 Fieldfares
17 Redwings
3 Jays
31 Magpies
183 Jackdaws
159 Rooks
7 Greenfinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)