28 Jan 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 2.0°C > 4.0°C: Mostly clear. Very light south-easterly wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:02 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:50 – 09:10

(24th visit of the year)

Of Interest:
Scientists from Severn-Trent were sampling the water for any traces DNA of the European Eel Anguilla anguilla. Water management schemes are known to prevent eel migration and have been linked to a 95% decline the eel population. All eels eventually make their way to mate in the Sargasso Sea, part of the North Atlantic.

Bird notes:
- now eight Goosanders with four drakes. As previously one of the ducks/brownheads was consistently apart from all the others. For some of the time she was joined by one of the other duck/brownhead.
- the / a Great Crested Grebe was seen again.
- the numbers of gulls on the water declined yet again: depressing.
- the first four Black-headed Gulls all flew straight over at 07:45 with the first of 21 (again) arriving after 07:50 with a few others passing straight over. None was seen on or around the football field later.
- Lesser Black-backed Gulls were first noted flying over at 07:28. Just two appeared on the water at 08:00 among the Black-headed Gulls. Later a single adult Herring Gull was on the water.
- another bumper total of 14 singing Song Thrushes. I assume it was the colder conditions as only six of these were noted pre-dawn, the others starting up later.
- another day with a dearth of finches: I neither heard nor saw any Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches or Siskins. I did however see a female Bullfinch.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 15 Wood Pigeons
- 16 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 72 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 194 Jackdaws
- 151 Rooks
- c.100 Starlings: two concurrent groups, each of c.50 birds

Counts from the lake area:
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- *15 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 (4♂) Goosander
- 4 Moorhens
- 18 Coots only
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 21 Black-headed Gulls again: see notes
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- no Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret again

On the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Nothing noted. Dew-covered and later just frosted: too cold

Seen later:
Nothing of note

Makes a welcome change. Just a few fair-weather clouds.

These four Goosanders were keeping together as two pairs most of the time.

"I see no fish!". The drake Goosander on the left is displaying. She does not look impressed.

Just appearing are the flower buds of Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus. This is a non-native species that spreads easily and is to be discouraged. However... the flowers do provide an early source of nectar for insects.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:30

(20th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- only a single Mute Swans present: probably a cob. I peered inside the island from all angles and there did not seem to be another there.
- four Greylag Geese flew in.
- again no Cormorant, Grey Heron or Great (White) Egret noted

I think that the bird calls I noted two and three days ago that sounded somewhat like a Green Woodpecker were in fact given by a wayward Coot!

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 9 Canada Geese: four of these departed together
- 4 Greylag Geese: arrived
- 1 Mute Swan
- *30 (21♂) Mallard
- 6 (6♂) Pochard
- 45 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- *5 (1♂) Goosander
- 15 Moorhens
- 38 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 19 Black-headed Gulls
- no Cormorant
- no Grey Heron
- no Great (White) Egret

Of note around the area:
Nothing else. The Ivy bank was in full sun with little wind: still too cold to tempt any insects to appear.

This duck gave (and gives) me some problem as to its identity. She seemed slightly smaller than a Mallard; the bill showed more yellow than normal; and the pattern of the flank feathers looked different.

Here alongside a drake Mallard.

And a close-up. It certainly has more pale on the bill and it seems to show a hint of the white neck-ring shown by drakes. Could this just be a reflection from the water. "Just" a duck Mallard I concluded.

It would be churlish to complain about this morning's sun. The strong contrast makes photographing drake Goosander a challenge. The head looks great: all detail in the flank feathers is lost.

A calling Long-tailed Tit.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
12 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
3 Greater Scaup
Velvet Scoter
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
16 Redwings over
555 Jackdaws
345 Rooks
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)

The Flash
120 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
3 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
31 Wigeon
10 Gadwall
11 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
1 Greater Scaup
177 Coots again
38 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
9 Redwings
52 Magpies
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Shoveler
4 Pochard
57 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
38 Tufted Duck
150 Wood Pigeons
57 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
36 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
7 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)