3.0°C > 4.0°C: Back to gloom: very low cloud early covering the hills. As the light south-easterly wind began to increase moderate the cloud lifted somewhat. Moderate visibility, becoming good.
Sunrise: 07:58 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:50 – 09:25
(25th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- only six Goosanders (three drakes. I think!).
- now two Great Crested Grebes. These occasionally did some desultory displaying.
- more gulls today, the large gulls arriving after 07:30 and the Black-headed Gulls after 07:45.
- it seem strange that when the Great (White) Egret flies across the water the gulls take no notice whereas when the Grey Heron does so they all take to the air. Perhaps because the egret tends to fly at a higher level?
- an unusual sighting was just two Long-tailed Tits performing a prolonged chase in and around the West end hedge row. There was no obvious sign of any other members of a Long-tailed Tit party.
- all the c.250(?) Starlings flew low East in one large group. I don't think they could have come from a roost around the water. When birds do roost around the lake then while most leave together there are always small groups of "late risers" chasing to catch-up and I did not note any stragglers this morning.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: flew East together
- 2 Greylag Geese: flew East together
- 3 Stock Doves: flew East together
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 56 Jackdaws
- 23 Rooks
- >250 Starlings: flew East together
- 3 Fieldfare: flew East together
Counts from the lake area:
- 17 (10♂) Mallard
- 7 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- *6 (3?♂) Goosander
- 3 Moorhens
- 19 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 13 Herring Gulls
- 78 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants again
- 1 Grey Heron: perhaps early only
- *1 Great (White) Egret again
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Dew-covered and cold
A puzzling Goosander. The white feathering in the folded wings suggests a drake. The buff flanks and brownhead suggest a duck. It seems very late in the season for it to be a late-moulting first-winter drake. I cannot come up with any other explanation.
The low light-level retains some of the feather detail but makes it a challenge to completely "freeze" the action.
I noted three Fieldfare flying over this morning. This is almost certainly not one of them. I took this photograph yesterday in fields alongside Sleap Airfield near Wem.
Another view. A species typically seen in Winter in the UK in open country. When I first visited Russia it was a surprise to encounter them inside dense woodland – where they nest.
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:50 – 09:25
(25th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- only six Goosanders (three drakes. I think!).
- now two Great Crested Grebes. These occasionally did some desultory displaying.
- more gulls today, the large gulls arriving after 07:30 and the Black-headed Gulls after 07:45.
- it seem strange that when the Great (White) Egret flies across the water the gulls take no notice whereas when the Grey Heron does so they all take to the air. Perhaps because the egret tends to fly at a higher level?
- an unusual sighting was just two Long-tailed Tits performing a prolonged chase in and around the West end hedge row. There was no obvious sign of any other members of a Long-tailed Tit party.
- all the c.250(?) Starlings flew low East in one large group. I don't think they could have come from a roost around the water. When birds do roost around the lake then while most leave together there are always small groups of "late risers" chasing to catch-up and I did not note any stragglers this morning.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: flew East together
- 2 Greylag Geese: flew East together
- 3 Stock Doves: flew East together
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 56 Jackdaws
- 23 Rooks
- >250 Starlings: flew East together
- 3 Fieldfare: flew East together
Counts from the lake area:
- 17 (10♂) Mallard
- 7 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- *6 (3?♂) Goosander
- 3 Moorhens
- 19 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 13 Herring Gulls
- 78 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants again
- 1 Grey Heron: perhaps early only
- *1 Great (White) Egret again
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Dew-covered and cold
Springtails:
- *2 unidentified small springtails
Seen later:
- *2 unidentified small springtails
Seen later:
Nothing of note
Four of the Goosanders were staying as two pairs for much of the time. Here is one such pair.
A Great (White) Egret of course.
Springtails are a challenge to identify at the best of times. When any markings are obscured by droplets of dew the answer is? Give up!
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:45
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:45
(21st visit of the year)
New bird species:
A new bird species for the year here (#50) when several *Lesser Redpolls were heard and then seen feeding along with a large group of *Siskins feeding in Alders and Silver Birch trees.
Bird notes:
- the single Mute Swans present again.
- so where were many of the Mallard today?
- two Great Crested Grebes both with obvious head plumes. Has the bird seen last week with almost no plumes grown some quickly or has it been replaced by a different bird?
- again no Grey Heron or Great (White) Egret noted but there was an immature Cormorant.
- there was a tussle going on between a Carrion Crow and a Magpie with one trying to steal sticks from the nest of the other. I am not sure whose nest it was.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- 20 (14♂) Mallard
- 10 (8♂) Pochard
- 36 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (1♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 39 Coots
- *2 Great Crested Grebes
- *43 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: one first-, one second- and one third-winter
- 1 Cormorant: immature
- no Grey Heron
- no Great (White) Egret
Around the area:
New bird species:
A new bird species for the year here (#50) when several *Lesser Redpolls were heard and then seen feeding along with a large group of *Siskins feeding in Alders and Silver Birch trees.
Bird notes:
- the single Mute Swans present again.
- so where were many of the Mallard today?
- two Great Crested Grebes both with obvious head plumes. Has the bird seen last week with almost no plumes grown some quickly or has it been replaced by a different bird?
- again no Grey Heron or Great (White) Egret noted but there was an immature Cormorant.
- there was a tussle going on between a Carrion Crow and a Magpie with one trying to steal sticks from the nest of the other. I am not sure whose nest it was.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- 20 (14♂) Mallard
- 10 (8♂) Pochard
- 36 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (1♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 39 Coots
- *2 Great Crested Grebes
- *43 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: one first-, one second- and one third-winter
- 1 Cormorant: immature
- no Grey Heron
- no Great (White) Egret
Around the area:
Nothing else of note
Here is one of the two Great Crested Grebes that both showed extensive head-plumes. Typically the other bird disappeared somewhere while I was photographing this bird.
A few of the Black-headed Gulls are now beginning to acquire their breeding plumage. The name is a misnomer: it is only a hood which changes not to black but to a dark chocolate colour.
The change happens surprisingly quickly on any one bird. Almost all the adults will be fully hooded by the end of February.
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
14 Pochard
71 Tufted Duck
3 Greater Scaup
1 Velvet Scoter
103 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
141 Redwings
502 Jackdaws
383 Rooks
2 Ravens
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)
The Flash
89 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
26 Wigeon
12 Gadwall
12 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
181 Coots
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
246 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
34 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
21 Redwings
147 Jackdaws
c.30 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Unknown Observer)
Trench Lock Pool
18 Swans
8 Pochard
45 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
99 Coots counted
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
51 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
c.2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
109 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.250 Black-headed Gulls.
1 Buzzard
1 Merlin
(Martin Adlam)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Goldeneye
(Ed Wilson)
Not easy. Small birds in the tops of trees against the leaden sky. Seven Siskins here.
Wind up the exposure and use maximum zoom! A male Siskin with a smart dark crown.
A different male.
A messy eater!
It took a while. I eventually found one of the Lesser Redpolls. "Poll" = head or crown.
Another. The breast and flanks of this species is a warmer buff in tone than the accompanying Siskins.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Priorslee Lake
14 Pochard
71 Tufted Duck
3 Greater Scaup
1 Velvet Scoter
103 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
141 Redwings
502 Jackdaws
383 Rooks
2 Ravens
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)
The Flash
89 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
26 Wigeon
12 Gadwall
12 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
181 Coots
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
246 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
34 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
21 Redwings
147 Jackdaws
c.30 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Unknown Observer)
Trench Lock Pool
18 Swans
8 Pochard
45 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
99 Coots counted
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
51 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
c.2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
109 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.250 Black-headed Gulls.
1 Buzzard
1 Merlin
(Martin Adlam)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Goldeneye
(Ed Wilson)