4.0°C > 6.0°C: Scattered below a medium-high overcast at dawn, the low cloud increasing later. Rain after 09:15. Moderate southerly wind. Very good visibility, less good after rain commenced.
Sunrise: 07:16 GMT
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:20 – 09:10
(39th visit of the year)
An addition to my 2026 bird species list for here. A Reed Bunting was making an effort to sing a few undistinguished notes along the South side at c.06:50 [I recorded the first song on 27 February last year]. This species has traditionally formed small winter roosts at the West end. Not this Winter. There are normally three breeding territories. These have been occupied by singing males for the last two years without any sign of successful breeding. Species #60 here this year for me.
Bird notes:
- six Goosanders today: certainly two full adults. Apparently four brownheads/ducks with none of these seeming to be the recently seen immature drake.
- back to just two pairs of Great Crested Grebe.
- the grass behind the dam is in much demand: at 06:50 there were two Canada Geese, a pair of Mallard, a Moorhen and 18 Coots feeding there.
- the first gull, a Lesser Black-back, flew straight in at 06:56. Over 20 more passed over before the main arrival of large gulls. This contained almost as many Herring Gulls as Lesser Black-backs. The first of just 17 Black-headed Gulls was not noted until 07:25.
- the Great (White) Egret arrived from the North at 06:47.
- most of the Jackdaws seen were passing very low and far to the East. Probably many overlooked / unseen. The Rooks were all flying much higher as well as closer.
- three Mistle Thrushes flew East loosely together: two carried on, across Castle Farm Way; the other stopped in trees on the lake side of Castle Farm Way.
- a Chaffinch was heard in song: my first this year [31 January was my first last year].
- also two Greenfinches were giving their nasal territorial call: I heard one on 20 January at The Flash. [I don't have a record of the first date for here in 2025].
- mobile group(s) of up to 30 Siskins were noted.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: a pair flew South and a pair flew West.
- 20 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 81 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
>150 Jackdaws
- 173 Rooks
- 2 Mistle Thrushes
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Counts from the lake area:
- 9 Canada Geese: the resident pair upset at three other pairs and a single arriving separately
- 12 (8♂) Mallard
- 18 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (2♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- 40 Herring Gulls
- 44 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *4 Cormorants
- *2 Grey Herons: when the second arrived it was soon chased away
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Flies:
- *3 small plumed midges: 2 males and 1 female
- *3 small plumed midges: 2 males and 1 female
Springtails:
- *4 globular springtails, some perhaps Dicyrtomina saundersi-type
- *4 globular springtails, some perhaps Dicyrtomina saundersi-type
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- *2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- *2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp.
Looking West after (nominal) sunrise it looked promising. It did not stay like this.
As usual the Siskins were high up in the trees against what was by now a lowering sky with spits of rain. A male here.
One of four small plumed midges on the street lamp poles: this, with feathered antennae, is a male.
A few seconds later and the first springtail seems to have gone!
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:20
(36th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the single Mute Swan still present: again it did not come close-enough for me to check its sex / any ring.
- did I overlook the drake Pochard yesterday? a drake was present today.
- two Great Crested Grebes again: both of them had head plumes.
- *just a male Blackcap with other species at the feeding station. The arrival of the refuse cart saw the birds disperse (the rain did not help!)
- *>30 Siskins again seen both on the feeders and in the trees.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 3 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 22 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- *33 (23♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 20 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- *21 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: both (near?) adults
- no Cormorants
- no Grey Heron
Of note around the area:
Nothing else
I am not sure how the first-winter Black-headed Gull is going to cope with its prize. Another first-winter is anxious to help.
Another first-winter Black-headed Gull giving a good view of the feather tracts in the wing. This bird seems to have replaced two of its black-tipped tail feathers. I suspect the original feathers were damaged and regrown as adult feathers. The moult would not normally happen until June time.
....visited the feeders while I was there. As noted the arrival of a refuse lorry and the operatives saw the birds go in to cover.
A female Blackbird. Some individuals, as here, show rufous tones. This bird may be a first year bird: the bill is not all-yellow (never as bright as the male); and her pale yellow eye-ring is barely visible.
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
5 Pochard
7 Tufted Duck
13 Redwings
227 Jackdaws
172 Rooks
Meadow Pipit
5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Pochard
174 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
29 Wigeon
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(JW Reeves, John Isherwood)
Holmer Lake
2 Goosander
Little Grebe
(John Isherwood)
Horsehay Pool
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(JW Reeves)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Kumlien's Gull
(Peter Wilson/Dawn Balmer )
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Pochard
13 Tufted Ducks
1 Curlew
c.620 Black-headed Gulls
68 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
146 Wood Pigeons
34 Robins
18 Blackbirds
15 Song Thrushes
8 Redwings
193 Jackdaws
101 Rooks
12 Greenfinches
11 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
3 Cormorants
2 Gadwall
10 Pochard
27 Tufted Ducks
122 Coots
963 Wood Pigeons
17 Pied Wagtails
14 Greenfinches
62 Siskins
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
Food!! Five Black-headed Gulls try to steal the bread from a trio of Mallard (two drakes).
"You'll choke!"
A Great Spotted Woodpecker. With red on the nape this is a male. Nice red trousers.
Just a male Blackcap...
A Song Thrush started by looking for food dropped off the feeders but...
...then decided to visit the feeders. I cannot recall this shy species visiting feeders too often in the past.
Do I need to say – a Robin.
A male Siskin on one of the feeders.
A messy eater.
And a female.
Another female shares the feeder with a Blue Tit.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Priorslee Lake
5 Pochard
7 Tufted Duck
13 Redwings
227 Jackdaws
172 Rooks
Meadow Pipit
5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Pochard
174 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
29 Wigeon
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(JW Reeves, John Isherwood)
Holmer Lake
2 Goosander
Little Grebe
(John Isherwood)
Horsehay Pool
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(JW Reeves)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Kumlien's Gull
(Peter Wilson/Dawn Balmer )
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Pochard
13 Tufted Ducks
1 Curlew
c.620 Black-headed Gulls
68 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
146 Wood Pigeons
34 Robins
18 Blackbirds
15 Song Thrushes
8 Redwings
193 Jackdaws
101 Rooks
12 Greenfinches
11 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
3 Cormorants
2 Gadwall
10 Pochard
27 Tufted Ducks
122 Coots
963 Wood Pigeons
17 Pied Wagtails
14 Greenfinches
62 Siskins
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)