Location
c.12°C. Passing showers; fresh / strong SW wind; good visibility, moderate in showers
For some time to come I will be restricted to making sporadic visits using public transport and ‘middle of the day’ visits are likely
(11th visit of the year)
Notes
- all the counts were done while trying to stand on a VERY windy dam and are ‘best effort’. The dam is the only place where all the water can be seen and under- / over-laps in counts can be avoided
- while doing the count an adult Common Gull appeared briefly overhead: by the time I had retrieved the camera from the safety of my rucksack it had disappeared. Second here this year on what is otherwise a dire year for gulls in both quantity and quality
- a Dandelion (Taraxacum sp.) noted in flower
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 9 (5♂) Gadwall
- 6 (3♂) Mallard
- 24 (21♂) Pochard
- 40 (19♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Cormorants
- 15 Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Moorhens
- 103 Coots (possibly incomplete count)
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Herring Gulls
A statuesque Cormorant with some breeding white plumes.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 11:40 – 12:10
Location
(7th visit of the year)
Notes
- party of 12 Magpies seen bathing along the E edge of the fast-disappearing island
Birds noted flying over
None
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 34 (23♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 89 (55♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 21 Coots
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014
2014
Priorslee Lake
Location
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)