Priorslee Lake: 07:20 – 10:00
LocationSunrise: 07:56 BST
10°C > 11°C: Some low cloud and some clear areas; an un-forecast drizzly shower after 09:15. Calm start again; light SSW wind later. Misty with moderate visibility, poor for a while in the drizzle
A generally rather quiet morning
(133rd visit of the year)
Notes from today
- just 20 of the 34 Wood Pigeons flying over were in a single migrant group: the others were singles on local movements
- the misty conditions nixed any chance of seeing the Jackdaws and Rooks passing from their distant roosts
- all c.250 Starlings from the NW reeds emerged in 3 groups within seconds of each other
- unusually at least 8 Fieldfare were seen in trees around the lake, albeit briefly. As winter visitors these tend to be open country birds – I recall being quite bemused to see them breeding inside forests in Russia
- the Blackbirds seem to have decided the haws are ready to eat: I logged 25 different birds this morning, almost double the number I logged on other recent visits
- one of the 10 Dunnocks / Hedge Sparrows I logged today was singing: this species will sing sporadically all winter on fine days
- one Great Tit was doing an excellent impression of a scolding Song Thrush: when I investigated there were two Goldcrests close-by, one with its crest wide-open and showing the orange centre. I could see no reason for the alarm
- in addition to the fly-over Siskins there were several groups of up to 17 birds flying around the tree-tops (there were also c.30 Goldfinches around the trees)
and
- just 1 Epirrita sp. moth on the lamps today
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 31 Canada Geese
- 1 (?♂) Pochard
- 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 34 Wood Pigeons (see notes)
- 1 Collared Dove
- 13 Jackdaws (see notes)
- 1 Rook only
- 115 Starlings (6 groups)
- 44 Fieldfare (1 group)
- 23 Redwings (4 groups)
- 15 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit yet again
- 1 Chaffinch
- 2 Greenfinches
- 3 Goldfinches
- 1 Linnet
- 2 Siskins (see notes)
Count of birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- >250 Starlings (3 groups)
- 7 Redwings
- 3 Reed Buntings
Warblers seen / heard
None
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 33 Greylag Geese (flew off)
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall remain
- 7 (3♂) Mallard again
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 129 Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens again
- 60 Coots
- >120 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
One of the Fieldfare atop one of the willows at the lake.
If you look hard there are 8 Fieldfare lurking here.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in ...........
2011
Priorslee Lake
17 Tufted Ducks
c.400 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Mike Cooper)
2005
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
41 Tufted Duck
212 Coot
778 Fieldfare
199 Redwings
800 Wood Pigeons
Chiffchaff
Possible Firecrest
3 Siskin
18 Redpoll
275 Starlings
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
17 Tufted Ducks
c.400 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Mike Cooper)
2005
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
41 Tufted Duck
212 Coot
778 Fieldfare
199 Redwings
800 Wood Pigeons
Chiffchaff
Possible Firecrest
3 Siskin
18 Redpoll
275 Starlings
(Ed Wilson)