Priorslee Lake: 07:10 – 09:40
LocationSunrise: 07:27 GMT
9°C > 10°C: Overnight heavy rain had given way to low cloud and occasional drizzly rain; moderate S wind; poor visibility
A report of a murmuration of c.1000 Starlings over the lake at c.16:00 last night. It was a very dark morning today and when I was told about this I was surprised that I had seen nothing of these birds leaving a roost.
A few new arrivals at the lake – a duck Shoveler back and 4 more drake Pochard – but generally murky and nothing much seen
(147th visit of the year)
Notes from today
- only one pair of Gadwall located today
- a Cormorant dropped in
- 10 of the Moorhens were on the SW grass at one stage: later 34 Coots were there
- all 149 of the over flying Wood Pigeons were flying low W. They may have been on the move but most certainly not in the migrant groups seen previously: the low cloud saw to that. Other than these birds there were very few Wood Pigeons around – I logged just 6 in the trees around the lake
- as many as 7 Goldcrests this morning: same comment as yesterday
- the Chiffchaff had a quick sing today
- at least 29 Goldfinches at the W end
and
- no moths on the lamps today: a rather unlikely sighting was an Angle Shades moth inside my bus en route!
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 149 Wood Pigeons
- 23 Jackdaws
- 12 Starlings (4 singles / groups)
- 72 Fieldfare (2 groups)
- 1 Redwing
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 4 Meadow Pipits
- 3 Goldfinches
- 5 Siskins
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 5 (5♂) Pochard
- 1 (0♂) Shoveler- 57 (31♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe again
- 7 Great Crested Grebes again
- 15 Moorhens
- 55 Coots only – poor weather?
- c.175 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull briefly
A quick preen.
Not quite sharp but in he circumstances ...
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:45 – 10:10
Location
Notes
- just 1 non-flying Canada Goose seen today
- it is some while since I logged all 3 Great Crested Grebes – 2 adults and their full-grown off-spring(?) – and I assume one of them has flown
Birds noted flying over
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 6 Redwings
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Canada Goose
- 1 all white feral goose
- 26 (21♂) Mallard
- 30 (14♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 (1♂) Goosanders
- 2 Great Crested Grebes once more
- no Moorhens seen
- 15 Coots again
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in ...........
2015Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
2 Teal
59 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
27 Moorhens
239 Coots
c.440 Wood Pigeons
8 Song Thrushes
567 Fieldfare
26 Redwings
270 Jackdaws
106 Rooks
c.310 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
103 Starlings
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
8 Goosander
139 Coots
52 Redwings
55 Fieldfares
571 Jackdaws
128 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
9 Cormorants
8 Pochard
117 Tufted Ducks
2000+ Wood Pigeons
400+ Fieldfare
125+ Redwings
33 Starlings
10+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Shoveler
2 Water Rails
c.50 Lapwings
c.150 Golden Plover
6 Redwings
3 Fieldfare
Chiffchaff
Several Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
65 Pochard
65 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
50 Coots
500+ Golden Plover
1 Woodcock
790+ Black-headed Gulls
1753+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
962 Wood Pigeons
130 Fieldfare
93 Redwings
393 Jackdaws
135 Rooks
174 Starlings
34 Greenfinches
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Dabchick
9 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
5 Ruddy Duck
Water Rail
800 Black-headed Gull
Cormorant
10 Redwing
9 Reed Bunting
3 Redpoll
9 Siskin
(Martin Adlam)