Priorslee Lake: 07:20 – 09:40
Sunrise: 08:21 GMT
-4°C > 0°C: Mainly clear and frosty; a few wispy, misty bits and rather hazy. Calm. Moderate visibility
(180th visit of the year)
Very small amount of ice
Other notes from today
- the Mute Swan cygnet slept at the opposite end of the water from its parents last night. They joined up later
- an additional drake Gadwall this morning
- the 4 Shoveler just ‘appeared’, always down the ‘other end’. An obvious drake, the others seemed likely to be ducks but really too misty
- continuing decline in Tufted Duck numbers
- split between ‘overhead’ and ‘on the water’ for the Cormorants hard to gauge. At least 17 birds seen with only 2 actually confirmed as landing with several others very low
- 4 Little Grebes together: 1 skipped off to the NW; the others to the NE
- c.100 of the Black-headed Gulls present and settled when I arrived and likely roosted
- just 4 Wood Pigeons flushed from trees: none seen flying over
- Magpie numbers a wee bit suspect this morning: an early dog-walker flushed c.25 birds from their post-dispersal trees and these seemed to go back in the roost area. May have counted some of them again when they left!
- many Siskins overhead included party of 9: none seen in trees
- 2 Linnets roosted near the yacht compound: at least 4 more flew over
- single Reed Bunting called and then left the W end scrub: no others seen or heard
and
- 1 male Mottled Umber moth on one of the lamps
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 15 Cormorants (see notes)
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 28 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 4 Goldfinches
- 11 Siskins
- 4 Linnets
Birds leaving roost around lake
- >79 Magpies (see notes)
- 2 Linnets
- 1 Reed Bunting
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 10 (6♂) Mallard
- 4 (1♂) Shoveler
- 8 (8♂) Pochard
- 28 (15♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants (see notes)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 Little Grebes
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Water Rails (heard only)
- 7 Moorhens
- 33 Coots
- c.140 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
For frost-effect photos I always turn to brambles that seem to be especially attractive – I guess the thorns act as miniature moisture traps ahead of the freezing action.
Here both catkins and the cones of Alders: certainly from this angle the dark cones don’t seem as affected.
Rather different from just a few weeks ago when many of these trees still had spectacular golden leaves.
No light and a fast-skipping Little Grebe is a difficult combination: the camera did well to capture this.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 07:00 – 07:10 // 09:45 – 10:05
(137th visit of the year)
A small amount of ice around the shallower edges
First visit [07:00 – 07:10]
Passing while still dark
The 14 Greylag Geese alongside one of the footbridge; c.110 other geese all sounded like Canada Geese (apart from the noisy Feral Goose) but too dark to confirm
- 14? Greylag Geese
- c.110? Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 1 Wood Pigeon in ‘song’ again
- 2 Song Thrushes in song
Second visit [09:45 – 10:05]
Notes from here
- Tufted Duck numbers continue to decline here as well
Counts of birds flying over here
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Redwings
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 31 (21♂) Mallard again
- 33 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 (2♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 16 Coots
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
Sunrise: 08:21 GMT
-4°C > 0°C: Mainly clear and frosty; a few wispy, misty bits and rather hazy. Calm. Moderate visibility
(180th visit of the year)
Very small amount of ice
Other notes from today
- the Mute Swan cygnet slept at the opposite end of the water from its parents last night. They joined up later
- an additional drake Gadwall this morning
- the 4 Shoveler just ‘appeared’, always down the ‘other end’. An obvious drake, the others seemed likely to be ducks but really too misty
- continuing decline in Tufted Duck numbers
- split between ‘overhead’ and ‘on the water’ for the Cormorants hard to gauge. At least 17 birds seen with only 2 actually confirmed as landing with several others very low
- 4 Little Grebes together: 1 skipped off to the NW; the others to the NE
- c.100 of the Black-headed Gulls present and settled when I arrived and likely roosted
- just 4 Wood Pigeons flushed from trees: none seen flying over
- Magpie numbers a wee bit suspect this morning: an early dog-walker flushed c.25 birds from their post-dispersal trees and these seemed to go back in the roost area. May have counted some of them again when they left!
- many Siskins overhead included party of 9: none seen in trees
- 2 Linnets roosted near the yacht compound: at least 4 more flew over
- single Reed Bunting called and then left the W end scrub: no others seen or heard
and
- 1 male Mottled Umber moth on one of the lamps
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 15 Cormorants (see notes)
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 28 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 4 Goldfinches
- 11 Siskins
- 4 Linnets
Birds leaving roost around lake
- >79 Magpies (see notes)
- 2 Linnets
- 1 Reed Bunting
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 10 (6♂) Mallard
- 4 (1♂) Shoveler
- 8 (8♂) Pochard
- 28 (15♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants (see notes)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 Little Grebes
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Water Rails (heard only)
- 7 Moorhens
- 33 Coots
- c.140 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
A misty start – not as bad as the forecast said it would be
The actual fiery sunrise.
Also a frosty start: looked almost like a light fall of snow.
And again.
And here are the frosted heads of the Common Willowherb.
More frost: here the catkins of Alders.
And the cones stand out exceptionally well in this ‘upwards’ shot.
And frosted dead heads of thistles.
Here is the W end footpath looking seasonal.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 07:00 – 07:10 // 09:45 – 10:05
(137th visit of the year)
A small amount of ice around the shallower edges
First visit [07:00 – 07:10]
Passing while still dark
The 14 Greylag Geese alongside one of the footbridge; c.110 other geese all sounded like Canada Geese (apart from the noisy Feral Goose) but too dark to confirm
- 14? Greylag Geese
- c.110? Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 1 Wood Pigeon in ‘song’ again
- 2 Song Thrushes in song
Second visit [09:45 – 10:05]
Notes from here
- Tufted Duck numbers continue to decline here as well
Counts of birds flying over here
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Redwings
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 31 (21♂) Mallard again
- 33 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 (2♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 16 Coots
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in ...........
2015Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
10 Pochard
64 Tufted Ducks
1 Scaup
1 Goosander
218 Coots
28 Redwings
386 Jackdaws
209 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 drake Scaup
4 Gadwall
19 Pochard
1 Peregrine
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
4 Goosander
1 Pochard
(John Isherwood)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
15+ Great Black-backed Gulls
(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)
Horsehay Pool
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Kriss Webb)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Caspian Gull
9 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Dawn Balmer/Peter Wilson/David Fairhurst)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black necked Grebe
4 Gadwall
1 Water Rail
(John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Peregrine
2 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)
Trench Pool
1 Yellow-legged Gul1
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)
2007
The Flash
11 Goosander
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Village
9 Siskins
7 Redwing
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
1 Pochard
15 Tufted Ducks
13 Lapwings
c.100 Black-headed Gulls
c.1100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
26 Herring Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
12 Pied Wagtails
6 Redwing
1 Fieldfare
160 Jackdaws
97 Rooks
20 Chaffinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)
2005
Priorslee lake
30 Pochard 30
32 Tufted Duck
6 Great Crested Grebe
200+ Coot
1 Water Rail
c.3000 Black-headed Gulls
c.2000 Lesser Black-backs
4 Herring Gulls
21 Pied Wagtails
247 Rooks
172 Jackdaw
5 Redwing
5 Fieldfare
46 Siskin
19 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)