2.5°C > 3.0°C: Well broken cloud with passing light sleet showers. Fresh W wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:14 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 06:55 – 09:30
(1st visit of the year)
A very quiet start on my first visit this year as indicated by Wren being the 31st species logged – normally I would expect it to be the 3rd or 4th after Robin and Blackbird and/or Dunnock and/or Song Thrush. Very little seen overhead
Other notes from today:
- 5 additional adult Mute Swans. The resident adult pair stayed well away and the 3 cygnets were in yet another part of the lake. Three went for a short flight but returned
- 27 of the 33 Canada Geese left in three groups; the others stayed alongside the three cygnets
- still 11 Gadwall with males increased since last year
- Coot numbers ‘best-effort’ with the wind whipping across the dam making the single complete count from here ‘challenging’
- at least 250 Black-headed Gulls came in high from the W. Most (all?) settled briefly on the water and then left to the SE. Very few remained / returned
- more large gulls overhead than recently. This included a party of 52 in which there was a lone Herring Gull. All but one of these gulls seemed to be full adults
- very few finches – no Greenfinches or Chaffinches noted: a party of 16 Siskins in alders
and
- a red-eyed fly, possibly a Long-horned Black Legionnaire (Beris geniculata), the only insect on the lamps
Bird species logged in order of sighting (34)
Robin; Blackbird; Coot; Canada Goose; Tufted Duck; Mute Swan; Mallard; Magpie; Dunnock; Jackdaw; Gadwall; Moorhen; Carrion Crow; Black-headed Gull; Great Crested Grebe; Stock Dove; Reed Bunting; Great Tit; Wood Pigeon; Lesser Black-backed Gull; Bullfinch; Goldfinch; Herring Gull; Cormorant; Pochard; Grey Heron; Long-tailed Tit; Blue Tit; Siskin; Jay; Wren; Grey Wagtail; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Collared Dove
Today’s bird totals
Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 67 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Stock Dove
- 29 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- c.235 Jackdaws
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 37 Magpies
- 1 Reed Bunting
The counts from the lake area
- 7 + 3 Mute Swans (see highlights)
- 33 Canada Geese
- 11 (7♂) Gadwall
- 11 (6♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Pochard
- 70 (40♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Cormorant
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens
- c.170 Coots
- >250 Black-headed Gulls
An uninspiring start to the day – at least the sleet showers held off for a while.
Another view showing the yellow on the rump and undertail.
This bird shows more extensive white edges to the primaries than depicted in many illustrations.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:15
(1st visit of the year)
Notes from here
- the Goosander was a bit of a surprise: it was hauled-out at the back of the island and not immediately obvious
Bird species logged in order of sighting (31)
Magpie; Wood Pigeon; Mallard; Black-headed Gull; Tufted Duck; [Feral Goose]; Great Crested Grebe; Carrion Crow; Robin; Greenfinch; Coot; Dunnock; Canada Goose; Moorhen; Mute Swan; Goldfinch; Greylag Goose; Herring Gull; Pochard; Grey Heron; Coal Tit; Blue Tit; Wren; Jackdaw; Great Tit; Blackbird; House Sparrow; Chaffinch; Goosander; Feral Pigeon; Lesser Black-backed Gull; Bullfinch
Birds noted flying over
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 5 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose
- 24 (17♂) Mallard
- 7 (7♂) Pochard
- 43 (29♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 13 Coots only
- 64 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2017Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Gary Crowder/Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
1 adult Yellow legged Gull
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Goldeneye
(Ed Wilson/ Jim Almond / John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Bittern
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)