Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:10
The Flash: 09:15 – 09:55
1°C > 2°C: Very low cloud / fog until c.08:00 when began to lift. Moderate ESE wind. Very poor / poor visibility, becoming good.
Sunrise: 07:52 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:10
(164th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The two adult Mute Swans spent most of the time ignoring each other on opposite sides of the water. Just a brief skirmish when they got too close. The cygnet keeping close contact with one of adults
- presumed same group of 4 Greylag and 6 Canada Geese as yesterday present before dawn: left to the together at E 07:25
- the three Goosanders did their now usual few circuits before deciding not to land at 08:20
- I presume most of the Black-headed Gulls arrived and then left before visibility was good-enough to see most of them. Just c.50 noted
- my strategic positioning to see the Jackdaws was thwarted: the cloud was too low at that time to see anything
- c.80 Starlings flying S seemed to be so low they could only have come from the NW reeds. I neither heard them there or actually saw their departure though
Bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
[it seems that autumn passage is just about over]
- 3 brownhead Goosander
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 18 Greylag Geese outbound
- 2 Wood Pigeons only!
- Jackdaws heard only
- 3 Skylarks
- 8 Fieldfare
- 3 Redwings
Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 4 Redwings
- c.80 Starlings (see notes)
The counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 4 Greylag Geese again
- 6 Canada Geese again
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall: yawn!
- 14 (10♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 114 (59♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 10 Moorhens
- 106 Coots
- c.50 Black-headed Gulls only
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
My log of other things was empty
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:15 – 09:55
(127th visit of the year)
Bird notes from here
- another splendid array of Goosanders. Birds all around the water and some moving behind the island meant that a complete count was not possible. Minimum number recorded
- when I arrived a party of brownhead Goosander was fishing under the overhanging vegetation at the S end. Alongside these, but not amongst them, at least 34 of the Black-headed Gulls were spinning in the water amongst the overhanging branches or plunging in alongside. I can only assume they were feeding on morsels stirred up by the Goosanders. Would these be small fry?
and
- 1 Mottled Umber moth had managed to find a sheltered lamp post
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw
The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans again
- 3 Canada Geese
- 40 (24♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Ducks only
- >56 (>12♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 5 Moorhens
- 8 Coots
- 54 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed 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
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls
930+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
95 Herring Gulls
(Tom Lowe)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Goldeneye
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
22 Tufted Ducks
146 Coots
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
8 Redwings
151 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)
2005
Priorslee Lake
50+ Golden Plover
4 Pochard
39 Tufted Duck
1 duck Wigeon
2 Ruddy Duck
2 Little Grebes
200+ Coot
1 Water Rail
1 Kingfisher
12 Redwing
5 Fieldfare
8 Siskin
5 Reed Bunting
(Martin R Adlam)