Priorslee Lake: 05:55 – 09:20
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:10
1.0°C > 8.0°C: Clear and rather hazy again. Some mist over the water for a while. Frost early. Light SE wind. Moderate visibility
Sunrise: 07:06 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 05:55 – 09:20
(52nd visit of the year)
Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
63 Chiffchaff
A bird singing along the N side was my first for the year. Fine days in February often persuade otherwise silent over-wintering birds to start singing. However given the weather vector for the last week and more this is as likely a genuine migrant
Bird notes from today
- Mute Swans gone again!
- Sparrowhawk seen three times passing with languid wing-beats – display flight
- yet another Woodcock seen flying to roost – different location this time
- most Black-headed Gulls flew straight through W to E. Seven was the maximum count on the water
- a female Great Spotted Woodpecker heard and seen drumming: I did not know that females drummed. Not very loudly, but certainly drumming
- more Jackdaws went out below my sight-line across the fields to the E
- in addition to the 9 Reed Buntings leaving the roost there were two others singing and one more calling later
Bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 3 Greylag Geese (outbound)
- 18 Canada Geese (16 outbound; 2 inbound)
- 47 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull again
- 108 Wood Pigeons
- >740 Jackdaws
- 51 Rooks
- 1 Siskin
Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- [Magpies not counted]
- 9 Reed Buntings
The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese (arrived)
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 4 (4♂) Pochard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 9 Moorhens again
- 29 Coots
- 7 Black-headed Gulls only
Other things
- 1 Dotted Border moth on a lamp post early
- 1 Nursery Web spider on a lamp post later
A very early pre-dawn view.
Early mist did not stay around too long – unlike yesterday.
Sun just rising through the mist.
A few minutes later.
If I cannot get the man-made structure out of the photo I might as well exploit it.
The early light looking west.
Certainly no red on the nape.
Managed to find a dark background to contrast these sunlit Hazel catkins.
(Ed Wilson)
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(47th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- where have many of the Mallard gone?
- Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming in squirrel alley
- Treecreeper seen in squirrel alley
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Jackdaws
The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose (arrived)
- 21 Canada Geese (13 of these arrived)
- 15 (9♂) Mallard only
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler still
- 41 (20♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
Note:
1. A few photos from Venus Pool - 24 Feb - Click Here
2. A few photos from Belvide - 23 Feb. Click Here
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On this day..........
2016Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
8 Pochard
5 Tufted Duck
5 Cormorant
1 Kittiwake
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
1 Iceland Gull
1 Caspian Gull
23 Redwings
c.800 Jackdaws
>300 Rooks
9 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, J.Reeves, P.Jordan, John Isherwood, Gary Crowder)
The Flash
1 Little Grebe
215 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool
11 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
Telford Crematorium
Cackling Goose
300 Lesser Black-backed Gull
c.20 Herring Gull
500 Black-headed Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Gary Crowder)
Nedge Hill
1 Stonechat
(John Isherwood)
2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
25 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
17 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
Greater Scaup
50 Tufted Duck
12 Pochard
(Jim Shannon)
2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Redpoll
Priorslee Flash
1 Goosander
Nedge Hill
8 Lapwing
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Gadwall
47 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
c.550 Black-headed Gulls
c. 800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
56 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Pochard
7 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
2 Kestrel
1 Peregrine Falcon
1 Lapwing
3 Grey Wagtail
26 Wren
28 Robin
21 Blackbird
15 Redwing
53 Magpie
14 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
9 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
5 Cormorants
121 Coot
1 Mediterranean Gull
c.1100 Black-headed Gulls
211 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
33 Herring Gulls.
741 Wood Pigeon
289 Jackdaws
108 Rooks
290 Starlings
21 Reed Bunting
1 Sky Lark
11 Greenfinches
6 Siskins
23 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)