Priorslee Lake: 07:00 – 09:20
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:0
4.0°C: Low cloud overhead, clearer to E. Then generally clouding with light rain at 10:00. Increasing SSE wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:16 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 07:00 – 09:25
(12th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A pair of Greylag Geese went outbound, only to return within a few minutes.
- Two Canada Geese were followed in from the N by 15 more. They stayed about an hour and were left alone by the Mute Swans.
- Low number of Tufted Ducks – see notes from The Flash.
- A few Redwings out of a small roost. Later at least 25 in trees around the Teece Drive gate.
- A Reed Bunting was again in song at the W end. The only bird seen leaving the area did so from the S side reeds.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 Common Buzzards
- [gulls: see below]
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 24 Wood Pigeons
- >1100 Jackdaws
- c.25 Rooks
- 1 Siskin
Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- 4 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 17 Canada Geese
- 4 (3♂) Gadwall
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 17 (12♂) Tufted Duck only
- 2 Cormorants again
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens again
- 72 Coots
Gulls:
Arrival:
- All Black-headed Gulls late with just c.75 arriving at 07:45. No more before 07:55 after which c.530 logged in small groups from the W.
- The first and only large gull was a first-winter Herring Gull briefly c.08:10.
counts
- c.600 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winters
Overhead:
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: adult
Nothing on any lamp pole pre dawn: very wet from overnight dew and also too windy.
Other sightings:
- Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium): a lone still-flowering plant.
- many Hazel catkins now looking full-size.
New bird species for my 2020 bird list at this site.
None
The ‘red sky in the morning’ ahead of the wind and rain.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:00
(11th visit of the year)
Bird notes from here:
- More Tufted Duck than usual. Possibly birds displaced from the lake by weekend activity?
- First Treecreeper here this year at the top end of squirrel alley.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Jackdaw
- 1 Siskin
Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 7 Canada Geese
- 36 (21♂) Mallard
- 12 (12♂) Pochard
- 59 (38♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (1♂) Goosander
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 4 Moorhens
- 14 Coots
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults
No other sightings:
Additional bird species for my 2020 bird list at this site:
46 Treecreeper
The drake Mallard formation flying team getting some practice.
(Ed Wilson)
Note:
1. Click Here for a Summary of the 2019 Priorslee Lake Report.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day..........
2019Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
1 drake Scaup
2 female Scaup
(Paul King)
2013
Priorslee Lake
103 Coot
147 Black-headed Gulls
25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
63 Tufted Duck
1 drake Scaup
2 Great Crested Grebe
17 Pochard
(Tony Beckett)
Priorslee Flash
4 Goosander
38 Tufted Duck
(Tony Beckett)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Caspian Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
5 Great Crested Grebe
20 Pochard
17 Tufted Duck
c.200 Black-headed Gulls
92 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
24 Redwings
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
66 Tufted Duck
236 Black-headed Gulls
36 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
East of Priorslee
Willow Tit
Skylark
Brown Hare
(John Isherwood)
Holmer Lake
69 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Bittern
8 Swans
4 Gadwall
23 Pochard
55 Tufted Ducks
256 Coots
c.800 Black-headed Gulls
c.500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
c.40 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
Willow Tit
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson and unknown observer)
2007
Priorslee Lake
38 Pochard
53 Tufted Ducks
15 Goosanders
2 Buzzards
>1000 Black-headed Gulls
>215 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
22 Herring Gulls
32 Robins
15 Blackbirds
179 Fieldfares
104 Redwings
274 Jackdaws
266 Rooks
218 Starlings
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
9 Great Crested Grebes
13 Cormorants
10 Pochard
24 Tufted Duck
207 Coots
2 Lapwings
c.850 Black-headed Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
96 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
61 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
309 Jackdaws
493 Rooks
12 Pied Wagtails
10 Fieldfare
15 Robins
12 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
2 Siskins
1 Redpoll
11 Greenfinches
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)