31 Dec 16

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READERS

The Flash passing; then Priorslee Lake, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

The Flash: 07:00 – 07:10

Sunrise: 08:21 GMT

6°C > 9°C: Broken cloud with a rather misty start: as the cloud lifted and filled in the visibility improved. Light SW wind. Moderate visibility becoming good

(139th visit of the year)

All the ice gone

Usual comment about geese numbers while passing in the dark. Strange that most of the geese seem to stay away much of the day at the moment – a few years ago they would be back here by c.10:30 whereas by 12:30 yesterday there were just the 4 long-term birds

Passing while still dark only
- 2 Mute Swans
- c.32 Greylag Geese
- c.150 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 1 Song Thrush in song

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake: 07:15 – 09:20

(182nd visit of the year)

Arrived as early as I could using public transport; and then went direct to the NE area in the hope I might manage to see a Woodcock go to roost. In previous years their appearance has been sporadic and it may be too mild at the moment. Whatever it was certainly too light even on a day with the latest sunrise of the year. Being there early meant that I missed most of the roost dispersals elsewhere: just 4 Redwings in the trees here

Notes from today
- one of the drake Gadwall gone
- now just 1 duck Shoveler
- duck Pochard new in
- low numbers of gulls again with, once more, most of the Black-headed Gulls flying through
- also very low number of Wood Pigeons: just 2 logged flying over and with only 2 more flushed from trees
- Willow Tit seen
- 4 Song Thrushes heard singing (Great and Coal Tits also heard singing in the area)
and
- no moths on the lamps again

Birds noted flying over the lake
- 134 Black-headed Gulls
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Collared Doves
- 42 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Birds leaving roost around lake (see notes)
- 4 Redwings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 11 (8♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Shoveler
- 10 (9♂) Pochard
- 23 (10♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant again
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe again
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Moorhens
- 41 Coots again
- 36 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 10:00 – 10:40

(12th visit of the year)

Several fishermen set up here seemed to have little effect on the geese and ducks: less sure about the effect it may have had on the gulls

Other notes
- many of the Canada Geese flew in
- another large count of Mallard, especially drakes: likely many more of the less visible ducks were lurking in the difficult to see areas along the S side – drakes are much easier to see
- another drake Shoveler
- Coot numbers remain at unusually low level
- another dire count of gulls

The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 65 Canada Geese
- 37 (27♂) Mallard
- 4 (4♂) Shoveler
- 39 (15♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 (2♂) Goosander
- 1 Cormorant
- 7 Moorhens
- 44 Coots
- 63 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 10:45 – 11:05

(7th visit of the year)

A fisherman here seemed not to worry the often jumpy Goosanders

Notes
- Mute Swan back
- rather few Mallard: hiding on the island/
- very high numbers of Goosanders – a record number for me here
- I think a record number of Coots for me here as well

The counts from the water
- 1 Mute Swan
- 9 Canada Goose
- 14 (10♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Feral-type Mallard
- 18 (9♂) Tufted Ducks
- 30 (4♂) Goosander
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 13 Moorhens
- 19 Coots
- 74 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
Two 1st-winter female Scaup
(Ian Grant)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
(Jim Almond and Paul Spear)

2010
Priorslee Lake
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Water Rail
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee lake
11 Great Crested Grebes
31 Pochard
48 Tufted Duck
237 Coot
Golden Plover
1 Water Rail
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.1250 Black-headed Gulls
300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
37 Herring Gulls
6 Great Black-backed Gull
374 Jackdaws
178 Rooks
1 Kingfisher
1 Willow Tit
2 Redpolls.
2 Redwings
14 Robins
19 Blackbirds
13 Greenfinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

30 Dec 16

The Flash: 12:10 – 12:45

2°C > 5°C: Very odd: fog at The Flash cleared while I was there but it was still foggy when I got to the lake and it stayed foggy until more or less the time I left. Light wind. Bad > poor > moderate visibility

(138th visit of the year)

>60% ice

Notes from here
- Tufted Duck numbers continue to decline

Birds flying over here

None

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 34 (23♂) Mallard again
- 22 (11♂) Tufted Ducks
- 10 (2♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 4 Moorhens
- 13 Coots
- 94 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull

A duck Tufted Duck: this bird has rather extensive white around the base of the bill, recalling a duck (Greater) Scaup. On Scaup the white would be even more extensive and there would, of course, be no ‘tuft’.

The same bird having a good preen.

The light was catching this drake Tufted Duck so that you could see that, depending on the angle, there is both blue and green sheens on the apparently black head. With such a ‘black and white’ contrasting bird I had to play about a bit with the contrast here to show the effect.

This brownhead Goosander looks as if it scowling.

And see: they do have feet! Not often seen out of water.

Not often you can get this close to a Great Crested Grebe.

A misty group of Black-headed Gulls with a single adult Lesser Black-backed Gull on the ice.

Once the mist cleared the same adult Lesser Black-backed Gull looks very different.

The mist clearing away

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake: 13:00 – 14:00

(181st visit of the year)

Very small amount of ice

Other notes from today

- now just 2 duck Shoveler

- yet another decline in Tufted Duck numbers

- the 6 Great Crested Grebes were clearly behaving as three pairs today

- the large gulls came and went. I rather hoped that the Iceland Gull that has roosted the past two evenings ‘down the road’ at Belvide might have been tempted in – not so

- party of 10 Goldfinches in trees at W end

and

- no moths on the lamps

Birds noted flying over the lake

None

The counts from the lake area

All counts done ‘in parts’ and some scope for birds to be missed or double-counted but think this is OK

- 2 + 1 Mute Swans

- 3 (2♂) Gadwall again

- 13 (7♂) Mallard

- 2 (0♂) Shoveler

- 9 (9♂) Pochard

- 17 (10♂) Tufted Ducks

- 1 Cormorant

- 1 Grey Heron

- 1 Little Grebe

- 6 Great Crested Grebes again

- 1 Water Rail (heard only)

- 12 Moorhens

- 41 Coots

- 56 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)

- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

- 1 Herring Gull

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........

2014

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2013

Priorslee Lake

2 female Scaup

1 Yellow-legged Gull

3 Great Black-backed Gulls

7 Gadwall

(John Isherwood/Dawn Balmer)

The Flash

5 Goosander

(John Isherwood)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site

Yellow-legged Gull

(Dawn Balmer)

Horsehay Pool

12 Goosander

(Dawn Balmer)

2012

Priorslee Lake

4 Yellow-legged Gulls

(Jim Almond/Chris Ballance)

2011

Priorslee Lake

1 adult Yellow-legged Gull

9 Great Black-backed Gulls

Water Rail

(John Isherwood)

2010

Priorslee Lake

Yellow-legged Gull

Redpoll

(Ed Wilson)

2009

Priorslee Lake

Caspian Gull

(Jason)

2006

Priorslee lake

2 Great Crested Grebes

19 Pochard

34 Tufted Ducks

>300 Black-headed Gulls

>298 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

12 Herring Gull

33 Robins

13 Blackbirds

10 Fieldfares

45 Redwings

3 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

2005

Priorslee lake

2 Little Grebes 

11 Great Crested Grebes 

1 Cormorant 

2 Mute Swans 

35 Pochard

84 Tufted Duck

243 Coot

c.250 Black-headed Gulls 

c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls 

1 Yellow-legged Gull 

32 Herring Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

29 Dec 16

No sightings in so far today........................

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On this day in ...........

2012
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Martin Grant)

2011
Priorslee Lake
4 Yellow legged Gull
22 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
Tundra Bean Goose
(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake
9 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Black-necked Grebe
4 Gadwall
2 Water Rail
2 Caspian Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Ring-billed Gull
(John Isherwood/Richard Vernon/Dawn Balmer/Peter Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant 
3 Wigeon
30 Tufted Duck
4 Pochard
180+ Coot
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
4000+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
65 Herring Gulls
1000+ Black-headed Gulls
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Pochard
10 Tufted Ducks
1 Lapwing
>550 Black-headed Gulls
>108 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.40 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee lake
c.3200 Lesser black-backed Gulls
c.1700 Black-headed Gulls
c100 Herring Gulls
8 Great Black-backed Gulls
4 Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Adlam/Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

28 Dec 16

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

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.

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.

And again.

And here are the frosted heads of the Common Willowherb.

More frost: here the catkins of Alders.

Here both catkins and the cones of Alders: certainly from this angle the dark cones don’t seem as affected.

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.

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)

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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)

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On this day in ...........

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
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)

27 Dec 16

Priorslee Lake

Late Morning Update: 11:00

2 Goosander
8 Pochard

(John Isherwood)

Morning Report: 09:30 – 10:30

-1°C > +2°C: Some thin high cloud otherwise clear and frosty. Calm. Good visibility

First bus on the Sunday service gave me a late arrival so no early movements seen. The conditions were ideal for seeing and identifying birds in flight but there weren’t any! (well a VERY small number of gulls only)

(179th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- the Mute Swan cygnet spent most of the time well away from its parents: they hooked-up later
- the Little Grebe somewhat unusually paddled all the way across the middle of the lake
- the Water Rail was heard calling from the main N side reed-bed: the first I can recall here
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 Black-headed Gull
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Chaffinch

Too late to record birds leaving roost around lake

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 12 (7♂) Mallard
- 8 (7♂) Pochard
- 29 (20♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail (heard only)
- 9 Moorhens
- 39 Coots
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 10:30

Late Morning Update: 10:30

15 Goosander

(John Isherwood)

Morning Report: 09:00 – 09:25

(136th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- the 3 Herons perhaps the most notable: all positioned where they could not see each other

Birds noted flying over here
None

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 43 (27♂) Mallard
- 44 (31♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 (0♂) Goosanders
- 3 Grey Herons
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 13 Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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Holmer Lake: 11:30

4 Goosander

(John Isherwood)

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On this day in ...........

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Gadwall
7 Pochard
101 Tufted Ducks
1 Scaup
210 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Little Grebe
69 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull.
(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)

2011
The Wrekin
Flock of Crossbills near summit
(Maurice Baker)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
18 Mute Swans
59 Canada Geese
4 Gadwall
29 Pochard 
92 Tufted Ducks 
2 Water Rails
327 Coots
2 Redwings
16 Goldfinches
13 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
22 Tufted Ducks
86 Coots
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
3 Buzzards
20 Pied Wagtails
c.200 Redwing
4 Mistle Thrush
c.500 Fieldfare
1 Willow Tit
3 Brambling
14 Chaffinches
13 Greenfinches
2 Redpoll
1 Siskin
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

26 Dec 16

No sightings in today.

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On this day in ...........

2013
Priorslee Lake
Two 1st-winter female Scaup
(Unknown)

2012
Priorslee Lake
A drake Scaup
4 Gadwall
10 Great Black-backed Gull
(Kriss Webb)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Gadwall
26 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
327 Coots
5 Redwings
4 Fieldfare
10 Goldfinches 
14 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

25 Dec 16

No Sightings in today.

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On this day in ...........

2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall 
2 Teal 
6 Pochard 
78 Tufted Ducks 
1 female Greater Scaup
222 Coots counted
Caspian Gull
2 Fieldfare
17 Redwings 
429 Jackdaws
173 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Pochard 
110 Tufted Ducks 
17 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
11 Swans 
1 Shoveler 
c.115 Tufted Duck 
7 Goosander
129 Coots 
41 Black-headed Gulls
51 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
21 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
26 Mute Swans today
4 Great Crested Grebes
>17 Greylag Geese
4 Gadwall
26 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
Common Gull
309 Coot
5 Goldfinches
c.20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
31 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
58 Coots
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
c.3200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
15 Pied Wagtails
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

24 Dec 16

Priorslee Lake: 07:20 – 09:35

Sunrise: 08:20 GMT again

8°C > 9°C: Mostly high cloud to start but later lower cloud and light passing showers. Moderate WSW wind, gusting fresh at times. Good visibility

Wondered whether Storm Barbara might have brought some birds inland: not so. However after 16 days without any Cormorant records a plethora today. I counted 17 distantly to the E battling against the wind heading SW and I assume these were in fact the 18 that appeared circling overhead a few minutes later, eventually moving off W; then a single flew through W; next a party of 4 arrived and fished at the lake for a while until they too moved off W; another single circled over, landed for a few minutes and also left to the W; finally 5 flew W over The Flash much later. Most odd

(178th visit of the year)

Very quiet with little or no birdsong: in contrast to the log of 40 Robins last Saturday I logged just 5 in song today

Other notes from today
- the Mute Swan cygnet made several flights today, coping in the wind without apparent problem
- the duck Shoveler and some of the drake Pochard gone since yesterday
- 3 Goosander flying E again – too dull to reliably sex these
- a 3rd Little Grebe found today: all together in the SW area today
- many of the Black-headed Gulls and Jackdaws arrived overhead at more or less the same time and were swirling around in the strong wind and accurate numbers were difficult. Again most of these gulls did not stop-off at the lake
- >40 finches were in the Alders opposite the Academy as I left: most seemed to be Goldfinches with some unidentified birds that may have been Siskins. Flew off before I could get close-enough and calls not heard clearly enough to be sure
and
- 3 male Mottled Umber moths on two of the lamps

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 3 (?♂) Goosander
- 19 Cormorants
- >250 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 1 Wood Pigeon only
- 47 Jackdaws
- 9 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Chaffinch
- 4 Goldfinches
- 4 Siskins

Birds leaving roost around lake
- >68 Magpies

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 7 (6♂) Pochard
- 36 (18♂) Tufted Ducks
- 5 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Little Grebes
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail (heard only)
- 10 Moorhens
- 49 Coots
- 54 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 1 Herring Gull

“Red sky in the morning”: more a sign of wind than rain this morning.

The Mute Swan cygnet goes for a fly.

Here is the flock of 18 Cormorants over the lake.

Another variation on the male Mottled Umber theme ...

... and another ...

... and yet another, this one hiding behind some detritus on the lamp. My excuse is that there is little else to photograph!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:00 – 07:15 // 09:45 – 10:05

(135th visit of the year)

First visit [07:00 – 07:15]

Passing while still dark
- c.20? Greylag Geese
- c.120? Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 1 Wood Pigeon in ‘song’
- 1 Song Thrush in song

Second visit [09:45 – 10:05[

Notes from here
- 2 Great Crested Grebes together alongside the island: later one at the N end, presumed a 3rd, but unable to see the original area

Counts of birds flying over here
- 5 Cormorants
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 11 Redwings

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 31 (22♂) Mallard again
- 47 (30♂) Tufted Ducks
- 13 (2♂) Goosanders again
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 3? Great Crested Grebes (see notes)
- 4 Moorhens again
- 10 Coots again
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall 
7 Pochard 
34 Tufted Ducks 
204 Coots counted 
123 Black-headed Gulls
16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
22 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Grey Herons
126 Canada Geese
110 Tufted Ducks 
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes 
2 Shoveler 
71 Tufted Duck 
1 Goosander 
125 Coots
>40 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
1 Tufted Duck 
19 Goosander 
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
13 Pochard
35 Tufted Ducks
178 Coots
Peregrine
14 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Pochard
38 Tufted Duck
5 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes 
10 Swans
28 Pochard 
77 Tufted Ducks
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
60 Herring Gulls
1 Water Rail heard 
299 Coots counted 
4 Redwings 
2 Willow Tits again 
c.5 Goldfinches
c.10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Dawn Balmer/ Peter Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Little Grebe
41 Pochard
38 Tufted Ducks
8 Redwing
2 Fieldfare
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

23 Dec 16

Priorslee Lake: 11:30 – 12:20

Sunrise: 08:20 GMT again

10°C > 11°C: Cloudy. Increasing S wind, becoming fresh. Very good visibility

‘Stuff’ to do so decided on a later visit to check out the gulls. What gulls? Still very low numbers

(177th visit of the year)

Notes from today
almost nothing seen flying over – just a few Magpies rather high up, probably just having trouble with the wind under their tails. Nevertheless 3 of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls managed to sneak in without me seeing them arrive
- the / a duck Shoveler is back keeping the Gadwalls company
- yet another drake Pochard logged today
- found the 6th Great Crested Grebe today even though I could only find 2 for most of the time
and
- 1 male Mottled Umber moth on one of the lamps

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 15 (8♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Shoveler
- 10 (9♂) Pochard
- 26 (10♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 122 Black-headed Gulls
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 12:25 – 12:35

(134th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- 1 Grey Wagtail flew over

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 9 Canada Geese again
- 1 all white feral goose
- 32 (22♂) Mallard again
- 57 (36♂) Tufted Ducks
- 6 (0♂) Goosanders again
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes remain
- 4 Moorhens
- 10 Coots
- 24 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day in ...........

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1st-winter female Great Scaup

Horsehay Pool
Kittiwake

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
14 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
178 Coots
2 Redwings
4 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
3 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
28 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
30 Mute Swans
40 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
161 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Black-necked Grebe
18 Swans
4 Gadwall
41 Pochard
75 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
311 Coots
600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
12 Goldfinches
10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Dawn Balmer/Peter Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
3 Cormorants
32 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
c.100 Black-headed Gulls
23 Redwing
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee lake
10 Pochard
15 Tufted Duck
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
c.100 Lesser Black-backs
1 Water Rail
20 Pied Wagtails
365 Rooks
325 Jackdaw
1 Kingfisher
51 Siskin
7 Redpoll
13 Greenfinch 13
12 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)

22 Dec 16

Priorslee Lake: 07:25 – 09:25

Sunrise: 08:20 GMT

-2°C > +5°C: Mainly fine, clear and frosty with a rogue light shower at c.09:30. Light and variable wind became moderate SW. Good visibility

(176th visit of the year)

Other notes from today
- a couple more drake Pochard new in
- the 3 Goosanders were, somewhat unusually, flying E
- despite many attempts could not find a 6th Great Crested Grebe today – indeed most of the time I could not find the 5th!
- the first gull this morning was a Lesser Black-backed Gull that dropped in at 07:51 briefly; the first Black-headed Gulls flew through at 07:57 and the first did not arrive on the lake until 08:05. No more than 21 were counted on the water. At least 111 flew through from the W and, as yesterday, did not return
- I attempted to count ‘the other side’ of the Magpie roost but was thwarted by work in the grounds of the Academy sending them off the wrong way!
- no big groups of Jackdaws again and widely scattered
- 3 Linnets roosted at the W end; 3 more flew over
and, despite the rather cold, clear and frosty night
- 5 male Winter Moths on the same lamp
- 1 male Mottled Umber moth on different lamp
- a stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.) on the same lamp as the Mottled Umber moth

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 3 (3♂) Goosander
- 111 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Wood Pigeons again
- 82 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
- c.30 Redwings
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Greenfinches
- 1 Goldfinch
- 5 Siskins
- 3 Linnets

Birds leaving roost around lake
- >40 Magpies (partial count)
- 3 Linnets

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 11 (7♂) Mallard
- 9 (8♂) Pochard
- 29 (16♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail (heard only) again
- 8 Moorhens
- 49 Coots
- 21 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Some while since we looked at the waning moon: this morning’s effort.

Meanwhile sunrise is a late affair and as far to the S as it ever is. Note how devoid of birds the lake seems at present. A few years ago it would have been thronged by gulls at this time.

The stretch spider was ‘on the move’ this morning and not so elongated.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 07:10 – 07:15 // 09:30 – 10:05

(133rd visit of the year)

First visit [07:10 – 07:15]
Passing very early: more light on this clear morning so:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 36 Greylag Geese
- 51 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 1 Blackbird in song
- 2 Song Thrushes in song

Second visit [09:30 – 10:05]
notes from here
- nothing of significance

Birds noted flying over
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 9 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 29 (20♂) Mallard again
- 41 (25♂) Tufted Ducks
- 6 (0♂) Goosanders
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 3 Moorhens
- 13 Coots again
- 29 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day in ...........

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall 
2 Teal 
6 Pochard 
78 Tufted Ducks 
1 female Greater Scaup
222 Coots counted
Caspian Gull
2 Fieldfare
17 Redwings 
429 Jackdaws
173 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Pochard 
110 Tufted Ducks 
17 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
11 Swans 
1 Shoveler 
c.115 Tufted Duck 
7 Goosander
129 Coots 
41 Black-headed Gulls
51 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
21 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
12 Pochard
26 Tufted Ducks
181 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
3 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
16 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
32 Swans
114 Canada Geese
39 Tufted Duck
1 Goldeneye
166 Coots counted
(Ed Wilson)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
3rd-winter American Herring Gull
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Tom Lowe/Kriss Webb)

2011
Priorslee Lake
c.6000 Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls
7 Yellow-legged Gulls
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
Sparrowhawk
(Martin Adlam and Ian Grant)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
1 Black-necked Grebe 
5 Great Crested Grebes 
42 Swans
2 Gadwall
51 Pochard
132 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
296 Coots
c.2000 Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls
30 Lapwings
50 Golden Plover
7 Redwings
8 Fieldfares
15 Goldfinches
11 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Lake Icebound - 2009 (Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
31 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
58 Coots
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
c.3200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
15 Pied Wagtails
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee lake
c.600 Black-headed Gulls
c.100 Lesser Black-backs
11 Herring Gull
7 Pochard
14 Tufted Duck
1 Cormorant on the Lake.
200 Coot
1 Water Rail
18 Pied Wagtails
231 Rooks
323 Jackdaw
3 Redwing
c.50 Siskin
7 Redpoll
8 Reed Bunting
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Adlam)