3 Mar 16

Priorslee Lake: 07:15 – 09:05
Location

Sunrise: 06:50

c.4°C. Clear to E at start but showery rain soon arrived and persisted until just as I was leaving; light / moderate WNW wind; mainly good visibility

(31st visit of the year)

Most frustrating were three geese that flew W just as I arrived. Did not recognise the calls and fairly certain they were not Greylag or Canada Geese but because they flew almost directly overhead against the bright dawn I was unable to see any plumage features to aid identification

Notes
- not sure whether there were 15 or 16 Great Crested Grebes this morning – many very mobile. There was a 2nd immature bird without head plumes as yet: Recently I have only noted a single immature
- almost all the (few) early Black-headed Gulls just flew over. Later a few stopped off and the usual few Herring Gulls dropped in. All the Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew on
- Sky Lark singing again this morning
- still a few Siskins in the Alders (as well as birds over)

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Canada Geese (1 group)
- 3 unidentified geese sp.
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 19 Black-headed Gulls
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 6 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
- 7 Starlings
- 1 Redwing
- 3 Greenfinches
- 4 Goldfinches
- 2 Siskins

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese
- 5 (3♂) Gadwall remain
- 2 (1♂) Mallard again
- 1 (1♂) Pochard still here
- 15 (10♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron- 15 (16?) Great Crested Grebes
- 22 Moorhens
- 68 Coots
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 09:15 – 09:30
Location

(21st visit of the year)

Notes
- my first Goosanders here for a while
- no gulls here this morning

Birds noted flying over
None

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 8 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 16 (10♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 18 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- [all-white feral duck not seen again]
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 19 Coots

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2009, 2010, 2014 and 2015
2015
Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2014

Priorslee Lake
1 Caspian Gull
1 Iceland Gull
(Tom Lowe)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Iceland Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
6 Gadwall
33 Pochard
71 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake

5 Great Crested Grebes
11 Mute Swans
10 Tufted Ducks
1 Iceland
1 Glaucous Gull
(Ed Wilson, Mike Cooper)