12 Nov 16

Priorslee Lake: 07:10 – 09:40

Location

Sunrise: 07:27 GMT

9°C > 10°C: Overnight heavy rain had given way to low cloud and occasional drizzly rain; moderate S wind; poor visibility

A report of a murmuration of c.1000 Starlings over the lake at c.16:00 last night. It was a very dark morning today and when I was told about this I was surprised that I had seen nothing of these birds leaving a roost.

A few new arrivals at the lake – a duck Shoveler back and 4 more drake Pochard – but generally murky and nothing much seen

(147th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- only one pair of Gadwall located today
- a Cormorant dropped in
- 10 of the Moorhens were on the SW grass at one stage: later 34 Coots were there
- all 149 of the over flying Wood Pigeons were flying low W. They may have been on the move but most certainly not in the migrant groups seen previously: the low cloud saw to that. Other than these birds there were very few Wood Pigeons around – I logged just 6 in the trees around the lake
- as many as 7 Goldcrests this morning: same comment as yesterday
- the Chiffchaff had a quick sing today
- at least 29 Goldfinches at the W end
and
- no moths on the lamps today: a rather unlikely sighting was an Angle Shades moth inside my bus en route!

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 149 Wood Pigeons
- 23 Jackdaws
- 12 Starlings (4 singles / groups)
- 72 Fieldfare (2 groups)
- 1 Redwing
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 4 Meadow Pipits
- 3 Goldfinches
- 5 Siskins

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 5 (5♂) Pochard
- 1 (0♂) Shoveler- 57 (31♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe again
- 7 Great Crested Grebes again
- 15 Moorhens
- 55 Coots only – poor weather?
- c.175 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull briefly

Unusually this duck Shoveler decided to come out in to the open this morning: pity there was not more light.

Also unusual was to see this species up-ending: the bill is designed to filter food from near the surface and it is normal to see small groups of this species spinning around to stir up the food and feeding with bills only submerged.

A quick preen.

Not quite sharp but in he circumstances ...

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:45 – 10:10
Location

(108th visit of the year)

Notes
- just 1 non-flying Canada Goose seen today
- it is some while since I logged all 3 Great Crested Grebes – 2 adults and their full-grown off-spring(?) – and I assume one of them has flown

Birds noted flying over
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 6 Redwings

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Canada Goose
- 1 all white feral goose
- 26 (21♂) Mallard
- 30 (14♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 (1♂) Goosanders
- 2 Great Crested Grebes once more
- no Moorhens seen
- 15 Coots again
- 22 Black-headed Gulls

Another ‘best in the circumstances’ ... this drake Goosander has some of the adult bottle-green on the head, the rest still being ‘brownhead’.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
2 Teal
59 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
27 Moorhens
239 Coots
c.440 Wood Pigeons
8 Song Thrushes
567 Fieldfare
26 Redwings
270 Jackdaws
106 Rooks
c.310 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
103 Starlings
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
8 Goosander
139 Coots
52 Redwings
55 Fieldfares
571 Jackdaws
128 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
9 Cormorants
8 Pochard
117 Tufted Ducks
2000+ Wood Pigeons
400+ Fieldfare
125+ Redwings
33 Starlings
10+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Shoveler
2 Water Rails
c.50 Lapwings
c.150 Golden Plover
6 Redwings
3 Fieldfare
Chiffchaff
Several Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
65 Pochard
65 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
50 Coots
500+ Golden Plover
1 Woodcock
790+ Black-headed Gulls
1753+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
962 Wood Pigeons
130 Fieldfare
93 Redwings
393 Jackdaws
135 Rooks
174 Starlings
34 Greenfinches
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Dabchick
9 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
5 Ruddy Duck
Water Rail
800 Black-headed Gull
Cormorant
10 Redwing
9 Reed Bunting
3 Redpoll
9 Siskin
(Martin Adlam)