Priorslee Lake: 07:20 – 09:20
Location
Sunrise: 08:15 GMT
9°C: Very low cloud and drizzly rain with the cloud lowering to mist. Light SE breeze. Moderate visibility, later poor as the cloud lowered
(171st visit of the year)
This morning >500 Black-headed Gulls either roosted or arrived before 07:25 – when I was first in a position to see them. Most left by 07:55. Later >180 seen arriving but could have included returning birds
Other notes from today
- some of the Tufted Ducks seemed to have decamped to The Flash
- drake Goosander circled and landed: did not seem to stay long
- no Water Rail heard: probably just in the wrong place at the time it / they would have called
- 2 of the Herring Gulls had rather dark mantles: neither bird seemed ‘clean’ enough to be a Yellow-legged Gull; nor large and brutish-enough to be a Scandinavian race bird. So ....?
- 3 Song Thrushes in song
and
- all the Winter Moths gone from the lamps
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
not much in poor visibility
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Wood Pigeon only
- 15 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
- 2 Greenfinches
- 3 Goldfinches
- 3 Siskins
- 2 Linnets again
Birds leaving roost around lake
- [Magpie roost not logged]
none
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 24 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes remain
- 14 Moorhens
- 46 Coots again
- >650 Black-headed Gulls (see comment)
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 15 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:25 – 09:40
Location
(128th visit of the year)
Notes from here
- one of the 4 Canada Geese was loosely associating with the all-white feral goose
- single Fieldfare in trees: surprisingly my first record at The Flash this year!
- Song Thrush in song
Birds noted flying over
None
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese again
- 1 all white feral goose
- 28 (21♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 63 (39♂) Tufted Ducks
- 27 (4♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 10 Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
Location
Sunrise: 08:15 GMT
9°C: Very low cloud and drizzly rain with the cloud lowering to mist. Light SE breeze. Moderate visibility, later poor as the cloud lowered
(171st visit of the year)
This morning >500 Black-headed Gulls either roosted or arrived before 07:25 – when I was first in a position to see them. Most left by 07:55. Later >180 seen arriving but could have included returning birds
Other notes from today
- some of the Tufted Ducks seemed to have decamped to The Flash
- drake Goosander circled and landed: did not seem to stay long
- no Water Rail heard: probably just in the wrong place at the time it / they would have called
- 2 of the Herring Gulls had rather dark mantles: neither bird seemed ‘clean’ enough to be a Yellow-legged Gull; nor large and brutish-enough to be a Scandinavian race bird. So ....?
- 3 Song Thrushes in song
and
- all the Winter Moths gone from the lamps
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
not much in poor visibility
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Wood Pigeon only
- 15 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
- 2 Greenfinches
- 3 Goldfinches
- 3 Siskins
- 2 Linnets again
Birds leaving roost around lake
- [Magpie roost not logged]
none
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 24 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes remain
- 14 Moorhens
- 46 Coots again
- >650 Black-headed Gulls (see comment)
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 15 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:25 – 09:40
Location
(128th visit of the year)
Notes from here
- one of the 4 Canada Geese was loosely associating with the all-white feral goose
- single Fieldfare in trees: surprisingly my first record at The Flash this year!
- Song Thrush in song
Birds noted flying over
None
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese again
- 1 all white feral goose
- 28 (21♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 63 (39♂) Tufted Ducks
- 27 (4♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 10 Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in ...........
2014Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
48 Magpies
2 Ravens
134 Starlings
1 Siskin
6 Gadwall
2 Teal
6 Pochard
115 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
235 Coots
258 Black-headed Gulls
27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
24 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
32 Fieldfare
96 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Pochard
198 Tufted Ducks
1 Greater Scaup
6 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe.
4 Gadwall
8 Pochard
50 Tufted Ducks
1 Goosander
1 Water Rail
168 Coots
296 Wood Pigeons
3 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
203 Jackdaws
41 Rooks
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
1 Heron
34 Swans
2 Shoveler
1 Pochard
41 Tufted Duck
1 Goldeneye
170 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
10 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
Curlew
2 Fieldfare
23 Redwings
c.25 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
33 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Goosander
1 Common Gull
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black necked Grebe
30 Mute Swans
2 Gadwall
27 Pochard
93 Tufted Ducks
1 Teal
263 Coot
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
600 Black-headed Gulls
Goldcrest
11 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Herons
25 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
64 Coots
>500 Black-headed Gulls
>1700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
7 Herring Gulls
35 Robins
30 Blackbirds
c.30 Fieldfare
c.24 Redwings
259 Jackdaws
232 Rooks
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)