The Flash: 07:10 – 07:15
Sunrise: 08:19 GMT again
7°C > 10°C: Overcast at high level, lowering ahead of rain. Moderate SW wind fell away for a while. Good visibility
(132nd visit of the year)
Passed in the dark and saw and heard very little
- >74 geese sp.: from calls most of these were Canada Geese but at least 2 Greylags amongst them
- 3 Song Thrushes in song
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake: 07:25 – 09:20
(175th visit of the year)
Other notes from today
- the geese flew out again when it was too dark to either accurately count or identify them
- the pair of Gadwall seems to have lost their duck Shoveler ‘shadow’
- the first Black-headed Gulls – just 4 – did not arrive until 07:48 but soon left; 3 (more?) flew in at 08:05 with a Lesser Black-backed Gull; no more than 25 were ever counted on the water. At least 108 flew through from the W and, unusually did not return
- just 14 Wood Pigeons in trees around lake and only 7 flying over: however >300 seen in the distance flushed from the trees in Wards Rough to the NE
- the Magpie roost count was done from a distance again
- no big groups of Jackdaws again and rather fewer birds
- a Chaffinch in the trees was the first I have logged around the lake for almost two weeks
and
- strangely no moths on the lamps after yesterday’s bumper count
- a stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.) on a different lamp
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- >40 geese sp. (see notes)
- 108 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 7 Wood Pigeons!
- 57 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 1 Greenfinch
- 1 Goldfinch
- 1 Linnet again
Birds leaving roost around lake
- >48 Magpies (partial count)
- 1 Redwing
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 7 (6♂) Pochard remain
- 30 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail (heard only)
- 11 Moorhens
- 45 Coots
- c.25 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool: 09:55 – 10:30
(11th visit of the year)
Highlight here was the calling Water Rail in the scrubby area at the S end. Only my 2nd record for here and my first for several years
Other notes
- most of the Canada Geese flew in
- unusually large count of Mallard
- 3 drake Shoveler new in
- only 3 Goosanders but, unusually, a higher number of drakes than ducks
- Little Grebes here: first for me this winter
- Coot numbers remain at unusually low level
- rather few gulls again
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 82 Canada Geese
- 45 (28♂) Mallard
- 3 (3♂) Shoveler
- 43 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 (2♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 1 Water Rail (heard only)
- 5 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 53 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
I did a bit of a double-take here: the immature gull in front of the adult Lesser Black-backed Gull looks rather larger and has a almost unstreaked head and neck. The mantle is clearly dark-enough to be a black-backed gull: could it be a Great Black-backed Gull? Not I decided ....
This, with the bird alongside an adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull, shows that it not large-enough, not dark-enough on the mantle, the head is probably not white-enough and the bill is also not large-enough. Probably just a large male, certainly a 2nd winter bird and a Lesser Black-backed Gull (couple of Black-headed Gulls get in on the action).
Yet another double-take bird. Is this a dark Herring Gull (and therefore a possible Yellow-legged Gull); or a pale Lesser Black-backed? Before you answer consider the very pale end to the bill. Now? Actually I have no idea but suspect it is NOT a Yellow-legged Gull it is not smart-enough. The dull conditions and its refusal to fly to show its wing pattern means I will ‘pend’ it.
Sunrise: 08:19 GMT again
7°C > 10°C: Overcast at high level, lowering ahead of rain. Moderate SW wind fell away for a while. Good visibility
(132nd visit of the year)
Passed in the dark and saw and heard very little
- >74 geese sp.: from calls most of these were Canada Geese but at least 2 Greylags amongst them
- 3 Song Thrushes in song
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Priorslee Lake: 07:25 – 09:20
(175th visit of the year)
Other notes from today
- the geese flew out again when it was too dark to either accurately count or identify them
- the pair of Gadwall seems to have lost their duck Shoveler ‘shadow’
- the first Black-headed Gulls – just 4 – did not arrive until 07:48 but soon left; 3 (more?) flew in at 08:05 with a Lesser Black-backed Gull; no more than 25 were ever counted on the water. At least 108 flew through from the W and, unusually did not return
- just 14 Wood Pigeons in trees around lake and only 7 flying over: however >300 seen in the distance flushed from the trees in Wards Rough to the NE
- the Magpie roost count was done from a distance again
- no big groups of Jackdaws again and rather fewer birds
- a Chaffinch in the trees was the first I have logged around the lake for almost two weeks
and
- strangely no moths on the lamps after yesterday’s bumper count
- a stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.) on a different lamp
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- >40 geese sp. (see notes)
- 108 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 7 Wood Pigeons!
- 57 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 1 Greenfinch
- 1 Goldfinch
- 1 Linnet again
Birds leaving roost around lake
- >48 Magpies (partial count)
- 1 Redwing
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 7 (6♂) Pochard remain
- 30 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail (heard only)
- 11 Moorhens
- 45 Coots
- c.25 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench Lock Pool: 09:55 – 10:30
(11th visit of the year)
Highlight here was the calling Water Rail in the scrubby area at the S end. Only my 2nd record for here and my first for several years
Other notes
- most of the Canada Geese flew in
- unusually large count of Mallard
- 3 drake Shoveler new in
- only 3 Goosanders but, unusually, a higher number of drakes than ducks
- Little Grebes here: first for me this winter
- Coot numbers remain at unusually low level
- rather few gulls again
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 82 Canada Geese
- 45 (28♂) Mallard
- 3 (3♂) Shoveler
- 43 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 (2♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 1 Water Rail (heard only)
- 5 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 53 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
Compare and contrast time: a drake Goosander in front of a drake Shoveler.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench Middle Pool: 10:35 – 10:55
(6th visit of the year)
Notes
- Mute Swan gone
- fewer Tufted Duck today: gone to Trench Lock?
- high numbers of Goosanders for here. All 10 nominally ‘brownheads’; several showing evidence of moult in to drake plumage
- Herring Gulls are rather unusual here
The counts from the water
- 65 Canada Goose
- 28 (22♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Feral-type Mallard
- 14 (7♂) Tufted Ducks
- 10 (1♂) Goosander (see notes)
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 11 Moorhens
- 12 Coots
- 129 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in ...........
2015Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
7 Pochard
74 Tufted Ducks
221 Coots
2 Fieldfare
65 Redwings
228 Jackdaws
119 Rooks
13 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall.
12 Pochard
12 Goosanders
51 Tufted Ducks
145 Coots
c.280 Black-headed Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
c.265 Jackdaws
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
The Flash
12 Goosanders
4 Pochard
38 Tufted Duck
12 Goosanders
7 Coots
42 were Herring Gulls
44 Black-headed Gulls only on the water
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
Trench Lock Pool
32 Mute Swans
42 Tufted Duck
168 Coots counted
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
Little Grebe
8 Great Crested Grebes
22 Swans
1 Gadwall
51 Pochard
148 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
1 Snipe
1 Woodcock
274 Coots
8000+ gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
7 Redwings
16 Goldfinches
13 Siskins
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson/Martin Adlam/Jim Almond)
2005
Priorslee lake
9 Pochard
16 Tufted Duck
c.2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
5 Great Black-backed Gulls
11 Herring Gull.
c.200 Coot
1 Water Rail
15 Pied Wagtails
243 Rooks
532 Jackdaw
31 Siskin
2 Redpoll
16 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)