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
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.
(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)
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.
The stretch spider was ‘on the move’ this morning and not so elongated.
(Ed Wilson)
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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)
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On this day in ...........
2015Priorslee 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)