8 Jan 17

The Flash: 09:00 – 09:30

6°C > 7°C: Mainly cloudy with some drizzle in the air and a few breaks. Mist over the water and later very misty / foggy. Light and variable wind. Moderate visibility becoming poor and even bad.

Sunrise: 08:19 GMT again

(5th visit of the year)

New species for my 2017 Flash list
#37 a Grey Wagtail along the ‘new’ entry stream in the NE corner where the flood has finally been contained
#38 Treecreeper along E side

Other notes
- the 2 Swans over passed by without even looking at the water
- 3 Nuthatches simultaneously calling to claim their territory

Birds flying over here
- 2 Mute Swans
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gull

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 29 (20♂) Mallard
- 43 (24♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 4 Moorhens
- 13 Coots
- 22 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake: 09:40 – 10:45

(7th visit of the year)

A later than usual start and then the mist made both overflights and counts from the water hard

No new bird species for my 2017 Priorslee Lake list

Notes from today
- 2 pairs of Gadwall new since yesterday
and
- 2 male Mottled Umber moths on the lamps
- 2 Early Moths also on the lamps: new for 2017
- a rather unseasonal geometer moth caterpillar

Birds noted flying over the lake
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls again
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 2 Siskins
- 1 Linnets

No roost counts

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 11 (9♂) Pochard
- 20 (10♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens again
- 39 Coots
- 109 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again

Not my best-ever moth shot, the white leaching from the underwing on this untidy specimen identifies it as an Early Moth. Wing shape is subtly different from the Winter Moth whose flight season has about ended.

This little fellow still hanging by a thread is a caterpillar of a geometer moth on my fingerless mitten, indicating just how small the caterpillar is. No idea of the species.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2013

Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
Goldeneye
(Martin Grant)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Observer Unknown)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
41 Great Black-backed Gulls
11 Bullfinches
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
29 Swans
4 Gadwall
c.22 Pochard
c.66 Tufted Duck 
c.280 Coots 
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
c.500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.60 Herring Gulls
Caspian Gull
2 Buzzards 
1 Siskin over
(Ed Wilson/Unknown Observer)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
(Paul King)

2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
23 Herring Gulls
(Martin Adlam)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
3 Pochard
28 Tufted Ducks
>1050 Black-headed Gulls
51 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
34 Herring Gulls
10 Great Black-backed Gulls
31 Robins
13 Blackbirds
32 Fieldfares
34 Redwings
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
1 Little Grebe
1 Kingfisher
1500 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c.84 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
8 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
22 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
210 Coot
2 Water Rail
1 Reed Bunting
21 Robins
20 Blackbirds
10 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)