Trench Middle Pool: 14:45 – 15:05 // 16:20
6°C: Clearing after rain. Moderate W wind. Good visibility
The morning seemed likely to be rained-off and while the heaviest rain was later than originally forecast it was probably a wise decision. Was anxious to check out the Trench Lock Pool for the reported Long-tailed Duck – eluded me if it was present – so went out after it cleared with just about enough time before dark
(2nd visit of the year)
Notes
- reasonably busy today with a Great Crested Grebe new in. Very few gulls when I did the circuit on the first visit. As I walked past on my way back from Trench Lock I was very surprised to see the large roost gathering of Black-headed Gulls: I have never visited at dusk before. Talking to one of the regular dog-walkers he told me that numbers this evening were much lower than they had been a few days ago when the water was frozen: and numbers this winter were much reduced from previous years
The counts from the water
- 1 Mute Swan
- 8 Canada Goose
- 25 (20♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) feral-type Mallard
- 18 (11♂) Tufted Ducks
- 11 (5♂) Goosander
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 11 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 15 > 1000 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Trench Lock Pool: 15:10 – 16:15
(2nd visit of the year)
Those counts shown as ‘a > b’ indicate the number present when I arrived followed by the number present when I left: many birds flew in while I was present
Other notes
- so this is where all the Greylag Geese are at the moment!
- three of the drake Shoveler were full adults; the other three were all 1st winter birds. Just one duck
- 3 Little Grebes is a good count here
- many, many Black-headed Gull were spiralling in to a roost here. The very few larger gulls mostly arrived singly
- at c.16:10 a Buzzard flew high over the water and all the gulls got up (they had more or less ignored one that flew along the W end footpath). When they resettled all the large gulls seemed to have gone
A postscript to this gull gathering: one of the fishermen at Priorslee Lake had alerted me to a roost here. He noted that he had to stay at the lake until the gulls there left just before dark before baiting the lake for fishing in the morning – the gulls eat the bait otherwise. He lives close-by Trench and commented on the very different behaviour with the gulls not arriving here until almost dark
Birds noted flying over
- 1 Buzzard
- >40 Wood Pigeons
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 71 > 81 Greylag Geese
- 105 > 146 Canada Geese
- 47 (28♂) Mallard
- 7 (6♂) Shoveler
- 46 (24♂) Tufted Ducks
- 10 (1♂) Goosander
- 3 Little Grebes
- 1 > 0 Cormorant
- 9 Moorhens
- 44 Coots
- 75 > c.650 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 > 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 0 > 7 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
6°C: Clearing after rain. Moderate W wind. Good visibility
The morning seemed likely to be rained-off and while the heaviest rain was later than originally forecast it was probably a wise decision. Was anxious to check out the Trench Lock Pool for the reported Long-tailed Duck – eluded me if it was present – so went out after it cleared with just about enough time before dark
(2nd visit of the year)
Notes
- reasonably busy today with a Great Crested Grebe new in. Very few gulls when I did the circuit on the first visit. As I walked past on my way back from Trench Lock I was very surprised to see the large roost gathering of Black-headed Gulls: I have never visited at dusk before. Talking to one of the regular dog-walkers he told me that numbers this evening were much lower than they had been a few days ago when the water was frozen: and numbers this winter were much reduced from previous years
The counts from the water
- 1 Mute Swan
- 8 Canada Goose
- 25 (20♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) feral-type Mallard
- 18 (11♂) Tufted Ducks
- 11 (5♂) Goosander
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 11 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 15 > 1000 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench Lock Pool: 15:10 – 16:15
(2nd visit of the year)
Those counts shown as ‘a > b’ indicate the number present when I arrived followed by the number present when I left: many birds flew in while I was present
Other notes
- so this is where all the Greylag Geese are at the moment!
- three of the drake Shoveler were full adults; the other three were all 1st winter birds. Just one duck
- 3 Little Grebes is a good count here
- many, many Black-headed Gull were spiralling in to a roost here. The very few larger gulls mostly arrived singly
- at c.16:10 a Buzzard flew high over the water and all the gulls got up (they had more or less ignored one that flew along the W end footpath). When they resettled all the large gulls seemed to have gone
A postscript to this gull gathering: one of the fishermen at Priorslee Lake had alerted me to a roost here. He noted that he had to stay at the lake until the gulls there left just before dark before baiting the lake for fishing in the morning – the gulls eat the bait otherwise. He lives close-by Trench and commented on the very different behaviour with the gulls not arriving here until almost dark
Birds noted flying over
- 1 Buzzard
- >40 Wood Pigeons
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 71 > 81 Greylag Geese
- 105 > 146 Canada Geese
- 47 (28♂) Mallard
- 7 (6♂) Shoveler
- 46 (24♂) Tufted Ducks
- 10 (1♂) Goosander
- 3 Little Grebes
- 1 > 0 Cormorant
- 9 Moorhens
- 44 Coots
- 75 > c.650 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 > 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 0 > 7 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in ...........
2014
Priorslee Lake
2 female Scaup
10 Pochard
79 Tufted Duck
1 Great Crested Grebe
39 Herring Gulls
85 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
296 Black-headed Gulls
(Gary Crowder)
2013
Priorslee Flash
A drake Scaup
(Observer Unknown)
2012
Priorslee Lake
14 Pochard
12 Tufted Duck
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
36 Great Black-backed Gulls
A dark-mantled Scandinavian Herring Gulls
Common Gull
c.550 Black-headed Gulls
39 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
88 Herring Gulls
32 Redwings
(Ed Wilson, Tom Lowe, John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
7 Pochard
78 Tufted Duck
233 Black-headed Gulls,
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
Holmer Lake
71 Goosander,
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Bittern
15 Wigeon
1 Common Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
46 Magpies
39 Swans
4 Gadwall
28 Pochard
89 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
3 Water Rail
1 Snipe
303 Coots
>1000 Black-headed Gulls
c.50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Yellow legged Gull
c.15 Herring Gulls
3 Redwings
2 Willow Tits
126 Jackdaws
10+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Jim Almond, John Isherwood)
2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Common Gull
2 Raven
(John Isherwood)
2007
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
>670 Black-headed Gulls
>515 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
43 Herring Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
7 Great Black-backed Gulls
22 Robins
3 Fieldfares
50 Redwings
351 Jackdaws
264 Rooks
(Ed Wilson, Paul King)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
8 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
1200 Black-headed Gulls
21 Robins
19 Blackbirds
28 Greenfinches
28 Siskins
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2 female Scaup
10 Pochard
79 Tufted Duck
1 Great Crested Grebe
39 Herring Gulls
85 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
296 Black-headed Gulls
(Gary Crowder)
2013
Priorslee Flash
A drake Scaup
(Observer Unknown)
2012
Priorslee Lake
14 Pochard
12 Tufted Duck
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
36 Great Black-backed Gulls
A dark-mantled Scandinavian Herring Gulls
Common Gull
c.550 Black-headed Gulls
39 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
88 Herring Gulls
32 Redwings
(Ed Wilson, Tom Lowe, John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
7 Pochard
78 Tufted Duck
233 Black-headed Gulls,
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
Holmer Lake
71 Goosander,
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Bittern
15 Wigeon
1 Common Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
46 Magpies
39 Swans
4 Gadwall
28 Pochard
89 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
3 Water Rail
1 Snipe
303 Coots
>1000 Black-headed Gulls
c.50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Yellow legged Gull
c.15 Herring Gulls
3 Redwings
2 Willow Tits
126 Jackdaws
10+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Jim Almond, John Isherwood)
2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Common Gull
2 Raven
(John Isherwood)
2007
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
>670 Black-headed Gulls
>515 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
43 Herring Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
7 Great Black-backed Gulls
22 Robins
3 Fieldfares
50 Redwings
351 Jackdaws
264 Rooks
(Ed Wilson, Paul King)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
8 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
1200 Black-headed Gulls
21 Robins
19 Blackbirds
28 Greenfinches
28 Siskins
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)