9.5°C > 10.5°C: Cloud to E; brighter to W. Light W wind. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 06:34 GMT
Priorslee Lake:
Late Morning WeBS count: 1050 – 1215
2 Mute Swan
1 Feral Goose
26 Tufted Duck
22 Coot
1 Cormorant a young bird with a lot of white in the head. Also seemed to be trailing some fishing line behind it.
1 Moorhen
6 Great Crested Grebe
3 Gadwall
7 Mallard (4 male 3 female)
64 Black-headed Gull
2 Herring Gull
(Tony Beckett)
The boats on Priorslee Lake
The boats on Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Gadwall
Gadwall in flight
Great Crested Grebe and Coot
Early Morning Report: 06:29 – 08:45
(29th visit of the year)
2 Oystercatchers on one of the boat piers and then on the SW grass were my 73rd confirmed species at the lake this year. They flew off when flushed by a dog-walker
So the Sand Martin that flew over the dam at 07:10 and then straight through was my 74th confirmed species
Notes from today:
- 3 adult Mute Swans flew by without so much as pausing to look at the threatening locals who were still busy harassing the poor white feral goose
- none of the Black-headed Gulls stayed for very long. Some of them peeled off from over-flying groups. A few were also seen on the grass behind the dam, something they only seem to do at this time of the year
- of the 110 Wood Pigeons overhead 65 were in nine small groups headed N and flying high suggesting that they were returning winter visitors
- a Green Woodpecker heard calling from the distance to the NW
- arrived late (alarm malfunction – well my malfunction actually) and numbers of Jackdaws (especially) and Rooks affected
- probably 2 Skylarks singing over fields to E. 3 flew W together and then 1 flew N overhead
- 4 Chiffchaffs in song
- 2 parties of Redwings flew over E-bound, one of 23 birds. Likely returning winter visitors
and
- nothing on the again lamps this morning
Birds noted flying over the lake
- 3 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese (1 group)
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Stock Doves
- 110 Wood Pigeons (see notes)
- 1 Collared Dove
- 4 Sky Larks
- 1 Sand Martin
- 18 Jackdaws (see notes)
- 16 Rooks
- 3 Starlings
- 28 Redwings
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Meadow Pipits
- 2 Goldfinches
- 6 Siskins
Roost / departure counts
None again
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall still present
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 25 (16♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 10 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail heard
- 5 Moorhens only
- 35 Coots
- 2 Oystercatchers
- 45 Black-headed Gulls
The clearance from the W never quite made it and this was one of the brighter moments.
Not sure at all what this pose might represent.
Flying with typical loud calls – see the open bills.
This Wood Pigeon was feeding on the blackthorn buds this morning.
Another sneak-up on a Jay this morning.
The first of the Daffodils are now out. Run the risk of being over before Mothering Sunday.
The pussy willow is now well open.
And the Blackthorn is probably at its best at the moment – a few of the petals have started to drop.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash
Late Morning WeBS Count: 10:20 – 10:40
4 Coot
15 Canada Geese
3 Moorhen
16 Tufted Duck (10 male & 6 female)
9 Mallard (6 male 3 female)
2 Mute Swan
1 Cormorant
8 Black-headed Gull
(Tony Beckett)
Cormorant
Early Morning Report: 08:55 – 09:35
(23rd visit of the year)
2 Chiffchaffs in song gave me my 52nd confirmed species for this site in 2017
Notes
- one of the drake Goosanders certainly flew over; the other seemed likely to have been flying off when I saw it circling and gaining height over there water
- the hybrid Greylag x Canada Goose has reappeared – my first sighting of this in the area this year [none of the feral / hybrid wildfowl are counted as a ‘species’ to site lists]
Birds noted flying over
- 1 (1) Goosander
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 1 Siskin
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag x Canada Geese
- 23 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 16 (13♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard again
- 1 (1) Goosander
- 20 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 7 Moorhens
- 14 Coots
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- single Moorhens seen again on both the upper and lower pools beside the path between the lake and - - a drake Mallard was on the lower pool
- another Chiffchaff was singing alongside the lower pool
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in ...........
2016Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
3 Common Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
2 Gadwall
3 Shoveler
29 Wigeon
1 Cormorant
1 Little Grebe
1 Willow Tit
(J Reeves, John Isherwood)
The Flash
1 Greater Scaup
4 Pochard
(John Isherwood)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Mallard x Pintail
7 Pochard
31 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff singing
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock
Chiffchaff
2 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Shoveler
10 Swans
4 Gadwall
4 Pochard
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
Mallard x Pintail
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorant
13 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck.
5 Stock Dove
10 Pied Wagtail
27 Wren
38 Robin
20 Blackbird
43 Fieldfare
7 Redwing
5 Chiffchaff (3 singing)
42 Magpie
6 Greenfinch
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)
The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
1 Buzzard
1 Chiffchaff singing
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
7 Pochard
46 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
275 Wood Pigeons
28 Pied Wagtails
20 Wrens
17 Blackbirds
3 Fieldfares
7 Redwings
11 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)