27 Nov 17

Priorslee Lake: then Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

7.5°C > 8.0°C: Mainly cloudy with several clearer spells before light shower c.11:00. Moderate / fresh W wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 07:52 GMT

A very quiet morning everywhere with nothing to highlight

Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:30

(144th visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- 17 Canada Geese dropped in on their way outbound for c.10 minutes
- just 4 (2♂) Mallard until 08:45 when 25 (14♂) came in from the E together
- the last juvenile Great Crested Grebe spent the entire time on its own for a change
- the Golden Plover seen to the far E again
- even fewer Black-headed Gulls today – no more than 25. Rather like mid-summer
- 2 Stock Doves over: I see these most days and they are usually the first pigeons that fly-over
- amazingly few Wood Pigeons seen over – just 6! Only 8 more seen in the trees
- 3 Ravens appeared over, with one of these peeling off. This perhaps the bird seen later?
- no Starlings in the roost today: single distant party of 11 birds
and – all on the lamps
- 3 Winter Moths, 1 Northern Winter Moth and a Scarce Umber pre-dawn only
- 2 different Winter Moths found later
- 1 Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- 1 harvestman, probably Paroligolophus agrestis
with
- another winter moth sp. in flight pre-dawn

On with today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 1 male Sparrowhawk
- 2 Buzzards
- c.150 Golden Plover again
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Feral Pigeons (one group)
- 2 Stock Doves (one group)
- 6 Wood Pigeons only!!
- c.620 Jackdaws
- 4 Ravens (see notes)
- 11 Starlings
- 1 Fieldfare
- 7 Redwings (4 singles / groups)
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 2 Meadow Pipits
- 4 Siskins

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- >12 Magpies
- no Starlings
- 18 Redwings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 17 Canada Geese
- 9 (5♂) Gadwall again
- 29 (16♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 34 (20♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 4 + 1 Great Crested Grebes again
- 6 Moorhens
- 175 Coots
- c.25 Black-headed Gulls only

(Ed Wilson)

Also
Thank you to Mark Williams for the following photos taken today by the Sailing Club.

Jay

Jay

Male Bullfinch

Song Thrush

Grey Squirrel

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Trench Lock Pool: 09:40 – 10:15 // 11:00 – 11:05

(32nd visit of the year)

Notes from here
- the 7 Wood Pigeons over were in a high-flying tight group and seemed to be headed somewhere
- the over-flying Rook was my first record of this species here this year
- two different parties of Long-tailed Tits along the W side

Birds noted flying over here [apart from the local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws coming and going]
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Rook
- 6 Starlings

The counts from the water
- 1 + 6 Mute Swans again
- 19 Canada Geese
- 10 (7♂) Mallards
- 1 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard again
- 2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 56 (25♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 (3♂) Goosanders
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Little Grebes
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 4 Moorhens
- 127 Coots
- 59 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 10:20 – 10:55

(29th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- another high count of Coots

Birds noted flying over here
- 2 Jackdaws

The counts from the water
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 29 Canada Geese
- 31 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard again
- 11 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 (2♂) Goosanders
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 12 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 84 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull again

It was a very quiet morning and quite late-on before anything appeared. Then this Song Thrush decided I was harmless and decided to pose. Who was I to refuse? Note the orange tips to both the lesser and greater coverts. These will wear off during the winter.

Not to be outdone this Robin also wanted its photo taken. It too is showing orange tips to the greater coverts.

Even decided to have a quiet sing to itself!

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls
930+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
95 Herring Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Goldeneye
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
22 Tufted Ducks
146 Coots
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
8 Redwings
151 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

2005
Priorslee Lake
50+ Golden Plover
4 Pochard
39 Tufted Duck
1 duck Wigeon
2 Ruddy Duck
2 Little Grebes
200+ Coot
1 Water Rail
1 Kingfisher
12 Redwing
5 Fieldfare
8 Siskin
5 Reed Bunting
(Martin R Adlam)