16 Dec 17

Priorslee Lake and Trench Lock Pool

0.5°C > 2.5°C: White frost soon washed away by light showers. Light, occasionally moderate W wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:16 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:55 – 10:10

(161st visit of the year)

A sighting that can’t go in the formal record as I am not 100% sure. A party of 8 or 9 birds in flight to the far E at c.08:00 had the right silhouette and wing action for Common Snipe. Snipe do not often fly in small groups and they were a long way away so I could not see the long bill of this species. I will have to let them pass

Other notes from today:
- still 5 additional adult Mute Swans. The residents made several attempts to chase them off, without success
- did a recount of the Coots to prove there really were many more than yesterday
- yesterday’s extra pair of Great Crested Grebes not seen
- a even smaller total than usual of Jackdaws – just 120 in the main group
- 2 Goldcrests seen: good to see they have survived all the snow
- 2 Fieldfares seen over
- visited the usual main Redwing roost: just 2 birds here with another elsewhere. Several small groups over
- the Coal Tit was in song again
with
- nothing noted on the lamps again

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 3 Wood Pigeons only
- 135 Jackdaws
- 2 Fieldfares
- 19 Redwings (3 groups)
- 2 Greenfinches
- 1 Goldfinch

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 17 Magpies (incomplete?)
- 3 Redwings only
- 3 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 7 + 3 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 1 Greylag x Canada Geese
- 44 Canada Geese
- 11 (6♂) Gadwall remain
- 12 (7♂) Mallard
- 9 (9♂) Pochard
- 58 (34♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Little Grebes
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 203 Coots
- 36 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again

Before the arrival of the first shower there was clear skies with the start of a sunrise.

It was ‘cut off’ by the arrival of the shower.

The resident Mute Swans chasing the uninvited visitors.

Fish for breakfast anyone? This Grey Heron has decided to eat a Perch.

Catching it is only the start: it has to be manoeuvred to be swallowed head-first without dropping it.

A bloody business: the fish does not look too happy – for very obvious reasons.

Well that seems to have turned it ready for eating.

Does not want to be swallowed ....

 ... and almost slips out.

So engrossed with its task the Grey Heron did not seem to worry too much about me.

Down the hatch at last.

Gulp!

Its next task would be to wash the blood off its bill.

A Goldcrest about to take off. Note that the crown on this bird is yellow, as it usually is unless the bird is excited when the crest is raised exposing the red bases to these feathers.

A male Bullfinch showing why fruit farmers don’t like them: eating the buds.

(Ed Wilson)

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Afternoon visit

Trench Lock Pool: 14:50 – 16:15

(38th visit of the year)

In the afternoon I visited here with the specific intention of looking at the gull roots. Some other counts taken

still >30% ice

Notes from here
- the Greylag Geese flew in c.14:55 and left just before 16:00
- most of the Canada Geese also left just before 16:00: many of the rest left some minutes later
- the Goldeneye seemed to have gone
- the Goosanders left in several groups
- Black-headed Gulls arriving all the while until c.16:10
- a few large gulls when I arrived but these all flew off. Then a small number more arrived with the early Black-headed Gull arrival: these too all flew off

The counts from the water
- 1 + 6 Mute Swans
- 66 Greylag Geese
- 92 Canada Geese
- 15 (9♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Shoveler still
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- [Tufted Ducks not counted]
- 12 (10♂) Goosanders
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- [Moorhens not counted]
- [Coots not counted]
- c.150 > c.3000 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 > 0 > 9 > 0 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- 1 > 0 > 4 > 0 Herring Gulls (see notes)

Still a few showers around: this one giving a double rainbow. Note the difference in tone between the inside and outside of the rainbow – both the real thing and the reflection. Someone tried to explain to me why it happens but ‘my eyes glazed over’.

Greylags are handsome geese.

A good trick if you can do it: a drake Mallard does a one leg dance on the ice.

I don’t often take photos of duck Mallards: could not resist this pose though.

Timing not quite right for the synchronised preening award.

Surprisingly the rather dull light produced a less contrasting effect on a drake Goosander.

6 drake Goosanders leaving the pool. Very smart.

4 of these climbing away and....

......away they all go. Note the pinkish flush on the belly of bird #4 – the start of a more extensive breeding tone.

It is quite hard to count Black-headed Gulls when they are being reflected by the ice.

How many gulls ....? 4 Coots and a 2 duck Tufted Ducks – will that do? 

(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
5 Gadwall 
3 Pochard 
49 Tufted Ducks
238 Coots
6 Fieldfare
>256 Redwings
3 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Teal
2 Pochard 
167 Tufted Ducks 
1 Greater Scaup 
2 Goosanders 
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebe
35 Tufted Ducks
4 Gadwall
7 Pochard
149 Coot
1 Water Rail
25 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
23 Swans
34 Pochard
84 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
Snipe
273 Coots
25 Goldfinches
7 Linnets
50 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
4 Cormorants
9 Pochard
46 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
Woodcock
70 Coots
c.220 Black-headed Gulls
104 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
5 Buzzards
20 Pied Wagtails
1 Willow Tits
561 Jackdaws
149 Rooks
c.190 Fieldfare
c.120 Redwings
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson / Martin Adlam)