17 Dec 17

Priorslee Lake only – rain stopped play

0.0°C > 2.5°C: Sliver of clear sky to E, otherwise lowering cloud with rain after 09:30. Very light SSE wind. Good visibility with some mist over the tops

Sunrise: 08:17 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 07:00 – 09:40

(162nd visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- started with the 5 visiting adult Mute Swans present: 2 were ‘persuaded’ to fly off E at 08:30. The residents then ignored the other 3 (as they did the 11 Canada Geese feeding on the grass)
- 5 Goosanders over: a brownhead flew W at 09:20; then 4 drakes flew E at 09:30
- at least 6 Great Crested Grebes, but chasing about and diving and hard to be sure there were not more
- at least 210 Black-headed Gulls skimmed in low over the W end: all of these briefly stopped on the lake before heading off, mainly ESE. Thereafter never more than 25 on the water
- I saw no Wood Pigeons overhead and only 5 in the trees around the lake
- the milder(?) weather prompted a Song Thrush to try and sing a bit
with
- still nothing noted on the lamps

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 5 (4♂) Goosanders
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 127 Jackdaws
- 3 Skylarks
- 2 Starlings (together)
- 2 Redwings (singles)
- 2 Meadow Pipits
- 4 Greenfinches
- 2 Goldfinches
- 3 Siskins

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 24 Magpies (incomplete?)
- no Redwings
- 2 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 7 + 3 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 42 Canada Geese
- 11 (6♂) Gadwall
- 17 (11♂) Mallard
- 9 (8♂) Pochard
- 58 (33♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 6? Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Water Rails heard
- 10 Moorhens
- 204 Coots
- c.210 Black-headed Gulls

Did not look a promising start.

Then a ‘red sky in the morning’ warning of rain.

Briefly spectacular in close-up.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
40 Golden Plover
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
4 Siskins
2 Redpolls
8 Pochard 
83 Tufted Ducks
249 Coots
83 Fieldfare
54 Redwings
216 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

The Flash
Greater Scaup
1 Little Grebe 
179 Tufted Ducks 
1 Goosander 
(John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)

Holmer Lake
30 Goosander
1 Little Grebe
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
11 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
Snipe
1 Water Rail
163 Coots
6 Redwings
227 Jackdaws
3 Redpolls
2 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Pochard
33 Tufted Duck
30 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
29 Swans
36 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
3 Water Rails
291 Coots
6 Redwings
c.230 Jackdaws
c.30 Goldfinches
7 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
18 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
35 Fieldfare
19 Redwings
216 Jackdaws
132 Rooks
11 Greenfinches
2 Redpoll
7 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
c.400 Lesser Black-backs
18 Pochard
77 Tufted Duck
7 Shoveler
5 Great Crested Grebe
2 Dabchick
3 Water Rail
1 Snipe
40 Siskin
2 Redpoll
19 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)