5 Dec 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

6.5°C > 7.5°C: Medium level overcast and dull. Light WSW wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 08:04 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:30 – 09:40

(152nd visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- 1 Grey Heron flew out at 07:20: presumed the same bird flew in 09:20
- 109 Black-headed Gulls seen to arrive from the W before 07:45. Most left to the W by 07:55. After 08:00 75 arrived from the W – assumed to be the same birds, but ...
- Wood Pigeon number look – and were – higher: boosted by a party of 43 apparently flushed out of Ward’s Rough area to the NE
- 25 Magpies leaving roost: 23 in the main roost in the NW area; 2 in the SW at a separate roost
- higher count of Jackdaws today: most likely not a real increase but a more accurate count – they were much more spread out today making it easier to gauge numbers
- small number of Redwings confirmed at roost today. I visited the SW roost area and inadvertently spooked the birds. I heard lots of wing noise as they repositioned. Just one of the birds called and that was a Song Thrush. Just 2 Redwings seen leaving there later. Unusually there were 16 in trees much later, 6 of which visited the ‘football pitch’ open area next to the academy
- 3 Reed Bunting left the W end reeds today: the number I log each day depends upon where I am at the time they leave – I cannot cover all the roost locations at the same time
and
- 8 moths on the lamps: 1 Northern Winter Moth; 4 winter moth sp.; 2 Mottled Umbers and 1 December Moth – this last species my first here since at least 2013

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 2 Buzzards
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 53 Wood Pigeons only
- c.650 Jackdaws
- ? Fieldfare – heard only
- 2 Redwings (singles)
- 1 Pied Wagtail yet again
- 1 Meadow Pipit again
- 7 Siskins

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 25 Magpies
- c.45 Starlings
- 4 Redwings only
- 3 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 11 (6?) Gadwall as usual
- 18 (11?) Mallard
- 8 (6?) Pochard
- 48 (19?) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe again
- 4 Great Crested Grebes remain
- 8 Moorhens
- 165 Coots
- 109 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull

Not often you can get reasonably close to Redwings. I was looking over the edge of the football field and hence at ground-level to this bird. A few white tips to the tertials and greater coverts age this bird as a 1st winter. Most bird books don’t mention the warm mark on the side of the neck at the end of the sub-moustachial stripe.

Here it is again: the base of the bill would be yellow on an adult. Sexes cannot be distinguished by plumage – well not by humans anyway: I guess Redwings can.

This winter moth sp. did not require too hard-a-look to specifically ID it: the whitish hind wing identifies it as a Northern Winter Moth (brown underwing for Winter Moth). The Northern Winter Moth also more frequently rests with the forewings held slightly apart, as here.

A December Moth. Easy to identify as the only species of this general shape likely to be seen in winter.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:45 – 10:20

(106th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- 3 Goosanders flew off just as I arrived
- unusual to see two male Sparrowhawks in the air together
- just 1 Great Crested Grebe located again: this time at the SW end

Birds noted flying over
- 2 Sparrowhawks (both males)
- 1 Buzzard
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 4 Redwings
- 1 Siskin

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans as usual
- 2 Canada Geese again
- 1 white feral goose
- 34 (23?) Mallard
- 42 (24?) Tufted Ducks
- 3 (1?) Goosander
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only again
- 7 Moorhens
- 12 Coots
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Kingfisher

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall.
9 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye
158 Coots
9 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
27 Redwings
4 Fieldfares
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
7 Pochard
71 Tufted Duck
5 Goosander
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

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

2009
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
36 Swans
15 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
1 Woodcock
300 Coots
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
5 Stock Doves
5 Redwings
c.35 Goldfinches
c.10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
7 Pochard
58 Tufted Ducks
>1000 Black-headed Gulls
>2350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
20 Robins
20 Blackbirds
c.40 Fieldfares
4 Song Thrushes
6 Redwings
2 Willow Tits
190 Jackdaws
278 Rooks
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
12 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
239 Coot
Golden Plover
c.1600 Black-headed Gulls
397 Jackdaws
261 Rooks
2 Meadow Pipits
3 Redwings
16 Robins
24 Blackbirds
62 Fieldfares
15 Wrens
2 Willow Tits
Redpolls
Siskins
(Ed Wilson)