8 Dec 17

The Flash and Priorslee Lake

-0.5°C: Snow showers, sometimes heavy. Lying snow. Moderate NW wind. Good visibility, poor in snow.

Sunrise: 08:08 GMT

All counts affected by the sometime poor visibility and trying to stay warm!

The Flash: 09:55 – 10:30

(108th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- the cygnet not seen today. I hope it was just the heavy snow at the time that caused me to miss it. As far as I know it has never even tried to fly

Birds noted flying over
- 2 Black-headed Gull
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans only
- 2 Canada Geese as usual
- 1 white feral goose
- 34 (24♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 32 (20♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens
- 8 Coots again
- 49 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Kingfisher

Probably a pair of Great Crested Grebe though we cannot detect any difference in plumage between the sexes.

A rare chance to get some snow pictures was not to be missed. A scatter of Black-headed Gulls with a few Mallard and Tufted Duck.

A raft of loafing Tufted Ducks with a snowy backdrop.

The well-trodden path through the NW wooded area. Schools had been sent home and toboggans had been pressed in to use.

Alders coated in snow at the N end.

Then it started to snow again.

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake: 10:45 – 12:15

(155th visit of the year)

Notes
- neither the snow nor the recent winds had brought anything to the lake
but
- 1 Northern Winter Moth on one of the lamps: must have anti-freeze for blood

Birds noted flying over
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 11 (6♂) Gadwall still
- 9 (5♂) Mallard
- 7 (7♂) Pochard
- 52 (27♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

at the lake

A group of three drake Tufted Ducks head in to wind as the snow streams past.

Which white spots are falling snow and which indicate this is an immature Cormorant?

A Northern Winter Moth braving the sub-zero (just) temperature.

Looking east from the Teece Drive gate. Note the leaning dead Ash tree. This seemed to die well before the recent die-back disease. Shame as it was used by Stock Doves for breeding. It seems likely to fall before then.

A change from the monochrome views: here green and white, a fern – possibly Lady-fern (Athyrium filix-femina). I’ll have to look more closely when the snow falls off.

The north side looking east.

Bulrush (or Reedmace) (Typha latifolia) with ‘hats’ of snow as the sun comes out for a while.

The dead heads of Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) also with ‘hats’ of snow.

Later some heads found with the sun giving them added impact. Many had been weighed down or broken by the accumulation of snow – one way of dispersing seed that I did not learn in school.

No-one was feeding on these haws: why not?

A good covering of snow on branches in places.

Near the gate in to Castle Farm Way.

The dam from the north.

Strange: no-one is sitting on the seat.

Looking north during a sunny break.

I usually take sunrise photos from this vantage point.

Along the south side looking west.

The footpath at the west end looking to the Teece Drive gate.

Looking west toward the Teece Drive gate.

(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

2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
3 Gadwall
9 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
166 Coots
Peregrine Falcon
118 Black-headed Gulls
>500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.40 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
43 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
c.469 Jackdaws
53 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
33 Swans
31 Pochard
70 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
308 Coots
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c.300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
102 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
225 Jackdaws
3 Siskins
2 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)

Trench
2 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
8 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
drake Mallard x Pintail
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull 
6 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
12 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
2 Goosanders
3 Lapwings
1 Snipe
>1700 Black-headed Gulls
865 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
22 Robins
22 Blackbirds
6 Redwings
243 Jackdaws
133 Rooks
22 Chaffinches
1 Brambling
12 Greenfinches
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
6 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
247 Coot
402 Jackdaws
483 Rooks
37 Siskins
1 Redpoll
21 Fieldfares.
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)