2.5°C > 4.5°C: Very little cloud. Fresh W wind. Excellent visibility. Dusting of snow after overnight showers
Sunrise: 08:13 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 06:55 – 09:35
(2nd visit of the year)
Another quiet morning
Other notes from today:
- only 3 additional adult Mute Swans at dawn with 2 more arriving – presumed the same as seen yesterday
- a large party of Golden Plover seen in the far distance, high over fields to the E
- Coots not counted: even stronger wind whipping across the dam caused too much eye-watering to attempt a count. Other species more amenable to aggregation from several points
- a Herring Gull-type seen overhead. It appeared to have a darker than usual mantle suggesting a Yellow-legged Gull. However the view was too brief and inconclusive
- visited the Redwing roost this morning: just two birds noted leaving
and
- nothing on the street lights
- Grey Squirrel was my first mammal of the year here (ignoring the omnipresent mole-hills)
- Daisy (Bellis perennis) was the only flower noted
- Hazel & Alder catkins present
- no berries found
Extra bird species logged in order of sighting (7 new species, taking the year total at this site to 41)
Redwing, Little Grebe, Golden Plover, Common Buzzard, Coal Tit, Greenfinch, Feral Pigeon
Today’s bird totals
Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull-type (see notes)
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 26 Wood Pigeons
- c.180 Jackdaws
- 1 Greenfinch
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- [Magpies not counted]
- 2 Redwings
- 2 Reed Buntings
The counts from the lake area
- 7 + 3 Mute Swans (see notes again)
- 1 Canada Goose
- 8 (5♂) Gadwall
- 15 (9♂) Mallard
- 7 (5♂) Pochard
- 50 (28♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- >200 Black-headed Gulls
A clear and cold start with ...
A dusting of snow.
More than a dusting in places.
A male Siskin having a preen in the early sun.
A different bird: black on the crown just visible indicates a male. However this bird shows less yellow on the breast and more streaking on the flanks.
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Lock Pool: 09:45 – 10:15 // 10:55 – 11:05
(1st visit of the year)
Notes from here
- additional pair(?) of Mute Swans being chased by the resident cob
- 104 of the 132 Canada Geese flew in
- highest number of Black-headed Gulls I have logged this winter (other than roost counts): numbers not reflected in the very small number of large gulls
- the Feral Pigeons over were in a tight group, suggesting Racing Pigeons
Birds noted flying over here [apart from the local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws coming and going]
- 16 Feral Pigeons
Bird species logged in order of sighting (26)
Magpie; Black-headed Gull, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Moorhen, Coot, Robin, Tufted Duck, Carrion Crow, Mallard, Goldfinch, Cormorant, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Goosander, Wood Pigeon, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Wren, Feral Pigeon, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tit, House Sparrow, Collared Dove
The counts from the water
- 3 + 6 Mute Swans remain
- 132 Canada Geese
- 9 (5♂) Mallards
- 1 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard
- 45 (24♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 (2♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Cormorant
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 109 Coots
- 247 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
A Cormorant: and you thought they were black!
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Middle Pool: 10:20 – 10:50
(1st visit of the year)
Notes from here
- Treecreeper was my first record here since 18 September 2016
Birds noted flying over here
None
Bird species logged in order of sighting (20)
Magpie, Robin, Great Tit, Mute Swan, Black-headed Gull, Coot, Tufted Duck, Dunnock, Canada Goose, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Goosander, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Moorhen, Greylag Goose, Treecreeper, Wood Pigeon, Lesser Black-headed Gull
The counts from the water
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 27 Canada Geese
- 20 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) ‘feral’ Mallard
- 16 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 44 Coots
- 61 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Another view, slightly obscured by a small twig between us.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2017Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
57 Magpies
10 Pochard
64 Tufted Duck
119 Coots counted
>500 Black-headed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
18 Redwings
>1500 Jackdaws
>325 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1st-winter female Velvet Scoter
102 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson and Unknown Observer)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
21 Pochard
80 Tufted Ducks
1 Greater Scaup
1 Goldeneye
155 Coots
Snipe
Woodcock
Kingfisher
113 Redwing
30 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Mike Cooper)
The Flash
31 Tufted Duck
50 Goldfinches
1 Redpoll.
(Ed Wilson)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Caspian Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
(Tom Lowe)
2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Shoveler
21 Pochard
95 Tufted Duck
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
15 Great Black-backed Gulls
117 Redwings
12 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)
The Wrekin
6 Marsh Tit
2 Brambling
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Cormorants
4 Pink-footed Geese
3 Greylag Geese
16 Pochard
35 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye
>600 Black-headed Gulls
>487 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
94 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
24 Robins
11 Blackbirds
8 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
39 Magpies
205 Jackdaws
76 Rooks
12 Greenfinches
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
12 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
11 Pochard
11 Tufted Duck
213 Coot
1 Water Rail
c.360 Black-headed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
169 Jackdaws
117 Rooks
220 Wood Pigeons
21 Robins
20 Blackbirds
2 Willow Tits
41 Siskins
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)