0.5°C > 3.5°C: Broken thin high cloud. A spell of low cloud after 08:00. Light SW wind. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 07:41 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:35
(20th visit of the year)
In shaded areas the ground was frozen as hard as I can recall despite the temperature having apparently been above freezing since mid-morning yesterday. Only small amount of ice on the water
A new species for the year this morning, but sadly I cannot be 100% certain what species it was. An egret sp. flew E overhead at 06:55 when it was still very dark. I only saw the bird, which was quite high, after it has passed over so did not see the bill. The most likely species is Little Egret and it certainly did not look large-enough for a Great (White) Egret. But Cattle Egret ...? This species is becoming increasingly frequent in the UK
Other notes from today:
- three more adult Mute Swans flew in this morning
- how many Grey Herons today? 1 flushed out of the Wesley Brook at 07:15 flew off E; 2 flew E overhead together at 07:25. Later one flew in from the SE and was chased all the way by Black-headed Gulls and left to the N
- Water Rails seem to have disappeared: over two weeks since I last heard one
- increase in number of Coots likely due to smaller pools in the area being frozen
- Black-headed Gulls much later today. 10 only arrived c.07:00 but left by 07:10. It was 07:25 before any more arrived
- no Starlings seen leaving the NW reeds: just a group of 26 overhead
- in addition to the fly-over Greenfinch there were no fewer than 22 in the hedge between the lake and Ricoh
- 21 Siskins flew over the dam. Probably the birds seen in trees around the Teece Drive gate
- no repeat of yesterday’s roost dispersal of Reed Buntings. A lone bird seen flying off at 08:30 was hardly ‘roost dispersal’
and
- the lamps empty again
Today’s bird totals
Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 19 Greylag Geese (3 groups outbound)
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose outbound
- 10 Canada Geese (4 groups outbound)
- 2? Grey Herons (see notes)
- 51 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 10 Wood Pigeons only
- 2 Collared Doves
- >400 Jackdaws
- c.55 Rooks
- 26 Starlings
- 1 Greenfinch again
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- [Magpies not counted]
- 4 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting
The counts from the lake area
- 10 + 4 Mute Swans
- 20 Canada Geese
- 12 (8♂) Gadwall
- 22 (14♂) Mallard
- 26 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1? Grey Heron (see notes)
- 4 Cormorants
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 96 Coots
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
Found a new ‘art’ setting on the camera and tried out the sunrise ...
Prefer the real thing.
Another sunrise worth getting out of bed for!
A later view from a different vantage point.
With even more Mute Swans expect some action.
He’s chasing hard.
And closing in!
For a close-pass.
Really hot on your tail.
Off on another charge.
Running hard across the surface. If I had webbed feet could I run on water?
At least this one was put to flight, albeit temporarily.
Meanwhile one of ‘our’ cygnets get top marks for a gentle touch-down.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:40 – 10:25
(11th visit of the year)
c.25% thin ice seemed to have moved some diving ducks off. In contrast the Coots were more evident
The two over flying Starlings were a new species for me here in 2018. This species is becoming less and less frequent in the area as its roof nesting sites are lost when plastic soffits and gutters are installed
My year site-total is now 42
Other notes from today
- did not see the Sparrowhawk well-enough to sex it
Birds noted flying over
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 8 Feral Pigeon
- 2 Starlings
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 4 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose as usual
- 28 (21♂) Mallard
- 10 (9♂) Pochard
- 38 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 5 (0♂) Goosanders again
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Cormorant
- 3 Great Crested Grebes remain
- 6 Moorhens
- 18 Coots again
- 43 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2015Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Velvet Scoter
(David Barnes)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
(Kriss Webb)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Glaucous Gull
Iceland Gull
2 Caspian Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Kriss Webb)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
c.300 Black-headed Gulls
c.400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.40 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Iceland Gull
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Common Gull
1 Yellow legged Gull
1 Caspian Gull
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant, John Isherwood, Pete Jordan, Paul King,Ian Grant)
Priorslee Flash
60 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson )
2011
Priorslee Lake
15 Pochard
10 Tufted Duck
17 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid
(Andy Latham, Paul King, Jason Buckley)
2006
Priorslee Lake
9 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants again
18 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
151 Coots
1 Water Rail
c.380 Black-headed Gulls
86 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
8 Herring Gulls
339 Wood Pigeon
100 Fieldfares
179 Jackdaws
240 Starling
17 Robins
24 Blackbirds
10 Greenfinches
1 Siskin
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)