The Flash: 09:25 – 10:05
Priorslee Lake: 10:10 – 11:20
11°C > 12°C: Overcast after rain: more rain later. Light E wind. Moderate visibility.
Sunrise: 06:51 BST
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:05
(90th visit of the year)
Notes
- all the geese arrived while I was walking around and some will have disappeared inside the island before I could get an accurate count
- I was surprised to be able to still identify two broods of Mallard ducklings: one group of 3 was still under-sized; the other was 6 full-grown ‘duck-types’ keeping close together
- 1 of the Cormorants flew off: the other was on the island at its usual spot
- single adult and juvenile Great Crested Grebes only
Birds noted flying over or near to The Flash
- 5 Feral Pigeons (1 group)
- 4 Wood Pigeons
Local hirundines etc. noted
None
Warblers noted
- 4 Chiffchaffs
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- >108 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- >81 Canada Geese
- 33 (20♂) + 9 (2 broods) Mallard
- 9 Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 13 Coots
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
Some of the inbound Greylags looking to position in to wind to land.
... here they come.
... on finals.
... undercarriage down and about to touch.
The Canada Geese make a rather elegant arrival.
A stately Grey Heron.
(Ed Wilson)
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Priorslee Lake: 10:10 – 11:20
(111th visit of the year)
Two Raven calling and fighting(?) overhead were, at least, new for me here this year and became my 95th species at this site in 2018. In previous years I have logged this species here by the end of February. After a short dispute they flew off in opposite directions
Other bird notes:
- after three days without it being seen I suspect one of the first brood Great Crested Grebes has perished. I have yet to see any of them fly and certainly one of them has yet to fledge
- a surprising percentage of the Black-headed Gulls were immatures – I did not do a specific analysis but would put it at c.70%
- more Chiffchaffs calling today
- a late Blackcap heard. Birds in the area during the Winter are likely Continental migrants yet to arrive so this was probably a late migrant
Bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake: (affected by my late arrival and the poor weather)
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 16 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Ravens
Hirundines etc. noted
None
Warblers noted:
- 7 Chiffchaffs
- 1 Blackcap
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 7 (4♂) Mallards
- 10 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Little Grebes
- 4 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes again
- 7 Moorhens
- 136 Coots
- >160 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
And other notes
- in the rain I only noted
- 2 wasp sp.
- Spindle-tree (Euonymus europaea) flowers were new
- 2 species of fungus on a dead tree-stem
.. like this.
... with others joining in. Note the neat tail-band on all these immatures.
... here, on the left, an adult joins in.
The upperwing pattern of a late-moulting juvenile with much brown.
Here a different bird showing both upper and underwing markings.
This bird has several new all-grey feathers in the upperwing coverts.
Having picked up the weed we see the all-white tail feathers clearly.
These are the flowers of the Spindle-tree (Euonymus europaea).
The stem of a dead birch tree had these very small fungus fruits ....
... and this small bracket fungus.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2017Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Scaup
(Richard Vernon)
The Flash
Scaup
(Stuart Edmunds)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)