1 Oct 18

Priorslee Lake and Priorslee Flash

Priorslee Lake: 06:10 – 09:05
The Flash: 09:10 – 09:55

6°C > 12°C: Some patchy cloud to start: then fine and clear for a while: more cloud later. Light and variable wind, becoming NW. Very good visibility apart from some early mist over the water.

Sunrise: 07:10 BST

Priorslee Lake: 06:10 – 09:05

(120th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Gadwall back
- yet another increase in Tufted Duck numbers – whilst the number at The Flash continues to decline. Many birds continually diving and the true total could be slightly higher than my count
- the Black-headed Gulls commuted to and from fields to the E / NE as usual. On two occasions, upon their return, they came with groups of large gulls. The first had a few Herring and well as Lesser Black-backed Gulls and not all of them stopped on the water. Later 95 Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived together – almost like old days. All bar one of these Lesser Black-backs was an adult. They mostly left in dribs and drabs over the next 45 minutes
- yet another over-flying Collared Dove
- the corvids behaved differently today. I first located 2 small groups of Rooks on a different flight-line and wondered whether I had missed the main passage. Some 5 minutes later, as usual, the first big group of Jackdaws passed. Then, oddly, a large mixed party of Jackdaws and, mainly, Rooks followed them, but much higher than usual

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 66 Greylag Geese [66 (3 groups) inbound]
- 61 Canada Geese [13 (1 group) outbound; 48 (3 groups) inbound]
- 24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 34 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove yet again
- 234 Jackdaws
- 103 Rooks
- 2 Skylarks
- 6 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit again

Warblers noted
- 5 Chiffchaffs

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans as usual
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 7 (7♂) Mallards
- 57 (>11♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Little Grebes
- 4 + 1 (1 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 141 Coots
- 81 Black-headed Gulls
- 101 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls

And other notes
- my log today consisted of just
- 3 wasp sp.
- - 1 unidentified bumble bee in flight

Half-moon already? Yes well it is on a 28-day (or thereabouts) cycle so after 7 days it should be waning half-moon.

Much cloud early and I was not expecting another dramatic sunrise. Started to clear at the crucial moment.

One of the Mute Swan cygnets against the fiery lake. Just a small swelling starting at the base of the bill as it matures.

Another silhouette. Here we see what must be an adult Grey Heron: note the elongated breast feathers.

Move a few feet to get different lighting and looks a quite different bird. The orange on the bill confirms this as an adult.

Just like old times. Part of the group of 95 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The only non-adult is preening itself and can be seen in front (from our perspective) of the bird flapping its wings.

One of the Grey Wagtails around at the moment, here lurking under vegetation on the dam-face. In winter the sexes are more or less indistinguishable because the males lose their black throat. Remember that most wagtails are named after their back colour so this is a grey wagtail despite having the prominent yellow undertail. Yellow Wagtails have a greeny / yellow back.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:10 – 09:55

(97th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- only 1 adult Mute Swan noted again. One of the locals said he thought he saw both adults last night
- some geese inside the island and uncounted
- thanks to some of the Mallard being very close I was able to recognise 2 now almost full grown juveniles still with their mother
- 2 adults Great Crested Grebes seen today: as well as the juvenile
- a mix of fly-overs, albeit in small numbers
and
- a few wasps sp. on the ivy

Birds noted flying over or near to The Flash
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Skylark
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Meadow Pipit

Warblers noted
- 1 Chiffchaff

The counts from the water
- 1 + 3 Mute Swans again
- >87 Greylag Geese
- >45 Canada Geese
- 38 (20♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 4 (4♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe
- 4 Moorhens
- 6 Coots
- 62 Black-headed Gulls

A group of 12 Greylag Geese come in to land.

Of interest between the lake and The Flash
- 1 Common Buzzard over the estate: less often seen here.

This Common Buzzard flew over the pools between the lake and The Flash. It is re-growing primaries P1 and P3 on its left wing. I have a poor photo that shows the right wing and none of the primaries there is re-growing. Birds usually moult feathers both in sequence and simultaneously on each wing. These are probably regrowing after damage, either in a territorial fight or merely by crashing through trees.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail
40 Mute Swan
(Mike Cooper) 

2008
Priorslee Lake
Shoveler
Peregrine
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Redwing
90 Golden Plover
87 Greenfinches
3 Chiffchaffs
Blackcap
Kingfisher
2 Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)