10 Nov 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake: 06:20 – 09:25 again
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:00 again

7°C > 8°C: Some clear spells with areas of thin low stratus at times. Mainly light SSE wind. Good visibility

Sunrise: 07:22 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:20 – 09:25

(148th visit of the year)

Best bird today was the female Peregrine that flew W over the lake at 07:05

Also worthy of special note was a female Pheasant flushed out of the NE wooded area. As far as I can recall I have only ever logged males, mainly calling at the start of the breeding season. Indeed I am not sure I have ever actually seen this species here before

I had hoped the rain and gales last evening might have brought something interesting: no such luck

Bird notes:
- the unringed adult Mute Swan was still present when I arrived. A cygnet wearing a blue Darvic ring arrived from the E at 08:15. Initially the adult raised its wings in threat but later they were moving around together. My attempt to read the ring was thwarted by the cygnet tucking the leg with the ring behind its wing and pedalling right-foot only
- so where were all the Mallard this morning? Not like drake Mallard to leave a duck all on her own
- 3 Great Crested Grebes back on the water all in their usual locations as if they had never been away
- c.35 Black-headed Gulls perhaps roosted: they were certainly present when light-enough to see them

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Peregrine
- 1 Stock Dove
- 212 Wood Pigeons (178 of these in 9 groups flying N)
- 122 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 2 Starlings
- 5 Fieldfares (2 groups)
- 20 Redwings (6 groups)
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 9 Meadow Pipits
- 4 Goldfinches
- 1 Greenfinch
- 2 Siskins

Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 5 Redwings
- 5 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 1 + 1 Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall as usual
- 1 (0♂) Mallard
- 110 (>51♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 5 Little Grebes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 108 Coots
- >140 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

And other notes
my log today consisted of just
- Thursday’s worm sp. now desiccated on the lamp pole.

A bit of a sunrise through the scudding low stratus clouds.

Fiery for a while.

The newly arrived cygnet with its left leg tucked up hiding the Darvic ring.

Not so much a photo of a Little Grebe; more an attempt to show the typical skittering behaviour. We can measure the length of its stride here.

The Lesser Black-backed Gull. Only showing a hint of the dark head-streaking that most adults acquire during winter.

A female Bullfinch at the Ash keys.

An Autumn scene along the N side. Not all the leaves blew off last night.

Last week I show how attractive Bramble leaves were when lightly frosted. They look pretty good when colouring up. The black-edging is a fungal rust probably one of the Phragmidium fungi.

A close-up of a pair of leaves.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:00

(116th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- a very quiet morning, perhaps because of all the fishing around the water
- 1 Grey Wagtail was the most interesting record

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
None

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 3 Canada Geese
- 30 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Tufted Duck again
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 1 Moorhen
- 7 Coots
- 22 Black-headed Gulls

(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

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Teal
1 Wigeon 
7 Gadwall 
75 Tufted Duck 
1 Water Rail 
226 Coots 
720+ large gulls over and c.50 on the lake
1 Yellow Legged Gull
c.3100 Wood Pigeons
159 Fieldfare
31 Redwings
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
c.170 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall 
6 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks 
146 Coots 
c.700 Black-headed Gulls logged
c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
41 Redwings
10 Fieldfares
634 Jackdaws
198 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Grant)

2008
Priorslee Lake
300+ Wood Pigeons
326 Redwings
652 Fieldfare
269 Jackdaw
136 Rooks
c.75 Starlings seen leaving roost
6 Pochard
78 Tufted Ducks
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
4 Goosander
47 Greylag
95 Canada Geese 
42 Tufted Duck 
6 Redwings 
1 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Shoveler
21 Starlings in the roost
12 Pochard
57 Tufted Ducks
c.80 Lapwing
192 Coot 
500+ Black-headed Gulls
800+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Chiffchaff
26 lb Carp landed by one of the fishermen
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
20 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
19 Lapwings
1700+ Black-headed Gulls
518+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
334 Wood Pigeons
14 Pied Wagtails
24 Robins
27 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
8 Song Thrushes
12 Redwings
52 Jackdaws
142 Rooks
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)