Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:20
Trench Lock Pool: 09:35 – 10:05 // 10:40 – 11:05
Trench Middle Pool: 10:10 – 10:35
2°C > 4°C: Low cloud with early, mainly light, rain / drizzle. Some brighter interludes later. Mainly light E wind. Moderate visibility
Sunrise: 07:42 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:20
(158th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the adult and Mute Swan cygnet slept well-apart but spent most of their time together later
- c.220 Black-headed Gulls arrived from the W by 07:20. Almost as soon as these birds began to disperse a tight group of c.40 birds came in low from the W. These were likely late new arrivals, but I cannot be sure
- a single Cormorant flew W; later 2 birds flew N; later still one landed in the water for a while. Based on the amount of white (or not) on the belly of these birds, all were different individuals
- just a single Starling seen leaving the roost in the NW reeds
- at least 3 Redwings leaving a roost in the bushes between the lake and the M54: this seems to be their preferred roost-site this year. Too much disturbance from the construction work near their usual site along the E end of the N side?
- at least 3 Reed Buntings calling in the W / SW area but none was seen to leave. A bird heard calling overhead could have come from elsewhere around the lake but I have logged it as a fly-over
Bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 3 Cormorants
- 9 Wood Pigeons only (no groups)
- 38 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 28 Redwings (2 groups)
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Siskins
- 1 Reed Bunting (see notes)
Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 3 Redwings
- 1 Starling
The counts from the lake area
all numbers affected by low light levels
- 1 + 1 Mute Swan
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall again
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 5 (4♂) Pochard
- 149 (73♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 4 Little Grebes again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 11 Moorhens
- 90 Coots only
- >220 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
And other notes
my log today consisted of just
- 1 Winter Moth
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench Lock Pool: 09:35 – 10:05 // 10:40 – 11:05
(22nd visit of the year)
A visit to try to try and find the drake Mandarin Duck reported here yesterday: no joy
In general rather fewer ducks etc., though more Cormorants and eventually a good number of Goosanders
Bird notes from here
- the Darvic rings were read on 2 of the Mute Swans – blue 7HXA and blue 7IVL. Most of the other swans appeared to be unringed. 7HXA was hatched at The Flash in 2013 so has not moved far in its five years; 7IVL was one of the 8 cygnets raised here last year – largely by the cob after the pen died of natural causes in October 2017 [credit Martin Grant].
- when I arrived only 3 (1 drake) Goosanders. While I was walking around on my second look at least 7 birds flew high S and by this time another 8 birds (2 drakes) had appeared on the water
- although I don’t specifically report the Jackdaws commuting around this site, a group of 52 in the air together is worth noting
- 2 Mistle Thrushes in trees along the N side path were new for me at this site in 2018: my 54th species here this year
Birds noted flying over / near here
[apart from the local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws coming and going]
- 7 (?♂) Goosander
- 8 Starlings
The counts from the water
- 9 Mute Swans
- 10 Canada Geese arrived
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard
- 25 (10♂)Tufted Ducks
- 11 (3♂) Goosander (see notes)
- 9 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron still
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 174 Coots
- 8 Black-headed Gulls only
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trench Middle Pool: 10:10 – 10:35
(21st visit of the year)
Notes from here
- the duck Teal and drake Pochard remain from Monday
- three Tufted Duck new in. They probably interchange between here and Trench Lock Pool
also
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Birds noted flying over / near here
None
The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 8 Canada Geese arrived
- 1 (0♂) Teal again
- 22 (16♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard again
- 3 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 (2♂) Goosanders
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 1 Cormorant
- 10 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 51 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day..........
2017Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Local area
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
1 Pochard
125 Tufted Duck
3 Water Rails
15 Moorhens
221 Coots counted again
1 Snipe
23 Fieldfare
8 Redwings
196 Jackdaws
4 Rooks
2 Ravens
Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
27 Tufted Ducks
9 Moorhens
142 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1st winter Great Black-backed Gull
3 female Goosander
3 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
30 Greylag Gees
16 Pochard
166 Tufted Duck
3 Goosander
Water Rail
148 Coot
c.700 Black-headed
c.1300 Lesser Black-backed
<20 Herring Gulls
93 Redwings
c.500 Starlings left a roost
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
33 Pochard
69 Tufted Ducks
6 Buzzards
>1750 Black-headed Gulls
2251 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
26 Robins
32 Blackbirds
96 Fieldfares
4 Song Thrushes
13 Redwings
384 Jackdaws
216 Rooks
22 Greenfinch
2 Siskins
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)