11°C: Pulses of rain, often heavy. Patches of blue but not where I was! Fresh SSE wind. Good visibility, moderate in rain
Sunrise: 07:17 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 06:20 – 09:25
(145th visit of the year)
The wind direction brought much road noise from both the M54 and Castle Farm Way, exacerbated by spray from the wet surface. It made hearing birds difficult
Rain affected bird notes:
- 2 brownhead Goosanders circled and landed at c.07:15: they left to the S at 07:25
- a Cormorant left at 06:50 while I am sure it was still too dark to fish. I assume it had roosted around the lake somewhere along the N side. Yesterday’s sighting was of a bird leaving before 07:30 without me having noted its arrival: so perhaps that too roosted
- I am almost certain ‘our juvenile’ Great Crested Grebe is no longer about
- Sparrowhawk seen diving at the few departing Starlings. Later it, or another, circling over
- early arrival of Black-headed Gulls saw >120 birds by 06:40 and at least 500 by 06:55 at which point they began to leave, with 9 only remaining by 07:05. As previously, some either drifted back or c.80 new birds arrived (or a bit of both)
- just 2 small groups of Wood Pigeons flying high N between the rain. Otherwise all low-level local movements
- almost all the Redwings were flying E today – in to the wind
Bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 5 Stock Doves
- 90 Wood Pigeons (just 14 of these in 2 groups)
- 102 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 8 Fieldfares (3 groups)
- 190 Redwings (15 groups)
- 6 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Siskins again
Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 1 Cormorant
- 6 Redwings
- 4 Starlings (a single and a trio)
- 6 Reed Buntings
The counts from the lake area
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall remain
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard again
- 81 (>43♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 (0♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Little Grebes again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Moorhens yet again
- 109 Coots
- >500 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Mammals / insects etc. logged
None
Yes it was a bit wet this morning: we all felt rather like this.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2016Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
4 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
1 Teal
1 Pochard
56 Tufted Duck
23 Moorhens
233 Coots
600+ Wood Pigeons
6 Song Thrush
55 Fieldfare
55 Redwings
532 Jackdaws
167 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
c.150 Greylag Geese
2 Gadwall
9 Pochard
28 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
166 Coots
c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Great Black-backed Gull
c.300 Wood Pigeons
29 Blackbirds
63 Redwings
120 Fieldfares
709 Jackdaws
182 Rooks
c.70 Starlings
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
The Flash
10 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Wrekin
Location
Firecrest
1 Crossbill
(Andy Latham)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
26 Pochard
86 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
1 Redshank
c.750 Black-headed Gulls
128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Kingfisher
20 Pied Wagtails
34 Robins
32 Blackbirds
16 Redwings
41 Greenfinches
1 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)