Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:25
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:00
6°C > 7°C: Overcast with spells of rain. Moderate SSE wind. Good visibility, poor in rain
Sunrise: 07:58 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:25
(167th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a count of 10 geese pre-dawn. They left at 07:20. It did seem, mainly due to their smaller size, that only 2 were Greylag Geese. That would be odd as on two previous days this week the party of 10 has comprised 4 Greylag Geese
- Coot count had to be done ‘in bits’ in rain and poor visibility and not too much should be read in to the lower number recorded
- early arrival of Black-headed Gulls today with c.250 by 07:10 and at least 350 by the time they started to leave again at 07:20
- one of the Black-headed Gulls had a full ‘black head’: it looked very smart. It suggests this bird is early to moult in to 2019 breeding plumage; rather than a bird yet to moult out of 2018 breeding plumage
- at least 250 Wood Pigeons seen over the trees and fields to the E of Castle Farm Way at 08:50. Put up by ? Just 6 over the lake itself
- I disturbed the Magpie roost at c.06:50 when it was too dark to count the birds: I judged at least 25. Later 8 birds were seen flying off far to the E across Castle Farm Way. This is the first time I have noted this movement this winter suggesting, as usual, the roost here is building up as winter progresses
Bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 (?♂) Goosander
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Stock Doves
- >255 Wood Pigeons (see notes)
- c.150 Jackdaws
- 1 Siskin
Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 7 Redwings
- >25 Magpies (see notes)
The counts from the lake area:
count taken in rain and dull light
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans again
- 2+ Greylag Geese (see notes)
- 8? Canada Geese (see notes)
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall
- 11 (8♂) Mallard
- 10 (9♂) Pochard
- 130 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 Cormorants
- 2 Little Grebes
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 92 Coots (see notes)
- >350 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
My log of other things was
- 1 Northern Winter Moth on a lamp pole: ID-ed on size though hard to judge the size of a lone specimen
- 1 presumed Winter Moth sp. in flight
- 2 Mottled Umber moths: one of these exactly where it was yesterday
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:00
(130th visit of the year)
Bird notes from here
- wet weather = no fishermen = many Goosanders, even at a weekend
- for the same reason 3 Cormorants happy to go fishing
- a 2nd Great Crested Grebe today: staying well away from the normal bird
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Jackdaw only
The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans as usual
- 2 Canada Geese
- 43 (24♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 57 (7♂) Goosander
- 3 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 9 Coots
- 45 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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Also at Priorslee Lake
I had a walk around the lake today and the swan family came over for a look while I was down there also a nice picture of a Buzzard on his usual branch in the field at the back of lakeside garden centre.
The Mute Swan family on Priorslee Lake
One of the adults
And the juvenile
A Common Buzzard
(Mark Williams)
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On this day..........
2017Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
7 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye
1 Goosander
142 Coots
33 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
203 Jackdaws
50 Rooks
3 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1st-winter Mediterranean Gull
500 Black-headed Gulls
Yellow-legged Gull
800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
30 Herring Gulls
A drake hybrid Mallard x Pintail
(Tom Lowe)
Overdale
11 Waxwing
(Observer Unknown)
Granville Country Park
10 Waxwing
100+ Redwing
6 Bullfinch
20+ Redpoll
1 Tawny Owl
3 Sparrowhawk
1 hovering Buzzard
(Stuart Edmunds)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Yellow-legged Gull
(Richard Vernon)
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Observer Unknown)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Great Crested Grebes
23 Pochard
58 Tufted Ducks
65 Coots
>450 Black-headed Gulls
1128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
30 Robins
29 Blackbirds
46 Fieldfares
6 Song Thrushes
19 Redwings
2 Mistle Thrushes
168 Jackdaws
122 Rooks
1 Siskin
15 Linnets
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
10 Reed Buntings
A duck Wigeon
3500 Black-headed Gulls
2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gulls
2 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck
228 Coot
496 Jackdaws
193 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)