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******** HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OUR READERS *********
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Priorslee Lake: 06:50 – 09:20
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:05
5°C: Low overcast / mist / light drizzle. Light E wind. Poor visibility
Sunrise: 08:21 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 06:50 – 09:20
(190th visit of the year)
Bird notes
- Mute Swans seem to have gone
- as usual the party of geese – 12 today – flew off before it was light-enough to be 100% certain of the composition: split is based on size as they were silhouetted on the water with calls confirming both Greylag and Canada Geese present
- not clear what the Goosander was doing: coming? going? flying around? Assumed the latter
- a Wood Pigeon was ‘cooing’ pre-dawn: first of the new season?
- c.110 Jackdaws flew out at 07:39 just about visible in the mist. An unseen group was lost in the mist a few minutes later
- two Song Thrushes in full song pre-dawn
- managed to see several Reed Buntings moving to the edge of the reeds before a party of 14 birds flew out. Because of the unusual calls these birds give immediately before they leave I had been minded to wonder whether they could be Yellowhammers as they are in such numbers. Apparently not
Bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 (?♂) Goosander
- 2 Collared Doves
- >110 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 3 Starlings
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Siskin
Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- [Magpies not counted]
- 6 Redwings
- 19 Reed Buntings
The counts from the lake area:
Proviso: at no time was it possible to see more than c.75% of the water
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 8 Canada Geese
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall
- 12 (9♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 30 (15♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Little Grebe
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Water Rail heard
- 9 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- c.55 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
My log of other things, on lamp poles
- 2 Winter Moths
- 1 Mottled Umber moth on a different pole to recent sightings
(Ed Wilson)
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(149th visit of the year)
Bird notes from here
- the Ring-necked Parakeet calling from the island again
- Song Thrush singing here as well as at the lake
and
- 1 harvestman (probably Paroligolophus agrestis) on a lamp pole in squirrel alley
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
None
The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans again
- 2 Canada Geese: the usual?
- 38 (22♂) Mallard
- 26 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 52 (14♂) Goosanders
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Moorhens
- 18 Coots again
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
Pedalling away at speed and creating a bow-wave is this drake Goosander. A pink flush starting on its belly.
Checking behind for the cause of its rapid departure from its favourite feeding location.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2017Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
6 Pochard
78 Tufted Ducks
1 female Greater Scaup
222 Coots counted
Caspian Gull
2 Fieldfare
17 Redwings
429 Jackdaws
173 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Pochard
110 Tufted Ducks
17 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
11 Swans
1 Shoveler
c.115 Tufted Duck
7 Goosander
129 Coots
41 Black-headed Gulls
51 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
21 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
26 Mute Swans today
4 Great Crested Grebes
>17 Greylag Geese
4 Gadwall
26 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
Common Gull
309 Coot
5 Goldfinches
c.20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
31 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
58 Coots
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
c.3200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
15 Pied Wagtails
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)