9 Dec 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:30 – 08:55
The Flash:  09:00 – 10:10

7°C > 8°C:  Persistent and often heavy showers until c.08:45. Then clear. Moderate, sometimes fresh and gusty, WNW wind. Very good visibility except in heaviest rain

Sunrise: 08:09 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:30 – 08:55

(175th visit of the year)

I had just about finished struggling to count most things when the weather cleared

Other bird notes:
- back to 4 pairs of Gadwall
- Tufted Duck once more counted in sections

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 10 Canada Geese [1 group outbound]
- 4 Goosanders (3♂)
- 1 Stock Dove
- 2 Wood Pigeons only
- 164 Jackdaws
- 2 Redwings

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- 2 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans remain
- 2 Canada Geese
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 11 (8♂) Pochard
- 67 (29♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- >190 Black-headed Gulls

My log of other things
when I checked the lamp poles between showers I expected everything to have been blown / washed off, but ...
- 1 Winter Moth
- 1 Mottled Umber moth: same as last 2 days, sheltered
- 1 harvestman (Paroligolophus agrestis)
- 1 un-identified Muscid fly
later
- 1 Winter Moth flushed from the vegetation


(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:00 – 10:10

(136th visit of the year)

Another amazing count of Goosanders: at least 112 for a while. Other(?) birds seen in flight overhead may have been a few more arriving. At least 41 were drakes

Later 54 Tufted Duck arrived. I assume these were birds flushed off the lake by whatever the Sailing Club are up to today

Also as the weather finally cleared some overhead passage was noted

Other bird notes from here
- I twice heard what sounded like Greylag Geese but was unable to locate them
- the sunny weather prompted 2 Coal Tits to sing
- Grey Wagtail around the house roofs

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- >7 (?♂) Goosanders (or did these land?)
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon again
- 29 Wood Pigeons (2 groups)
- 2 Fieldfares (with Redwings)
- 31 Redwings (3 groups)

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans as usual
- ? Greylag Geese (see notes)
- 2 Canada Geese
- 39 (24♂) Mallard
- 10 (6♂) > 64 (32) Tufted Ducks
- >112 (>41♂) Goosanders
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Great Crested Grebe as usual
- 2 Moorhens
- 11 Coots
- 31 Black-headed Gulls

A fine trio. A brownhead Goosander in front of two drake Tufted Ducks. Note the nearer Tuftie still has some retained eclipse-plumage grey feathering along the flanks. I think the different bill markings is due to the angle of light and the shadow of the head. Neither has a very extensive ‘tuft’ as yet.

Some of the arriving Tufted Ducks circle while they work out where to land.

And around they go...

Coming lower .... As far as I can see there may be just one duck here – the lowest bird on the right. It is possible the bird partially hidden at top left is also a duck. All the other look like drakes and on some you can see their ‘tuft’ streaming in the breeze.

Now down: all drakes here with the left-hand bird still moulting. Note the violet sheen on some – caused by the angle of the light. Can occasionally look green-tinged too.
 
(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........

2017
Priorslee 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
1 Little Grebe
1 Little Egret
3 Gadwall
3 Pochard
34 Tufted Ducks
169 Coots
c.233 Wood Pigeons
6 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
c.800 Jackdaws
137 Rooks
16 Siskins
2 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
39 Tufted Duck
1 Goldeneye
162 Coots counted again
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
4 Great Crested Grebes
38 Swans
34 Pochard
45 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
c.1800 Black-headed Gulls
210 Lesser Black-backs
8 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull 
14 Redwings
1 Siskin flew over
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
12 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Ducks
2 Goosanders
3 Lapwings
1 Snipe
>1700 Black-headed Gulls
865 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
22 Robins
22 Blackbirds
6 Redwings
243 Jackdaws
133 Rooks
1 Brambling
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2500 Black-headed Gulls
250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Little Grebes
11 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
237 Coot
2 Redpolls
24 Siskins
2 Redwings
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)