Priorslee Lake: 06:45 – 09:30
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:15
Trench Lock Pool: 10:25 – 10:35 // 11:15 – 11:40
Trench Middle Pool: 10:40 – 11:10
2°C > 4°C: Clouded after frost earlier in night. Occasional very light drizzle. Light W wind. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 08:18 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 06:45 – 09:30
(10th visit of the year)
New bird species for my 2019 log from here on a rather quiet morning
None
Bird notes
- the Mute Swan cob is wearing blue Darvic ring 7JNU. This has now been confirmed as the cob that successfully raised three cygnets in 2018. The current pen has no ring
- the small goose party was on the lake pre-dawn and left at the very early time of 07:20
- two of the Great Crested Grebes were displaying frequently starting pre-dawn at 07:20. No head-shaking with weed as yet
- had my most prolonged view of a Water Rail here for some long while – the bird failed to notice me for what seemed like several minutes. Scurried off when it did
- best Jackdaw totals for a long while. The first 78 at 07:41. >180 at 07:51 followed by 2 groups of c.45 a few minutes later. Why so many?
- I stayed longer along the N side for any departing Reed Buntings: none seen. Later one flew off from the SW scrubby area and, unusually, was calling as it flew
Bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- c.350 Jackdaws
- 3 Redwings
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- 1 Reed Bunting!
The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans (cob 7JNU; pen unringed)
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 9 Canada Geese
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall as ever
- 9 (5♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Pochard
- 24 (13♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail
- 11 Moorhens
- 70 Coots
- >200 Black-headed Gulls
My log of other things, on lamp poles
- 1 Winter Moth
- 1 stretch spider, Tetragnatha sp.
(Ed Wilson)
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(10th visit of the year)
Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
37 Bullfinch
Notes from here
- 2 brownhead Goosanders came a had a look at the pool and decided against landing
- likewise the Cormorant circled and left
- Parakeet back up to full volume and flying between trees in gardens alongside Derwent Drive
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 (0♂) Goosanders
- 1 Cormorant
The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 5 Canada Geese
- 42 (24♂) Mallard
- 23 (8♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 5 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 25 Black-headed Gulls
Always happy to snap a male Bullfinch.
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Lock Pool: 10:25 – 10:35 // 11:15 – 11:40
(3rd visit of the year)
Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
29 Stock Dove
30 Long-tailed Tit
31 Collared Dove
Notes from here
- no idea where the large brown/black/white feral Mallard can hide – as far as I am aware in cannot / does not fly
- Stock Dove flushed from the trees at the S end
- Collared Dove displaying over houses to N
Birds noted flying over / near here (other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws)
- 1 Stock Dove
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans again
- 1 Canada Goose only
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard again
- 19 (13♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Little Grebe
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 3 Moorhens
- 84 Coots
- 25 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Middle Pool: 10:40 – 11:10
(3rd visit of the year)
Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
25 Shoveler
26 Teal
Other notes from here
turned out to be the most interesting location of the morning
- small party of Teal returned
- a pair of Shoveler were my first here for at least 5 years and perhaps my first-ever here
Birds noted flying over / near here
None
The counts from the water
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 8 Canada Geese only
- 4 (1♂) Teal
- 23 (18♂) Mallard again
- 2 (0♂) feral Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 9 (4♂) Tufted Ducks
- 5 (1♂) Goosanders
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 15 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 142 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
The duck Shoveler swimming left.
(Ed Wilson)
Note:
1. Click Here for a Summary of the 2018 Priorslee Lake Report.
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On this day..........
2018Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2017
Local area
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
(Kris Webb)
Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Kris Webb)
Horsehay Pool
Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid
Glaucous x Great Black-backed Gull hybrid
1500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
20+ Greater Black-backed Gulls
400 Herring Gulls
Yellow-legged Gull
(Kris Webb)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
5 Great Crested Grebes
14 Pochard
24 Tufted Duck
c.1200 Black-headed Gulls
c.900 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.300 Herring Gulls
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
44 Great Black-backed Gulls
5 Song Thrushes
18 Redwings
Tawny Owl
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Pool
204 Canada Geese
3 Pochard
83 Tufted Duck
104 Coot
110 Black-headed Gulls
34 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
17 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
33 Swans
4 Gadwall
6 Wigeon
15 Pochard
70 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rail
2 Snipe
c.200 Black-headed Gulls
c.200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
2 Yellow legged Gull
3 Adult Great Black-backed Gulls
2 Willow Tits
13 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Jim Almond, John Isherwood)
2007
Priorslee Lake
18 Greylag Geese
12 Pochard
39 Tufted Ducks
6 Goosanders
c.80 Golden Plover
>1000 Black-headed Gulls
c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Great Black-backed Gulls
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
Caspian Gull
9 Herring Gulls
22 Robins
14 Blackbirds
41 Redwings
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Jason)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
13 Pochard
51 Tufted Duck
227 Coots
Glaucous Gull
c.1100 Black-headed Gulls
c.170 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.120 Herring Gulls
302 Jackdaws
385 Rooks
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)