9 Jan 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:45 – 09:30
The Flash:  09:35 – 10:20

0°C>2°C:  Mainly clear and frosty; cloud to E gradually encroached but tended to break up. Frosty Light NNW wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 08:19 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:45 – 09:30

(9th visit of the year)

Two bird species added to my 2019 log from here
55      Little Egret
56      Lapwing

Bird notes
- again unable to get close to the Mute Swans
- a lone Greylag Goose in with the outbound Canada: it would be good to see these in better light to check whether there are any hybrids
- the Little Egret was seen being chased W by a few Black-headed Gulls at 07:45. Not certain whether it was a fly-through (as logged) or whether it had been flushed from the NE area somewhere
- I am certain the 2 Grey Herons flew straight over – perhaps those seen at The Flash later?
- 2 Great Crested Grebes seen displaying at 07:42 and again after 09:00 – one of these seemed to be one of last year’s juveniles that has never left (and I have yet to see fly). A 3rd bird in the NW area as usual
- Coot numbers always seem to be low when the SW grass is frosted and few, if any, of them feed there. But where do they go?
- 32 Lapwings overhead at 08:50 eventually settled on the SW grass until disturbed by dog-walkers. Many a year since I saw this many on the deck here
- 69 Jackdaws at the early time of 07:29: the other 84 ten minutes later
- changed my vantage point to check for Reed Buntings this morning. I had heard bird(s) calling along the N side where they usually breed (as well as at the W end). I wanted to see whether there was a roost here too. Four birds were seen leaving – but from yet another roost in the NE area! When no more birds were heard I repositioned back to the W end only to find that birds were still leaving the roost here. As a result no Magpies or Redwings seen at roost

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 Greylag Goose [outbound]
- 9 Canada Geese [1 group outbound]
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Little Egret
- 2 Grey Herons
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 33 Wood Pigeons
- 153 Jackdaws

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
see notes
- 13 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans still
- 5 Canada Geese
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 6 (3♂) Pochard
- 39 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 62 Coots
- 32 Lapwings
- >350 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Nothing else seen – lamp poles devoid of creatures

Some of the Lapwing flock after it was flushed by dog-walkers.

If you have ever tried counting a flying flock of Lapwing you will know how difficult it is: they are for ever changing direction and formation. Luckily we can snap the flock and count it at leisure – 32 it is.

Generally only singing birds allow close approach so this Song Thrush with its bill shut is somewhat unusual.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:35 – 10:20

(9th visit of the year)

Council contractors working both on one of the bridges and repairing the collapsed fencing along the W side

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
None

Bird notes from here
- a few brownhead Goosanders back today
- 3 Grey Herons almost side-by-side when I arrived. Two flew off singly N
- the parakeet not seen or heard
and
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese again
- 31 (20♂) Mallard
- 34 (16♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 (0♂) Goosanders
- 3 Grey Herons
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 4 Moorhens
- 18 Coots
- 32 Black-headed Gulls

Something I do not recall seeing here before is Black-headed Gulls on the ridge tiles of the houses in the estate.

(Ed Wilson)

Note:

1. Click Here for a Summary of the 2018 Priorslee Lake Report.

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

2017
Local area
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
2 female Scaup
10 Pochard
79 Tufted Duck
1 Great Crested Grebe
39 Herring Gulls 
85 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
296 Black-headed Gulls
(Gary Crowder)

2013
Priorslee Flash
A drake Scaup
(Observer Unknown)

2012
Priorslee Lake
14 Pochard
12 Tufted Duck
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
36 Great Black-backed Gulls
A dark-mantled Scandinavian Herring Gulls
Common Gull
c.550 Black-headed Gulls
39 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
88 Herring Gulls
32 Redwings
(Ed Wilson, Tom Lowe, John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
7 Pochard
78 Tufted Duck
233 Black-headed Gulls,
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

Holmer Lake
71 Goosander,
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Bittern
15 Wigeon
1 Common Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
46 Magpies
39 Swans
4 Gadwall
28 Pochard
89 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
3 Water Rail
1 Snipe
303 Coots
>1000 Black-headed Gulls
c.50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Yellow legged Gull
c.15 Herring Gulls
3 Redwings
2 Willow Tits
126 Jackdaws
10+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Jim Almond, John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Common Gull 
2 Raven 
(John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
>670 Black-headed Gulls
>515 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
43 Herring Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
7 Great Black-backed Gulls
22 Robins
3 Fieldfares
50 Redwings
351 Jackdaws
264 Rooks
(Ed Wilson, Paul King)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
8 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
1200 Black-headed Gulls
21 Robins
19 Blackbirds
28 Greenfinches
28 Siskins
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)