Priorslee Lake: 06:10 – 09:05
The Flash: 09:10 – 09:50
Trench Lock Pool: 10:00 – 10:20 // 11:00 – 11:10
Trench Middle Pool: 10:25 – 10:55
6.0°C > 9.0°C: Mainly rather thick high cloud; some clearer spells; some lower cloud at times. Light / moderate SSW wind. very good visibility
Sunrise: 07:21 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 06:10 – 09:05
(46th visit of the year)
Bird notes
- one Mute Swan alone throughout. Has a BTO ring: unable to read it
- a male Pheasant was on the SW grass with the Moorhens and Coots for a while
- the usual Lesser Black-backed Gull arrived and sat on its favourite buoy at 07:00, some 10 minutes ahead of any Black-headed Gulls. About half the c.50 Black-heads that came in from the W at 07:07 landed, the rest circled and departed straight back to the W. Later 208 were counted passing east over the lake
- just 2 of the 73 Wood Pigeons logged overhead were flying high N suggesting migrants. The rest probably all on local movements. Some other Wood Pigeons seen leaving trees around the lake were doing their towering display flight
- larger number of Rooks amongst the corvids likely in part to my knowing better where to look for them amongst the tight groups of Jackdaws
- only 8 Song Thrushes found. In addition a Mistle Thrush sang briefly for the first time this year
Bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 5 Greylag Geese (pair outbound; trio inbound)
- 6 (1♂) Goosanders
- 208 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 73 Wood Pigeons
- c.750 Jackdaws
- c.75 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails
Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- 10 Reed Buntings
The counts from the lake area:
- 1 Mute Swan
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 10 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- >26 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
The lamp poles were empty – latest theory (excuse?): too clear last night
Not too inspiring a sunrise.
About the best it got.
Getting ready for the Reed Warblers ... about 10 weeks before they are with us.
Record shot of the male Pheasant on the SW grass (with a Moorhen).
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:10 – 09:50
(41st visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- last year’s cygnet Mute Swan was seen flying strongly today – my first sighting of it in flight this year
- Gadwall seem to have gone – not seen again today
- a single drake Shoveler seen
- Tufted Duck numbers increased again
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Chaffinches
The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 14 Canada Geese
- 30 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 4 (4♂) Pochard again
- 73 (41♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool: 10:00 – 10:20 // 11:00 – 11:10
(10th visit of the year)
I have been sent details about the Lesser Black-backed Gull I photographed here on 13th February and wearing a ring. It was a full adult and not a 3rd / 4th winter as I thought. This year will see its 8th birthday. In summary it was born in 2011 and ringed in February 2012 in the port of Málaga, Spain. In July 2012 it was seen in Norfolk. Then in February 2013 it was seen several times back in Spain, around Madrid city. In May 2013 it was seen once again the UK – Leicestershire this time. Where it has been since is a mystery. It is interesting that such an old bird showed so much black on its bill: all my bird books show only red markings on the bill after the third winter.
Today’s notes from here
- the erstwhile lone Mute Swan was chasing the others: one of this pair was wearing a blue Darvic ring. It went out of range before I could read it
- even lower number of Coots
- a puzzling adult Herring-type gull along with two typical Herring Gulls. All dropped in too briefly for a ‘wash and go’
Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
The counts from the water
- 3 Mute Swans
- 13 Canada Geese
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Feral Mallard
- 18 (9♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe
- 1 Great Crested Grebe as ever
- 1 Moorhen
- 29 Coots
- 12 Black-headed Gulls only
- 3 Herring Gulls, briefly
This Little Grebe is now acquiring breeding plumage with the rufous neck and more prominent yellow area around the gape.
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool: 10:25 – 10:55
(10th visit of the year)
Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
32 Jackdaw
33 Goldcrest
34 Siskin
Notes from here
- an adult Herring Gull-type that I think was probably a Yellow-legged Gull. A positive ID was difficult because it was a sub-adult. Also it did not fly to enable the wing-pattern and leg-colour to be seen
Birds noted flying over / near here
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
The counts from the water
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 43 Canada Geese
- 14 (10♂) Mallard only
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Cormorants
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 11 Moorhens
- 33 Coots again
- 147 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull-type
We see so few large gulls these days it is easy to get out of practice. This, gull #1. struck me as rather pale on the mantle but otherwise looked like an adult summer-plumage Herring Gull.
Here it is flying off. Looking at the pattern of the black on the wing-tip suggests this is of race argenteus, the common breeding Herring Gull around out coasts.
A very different-looking gull (gull #2) whose mantle is clearly darker than the Black-headed Gulls it is with. Herring Gulls are very similar in tone to Black-headed Gulls, though angle of light can be deceptive. This bird is at Middle Pool – all the others dropped in too briefly at Trench Lock Pool.
Here from the other side the tone difference is, if anything, reinforced. Note this is not a full adult because there are some retained brown patterned feathers in the undertail coverts and tertials. Note too the small white ‘mirrors’ in the folded primaries. I think this is a 3rd winter Yellow-legged Gull mostly moulted in to summer plumage.
This is gull #3. Compare the large ‘mirrors’ in the folded primaries. The mantle looks pale too. Still some black smudges on the upper mandible.
Now for gull #4. Another adult and with a slightly darker mantle, nowhere near as dark as gull #2. Obvious features are the rather square head and the brutish-looking bill. Could this be a Caspian Gull?
This is gull #4 taking off. Clearly NOT a Yellow-legged Gull. The wing-tip pattern is not quite sharp but it appears that the white in the leading edge of the outer primaries does not reach the feather tips. An interesting observation but does not help me ID it.
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The Flash: 09:10 – 09:50
(41st visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- last year’s cygnet Mute Swan was seen flying strongly today – my first sighting of it in flight this year
- Gadwall seem to have gone – not seen again today
- a single drake Shoveler seen
- Tufted Duck numbers increased again
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Chaffinches
The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 14 Canada Geese
- 30 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 4 (4♂) Pochard again
- 73 (41♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
Bad hair day: if you are a drake Tufted Duck the wind can be a problem in the breeding season.
The duck Goosander.
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Lock Pool: 10:00 – 10:20 // 11:00 – 11:10
(10th visit of the year)
I have been sent details about the Lesser Black-backed Gull I photographed here on 13th February and wearing a ring. It was a full adult and not a 3rd / 4th winter as I thought. This year will see its 8th birthday. In summary it was born in 2011 and ringed in February 2012 in the port of Málaga, Spain. In July 2012 it was seen in Norfolk. Then in February 2013 it was seen several times back in Spain, around Madrid city. In May 2013 it was seen once again the UK – Leicestershire this time. Where it has been since is a mystery. It is interesting that such an old bird showed so much black on its bill: all my bird books show only red markings on the bill after the third winter.
Today’s notes from here
- the erstwhile lone Mute Swan was chasing the others: one of this pair was wearing a blue Darvic ring. It went out of range before I could read it
- even lower number of Coots
- a puzzling adult Herring-type gull along with two typical Herring Gulls. All dropped in too briefly for a ‘wash and go’
Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
The counts from the water
- 3 Mute Swans
- 13 Canada Geese
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Feral Mallard
- 18 (9♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe
- 1 Great Crested Grebe as ever
- 1 Moorhen
- 29 Coots
- 12 Black-headed Gulls only
- 3 Herring Gulls, briefly
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Middle Pool: 10:25 – 10:55
(10th visit of the year)
Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
32 Jackdaw
33 Goldcrest
34 Siskin
Notes from here
- an adult Herring Gull-type that I think was probably a Yellow-legged Gull. A positive ID was difficult because it was a sub-adult. Also it did not fly to enable the wing-pattern and leg-colour to be seen
Birds noted flying over / near here
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
The counts from the water
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 43 Canada Geese
- 14 (10♂) Mallard only
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Cormorants
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 11 Moorhens
- 33 Coots again
- 147 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull-type
Trench Gull problems
Gull #3 on the left clearly has a paler mantle.
(Ed Wilson)
Notes
1. A few photos taken at Venus on 17 Feb Here.
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Scaup
20 Tufted Duck
7 Pochard
1 Cormorant
2 Buzzards
2 Redwings
162 Jackdaws
140 Rooks
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)
The Flash
1 Pochard
192 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
38 Pochard
88 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
136 Coots
3 Redwings
12 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
5 Pochard
6 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail.
600 Starlings
21 Robins
18 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
5 Reed Buntings.
(Ed Wilson)
Notes
1. A few photos taken at Venus on 17 Feb Here.
2. A few photos taken at Belvide on 14 and 16 Feb Here.
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On this day..........
2017Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Scaup
20 Tufted Duck
7 Pochard
1 Cormorant
2 Buzzards
2 Redwings
162 Jackdaws
140 Rooks
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)
The Flash
1 Pochard
192 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
38 Pochard
88 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
136 Coots
3 Redwings
12 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
5 Pochard
6 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail.
600 Starlings
21 Robins
18 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
5 Reed Buntings.
(Ed Wilson)