Priorslee Lake: 05:45 –08:55
The Flash: 09:00 – 09:40
10.0°C > 13.0°C: A few bits of high cloud, otherwise fine and clear again. Light / moderate SE breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:53 BST
Priorslee Lake: 05:45 – 08:55
(228th visit of the year)
Bird notes from today:
The 06:55 ‘football’ field count gave me only 28 Black-headed Gulls, just seven Wood Pigeons, 25(!) Magpies, the usual single Carrion Crow and 65 Pied Wagtails. There were another four Magpies on the academy playing field at this time.
Other notes:
- Two Little Grebes seen in the NE area as they have for the last few days. Another seen and heard at the W end. All looked like immatures, though birds may be mainly in winter plumage by now and therefore not separable.
- A big early arrival of large gulls both from the N and the W. Most (c.275) stopped off briefly with 151 more counted flying straight over.
- Four House Martins seen over the ‘football’ field at 08:50.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 7 (?♂) Mallard
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: seven of these first-winter birds
- 151 unidentified large gulls: too dark to ID
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 2 Stock Doves
- 64 Wood Pigeons
- 76 Jackdaws
- 203 Rooks
- 3 Starlings
- 4 Meadow Pipits
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 8 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcaps again
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 4 (0♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Little Grebes (ages?)
- 8 adult + 1 immature + 9 juvenile (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 5 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 125 Coots
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- 85 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 62 of these first-winter birds
- 3 Herring Gulls: 2 of these first-winter birds
- c.275 unidentified large gulls: too dark to ID (see notes)
On the lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus)
- 1 unidentified spider.
Very few later sightings:
- 1 Common Darter dragonfly
- 1 Brown Hawker dragonfly
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Too much breeze for any mist this morning. Just a touch of colour to start the day.
Is the innermost primary on the bird’s right wing still rather short? I fancy it is.
A clear shot of the upper-wing pattern also showing the solid tail band of this species at this age.
Better light on this Grey Wagtail today. Not a hint of black on the chin or breast.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:00 – 09:40
(217th visit of the year)
One of those mornings when it is all happening here:
- Three duck Gadwall were new in and first of the season.
- As I arrived very many Tufted Ducks were flying about and at least 16 of them flew off E not to return, giving a bumper total.
- At the same time three brownhead Goosanders took off and left to the N. About five minutes later what I assume were the same birds were flying N overhead and then a few minutes later approached from the W and appeared to circle to arrive, though I never saw them again. These too the first of the season hear.
- A Cormorant was fishing apparently unfazed by the fishermen and dog-walkers (or my camera). Not seen any here for a while.
- A female (on size) Peregrine shot through from the N end, without anyone apart from one Coot that dived for cover (and me) noticing.
Other notes from here:
- Yet another different hybrid goose with even more white on the face and neck. And a very noisy bird too. The family of five Greylag x Canada Geese again.
- Even more Mallard ‘missing’. Talking with some of the residents they suggest that the notices asking people not to feed bread to the ducks means they no longer get fed at all and have moved away.
also
- 4 Dicranopalpus ramosus harvestman on their usual lamp pole.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 female Peregrine
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
- House Martins heard but not located.
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- >44 Greylag Geese
- 6 Greylag x Canada Geese
- >107 Canada Geese
- 3 (0♂) Gadwall
- 14 (6♂) Mallard only
- 56 (>8♂) Tufted Ducks: 16 of these flew off.
- 3 (0♂) Goosanders
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 4 Moorhens
- 14 Coots again
- 18 Black-headed Gulls: at least four of these a first-winter birds
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
.... a fishing Cormorant.
(Ed Wilson)
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