Priorslee Lake: 06:15 –08:50
The Flash: 08:55 – 09:45
1.0°C > 2.0°C: Last few clouds soon clearing away for a fine and clear morning. Light NNW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:22 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 06:15 – 08:50
(268th visit of the year)
Best sighting of the day was two Woodcock chasing around over the NW / W area at 06:20 before dropping in to their usual day-roost area. This was the longest view I have ever had of this species since I saw one displaying (‘roding’) on Cannock Chase in the mid-1980s. I think I heard quiet call-notes as they were passing.
Bird notes:
- From first light a cygnet was in the middle of the water. I rather assumed this was the fifth resident cygnet looking for its kin. Not so: at 07:50 it took off and seemed to be unringed. ‘Our’ bird was still by the N side reeds.
- 22 Black-headed Gulls were already on the water by 06:30 – perhaps they roosted here as no additions until after 06:45. Many of the birds arriving from the W did so at some height and I suspect that many flew through, though I have logged all these at ‘from the lake area’. Overflights of this species refers to birds mixed in with passing Lesser Black-backed Gulls that had nothing to do with the lake.
- The Starlings got spooked again, several times, repositioning in the W end reeds / scrub some 20 minutes before they all left at 07:00. Several times there were loud squawks from the area but I saw nothing to ‘own’ the noise.
- Highest count of roosting Reed Buntings so far this winter. At least two birds still in the area later.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 4 Greylag Geese: 2 went outbound and circled back; 2 (more?) outbound much later
- 3 Canada Geese: trio outbound
- 4 unidentified geese flying S to far E
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- >10 Black-headed Gulls
- 78 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 118 Wood Pigeons: of these 77 in four migrant groups
- c.240 Jackdaws
- 3 Skylarks
- 7 Starlings: one group
- 6 Fieldfares: two groups
- 8 Redwings: three singles/groups
- >3 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- >200 Starlings
- 12 Redwings
- 24 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 immature Mute Swans (see notes)
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall again
- 2 (1♂) Mallard only
- 7 (6♂) Pochard again
- 35 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 141 Coots
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: both first winter birds
Lamp poles pre-dawn revealed:
- all the moths gone in to hiding
- 1 Bronze Shieldbug (Troilus luridus)
- 4 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen
No later sightings.
A sunrise with the merest hint of colour.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 08:55 – 09:45
(254th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- Singles of both Grey and Pied Wagtails heard departing from around the water.
- Bullfinch calling: from the top end where this species is much less often seen.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 35 Wood Pigeons: all in single migrant group
- 7 Jackdaws
Counts from the water: quiet again.
- 3 Mute Swans
- 1 Canada Goose
- 35 (20♂) Mallard
- 22 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens
- 10 Coots again
- 33 Black-headed Gulls
Other things:
- nothing on the usual lamp pole
- nothing on lamp poles in squirrel alley:
- on the Ivy bank: despite the low temperature again:
- 1 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
- 2 wasps
- a few flies
- small mammal – mouse / vole inside the Ivy and peering out occasionally. Not seen well-enough to hazard a guess as to its identity.
- nothing elsewhere
A Silver Birch (Betula pendula) tree in Autumn colours against the blue sky
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2018Priorslee 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
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Teal
1 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
75 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
226 Coots
720+ large gulls over and c.50 on the lake
1 Yellow Legged Gull
c.3100 Wood Pigeons
159 Fieldfare
31 Redwings
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
c.170 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
146 Coots
c.700 Black-headed Gulls logged
c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
41 Redwings
10 Fieldfares
634 Jackdaws
198 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Grant)
2008
Priorslee Lake
300+ Wood Pigeons
326 Redwings
652 Fieldfare
269 Jackdaw
136 Rooks
c.75 Starlings seen leaving roost
6 Pochard
78 Tufted Ducks
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Goosander
47 Greylag
95 Canada Geese
42 Tufted Duck
6 Redwings
1 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Shoveler
21 Starlings in the roost
12 Pochard
57 Tufted Ducks
c.80 Lapwing
192 Coot
500+ Black-headed Gulls
800+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Chiffchaff
26 lb Carp landed by one of the fishermen
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
20 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
19 Lapwings
1700+ Black-headed Gulls
518+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
334 Wood Pigeons
14 Pied Wagtails
24 Robins
27 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
8 Song Thrushes
12 Redwings
52 Jackdaws
142 Rooks
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)