Priorslee Lake: 07:15 – 09:15
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:05
3.0°C: Mainly clear: some cloud to SW later. Moderate SW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:15 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 07:15 – 09:15
(285th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- All seven Mute Swans were together on the SW grassy area / concrete launching ramp for a while with the fifth cygnet keeping its distance. Later the cob was seen pursuing it again and managed to persuade it to fly a short distance. Later still they all reassembled.
- One of the Cormorants logged as a fly-over performed several circuits above the water before deciding to continue on its way.
- The gull roost started to disperse by 07:40. Thereafter c.170 Black-headed Gulls arrived from the W and NW, some from quite high. As most of the roosting birds had left to the SW and SE I have assumed these were all new arrivals. None stayed long, again moving off, mostly SE. About 20 remained on the water at 08:30. Birds then started to appear from the SE and eventually >100 were on the water again – I assume these were largely returning birds.
- Very few large gulls roosted. A few more straggled in but none stayed long. Good number over, all heading SE.
- I think something must have disturbed the Magpies as many of the birds I did see flew straight out of the roost area and away. When they do this I cannot usually see birds that head off NW, N or NE.
- The first group of 28 outbound Jackdaws were hedge-hopping across the fields to the E. I was nearly caught unawares when the main party of c.150 birds passed to the W of the lake some five minutes later. There was an unusually long ‘tail’ to the passage with 17 different singles or small groups noted.
- Just a single Starling seen leaving the reeds.
- Four Reed Buntings left the W end roost at the earlier than usual time of 07:40. Next was a bird leaving from the main N-side reeds. Three more from the W end some time later.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 2 Cormorants
- 3 Common Buzzards
- 103 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 52 Wood Pigeons
- 268 Jackdaws
- 42 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- >24 Magpies
- 1 Starling
- 8 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans again
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall
- 3 (2♂) Mallard again
- 3 (3♂) Pochard again
- 68 (41♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Cormorants: all arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron, briefly
- 3 Little Grebes again
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Moorhens
- 126 Coots again
Gull roost: estimate at 07:20
- c.120 Black-headed Gulls
- c.25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c. 5 Herring Gulls
Later gull arrivals
- 170 + 100 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
Lamps visited post-dawn with nothing seen:
No other sightings:
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:05
(271st visit of the year)
Bird notes from here:
- Most of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over in two loose groups of 34 and 29 birds.
- Kingfisher being very noisy and powering all around the water.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 74 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Raven
Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans as ever
- 2 Canada Geese
- 34 (19♂) Mallard
- 7 (6♂) Pochard
- 36 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (3♂) Goosander: 4 (2♂) departed
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 13 Coots again
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, briefly
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winter: departed
- 1 Kingfisher
No other sightings:
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2017Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
48 Magpies
2 Ravens
134 Starlings
1 Siskin
6 Gadwall
2 Teal
6 Pochard
115 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
235 Coots
258 Black-headed Gulls
27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
24 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
32 Fieldfare
96 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Pochard
198 Tufted Ducks
1 Greater Scaup
6 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe.
4 Gadwall
8 Pochard
50 Tufted Ducks
1 Goosander
1 Water Rail
168 Coots
296 Wood Pigeons
3 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
203 Jackdaws
41 Rooks
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
1 Heron
34 Swans
2 Shoveler
1 Pochard
41 Tufted Duck
1 Goldeneye
170 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
10 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
Curlew
2 Fieldfare
23 Redwings
c.25 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
33 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Goosander
1 Common Gull
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black necked Grebe
30 Mute Swans
2 Gadwall
27 Pochard
93 Tufted Ducks
1 Teal
263 Coot
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
600 Black-headed Gulls
Goldcrest
11 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Herons
25 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
64 Coots
>500 Black-headed Gulls
>1700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
7 Herring Gulls
35 Robins
30 Blackbirds
c.30 Fieldfare
c.24 Redwings
259 Jackdaws
232 Rooks
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)