Trench Lock Pool: 14:55 – 16:00
8.0°C: Lowering overcast with rain from 15:50. Increasing SE breeze. Good visibility.
[Sunrise: 08:17 GMT]
Morning fog nixed any early visits. A check of the gull roost at Trench Lock after an end of year lunch with friends.
Trench Lock Pool: 14:55 – 16:00
(54th visit of the year)
c.10% thin ice remained
Notes from here:
- The Sparrowhawk was the reason for the sudden appearance of c.70 Jackdaws over.
- At least 68 Wood Pigeons seen heading off N singly – presumably to a roost.
- c.25 Starlings flew E low over the water at 16:00 when very dark. If they were heading to the big roost at Aqualate Mere then they would have been too late to take part in the murmuration.
Gulls:
- Black-headed Gulls continued to arrive until c.15:50. No arrival thereafter. The Sparrowhawk caused the whole group to take to the air and some may have moved off towards Middle Pool. The final total of c.850 was the count of birds remaining as I was preparing to leave.
- Most of the large gulls tended to stay for only a short period of time before moving off S. Just six Lesser Black-backed and two Herring Gulls remained when I left. A few more flew straight over.
- Two ‘dark backed’ Herring-type gulls were on the water briefly. One almost certainly the Yellow-legged Gull seen yesterday and the other quite possibly the potential Caspian Gull also seen yesterday. Much too dark to get any photographs.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Sparrowhawk (twice)
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- >68 Wood Pigeons
- c.70 Jackdaws
- c.25 Starlings
Counts from the water:
- 1 Mute Swan
- 10 Canada Geese
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 9 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 (5♂) Goosander
- 3 Little Grebes
- 5 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- c.130 -> c.850 Black-headed Gulls
- >15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- >8 Herring Gulls (see notes)
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- 1 possible Caspian Gull
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2018Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2014
Local Area
Today's sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
7 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
233 Coots
324 Black-headed Gulls
19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
11 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
6 Fieldfare
151 Redwings
284 Jackdaws
156 Rooks
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe.
4 Gadwall.
12 Pochard.
43 Tufted Ducks.
182 Coots
189 Wood Pigeons
20 Redwings
184 Jackdaws
3 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
29 Swans
42 Pochard
2 Water Rails
c.900 Black-headed Gulls
c.2200 large gulls
127 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Redwings
2 Fieldfare
16 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
13 Pochard
(John Isherwood)
2005
Priorslee Lake
c.2500 Black-headed Gulls
c.200 Lesser Black-backs
20 Pochard
58 Tufted Duck
A drake Wigeon
6 Great Crested Grebe
2 Little Grebe
c.200 Coot
2 Water Rail
202 Rooks
247 Jackdaws
11 Pied Wagtails
23 Siskin
5 Redpoll
19 Reed Bunting
(Martin R Adlam)