Priorslee Lake: 07:05 – 09:25
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:25
10.0°C: Broken cloud with sunny spells after a few early light sprinkles. Light / moderate S wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:18 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 07:05 – 09:25
(288th visit of the year)
Gull notes:
- c.750 gulls on the water at 07:20. Seemed to be (almost?) all large gulls.
- c.1100 Black-headed Gulls streamed in from the W between 07:30 and 07:35. By far my largest count of this species at this site this year.
- 81 large gulls were noted flying over before 07:40 when ....
- ... all gulls started to leave. They were swirling around in all directions making it impossible to separate birds departing from any birds that might have been flying over.
- By 08:00 fewer than 150 gulls remained. A few large gulls started to arrive (return?). None stayed long.
- Later a reasonable passage of gulls NW overhead. A few Black-headed Gulls with, mainly, Lesser Black-backed Gulls. These all assumed to be ‘new’ birds.
Other bird notes:
- The fifth Mute Swan cygnet was again on its own much of the time. Only three of the other cygnets were with their parents. The remaining cygnet eventually joined up with #5.
- Rather fewer Tufted Duck (and Pochard). Whether due to the ice of the last few mornings or the very discoloured water is hard to say. I would favour the former as there were fewer Tufted Duck at The Flash as well and the water there was not discoloured.
- Two drake Goosanders seen flying E singly. The first could possibly have been leaving the lake though I had not seen it on the water.
- Accurate Coot count difficult – many birds bunched up on the SW grass.
- Mistle Thrush seen and heard in song again.
- Two Reed Buntings heard calling at the W end but none seen to leave a roost here.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 2 (2♂) Goosanders
- 1 Cormorant
- 21 Black-headed Gulls
- 186 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 81 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 64 Wood Pigeons
- 253 Jackdaws
- 80 Rooks
- 2 Fieldfares
- 7 Redwings
- 4 Starlings
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- >30 Magpies
- 3 Redwings
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 43 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Cormorants: 5 arrived together; 2 singly
- 1 Grey Heron, briefly
- 2 Little Grebes
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 126 Coots
Gull roost: estimate at 07:20
- c.750, mostly large gulls
Later gull arrivals
- >1100 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
On lamp poles pre dawn:
- 1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
No other sightings
Someone is thinking Spring is not far away ....
Where it runs in to the lake the Wesley Brook needs to be renamed the Brown River.
The Wesley Brook itself as it runs alongside Teece Drive is clear.
The discolouration is all from the various drains under the academy and surrounding land.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:25
(273rd visit of the year)
Bird notes from here:
- Kingfisher again noisy and persisted in flying around when I had vegetation in front of me. So no photos.
- Song Thrush again in intermittent song.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 15 Wood Pigeons
Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans as ever
- 2 Canada Geese: the usual two
- 33 (20♂) Mallard
- 6 (6♂) Pochard again
- 16 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 6 Moorhens
- 12 Coots again
- 54 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Kingfisher
On a lamp pole in squirrel alley:
- 1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
On a lamp pole elsewhere
- 1 probable Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
(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
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
7 Pochard
80 Tufted Ducks
231 Coots
268 Black-headed Gulls
8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
11 Herring Gulls
27 Fieldfare
103 Redwings
356 Jackdaws
251 Rooks
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
11 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
180 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
2 Redwings
17 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
5 Great Black-backed Gull
10 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
Holmer Lake
14 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black necked Grebe
7 Great Crested Grebes
45 Pochard
130 Tufted Duck
302 Coot
>3500 gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
20 Swans
1 Water Rail
15 Lapwing
15 Herring Gulls
5 Redwings
c.20 Goldfinches
7 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/ John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
31 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
c.2800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
31 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
18 Pied Wagtails
2 Redpoll
7 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)
2005
Priorslee Lake
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
150 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
9 Pochard
16 Tufted Duck
200 Coot
1 Water Rail
15 Pied Wagtails
243 Rooks
532 Jackdaw 532
Redwing with a full-blown song
31 Siskins
2 Redpoll
16 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)