Priorslee Lake: 11:40 – 12:10
The Flash: 12:15 – 13:05
5.0°C > 6.0°C: Low overcast. Occasional light drizzle. Light ESE wind. Moderate visibility.
[Sunrise: 08:21 GMT still]
Priorslee Lake: 11:40 – 12:10
(295th visit of the year)
A later visit avoiding the early wind and rain. Observation from the E end lay-by and dam-top only
Bird notes:
- The fifth cygnet Mute Swan remains well-separated. Another cygnet is increasingly spending time away from its parents and siblings.
- Both Pochard and lone Goosander new arrivals.
- Moorhen numbers always low when disturbance flushes them away from their preferred feeding area on the SW grass.
- Rather few gulls and almost no further arrivals while I was present
Bird totals:
Counts from the lake area only:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 43 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants again
- 1 Little Grebe
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens
- 133 Coots
- 52 Black-headed Gulls
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher
No other sightings
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The Flash: 12:15 – 13:05
(280th visit of the year)
Bird notes from here:
- A noisy Greylag x Canada Goose present throughout.
- Despite diligent searching all areas with overhanging vegetation I could find no Great Crested Grebes.
- All the large gulls were arrivals. Most left before I did.
- At least 50 finches flying over and around the island. No calls heard: presumed Goldfinches.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
None
Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 2 Canada Geese
- 38 (22♂) Mallard
- 12 (12♂) Pochard
- 18 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron again
- [no Great Crested Grebes]
- 4 Moorhens again
- 12 Coots again
- 74 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 2 adults; 1 first-winters again
- 3 Herring Gulls: 2 first-winters; 1 second winter
- 1 Kingfisher heard only
No other sightings
In the mid-winter gloom the haircut on this brownhead Goosander caught my eye.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2018Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
Two 1st-winter female Scaup
(Unknown)
2012
Priorslee Lake
A drake Scaup
4 Gadwall
10 Great Black-backed Gull
(Kriss Webb)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Gadwall
26 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
327 Coots
5 Redwings
4 Fieldfare
10 Goldfinches
14 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)