3 Jan 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  07:00 – 09:35
The Flash:  09:40 – 10:30

6.0°C:  Clear start after overnight rain. Broken cloud later. Fresh NW wind, moderating. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:22 GMT still

Priorslee Lake:  07:00 – 09:35

(3rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Gadwall not found.
- Tufted Ducks doing much flying about and keeping tabs on them for an accurate count was very difficult.
- A Woodcock seen in flight along the N side pre-dawn.
- Magpie(s) were heard calling from around the ‘football’ field when I arrived. Perhaps some of them have moved roost (in response to the building work?). There are certainly fewer at their usual roost site at the moment.
- The Jackdaws had a tailwind today and as a result were swirling around trying maintain air speed. This made estimating numbers even more difficult. Added to that several groups decided to pass to the W of the lake, against the darker sky. Perhaps for this reason very few Rooks were noted.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 31 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- c.950 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks only!
- 1 Redwing
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Linnet

Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- 3 Redwings

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- [no Gadwall]
- 11 (8♂) Mallard
- 6 (5♂) Pochard
- 32 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Cormorants again
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Little Grebes again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 12 Moorhens
- 97 Coots

Gulls:
The first 30 Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:28. At least 400 arrived within the next five minutes.
A group of 18 Herring Gulls, mostly first-winter birds, arrived early with just six Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Early arrival counts
- >400 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 18 Herring Gulls

The Black-headed Gulls spent a long while swirling about in the wind and very few new birds seen to arrive.

Later arrivals
- >70 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls

On the lamp pole pre dawn:
- 1 Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria) (different lamp)

No other sightings

Additional bird species recorded here this morning (in order logged)
47      Woodcock
48      Treecreeper
49      Bullfinch
50      Linnet
51      Great Spotted Woodpecker

Not the best sunrise ever. At this time of year any sunrise is welcomed.

One of the seven Cormorants today. This is perhaps a regular visitor as there is usually a bird standing on this buoy. Note this bird is still immature with some white flecks on the breast. Note too the blue eye of this species.

Without yesterday’s dew here is a Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria)

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:40 – 10:30

(2nd visit of the year)

Bird notes from here:
- My first Cormorant here for a while.
- Apparently only one Great Crested Grebe
- I thought all the fishermen had driven the Kingfisher away: not so, though it took some time to find it.
- Song Thrush singing again.
- Unlike yesterday plenty of Goldfinches. A Siskin with them

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Wood Pigeon
- 10 Jackdaws
- 3 Starlings

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans as ever
- 2 Canada Geese
- 33 (20♂) Mallard
- 5 (5♂) Pochard again
- 32 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 (0♂) Goosanders]
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 2 Moorhens
- 12 Coots
- 57 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

No other sightings:

Additional bird species recorded here this morning (in order logged)
24      Collared Dove
25      Goosander
26      Long-tailed Tit
27      Goldfinch
28      Siskin
29      Starling
30      Bullfinch
31      Coal Tit
32      Cormorant
33      Kingfisher
34      Lesser Black-backed Gull

A brownhead Goosander. The bill is not quite held together and a few serrations are visible.

A different bird wing-flapping. A great ‘punk’ haircut!

A different bird wing-flapping: a side-elevation view. Another brownhead behind.

My first Cormorant here for a while. This perching somewhat closer than the bird at the lake. As far as I know the reason for Cormorants sitting with wings akimbo is still debated. Are they drying their wings? Or are they helping digestion of the fish?

I think those blue eyes are great. All members of the family have interesting eyes – green, blue, red. No idea why.

Another view.

‘Just’ a Wood Pigeon?

“I am sure I can reach those berries ...” 

 “... if I reach as far as I can...”

They have to be VERY acrobatic.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Local area
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Two 1st winter female Scaup present.

2012
Priorslee Lake
Adult Yellow-legged Gull
Adult Caspian Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
A 2nd winter Caspian Gull
Adult Yellow-legged Gull
(Richard Vernon)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Evening - 6:15pm
A Barn Owl
(Martin Adlam)

Morning
Big gull roost with:
2000 Black-headed Gulls
500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
160 Herring Gulls
Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
Also
At least 10000 Starlings left the roost somewhere to the S and flew N just before 8:00am.
(Ed Wilson)