Priorslee Lake: 07:00 – 09:35
The Flash: 09:40 – 10:20
6.0°C > 7.0°C: A few breaks in the clouds: a few light drizzly spells also. Moderate SSW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:21 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 07:00 – 09:35
(5th visit of the year)
Best today was the Tawny Owl heard only. Probably not one of last year’s residents – these have been absent / silent for many weeks now. First heard from the NE area. A few moments later the calls were along the S side, all before 07:20. Nothing seen. The calls were neither of the typical territorial calls of male or female birds, though unmistakably this species.
Bird notes:
- Too dark to check the first group of eight outbound geese: they all sounded like Greylags.
- Eight Canada Geese landed in three small groups. All had gone within the hour.
- Gadwall missing again. They have not behaved like this in previous years, being faithful to the lake until late March.
- After yesterday steady passage of large gulls very few today.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker heard drumming along the N side: first of season.
- The Jackdaws made life even more difficult – if that is possible. Large groups simultaneously passed low to both the east and west of the lake while the largest group of many hundred birds was well-spread out and, unusually, very very high overhead, with a sprinkling of Rooks amongst them. Totals ‘very tentative’.
- Eight Song Thrushes heard in song.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 8 Greylag Geese: one group outbound
- 27 Canada Geese: five groups outbound
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 31 Wood Pigeons
- >1000 Jackdaws
- >90 Rooks
Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
NB: these are all ‘casual’ counts – I did not visit any known roost sites at the appropriate times
- 13 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 8 Canada Geese: arrived in three groups
- no Gadwall
- 13 (7♂) Mallard
- 6 (5♂) Pochard
- 40 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Cormorants again
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Moorhens again
- 92 Coots
Gulls:
The first Black-headed Gulls arrived early at 07:28 with at least 550 present by 07:35. No large gulls arrived at this time
Early arrival counts
- >550 Black-headed Gulls
More Black-headed Gulls arrived from the W (or returned) after 08:00. Just one large gull very briefly
- c.70 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
On the lamp poles pre dawn:
- 1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
- 2 Mottled Umber moths (Erranis defoliaria)
No other sightings
Additional bird species for 2020 recorded here this morning (in order logged)
54 Tawny Owl
More ...
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:40 – 10:20
(4th visit of the year)
Bird notes from here:
- The testosterone is rising in the Mute Swans. The adults were looking amorous. The cob was chasing the lingering 2018 cygnet more aggressively than it has for many weeks.
- The lone Goosander was lurking under the overhanging vegetation along with most of the Pochard. Easy to overlook.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 7 Wood Pigeons
Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 9 Canada Geese
- 37 (23♂) Mallard
- 7 (7♂) Pochard
- 43 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosanders
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 4 Moorhens again
- 13 Coots
- 52 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adult and second-winter
- 1 Kingfisher
No other sightings:
Additional bird species for 2020 recorded here this morning (in order logged)
40 Feral Pigeon
41 Nuthatch
(Ed Wilson)
Note
Here are a few images from Venus Pool on 3 Jan 20. Click Here
The 2019 Priorslee Summary is now online Here.
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On this day..........
2019Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2017
Local area
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
151 Coot
220 Black-headed Gull
18 Lesser Black-backed Gull
28 Tufted Duck
2 Great Crested Grebe
6 Mute Swan
8 Herring Gull
10 Pochard
(Tony Beckett)
Horsehay Pool
11 Goosander
(Tony Beckett)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Female Goldeneye
2 Gadwall
10 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
14 Great Black-backed Gulls
75 Herring Gulls
2 Caspian Gulls
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
125 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Martin Grant/Kriss Webb)
Donnington Wood
1 Waxwing
(Dave Tromans)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
13 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Bittern
3 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Caspian gull was present
1 Ring Billed Gull.
2500 Black-headed Gulls
42 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson/Jack Wildman/Richard Vernon)
2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
>20 Pochard
>70 Tufted Duck
A drake Goosander
1 Water Rail
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
>150 Herring Gulls
Glaucous Gull
Yellow-legged
Common Gull
6 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
10 Pochard
26 Tufted Duck
1 Common Gull
c.2100 Black-headed Gull
c.1600 Lesser Black-backed Gull
126 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Water Rail
1 Goldeneye
1400 Black-headed Gulls
400 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
74 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
8 Great Crested Grebes
18 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
236 Coot
40 Siskins
14 Robins
13 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)