24 Feb 20

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool (not in that order)

Priorslee Lake:  13:10 – 13:25
The Flash:  11:00 – 11:35
Trench Lock Pool:  11:45 – 11:55 // 12:30 – 12:50
Trench Middle Pool:  12:00 – 12:25

10.0°C > 13.0°C:  Cloudy after another very wet start to the day. Fresh and gusty W wind. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:08 GMT]

Priorslee Lake:  13:10 – 13:25

(41st visit of the year)

Very muddy water after yet more rain.

Notes:
- As yesterday two of the cygnets keeping well away from the adults.
- The lone drake Pochard was the first here for over a month (21 January was my previous log).

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 6 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- [no  Moorhens]
- 50 Coots exactly
- 78 Black-headed Gulls

Nothing else of note.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  11:00 – 11:35

(40th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Difficult to know how many Black-headed Gulls qualify as ‘here’ and how many as ‘fly-overs’. At least 52 birds counted flying off. At least 10 of these had stopped on the water, perhaps more. None stayed any length of time and all had left by 11:30.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk again
- >40 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 1 Jackdaw

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 10 Canada Geese
- 33 (18♂) Mallard
- 8 (8♂) Pochard
- 46 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (1♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Great Crested Grebes as usual
- 5 Moorhen again
- 15 Coots
- >10 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)

This drake Goosander has located some breakfast – well: more like elevenses today after all the rain.

Distinctly over-enlarged but included to show the serrations on the inside of the bill that enables Goosanders to grip slippery fish. This feature gives Goosanders and similar species the generic name ‘sawbills’.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  11:45 – 11:55 // 12:30 – 12:50

(15th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here:
- By recent standards an invasion of Coots: 11!
- No gulls on my first look. Later two Black-headed dropped in for less than two minutes. Then another bird arrived.
- At least 60 Jackdaws making a lot of noise swirling around over the estate to the N. Seemed to be more than usual.

Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 10 Canada Geese
- 4 (3♂) Mallard again
- 12 (9♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 (2♂) Goosander
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen
- 11 Coots
- 3 Black-headed Gulls

The drake Goosander formation swimming team having a practice.

It was a challenge this morning to photograph this active Long-tailed Tit hiding amongst swaying branches. The ‘recycle bin’ is rather full of failed attempts.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  12:00 – 12:25

(15th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- One Canada Goose possibly on nest beside the side pool.
- Four drake Mallard also beside the side pool
- Unable to decide whether there were one or two Great Crested Grebes. Seen in various locations; never able to see two at any one time.
- The over flying Jackdaw – no doubt one of the local birds – was my first of the year at this location.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Jackdaw

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 36 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral duck?-type
- 19 (12♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 1? Great Crested Grebe
- 10 Moorhens
- 18 Coots
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Additional bird species for my 2020 bird list at this site:
#39     Jackdaw

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
5 Cormorants
3 Grey Herons
8 Pochard
8 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
1 Kingfisher
6 Redwings
391 Jackdaws
217 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
201 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
(Ed Wilson)

Hortonwood
21 Redwings
(Dave Tromans)

2013
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Observer Unknown)

The Flash
Drake Scaup
(Richard Vernon)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
55 Pochard
104 Tufted Duck
1 Common Gull
2 Ravens
22 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
200 Black-headed Gulls
400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
20 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
Glaucous Gull
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
(Pete Nickless)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Cormorant
5 Pochard
9 Tufted Duck
2 Kestrel
556 Wood Pigeon
27 Robin
23 Blackbird
1 Fieldfare
14 Redwing
47 Magpie
100 Jackdaw 
96 Rook
16 Greenfinch
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorants
9 Pochard
36 Tufted Ducks
3 Water Rails
c.420 Wood Pigeon
c.60 Starling
29 Pied Wagtails
23 Blackbirds
6 Greenfinches
17 Siskins
1 Redpoll
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)