Priorslee Lake: 06:50 – 09:10
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15
3.0°C > 6.0°C: Cloudy start, clearing to give good sunrise; some thin lifted mist for a while later. Almost calm. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:46 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 06:50 – 09:10
(24th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The two Canada Geese arrived from the W and stayed throughout. They were gently discouraged from mingling with the Mute Swans by the patrolling cob.
- The seven unidentified outbound geese were possibly the 2019 family with their hybrid young – some of the calls sounded only vaguely like Greylag Geese.
- The pair of Gadwall perhaps those seen at The Flash on Monday.
- No Tufted Duck present. Unprecedented at this date (unless frozen over!). The group overhead had nothing to do with the lake
- A trio of Great Crested Grebes were new arrivals.
- A significant proportion of the over flying Wood Pigeons were higher than usual, suggesting more than just local movement. However no groups or consistent direction.
- First Blackbird song of the year from here.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 4 Greylag Geese (two duos outbound)
- 29 Canada Geese (23 outbound in three groups; six inbound together)
- 7 unidentified geese (1 group outbound)
- 6 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 72 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 50 Wood Pigeons, exactly
- >950 Jackdaws
- 6 Fieldfares: first of year for me here.
- 1 Redwing
Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- 30 Magpies
- 1 Reed Bunting
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 3 (2♂) Mallard again
- [no Tufted Duck]
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
- Little Grebe(s) heard
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 51 Coots
Gulls:
Arrival:
- 12 large gulls were the first arrivals just after 07:15. The first Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:30. Most had left again by 08:10 when a mere 11 gulls remained (9 Black-heads and one each of Lesser Black-back and Herring).
counts
- 243 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 5 Herring Gulls: all immatures
- 6 unidentified large gulls – flew off before ID
Thereafter a single new gulls arrived. A better passage overhead with most birds passing S / SW with several ‘skeins’ of >10 birds.
- 1 Herring Gull: first year
The lamp poles again remained devoid of insects:
Additional bird species for my 2020 bird list at this site:
#62 Fieldfare
The very early sunrise was blood red.
Later a more orange ...
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15
(23rd visit of the year)
Bird notes from here:
- Monday’s Gadwall gone: perhaps to the lake?
- One of the Kingfishers seen to fly right through the island. How these high-speed arrows manage to avoid impaling themselves is quite beyond me. They are obviously more manoeuvrable than they look.
- Now three Song Thrushes singing here (11 at the lake again).
- Female Bullfinch seen at the top end eating seeds from dead willowherb.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw
- 1 Starling
Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 6 Canada Geese
- 44 (24♂) Mallard only
- 6 (6♂) Pochard again
- 59 (35♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (3♂) Goosander
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 7 Moorhens
- 16 Coots
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Kingfishers
Other sightings:
- 1 Muscid fly on the Ivy bank
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Food in the offing: the Black-headed Gulls gather.
A good trick – the left-most bird walking on water.
Good view of the juvenile plumage on the left-most bird.
Amazing aerobatics in avoiding each other.
This Goldcrest is either double-jointed or has its head on upside down!
Well: it seems OK here.
This Robin seems certain to get good reception for its song – ugh!
This Dunnock was happy to have its portrait taken....
... and show both sides.
Nothing special: just though these leaves looked good in the morning sun.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day..........
2019Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
(Observer Unknown)
2013
Priorslee Lake
10 Gadwall
29 Wigeon
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gull
7 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood, Kris Webb)
The Flash
2 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
Holmer Lake
13 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
11 Pochard
65 Tufted Duck
c.50 Lapwings
Dunlin
c.300 Black-headed Gulls
c.400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.50 Herring Gulls
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Common Gull
(Ed Wilson / Jim Almond)
2011
Priorslee Lake
9 Pochard
>1000 Black-headed Gulls
82 Herring Gulls
1 Glaucous Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
>500 Wood Pigeons
248 Jackdaws
211 Rooks logged
1 Redpoll
(JW Reeves, Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
102 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
9 Herring Gulls
(Martin Adlam)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
12 Pochard
57 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
32 Robins
26 Blackbirds
13 Song Thrushes
4 Redwings
2 Willow Tits
11 Greenfinches
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
c.850 Black-headed Gulls
8 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
20 Pochard
85 Tufted Ducks
163 Coots
20 Robins
22 Blackbirds
10 Song Thrushes
1 Willow Tit
13 Greenfinches
10 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)