13 Nov 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 10.0°C: Mainly clear after early heavy rain. Moderate SW wind. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:30 GMT]

* = a photo today.

I avoided the heavy rain and strong winds c.06:30. Sites visited in different order. Nothing blown in

Priorslee Lake: 10:49 – 11:41

(249th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I surmise the higher Coot count was because a later visit found them all out on the water rather than some still lurking in the reeds.
- The gull numbers were an 'instant' count with Black-headed Gulls especially coming and going.
- The immature Herring Gull-type flew off before I could get close-enough to see any distinguishing features.

Counts from the lake area only:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall
- 8 (4♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂) Pochard again
- 27 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Cormorants
- 12 Great Crested Grebes again
- 12 Moorhens
- 202 Coots
- 73 Black-headed Gulls
- 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull-type - immatures

One of the local Common Buzzards going for a soar in the fine weather in the late morning.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:43

(233rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- All three adult Mute Swans were together some of the time. The cob was occasionally also either gently chasing or gently wooing his 2018 daughter.
- The adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was sitting very low in the water as if it were unwell. It perked up a bit when the second-winter flew by but did not move.
- Two Wood Pigeons seen flying VERY high SE - I only found them because I put my binoculars on passing Jackdaws.
- Later a group of 10 Wood Pigeons flew E.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 12 Wood Pigeon together
- 8 Jackdaw
- 1 Linnet

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 21 Canada Geese
- 34 (20♂) Mallard
- 5 (5♂) Pochard
- 47 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 21 (>4♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 62 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: second-winter and adult

On the lamp poles.
Nothing

Around the Ivy
- >>50 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris)
- 1 Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- 1 probable Migrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae): seen too briefly to positively ID.
- very many 'flies'

Of interest elsewhere:
- active Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) at their nest site again.
- 1 Grey Squirrel

This adult Lesser Black-backed Gull is sitting very low in the water as if it might be unwell and becoming waterlogged.

A second-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. Has the adult-type mantle and a pale base to the bill neither of which would be shown by a first-winter bird. A third-winter would have limited on no black tail band.

And the underwing pattern of the same bird. More heavily marked than any comparable-age Herring Gull and much less obvious paler inner primaries.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon 
7 Gadwall 
2 Teal 
67 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail 
25 Moorhens 
230 Coots 
290+ Black-headed Gulls
Female Peregrine
359 Wood Pigeons 
308 Fieldfare
30 Redwings 
517 Jackdaws
119 Rooks
22 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
40+ Fieldfare 
34 Greylag Geese 
46 Canada Geese
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard 
8 Tufted Ducks 
148 Coots 
1 Great Black-backed Gull
294 Wood Pigeons
88 Redwings
149 Fieldfares 
c.75 Starlings
c.779 Jackdaws
159 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes 
101 Canada Geese
8 Pochard
132 Tufted Ducks
124 Coots
31 Lapwings
Several Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
c.800 Fieldfare
c.425 Redwings
218 Jackdaws
146 Rooks
c.550 Starlings
c.10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
39 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
1 Great Black-backed Gull
251 Wood Pigeons
20 Robins
293 Fieldfares
105 Redwings
145 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
11 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
Single female Ruddy Duck
400 Black-headed Gull
8 Redwing
1 Fieldfare
5 Reed Bunting
A few Redpoll
Siskin
1 Brambling
(Martin Adlam)
9 Reed Bunting
3 Redpoll
9 Siskin
(Martin Adlam)