9.0°C > 10.0°C: Mostly cloudy and mostly at medium-high level. Clear to E initially and some breaks around sunrise. Mainly light S wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:49 GMT
Only sunrise photos today
Priorslee Lake: 06:12 – 09:14
(260th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- It must be at least a week since I saw the cygnets fly. Perhaps they are bored with that?
- Generally very quiet with the first Black-headed Gulls drifting in at 07:11 and the first Lesser Black-backed Gulls not arriving until 07:24 (though a few had flown over earlier).
- A motley collection of eight different Herring Gulls arrived. I considered these comprised two first-winters; one second-winter; one third-winter; one fourth-winter (an 'adult' with no white mirrors); and three adults.
- So where were all the Jackdaws? Largest group was just 14 birds.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 2 Greylag Geese: single outbound with Canadas; single inbound
- 15 Canada Geese: outbound in two groups
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves: duo
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 59 Jackdaws only
- 24 Rooks
- 10 Fieldfare: two groups
- 3 Redwings: singles
- 2 Mistle Thrushes: duo
- 2 Pied Wagtails
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 46 Starlings: one group from N side
- 12 Redwings
- 5 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 9 (6♂) Gadwall
- 11 (8♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Pochard
- 58 (31♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 12 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 180 Coots
- >175 Black-headed Gulls
- 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: just nine pre-dawn; 23 later
- 8 Herring Gulls: see notes
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: first winter
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 1 Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata): presumed this species - seen in flight only.
- 1 Muscid fly Phaonia pallida if that is what the small orange-bodied flies are.
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman.
Later:
Nothing of note
The only time is was bright-enough for photography was during the brief clear spell around sunrise which allowed this (rather fuzzy) view.
And this rather sharper vista.
Also one for cloud fans. That's it!
(Ed Wilson)
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(244th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A definite third Great Crested Grebe.
- Coal Tit heard singing - a bit premature?
Otherwise rather quiet here as well.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: (near) adults
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 11 Canada Geese
- 32 (19♂) Mallard
- 57 (17♂) Tufted Duck: apparent dearth of drakes today
- 8 (>2♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens only
- 34 Coots
- 51 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: as before - the floating mortal remains only
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winter, briefly
On various lamp poles:
- 3 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestmen
Around the Ivy.
Nothing
Elsewhere
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Elsewhere
- 1 Grey Squirrel
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2018Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
Today's Sightings Here
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Gadwall
2 Teal
3 Pochard
114 Tufted Duck
228 Coots
1 Snipe
Tawny Owl
157 Fieldfare
63 Redwings
208 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
31 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
35 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
9 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
157 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
18 Redwings
16 Fieldfares
4 Siskins
3 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
6 Yellow-legged Gulls
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood / Tom Lowe)
2007
Priorslee Lake
A male Stonechat
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
Great Black-backed Gull
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
East of Priorslee
60 Golden Plover
(John Isherwood)