Early: 0.0°C: Fog rolled in and I abandoned the visit.
Later: 4.0°C > 5.0°C: Still some mist over the lake initially: otherwise fine and sunny. Almost no wind. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:52 GMT
* a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:18 – 06:54 // 10:30 - 11:41
(263rd visit of the year)
It is 19 years and 15 days (11 November 1991) since I saw my previous and only Red-crested Pochard here (or indeed anywhere else in the UK). A splendid drake suitably wary of anyone getting too close to suggest its likely to be a genuine wild bird rather than an escape from a wildfowl collection. Bird species #109 for me at the lake in 2020. Perhaps 'bird of the year'.
The only sightings from my first visit was a single moth on the lamps.
Bird notes:
- All the Mute Swan cygnets flew with their parents. The adults and two of the cygnets did a three-quarter flight around the lake. Another 'ran out of steam' after another part lap at paddled to join the others. Two completed the extra lap strongly.
- Rather few gulls at this time of day.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 15 Canada Geese: inbound together
Nothing else of importance.
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 5 Canada Geese
- 11 (7♂) Gadwall
- 12 (8♂) Mallard
- 1 (1) Red-crested Pochard
- 7 (5♂) Pochard
- 47 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Little Grebe
- 11 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 207 Coots
- 48 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: adult
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata): presumed this species - small plain-looking moth with wings closed.
Noted later:
Nothing
A once in a decade or two sighting so no apologies for the plethora of photos of the splendid drake Red-crested Pochard. Also no apologies for starting with this species rather than putting it in systematic order as I usually do. My first sighting was of him tucking in to weed.
- 11 (7♂) Gadwall
- 12 (8♂) Mallard
- 1 (1) Red-crested Pochard
- 7 (5♂) Pochard
- 47 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Little Grebe
- 11 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 207 Coots
- 48 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: adult
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata): presumed this species - small plain-looking moth with wings closed.
Noted later:
Nothing
Most birds look like Mr. Angry from the front. Note the yellow tip to the bright red bill.
Like the 'regular' Pochard the drakes have a red eye.
A unique head shape.
You can just about see the white area over the shoulder.
Another look at that unique head shape
Little and large!
More weed please.
Last one from me
Two of the Mute Swan cygnets on lap two of their morning exercise.
Passing close. Note the front bird is just dipping its left wing-tip in the water
I keep telling them they are supposed to be mute.
Yes: still telling us it is flying.
Splashdown under the watchful gaze of a parent.
Not to be eclipsed by a gaudy drake Red-crested Pochard: a fine drake Gadwall.
The brown-tipped back feathers show even better from this angle.
This pair of Great Crested Grebes were not dissuaded from displaying despite their relative lack of head-plumes at this date.
The Flash: 11:46 – 12:33
(244th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Mallard seen mating. Rather few noted though several food opportunities made it hard to keep track of them.
- Coal Tit heard singing again
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 7 Jackdaws
- 1 Siskin
A note about my Feral Pigeon fly-over logs. There has been a flock of Feral Pigeons on the roofs in St. Georges and I have always excluded these birds when they fly around. Recently another(?) flock has taken up residence in the Derwent Drive / Priorslee Avenue area. I am also ignoring these. I only log birds that cross from one end of the water to the other.
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 34 Canada Geese
- 24 (14♂) Mallard
- 50 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (0♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: still just the floating mortal remain
- 1 Kingfisher
On the lamp poles:
(Ed Wilson)
More images of the Red-crested Pochard at Priorslee Lake
And here are a few more wonderful photos of Red-crested Pochard courtesy of Phil Nock, Mark Williams and David Tromans. Thank you all.
News soon got out and Phil Nock brought his 'big Bertha' DSLR to produce this splendid image.
I went down the sailing lake earlier and got a photo of Red Crested Pochard at about 4pm (Mark Williams)
What a cracker!!!!.......Cheers Ed for the tip off.
Red-crested Pochard (David Tromans)
Red-crested Pochard (David Tromans)
Red-crested Pochard (David Tromans)
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The Flash: 11:46 – 12:33
(244th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Mallard seen mating. Rather few noted though several food opportunities made it hard to keep track of them.
- Coal Tit heard singing again
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 7 Jackdaws
- 1 Siskin
A note about my Feral Pigeon fly-over logs. There has been a flock of Feral Pigeons on the roofs in St. Georges and I have always excluded these birds when they fly around. Recently another(?) flock has taken up residence in the Derwent Drive / Priorslee Avenue area. I am also ignoring these. I only log birds that cross from one end of the water to the other.
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 34 Canada Geese
- 24 (14♂) Mallard
- 50 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (0♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: still just the floating mortal remain
- 1 Kingfisher
On the lamp poles:
Nothing
The Ivy
Not visited.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2012
Priorslee Lake
22 Tufted Ducks
143 Coots
Nuthatch
34 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
228 Jackdaws
98 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
11 Greylag Geese
27 Pochard
70 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
70 Coots
>400 Black-headed Gulls
315 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
221 Wood Pigeons
22 Blackbirds
45 Fieldfares
38 Redwings
264 Jackdaws
71 Rooks
5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
1 Goldeneye
2 Ruddy Duck
C.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
16 Herring Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
Caspian Gull
Sparrowhawk
c.628 Jackdaws
c.358 Rooks
(Martin Adlam)