1 Dec 20

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

2.0°C > 6.0°C: Frosty and mainly clear. High cloud gradually encroaching from the W. Light NW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:00 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 06:23 – 09:28

(267th visit of the year)

It is always difficult to prove the absence of anything: I did not locate the Red-crested Pochard.

Highlight was my first confirmed sighting of a Woodcock going to roost this season. Apparently to a new location though I could not see its final drop in to cover,

Bird notes:
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls on the water by 06:45. Later arrivals after 07:15 all came in unusually high from the W.
- All the pre-dawn large gulls also came in high from the W and therefore apparently not from any extant Hortonwood roost.
- *A Great Spotted Woodpecker heard and then seen drumming to back-up my 'probable' record from 21st November.
- Two Treecreepers heard making a trilling call I have not heard previously and seemingly engaged in a territorial dispute.
- *Six Siskins in Alders near the Teece Drive gate

Birds noted flying over / near here:
affected by the mist/fog
- 4 Greylag Geese: trio and single outbound
- 24 Canada Geese: trio inbound; 21 flew N together
- 11 Goosanders: party on nine and two singles. All against the light so impossible to sex.
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 83 Wood Pigeons: 53 of these in four groups; none seemed too sure about where they were going
- 262 Jackdaws
- 14 Rooks
- 2 Ravens: same bird going S and then NW later?
- c.72 Starlings: three groups
- 2 Fieldfare: together
- 15 Redwings: four small groups

Birds seen / heard leaving roosts around the lake:
- 3 Starlings: singles from different locations
- 6 Redwings
- 8 Reed Bunting

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 12 + (8♂) Gadwall
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 6 (3♂) Pochard
- 54 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 10 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 211 Coots
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 101 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 95 pre-dawn; just five later
- 4 Herring Gulls: 2 near adults pre-dawn; one adult and one second winter later.

On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise: rather fewer in frosty and clear conditions.
- 2 Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata): this species has good anti-freeze
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum-type harvestman

Noted later:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

The moon was full some 22 hours before I took this photo this morning so we will just miss out on a blue moon on December. The prior full moon sneaked in at the last few hours of October so we did not get a blue moon in November either.

And here is an usual sight - the full moon in a 'red sky in the morning'. Thin high cloud was picking up some colour right across the sky as the moon sank towards the horizon.

A most welcome sight after so many days of gloomy November murk. Let's hope all of December is like this, but I fear not.

Pollution? What pollution? The contrail (condensation trail) of a jet arriving from the US of A is lit by the rising sun. Mainly water vapour you can see. Its what you can't see that matters!

The same trail disappearing in the far distance as the sun rises.

This male Great Spotted Woodpecker was the bird I heard (and saw) drumming. He wouldn't drum while I was taking photos.

Nice red trousers!

Some very cooperative Siskins this morning, feasting on Alder cones close to the Teece Drive gate and relatively unconcerned by my presence below them. Here a fine male is wearing a ring. I wonder where from?

The nearest thing we have to Canaries in this country. The song is a rather wheezy twitter so they would be an unlikely cage bird - thankfully.

Part of the ring can be read. Not enough though.

A profile shot of a different male.

And another male ...

... in close-up! Bridge cameras do have long zooms and this image is slightly also cropped. Mainly the result is due to very careful approach not to spook the birds.

Females are less colourful. She is tucking in to the cone with relish.

Checking for danger while munching away on an extracted seed.

Siskins do like feeding upside down as shown by this female.

Pausing between seeds.

I think this has to be an adult. I suspect a first-winter bird would look more grey-toned.

Last one.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:32 – 10:38

(249th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *Three Jays noted at the top end.
- A Reed Bunting heard calling: not located. My first here since I last heard song on July 9th. I cannot recall any 'winter' records previously.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult.
- 1 Wood Pigeon
- 1 Jackdaw

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 36 Canada Geese
- 32 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 73 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (0♂) Goosanders
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Moorhens
- 33 Coots again
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: the body still won't sink.
- 2 Herring Gulls: adult and second winter briefly and separately

On the lamp poles

Nothing on any of them

On / around the Ivy:
- 1 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris): December records unusual!
- a few unidentified 'flies'

Of interest elsewhere:
- 2 Grey Squirrels

The best I could manage of one of the ever-wary Jays seen this morning.

The first of December is the start of meteorological winter. Tell that to these Hazel catkins. Can Spring be far away? Sadly it probably is.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 10:47 – 11:20 // 12:10 - 12:20

(37th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The Mute and Black Swans seem to be peacefully co-existing. Grey young next year?
- The Canada Goose with white head-patches seen again.
- Two Goldcrests always a pleasure to see.
- One of the fishermen reported two Kingfishers earlier.
- Grey Wagtail yet again.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
[The local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws not included]
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all single adults.

Counts from the water:
- 1 Mute Swan: the resident cob
- 1 Black Swan
- 1 Greylag Goose
- *134 Canada Geese
- 6 (3♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- *1 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Great Crested Grebe remains
- 4 Moorhens
- 16 Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: near adults, arrived

This is the Canada Goose with white patches on the head.

This brownhead Goosander was lurking in a shadowy corner and as a result the lack of contrast allows all the plumage details to show.

One of the two adult Herring Gulls on the way in.

With all the streaking on the head it gives the bird a bug-eyed look.

And here it is on the water.

This is the other adult Herring Gull. The bill is less heavily marked.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 11:25 – 12:05

(37th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- 'Wild' duck numbers building - Tufties and Goosander. More variety needed.
- The two Great Crested Grebes spent a long while close together as if they might be a pair. However I eventually decided that one was a first-winter and therefore probably one of the second-brood juveniles from here.
- 2 Goldcrests here as well as at Trench Lock
- A Song Thrush seen again

Birds confirmed flying over / near here:

None

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 Greylag Geese
- 64 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose: as usual
- 21 (14♂) Mallard
- 21 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- *16 (6♂) Goosander
- 1 + 1? Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 54 Coots
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult yet again

Of note

Nothing else

A fine drake Goosander.

(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

2015

Priorslee Lake

Today's sightings Here

2014

Priorslee Lake

Today's sightings Here

2012

Priorslee Lake

3 Gadwall 

7 Pochard 

29 Tufted Ducks

1 Goldeneye 

1  Goosander

142 Coots

33 Redwings

2 Fieldfares

203 Jackdaws

50 Rooks

3 Siskins

1 Redpoll

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

1st-winter Mediterranean Gull

500 Black-headed Gulls

Yellow-legged Gull

800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

3 Great Black-backed Gulls

30 Herring Gulls

A drake hybrid Mallard x Pintail

(Tom Lowe)

Overdale

11 Waxwing

(Observer Unknown)

Granville Country Park

10 Waxwing

100+ Redwing 

6 Bullfinch 

20+ Redpoll 

1 Tawny Owl

3 Sparrowhawk 

1 hovering Buzzard

(Stuart Edmunds)

2009

Priorslee Lake

Yellow-legged Gull

(Richard Vernon)

The Wrekin

Firecrest

(Observer Unknown)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

3 Great Crested Grebes

23 Pochard

58 Tufted Ducks

65 Coots

>450 Black-headed Gulls

1128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

30 Robins

29 Blackbirds

46 Fieldfares

6 Song Thrushes

19 Redwings

2 Mistle Thrushes

168 Jackdaws

122 Rooks

1 Siskin

15 Linnets

4 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

2005

Priorslee Lake

10 Reed Buntings

A duck Wigeon

3500 Black-headed Gulls

2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

6 Herring Gulls

2 Pochard

53 Tufted Duck

228 Coot

496 Jackdaws

193 Rooks

(Ed Wilson)