7.0°C > 8.0°C: Never believe the forecast. A dry but misty start quickly deteriorated in to an hour or so of rain and fog / very low cloud. Once the rain stopped it was after 09:30 before the cloud began to lift. Light SE wind. Poor visibility, very poor for a while; eventually good.
Sunrise: 08:12 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:33 – 09:18 // 10:19 - 10:35
(276th visit of the year)
Only birds round the edges seen on first visit. A quick revisit later to count a few things.
Bird notes:
- Some of the Pochard and Tufted Duck have probably relocated here from The Flash since yesterday.
- It does seem that many of the Great Crested Grebes have left. One first-winter is loosely keeping company with an adult - perhaps its parent?
- Calls from one of the Magpie roosts sounded as if Jackdaws were also present. This latter species occasionally stops off in the trees in foggy conditions - as this morning. However these calls seemed far too early for any passage. Nothing seen. Need to keep and eye and ear out in future.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 9 Canada Geese: one group
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Wood Pigeon
- 17 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 9 (6♂) Gadwall
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 5 (4♂) Pochard
- 57 (33♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 181 Coots
- >400 Black-headed Gulls
- >100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.80 pre-dawn; 22 later
- >2 Herring Gulls: 1 (near) adult pre-dawn; different adult later
- *1 Caspian Gull: adult
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
- >5 winter midges
- *2 different unidentified 'creatures'
- 1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- *1 other spider
Later:
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 9 (6♂) Gadwall
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 5 (4♂) Pochard
- 57 (33♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 181 Coots
- >400 Black-headed Gulls
- >100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.80 pre-dawn; 22 later
- >2 Herring Gulls: 1 (near) adult pre-dawn; different adult later
- *1 Caspian Gull: adult
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
- >5 winter midges
- *2 different unidentified 'creatures'
- 1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- *1 other spider
Later:
Nothing of note
I found this minute creature on one of the lamp poles. I have absolutely no idea.
One of my growing photographic collection of unidentified spiders.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:21 – 10:14
(258th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Nothing of importance.
Birds noted flying over The Flash:
None
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 11 Canada Geese
- 33 (19♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 56 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- *6 (2♂) Goosanders
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 13 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: guess - that floating body: possibly just feathers by now.
On the lamp poles and on / around the Ivy
- 11 Canada Geese
- 33 (19♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 56 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- *6 (2♂) Goosanders
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 13 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: guess - that floating body: possibly just feathers by now.
On the lamp poles and on / around the Ivy
Nothing of note
Elsewhere:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Song Thrush is a species I did not see every day, especially out in the open. They tend to like hiding away in shady areas only venturing out at dawn and dusk. This bird shows pale tips to the greater and median coverts. These will wear away during the winter. The dull weather did not make for the sharpest, brightest photos.
Elsewhere:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
"I see no fish". Sadly for this duck Goosander there did not seem to be any.
A surprising amount of grey.
"Are you talking about me?"
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
Scaup imm/fem
4 Yellow-legged Gull
(Gary Crowder)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow-legged Gull
8 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 duck Gadwall
3 Goosander
4 Teal
1 Wigeon
1 Redshank
8 Pochard.
55 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
172 Coots.
4 Great Black-backed Gulls .
36 Redwings
42 Fieldfares
453 Jackdaws
64 Rooks
(John Isherwood/Roger Clay/Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
35 Mute Swans
1 drake Wigeon
1 duck Goldeneye
2 drake Shoveler
40 Tufted Duck
1 Common Gull
6 Herring Gull
163 Lesser Black-backed Gull
128 Black-headed Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
165 Coot
Lesser Black-backed Gull with a Dark Blue ring with Orange [red] numbers 567. This bird bred in Germany.
(Martin Grant/Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Adult Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black necked Grebe
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Cormorants
18 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
27 Robins
23 Blackbirds
3 Fieldfares
2 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
750 Black-headed Gulls
1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Little Grebes
5 Great Crested Grebes
15 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
2 Redpolls
25 Siskins
15 Pied Wagtails
2 Redwings
32 Fieldfares
5 Reed Buntings
13 Robins
18 Blackbirds
11 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)