3.0°C > 8.0°C: Just frosted with a few mist patches. Mainly sunny. Light S wind. Mainly very good visibility once mist dispersed.
Sunrise: 08:17 GMT
* = a photo today
Back to a 'normal' morning after a day on the Wirral on 15th (some photos under the Readers Corner tab) and yesterday's quick post-deluge afternoon visit.
Priorslee Lake: 06:38 – 09:35
(280th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- One of the Mute Swan cygnets was sleeping well away from the rest of the family. It joined up with them later. Then two cygnets separated away. No flying lesson today.
- The Gadwall seem to change number and / or the ratio between sexes on a daily basis. I have never seen one arrive or depart.
- A Woodcock flew over the W end at 07:23.
- All the large gulls I checked were Lesser Black-backed Gulls (but see photos below). After the now usual early arrival and quick departure there was a steady passage S / SW with very few peeling off to visit the lake. At least five Black-headed Gulls were with these passage birds and it is unlikely they were birds seen at the lake earlier.
- Most of the 67 Wood Pigeons overhead seemed to be on local flights. Exceptions were a tight group of 14 that flew high S and a later tight group of 15 that flew high N.
- Jackdaw(s) heard calling near the Magpie roost again. I could only confirm a single bird leaving the area. Several other small groups might have done but birds often skim the tree-tops anyway and it was hard to be sure.
- Two Mistle Thrushes in trees alongside Teece Drive again. A pair? No song heard.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 2 Greylag Geese: outbound
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 59 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves
- 67 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- c.600 Jackdaws
- c.60 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
Birds seen / heard leaving roosts around the lake:
- 29 Magpies: partial(?) count
- >65 Starlings
- 2 Reed Bunting
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 10 (7♂) Gadwall
- 4 (2♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard still
- 33 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 179 Coots
- c.350 Black-headed Gulls
- 59 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 53 pre-dawn; just six later
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
The lamp-poles were covered in dew. At this time of year there are no leaves on the trees to stop the dew forming on the more sheltered poles. Just:
- 1 leafhopper sp.
Noted later:
Nothing
The tiny leafhopper sp. photographed on a lamp pole. Covered in dew. Cannot offer any further identification.
An apparently simple gull ID that had me rooting around in the literature again. At the time it seemed a straight-forward second-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. It was the only vaguely photographable gull which is why I took its photo. When I looked at the photo I was surprised to see the pale tip to the pale-based bill. This I associate with a second-winter Herring Gull. I expect a second-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull to have a mainly black bill with an increasing amount of pale at the base only. Research showed me that a pale tip can be seen on some second-winter Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Nevertheless it is still an 'odd' gull as the streaking on the breast and belly is also more typical of Herring Gull at this age. I am wondering about the possibility of a Lesser Black-backed x Herring Gull hybrid. Will probably never know.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:38 – 10:31
(Ed Wilson)
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(262nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- I failed to locate one of the cygnets. As previously noted one does tend to wander away from the others.
- Significant increase in number of Tufted Duck since yesterday afternoon. Perhaps they rest up inside the island later in the day?
- So far this period Cormorants have been few and far between. I am sure the fishermen would like it to stay that way. One was leaving as I arrived.
- A Song Thrush heard in (rather quiet) song: my first song here this season.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 12 Canada Geese
- 30 (17♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 85 (43♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosanders
- 1 Cormorant: departed
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull: one adult; the usual unsinkable body.
On the lamp pole, around the Ivy or elsewhere
Bird notes:
- I failed to locate one of the cygnets. As previously noted one does tend to wander away from the others.
- Significant increase in number of Tufted Duck since yesterday afternoon. Perhaps they rest up inside the island later in the day?
- So far this period Cormorants have been few and far between. I am sure the fishermen would like it to stay that way. One was leaving as I arrived.
- A Song Thrush heard in (rather quiet) song: my first song here this season.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 12 Canada Geese
- 30 (17♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 85 (43♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosanders
- 1 Cormorant: departed
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull: one adult; the usual unsinkable body.
On the lamp pole, around the Ivy or elsewhere
Nothing of note
(Ed Wilson)
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(39th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The lone Greylag Goose remains among the 100+ Canada Geese.
- Two Little Grebes were new and seemed settled in their usual winter haunt.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
[The local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws not included]
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swan: as usual
- 1 Black Swan
- 1 Greylag Goose remains with the Canada Geese
- 121 Canada Geese
- 11 (8♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (2♂) Goosander
- 2 Little Grebes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Moorhens
- 16 Coots
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults; one departed; one arrived
- 1 Herring Gull: adult; arrived and departed
(Ed Wilson)
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(39th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Lower number of Tufted Duck and Goosander than on my previous visit. Otherwise little to note.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
None
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 Greylag Geese
- 53 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 22 (15♂) Mallard
- 20 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (1♂) Goosander
- no Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 55 Coots
- 118 Black-headed Gulls
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 Greylag Geese
- 53 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 22 (15♂) Mallard
- 20 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (1♂) Goosander
- no Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 55 Coots
- 118 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
Note: The Wirral 15 Dec 20 on Readers Corner Here.
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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
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
40 Golden Plover
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
4 Siskins
2 Redpolls
8 Pochard
83 Tufted Ducks
249 Coots
83 Fieldfare
54 Redwings
216 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
The Flash
Greater Scaup
1 Little Grebe
179 Tufted Ducks
1 Goosander
(John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)
Holmer Lake
30 Goosander
1 Little Grebe
(John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
11 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
Snipe
1 Water Rail
163 Coots
6 Redwings
227 Jackdaws
3 Redpolls
2 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Pochard
33 Tufted Duck
30 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
29 Swans
36 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
3 Water Rails
291 Coots
6 Redwings
c.230 Jackdaws
c.30 Goldfinches
7 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
18 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
35 Fieldfare
19 Redwings
216 Jackdaws
132 Rooks
11 Greenfinches
2 Redpoll
7 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)
2005
Priorslee Lake
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
c.400 Lesser Black-backs
18 Pochard
77 Tufted Duck
7 Shoveler
5 Great Crested Grebe
2 Dabchick
3 Water Rail
1 Snipe
40 Siskin
2 Redpoll
19 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)