1.0°C > 4.0°C: Guess what: un-forecast showers, though good bright / sunny intervals as well. Light NW wind becoming distinctly brisk. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:21 GMT
* = a photo today
Seasons greeting to all my readers.
Back to a 'normal' morning after all the recent rain.
Notable was a relative dearth of Black-headed Gulls everywhere
Priorslee Lake: 06:44 – 09:31
(287th visit of the year)
Best sightings of the day were two separate Woodcocks. One flew W over my head towards the Ricoh area at 07:15. Another flew low S across the W end towards the scrubby area beside the M54 at 07:25.
Other bird notes:
- First day without Gadwall since I recorded at pair here on 14th October.
- 34 of the 55 Wood Pigeons noted as fly-overs were in a loose group flying S, well to the W.
- No Jackdaw(s) heard calling near the Magpie roost.
- Five Starlings seen leaving a roost in the NE area. Later just two from the NW area. With groups this small it is easy to overlook them.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 4 Greylag Geese: all outbound; one with Canadas; a duo and a single
- 4 Canada Geese: with a single Greylag
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 71 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 4 Feral Pigeons: together
- 55 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- c.400 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks only
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Birds seen / heard leaving roosts around the lake:
- 7 Starlings
- 1 Redwing
Once again Reed Buntings heard calling from roost area well before dawn: none seen to leave
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- no Gadwall
- 4 (1♂) Mallard: two ♂♂ departed
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 47 (30♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 155 Coots
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- 58 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all pre-dawn
- 2 Herring Gulls: both pre-dawn
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 1 Tetragnatha stretch spiders sp.
Noted later:
Nothing
"A dry day" the met men said. That cloud does not look very dry.
In fact you can just about make out the faint partial rainbow in the middle of the photo.
The best I could do with the sunrise - unlike one of the other locals who was trashing the lake-edge vegetation to get his reflection shot.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:36 – 10:24
(269th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Some of yesterday's Pochard and Tufted Duck seem to have relocated to the main lake.
- One of today's duck Pochard was neither of those seen yesterday: indeed it may just be a late moulting immature drake.
- My first visit without any Goosander since 13th October (the first of this season were noted on 08th October).
- Little Grebe seen again: I suspect it has been lurking somewhere unseen on my previous two visits.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Jackdaw
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 12 Canada Geese again
- 35 (22♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Pochard
- 78 (42♂) Tufted Duck
- no Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens again
- 34 Coots
- 9 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: 'that' body, barely above the surface now.
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(269th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Some of yesterday's Pochard and Tufted Duck seem to have relocated to the main lake.
- One of today's duck Pochard was neither of those seen yesterday: indeed it may just be a late moulting immature drake.
- My first visit without any Goosander since 13th October (the first of this season were noted on 08th October).
- Little Grebe seen again: I suspect it has been lurking somewhere unseen on my previous two visits.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Jackdaw
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 12 Canada Geese again
- 35 (22♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Pochard
- 78 (42♂) Tufted Duck
- no Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens again
- 34 Coots
- 9 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: 'that' body, barely above the surface now.
On the lamp poles, around the Ivy or elsewhere
Nothing of note
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool: 10:32 – 11:00 // 11:35 - 11:42
(40th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The Black Swan was missing. I was told that it not infrequently spends time at Middle Poole but I did not find it there either.
- I could not locate the recent single Greylag Goose amongst the Canadas. Neither could I find the Canada with excess of white on the top of the head and neck.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
[The local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws not included]
- 15 Starlings
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swan: as usual
- 121 Canada Geese again
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 5 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Great Crested Grebe as usual
- 1 Moorhen
- 12 Coots
- 5 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
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(40th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The Black Swan was missing. I was told that it not infrequently spends time at Middle Poole but I did not find it there either.
- I could not locate the recent single Greylag Goose amongst the Canadas. Neither could I find the Canada with excess of white on the top of the head and neck.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
[The local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws not included]
- 15 Starlings
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swan: as usual
- 121 Canada Geese again
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 5 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Great Crested Grebe as usual
- 1 Moorhen
- 12 Coots
- 5 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool: 11:05 – 11:30
(40th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- One very strange goose with a mostly white head together with a black and white neck: see photo. Seemed happily paired with a regular Greylag.
- Two very different-looking Great Crested Grebes. One very plain-looking with no head plumes: likely a first-winter having now lost the face-stripes but yet to grow the plumes. The other a more usual-looking winter adult.
- It made a change to see a Herring Gull amongst the (rather few) Black-headed Gulls. Recently it has usually been a lone Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Common Buzzard
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 1 hybrid goose (see notes)
- 51 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 24 (14♂) Mallard
- 21 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 10 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 44 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
Now here is a strange goose apparently paired with a regular Greylag Goose. The head and neck most closely resemble a so-called blue morph Snow Goose. The large white under-tail area more closely resembles a farm-yard goose. The body plumage does not really match any species and could be one of any number. Particularly unusual is the red-brown collar at the base of the neck. I would think Greylag somewhere in the genes. I cannot recall seeing this bird before.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(40th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- One very strange goose with a mostly white head together with a black and white neck: see photo. Seemed happily paired with a regular Greylag.
- Two very different-looking Great Crested Grebes. One very plain-looking with no head plumes: likely a first-winter having now lost the face-stripes but yet to grow the plumes. The other a more usual-looking winter adult.
- It made a change to see a Herring Gull amongst the (rather few) Black-headed Gulls. Recently it has usually been a lone Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Common Buzzard
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 1 hybrid goose (see notes)
- 51 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 24 (14♂) Mallard
- 21 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 10 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 44 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
(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
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
7 Pochard
34 Tufted Ducks
204 Coots counted
123 Black-headed Gulls
16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
22 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Grey Herons
126 Canada Geese
110 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes
2 Shoveler
71 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
125 Coots
>40 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool
1 Tufted Duck
19 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
13 Pochard
35 Tufted Ducks
178 Coots
Peregrine
14 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Pochard
38 Tufted Duck
5 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
10 Swans
28 Pochard
77 Tufted Ducks
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
60 Herring Gulls
1 Water Rail heard
299 Coots counted
4 Redwings
2 Willow Tits again
c.5 Goldfinches
c.10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Dawn Balmer/ Peter Wilson)
2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Little Grebe
41 Pochard
38 Tufted Ducks
8 Redwing
2 Fieldfare
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)