4 Dec 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

3.0°C: Cloudy with light rain showers. Moderate WNW wind. Good visibility.

[Sunrise: 08:04 GMT]

* = a photo today

Short visits between the worst of the rain.

Priorslee Lake:

(269th visit of the year)

Viewing from the E end lay-by only. Nothing seen flying over. Very few gulls around - all out feeding?

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 3 Canada Geese
- 10 (6♂) Gadwall
- 8 (4♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 54 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- no Grey Heron
- 8 Great Crested Grebes again
- 6 Moorhens
- 203 Coots
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull-type: immature. A large pale-headed bird with very restricted pale inner primaries but not seen well-enough to confirm
- *1 probable Caspian Gull: third winter

A very smart-looking gull. The colour of the mantle said 'Yellow-legged Gull' to me but I think not and that it is a Caspian Gull. It has a rather gentle expression and a dark eye. The extent of black on the bill suggests this is a third-winter bird rather than a full adult.

This seems to be the same bird though I did not see it fly to the buoy. It certainly does not have yellow legs but if I am right about its age - third-winter - that would not by itself rule out Yellow-legged Gull. The eye looks rather paler in close-up. The number of white spots in the folded wings suggests this is not a full adult which would show four such spots.

This similar view does not add much. Perhaps the mantle is too pale for Yellow-legged Gull. For me the very rounded-looking head clinches it as a Caspian Gull.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 11:03 – 12:04

(251st visit of the year)

A quick canter around in damp and cold conditions with nothing of note.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:

None

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 28 Canada Geese
- 27 (18♂) Mallard
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 54 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- *7 (0♂) Goosanders
- no Grey Herons
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 8 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult [I forgot to check whether the dead body was still afloat]
- 1 Herring Gull: adult? briefly

On a lamp pole:
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum-type harvestman

On / around the Ivy or elsewhere

Nothing of note

A brownhead Goosander catches a Perch by the tail.

The same photo over(?) enlarged to show the serrations along the cutting-edge of the bill.

She appears to be laughing. I think it is the fish sliding down her gullet that gives that impression.

(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

Local Area

Today's Sightings Here

2015

Priorslee Lake

Today's sightings Here

2014

Priorslee Lake

Today's sightings Here

2012

Priorslee Lake

3 Gadwall

9 Pochard

20 Tufted Ducks

1 (1) Goosander

155 Coots

28 Herring Gulls

1 Great Black-backed Gull

14 Redwings

2 Fieldfares

c.368 Jackdaws

97 Rooks

(Ed Wilson)

2009

Priorslee Lake

3 Cormorant

33 Mute Swans

Water Rail

13 Pochard

85 Tufted Ducks 

274 Coots

1000 Black-headed Gulls

2000 Lesser Black-backs

3 Yellow-legged Gulls

1 Great Black-backed

5 Redwings

2 Willow Tit

c.325 Jackdaws

20 Siskins

4 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

2006

Priorslee Lake

3 Cormorants

15 Pochard

45 Tufted Ducks

1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck

2 Sparrowhawks

2 Buzzards

1 Kestrel

>700 Black-headed Gulls

324 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

8 Herring Gulls

1 Great Black-backed Gull

649 Wood Pigeons

25 Robins

22 Blackbirds

16 Fieldfares

4 Song Thrushes

6 Redwings

322 Jackdaws

224 Rooks

2 Siskins

5 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

2005

Priorslee Lake

140 Golden Plover

8 Cormorants

900 Black-headed Gulls

c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

13 Pochard

43 Tufted Duck

2 Little Grebes

225 Coot

371 Jackdaws

313 Rooks

6 Redwings

32 Fieldfares.

8 Reed Buntings

19 Robins

30 Blackbirds

16 Greenfinches

(Ed Wilson)