3.0°C: Cloudy and dull. Light wind. Moderate visibility.
[Sunrise: 08:07 GMT]
* = a photo today
Another cold and grey day. Decided to see whether there was any pre-roost passage of gulls passing through the lake: there were very few. I started with a check of The Flash first.
Priorslee Lake: 14:46 – 16:14
(272nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- I was not well positioned to accurately count the Jackdaws and Rooks as they passed low overhead in mixed groups.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
- c.250 Jackdaws
- c.110 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
Birds seen arriving to roost around the lake:
- 14 Starlings: three small groups
Counts from the lake area: all 'best effort' in the murky conditions
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Gadwall
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 25 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 183 Coots again
These gull counts were taken as I departed: birds had been arriving throughout
- >300 Black-headed Gulls
- 37 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 34 adults; 3 immatures
- 10 Herring Gulls: 2 (near) adults; 8 immatures
- 1 Herring Gull-type: immature
- 1 Caspian Gull: second winter
(Ed Wilson)
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(254th visit of the year)
Bird Notes
- The big number of Tufted Duck and the accompanying Gadwall that I noted arriving yesterday morning have mostly gone . Not to the lake apparently.
- Two pairs of Shoveler were only my third record of this species here this year. A drake on the unusually late date of 8th May was followed by what was presumably the same pair on equally unusual dates of 31st May and 1st June.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
Bird Notes
- The big number of Tufted Duck and the accompanying Gadwall that I noted arriving yesterday morning have mostly gone . Not to the lake apparently.
- Two pairs of Shoveler were only my third record of this species here this year. A drake on the unusually late date of 8th May was followed by what was presumably the same pair on equally unusual dates of 31st May and 1st June.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
None
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 22 Canada Geese
- 28 (18♂) Mallard
- *4 (2♂) Shoveler
- 4 (2♂) Pochard
- 74 (37♂) Tufted Duck
- *7 (1♂) Goosanders
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 9 Moorhens
- 32 Coots again
- 81 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull: one adult, briefly and the dead body still afloat
On the lamp pole and the Ivy:
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 22 Canada Geese
- 28 (18♂) Mallard
- *4 (2♂) Shoveler
- 4 (2♂) Pochard
- 74 (37♂) Tufted Duck
- *7 (1♂) Goosanders
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 9 Moorhens
- 32 Coots again
- 81 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull: one adult, briefly and the dead body still afloat
On the lamp pole and the Ivy:
Nothing
Of note elsewhere:
- 2 Grey Squirrels
Water off a duck's back. A soggy-headed duck Goosander on a very grey day. (Apologies for the blurred vegetation in the foreground. I have had words and she will stay clear in future).
- 2 Grey Squirrels
Two drake and one of the duck Shoveler just off the island - a long way away for photos on a dull day.
As usual she was anxious to get away from the camera. Note the long tail spread on the water.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2019Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
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
2012
Priorslee Lake
9 Pochard.
55 Tufted Ducks.
153 Coots.
615 Black-headed Gulls
354 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
21 Herring Gulls.
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
9 Cormorants
33 Swans
25 Pochard
61 Tufted Ducks
297 Coots
2 Buzzards
19 Goldfinches
2 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
17 Greylag Goose
9 Pochard
46 Tufted Ducks
>1400 Black-headed Gulls
>230 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
23 Robins
16 Blackbirds
2 Fieldfares
3 Redwings
259 Jackdaws
257 Rooks
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
9 Pochard
31 Tufted Duck
234 Coot
205 Jackdaws
473 Rooks
154 Fieldfare
4 Redwings
8 Redpolls
46 Siskins
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)