0.0°C > 1.0°C: Clear start. Snow shower later. Light W wind. Very good visibility until snow arrived: then poor.
Sunrise: 08:22 GMT again
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:47 – 09:44
(2nd visit of the year)
- c.15% thin ice
Yesterday's Red-crested Pochard was not relocated.
Bird notes:
- A Woodcock seen going to roost at 07:30.
- The calling Water Rail was in the more usual NW area: unseen as usual.
- Black-headed Gulls arrived in large numbers after 07:20: at least 400 this morning after yesterday's low number.
- Large gulls were again in short supply on the water. Large total heading SW ahead of the snow.
- All c.100 Jackdaws were very low and distant to the E.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 2 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 11 Greylag Geese: four groups outbound
- 30 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 115 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- 1 Cormorant
- c.100 Jackdaws
- 2 Redwing
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
Birds seen / heard leaving roosts around the lake:
Apart from uncounted Magpies the following were noted
- 5 Starlings
- 6 Redwings
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- *1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 13 (8♂) Mallard
- 8 (6♂) Pochard
- 66 (42♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 3 Moorhens only
- 130 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- >400 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: all immatures
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 2 Grey Herons again
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
Nothing
Later:
Later:
Nothing of note
My 2021 bird species list for here now stands at 44 with today's additions in the order I recorded them:
Woodcock
Reed Bunting
Sparrowhawk
Gadwall
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Water Rail
My 2021 bird species list for here now stands at 44 with today's additions in the order I recorded them:
Woodcock
Reed Bunting
Sparrowhawk
Gadwall
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Water Rail
Most of the colour in the morning sky was looking east towards the incoming snow shower.
A drake Gadwall. A species I did not record yesterday and one that has been an unusually erratic visitor over the last month or so.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:47 – 10:22
(2nd visit of the year)
- c.75% ice
Another quick gallop around in the snow and, by now, poor visibility.
Bird notes:
- I am sure all the Mute Swans were present: seeing distant white birds, even large white birds, in the snow was difficult
- Grey Wagtail still here - somewhere. Heard calling.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2nd visit of the year)
- c.75% ice
Another quick gallop around in the snow and, by now, poor visibility.
Bird notes:
- I am sure all the Mute Swans were present: seeing distant white birds, even large white birds, in the snow was difficult
- Grey Wagtail still here - somewhere. Heard calling.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
None
Counts from the water:
- 12 Canada Geese
- 1 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans (see notes)
- 41 (22♂) Mallard
- 30 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 87 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult departed
- 1 Grey Heron
On the lamp poles, around the Ivy or elsewhere.
- 12 Canada Geese
- 1 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans (see notes)
- 41 (22♂) Mallard
- 30 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 87 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult departed
- 1 Grey Heron
On the lamp poles, around the Ivy or elsewhere.
Nothing of note
My 2021 bird species list for here stands at 30 with today's additions:
Long-tailed Tit
Collared Dove
My 2021 bird species list for here stands at 30 with today's additions:
Long-tailed Tit
Collared Dove
Snow and ice. The camera mostly stayed dry in my pocket.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2020
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2017
Local area
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup still present.
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
4 or 5 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
(Ed Wilson and et al)
2010
Priorslee Lake
c.1500 gulls
Adult winter Ring Billed Gull.
Adult Common Gull
3 adult Yellow-legged Gulls
Black-necked Grebe
(Ed Wilson and Rob Stokes)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
Adult Yellow-legged Gull
Iceland Gull
(Dawn Balmer, Peter Wilson and et al)