18 Feb 21

Priorslee Lake

6.0°C: Clearing after heavy rain. Moderate / fresh WSW wind. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:21 GMT]

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 09:15 - 10:20

(9th visit of the year)

I waited for the rain to pass before venturing out, viewing only from the E end lay-by.

Notes:
- No Mute Swan cygnets seen. The adults spent time at the nest site and the pen was noted rearranging the vegetation there.
- A Great Crested Grebe was a new arrival since yesterday.
- Just 19 Black-headed Gulls when I arrived. More drifted in with c.50 before I departed
- All five Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the water arrived separately and each stayed only briefly.
- An adult Cormorant arrived - one with obvious white thigh patches indicating a breeding condition adult bird.
- A male Sparrowhawk shot low across the water scattering the Black-headed Gulls.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 4 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Counts from the lake area:
- *2 Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck again
- 5 Moorhens
- 40 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *c.50 Black-headed Gulls
- *5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron again

My 2021 bird species list for here remains at 59.

The swelling at the base of bill on the cob Mute Swan is noticeably enlarged as he enters breeding condition. His bill is also noticeably brighter.

An adult Black-headed Gull searching for scraps from Paul's burger van in the Castle Farm Way lay-by.

A different adult - more dark starting to appear on its head - wondering whether a dance would encourage any titbits to appear.

Too slow - that is both the gull and me with the camera: a Magpie is making off with the prize.

Perhaps I am imagining it. This gull looks almost sad about losing its snack.

One of the adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls that dropped in briefly showing the underwing pattern. Typically it is only the outer primary that shows a white 'mirror', though some, as here, may show a much smaller white area on the next primary along. Note the entire hind part of the wing is dusky though here, with the primaries fully spread, there is a paler area. Nothing like as pale or extensive as would be seen on a Herring Gull at any age. I might even be able to convince myself the legs are yellow - they are certainly not as pink as the feet.

The same bird a lot further away and therefore somewhat enlarged. To me the white mirrors on the outer two primaries appear slightly larger when seen on the upper wing.

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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

2014

Priorslee Lake

2 Scaup

20 Tufted Duck 

7 Pochard

1 Cormorant

2 Buzzards

2 Redwings

162 Jackdaws

140 Rooks

(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)

The Flash

1 Pochard 

192 Tufted Ducks 

2 Goosander

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

38 Pochard

88 Tufted Ducks

2 Water Rails

136 Coots

3 Redwings

12 Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

6 Great Crested Grebes

2 Gadwall

5 Pochard

6 Tufted Ducks

1 Water Rail.

600 Starlings

21 Robins

18 Blackbirds

1 Willow Tit

4 Siskins

1 Redpoll

5 Reed Buntings.

(Ed Wilson)