11.0°C: Cloudy with occasional drizzle. Overnight strong S winds had moderated somewhat . Good visibility, though poor in drizzle.
Sunrise: 07:09 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:25 - 09:40
(15th visit of the year)
In the dull conditions there seemed to be very few birds flying around and I devoted a good part of the time to litter-picking the mess left by thoughtless and uncaring people. I probably missed some over-flights as a result.
Notes:
- Four small geese flew N to the E at 07:20. Too distant to hear any calls and too dull to see any plumage features. One seemed especially small, more like a large duck than a goose.
- 135 Black-headed Gulls arrived from the W at 06:50 and by 07:00 were streaming back out to the W. At least 100 then flew in from the W but whether these were new or returning birds is impossible to say. There must have been another arrival as there were c.175 on the water at 07:20. Just 11 by 08:00.
- For the third day a single adult Lesser Black-backed Gull arrived with the Black-headed Gulls, stayed only a few minutes and departed.
- One that I will have to 'pend'. A loud and explosive burst of notes sounded a bit like a Cetti's Warbler singing its notes in the wrong order. I did not hear it subsequently and suspect it might have been two Song Thrushes having a scrap. Cetti's are normally close to water and this was some way away near the sailing club compound. Time may tell.
- Four Redwings left a roost area together at c.07:45 - rather too late to claim them as 'roost dispersal'. I probably flushed them as I passed.
- Siskins wheezing from the trees near the Teece Drive gate again.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair outbound
- 4 small geese (see notes)
- 5 Wood Pigeons only
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- >320 Jackdaws
- >30 Rooks
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 3 (3♂) Tufted Duck: 2 (2♂) departed
- 8 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- >175 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult briefly
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 2 Grey Herons
My 2021 bird species list for here remains at 62.
I did not check the street lights pre-dawn during the heavy drizzle (what a wimp):
PS: Thanks to Paul from the Classic Catering mobile for providing the plastic bag, a loan of the litter-picker and for agreeing to dispose of the rubbish with his collection from the lay-by area
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On this day
2020
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
5 Cormorants
3 Grey Herons
8 Pochard
8 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
1 Kingfisher
6 Redwings
391 Jackdaws
217 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
201 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
(Ed Wilson)
Hortonwood
21 Redwings
(Dave Tromans)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Observer Unknown)
The Flash
Drake Scaup
(Richard Vernon)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
55 Pochard
104 Tufted Duck
1 Common Gull
2 Ravens
22 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
200 Black-headed Gulls
400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
20 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
Glaucous Gull
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
(Pete Nickless)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Cormorant
5 Pochard
9 Tufted Duck
2 Kestrel
556 Wood Pigeon
27 Robin
23 Blackbird
1 Fieldfare
14 Redwing
47 Magpie
100 Jackdaw
96 Rook
16 Greenfinch
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorants
9 Pochard
36 Tufted Ducks
3 Water Rails
c.420 Wood Pigeon
c.60 Starling
29 Pied Wagtails
23 Blackbirds
6 Greenfinches
17 Siskins
1 Redpoll
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)