Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool
3.0°C > 6.0°C: Mostly overcast again, though the cloud was much higher today. Almost calm start with light E breeze later. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:48 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 05:50 - 09:20
(24th visit of the year)
First a correction to yesterday. I misidentified the dead fish. I am told it is (or rather was) a Tench (Tinca tinca). Thanks to one of the fishermen for setting me straight.
Another sighting that got away. At c.07:00 I was checking a passing Lesser Black-backed Gull when two medium-sized birds flew through my binoculars, higher up than the gull. They looked to be about Starling-size but rather shorter-tailed and chunkier. All I could think of was Crossbills. However I could see no plumage features and they were too far away to hear their diagnostic 'chip-chip-' flight calls. These would probably have been drowned by the road noise anyway. So 'pass'.
Other notes:
- Back to eight Great Crested Grebes. These were behaving as three pairs and two singles. All of them had full adult head plumes.
- A single Rook went over at 06:07; the other at 06:32. The first group of c.120 Jackdaws was noted at 06:19.
- For the first time for some weeks I noted Bullfinches in the NE area. I had been concerned that the house construction activity on the area had moved these birds on. That said I only saw a pair whereas in previous years there has often been a group of five or six birds eating the buds here.
- Siskins again in trees at the W end.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 4 Canada Geese: two pairs outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 4 Wood Pigeons only
- 2 Collared Doves
- 3 Cormorants: together
- c.175 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 2 Greenfinches
Counts from the water: best effort in poor conditions again
- 2 Mute Swans
- 8 (6♂) Mallard [yesterday's total should have read 6 (5♂) not 6 (1♂)!]
- 7 (4♂) Tufted Duck again
- 12 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls only
- 5 Herring Gulls: all immatures, briefly
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: seven adults, one first year, all briefly
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 3 Grey Herons
My 2021 bird species list for here remains at 67:
Also noted:
- The dead Tench (Tinca tinca): still here.
3.0°C > 6.0°C: Mostly overcast again, though the cloud was much higher today. Almost calm start with light E breeze later. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:48 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 05:50 - 09:20
(24th visit of the year)
First a correction to yesterday. I misidentified the dead fish. I am told it is (or rather was) a Tench (Tinca tinca). Thanks to one of the fishermen for setting me straight.
Another sighting that got away. At c.07:00 I was checking a passing Lesser Black-backed Gull when two medium-sized birds flew through my binoculars, higher up than the gull. They looked to be about Starling-size but rather shorter-tailed and chunkier. All I could think of was Crossbills. However I could see no plumage features and they were too far away to hear their diagnostic 'chip-chip-' flight calls. These would probably have been drowned by the road noise anyway. So 'pass'.
Other notes:
- Back to eight Great Crested Grebes. These were behaving as three pairs and two singles. All of them had full adult head plumes.
- A single Rook went over at 06:07; the other at 06:32. The first group of c.120 Jackdaws was noted at 06:19.
- For the first time for some weeks I noted Bullfinches in the NE area. I had been concerned that the house construction activity on the area had moved these birds on. That said I only saw a pair whereas in previous years there has often been a group of five or six birds eating the buds here.
- Siskins again in trees at the W end.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 4 Canada Geese: two pairs outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 4 Wood Pigeons only
- 2 Collared Doves
- 3 Cormorants: together
- c.175 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 2 Greenfinches
Counts from the water: best effort in poor conditions again
- 2 Mute Swans
- 8 (6♂) Mallard [yesterday's total should have read 6 (5♂) not 6 (1♂)!]
- 7 (4♂) Tufted Duck again
- 12 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls only
- 5 Herring Gulls: all immatures, briefly
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: seven adults, one first year, all briefly
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 3 Grey Herons
My 2021 bird species list for here remains at 67:
Also noted:
- The dead Tench (Tinca tinca): still here.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(14th visit of the year)
I could hear contractors flailing the hedge alongside the Wesley Brook as it runs toward the two small pools between The Flash and Priorslee Avenue. I shudder to thing what it now looks like..
Notes:
- The drake Gadwall apparently gone.
- 10 drake Tufted Duck AWOL since yesterday.
- No Great Crested Grebes located again.
- No Redpolls. Two male Siskins with three Goldfinches at the top end was all I could find.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 3 Jackdaws
Counts from the water:
- 34 Canada Geese
- 3 Mute Swans as usual
- 33 (22♂) Mallard
- 63 (30♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 18 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: second year throughout; third year arrived
My 2021 bird species list for here remains at 52.
Upside down as so often - the Siskin, not me!
Checking the surroundings.
Another check for danger.
Can hang this way ....
... and that.
Even at more than 180 degrees.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A rather unexpected duck Goosander was the best of another very quiet visit.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
None
[The local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws not included]
Counts from the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swan
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 9 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Moorhen
- 10 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- no gulls again
My 2021 bird species list for here moves on to 24 with new today:
- Tufted Duck
- Goosander
- Long-tailed Tit
This duck Goosander was being typically wary and swimming away from me.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Some of the geese have moved inside the island prior to nesting and the totals may be incomplete.
- An unusually low number of Coots recorded. Numbers do decline during the breeding season, though this seems rather early for them to do so.
- One of the Cormorants was a rather splendid bird in full breeding finery.
- Grey Wagtail again.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Siskin
Counts from the water:
- 67 Canada Geese
- 38 Greylag Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose: still here
- 2 Mute Swans
- 21 (16♂) Mallard
- 16 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 13 Coots only
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 48 Black-headed Gulls: all but two departed
- 2 Cormorants
My 2021 bird species list for here moves on to 30 with new today:
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Cormorant
- Coal Tit
A splendid breeding plumage Cormorant. Note the crest, the white head plumes and the large white thigh patch visible through the spread wing feathers. Also note the orange, well almost red, bare skin under the eye - I have never seen the bare skin this bright, neither have I noted quite such an obvious blue tone to the body. This bird had been fishing successfully and then hauled out where it was almost completely hidden from view. I had to crawl through vegetation and shoot between twigs and branches. I was well-pleased I made the effort.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day
2019
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
2013
Horsehay Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
20 Goosander
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Paul King)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
4 Great Crested Grebes
2 Pochard
21 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
4 Great Crested Grebes
8 Pochard
51 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
6 Gadwall
28 Pochard
57 Tufted Duck
c.1000 Black-headed Gulls
55 Magpies
1 Linnet
2 Siskin
12 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
c.200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.10 Herring Gulls
2 Common Gulls
9 Mute Swans
12 Tufted Duck
8 Great Crested Grebe
(Mike Cooper)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
1 Cormorant
11 Pochard
90 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
607 Wood Pigeon
11 Greenfinches
23 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)