0.0°C > 1.0°C: Scattered clouds. Light WNW wind. Excellent visibility.
Sunrise: 07:54 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 07:35 – 09:10
(273rd visit of the year)
Again viewing from E end lay-by area only.
Bird notes:
- The Mute Swans went for another fly-about: again it was the pen who did not stay in the air long.
- Yesterday's Wigeon had gone.
- Again very few Black-headed Gulls around.
- The Common Kestrel briefly hovered over the M54 verge alongside Ricoh and then flew away S.
Overhead:
- 7 Wood Pigeons only
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 82 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Common Kestrel
- 3 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 1 Redwing
- 8 Siskins
Counts from the lake area:
- *3 + 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 10 (7♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard still
- *69 (34♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens again
- 51 Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls only
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Cormorant: arrived; did not stay long
Nothing noted otherwise.
A bit late for Autumn colours but the low winter sun was doing its best.
One for cloud fans.
And another. From the wind direction it may well have been The Wrekin that caused this effect.
The Mute Swans went for a fly-about again. Here are two of the cygnets.
Don't mind me!
Oi! Junior. You are supposed to me 'mute'.
Dad spreads his wings.
A bunch of likely lads. Still a few old grey feathers in the flanks of these drake Tufted Ducks.
One of the local Common Buzzards with a twinkle in its eye.
Of course this shot of the buzzard passing in front of the moon was entirely planned....
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:00
(249th visit of the year)
A small amount of thin ice at the Derwent Drive end.
Bird notes:
- More Mallard than I have seen for a while.
- Only one drake Teal located.
- Now three drake Pochard (but still one at the lake)
- Two juvenile Great Crested Grebes together – as they often are.
- Many of the gulls shown, including the two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, had flown off before I departed.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
- 3 Ravens
On /around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 43 (29♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Teal
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 55 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 (6♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 78 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adults, departed
- 1 Grey Heron
Of note:
A small amount of thin ice at the Derwent Drive end.
Bird notes:
- More Mallard than I have seen for a while.
- Only one drake Teal located.
- Now three drake Pochard (but still one at the lake)
- Two juvenile Great Crested Grebes together – as they often are.
- Many of the gulls shown, including the two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, had flown off before I departed.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
- 3 Ravens
On /around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 43 (29♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Teal
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 55 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 (6♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 78 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adults, departed
- 1 Grey Heron
Of note:
Nothing else
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
7 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye
c.373 Wood Pigeons
2 Woodcock
17 Redwings
29 Fieldfares
c.490 Jackdaws
56 Rooks
9 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Pochard
48 Tufted Duck
10+ Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Martin & Ian Grant)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
26 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
895 Black-headed Gulls
48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
35 Fieldfares
24 Redwings
191 Jackdaws
123 Rooks
53 Starlings
16 Greenfinch
13 Goldfinches
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
A duck Wigeon
Cormorant
c.75 Lapwing
2 Fieldfares
1 duck Pochard
34 Tufted Duck logged.
200 Coot
(Ed Wilson)