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******** MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR READERS *********
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Priorslee Lake and The Flash
5.0°C > 4.0°C: Low cloud with light drizzle. Moderate / fresh E wind. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:21 GMT
* = a photo today
After two days of fog some changes to note:
- at the lake new in were a duck Teal and two drake Pochard
- at The Flash the largest party of geese I have seen for many months arrived: these included paired Canada and Greylag Geese and their three hybrid offspring. There was also a drake Shoveler and a rather small all-white duck with a yellow bill. I could not find any Teal or Pochard.
Priorslee Lake: 06:45 – 09:15
(298th visit of the year)
Other bird notes:
- The first Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:27. Two blue-light ambulances probably ruined their wash and brush up just as much as the ambulances were probably ruining a few people's Christmas. Eventually at least 500 arrived.
Overhead:
- 1 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 4 Herring Gull
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 75 Jackdaws
- 1 Raven
- 8 Pied Wagtails heard
- 1 Linnet
Birds leaving roost sites around the lake:
None
Warblers noted:
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall again
- 8 (6♂) Mallard again
- 1 (0♂) Teal
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 54 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 49 Coots
- >500 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull
- 27 Herring Gull
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- 41 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Around the damp lamps:
Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
- 1 male Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria): mostly eaten!
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall again
- 8 (6♂) Mallard again
- 1 (0♂) Teal
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 54 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 49 Coots
- >500 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull
- 27 Herring Gull
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- 41 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Around the damp lamps:
Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
- 1 male Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria): mostly eaten!
The only photo I took on this very dull morning before I put the camera away in the dry. A slightly better view of the male Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria) that is being / has been eaten.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:00
(273rd visit of the year)
Other bird notes:
- The three off-spring of the paired Canada and Greylag Geese were presumably this year's immatures. I doubt the quartet of off-spring seen in 2020 would still be closely accompanying their parents.
- The all-white duck (presumed feral) was lurking on the island not giving clear views. The light was too poor to try a photo.
- Many fewer Tufted Ducks: perhaps they were at the lake?
- At least three Siskins were drinking from puddles in the path between the two footbridges.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On /around the water:
- 70 Canada Geese: 61 of these flew in
- 3 Greylag Geese: flew in
- 3 Greylag x Canada Geese: flew in
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 44 (30♂) Mallard
- 1 (?♂) all-white duck
- no Teal
- no Pochard
- 22 (11♂) Tufted Duck only
- 9 (2♂) Goosander
- 9 Moorhens only
- 23 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron
On / around various street lamps or around the Ivy.
Nothing
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:00
(273rd visit of the year)
Other bird notes:
- The three off-spring of the paired Canada and Greylag Geese were presumably this year's immatures. I doubt the quartet of off-spring seen in 2020 would still be closely accompanying their parents.
- The all-white duck (presumed feral) was lurking on the island not giving clear views. The light was too poor to try a photo.
- Many fewer Tufted Ducks: perhaps they were at the lake?
- At least three Siskins were drinking from puddles in the path between the two footbridges.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On /around the water:
- 70 Canada Geese: 61 of these flew in
- 3 Greylag Geese: flew in
- 3 Greylag x Canada Geese: flew in
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 44 (30♂) Mallard
- 1 (?♂) all-white duck
- no Teal
- no Pochard
- 22 (11♂) Tufted Duck only
- 9 (2♂) Goosander
- 9 Moorhens only
- 23 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron
On / around various street lamps or around the Ivy.
Nothing
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2013
Priorslee Lake
1st-winter female Great Scaup
Horsehay Pool
Kittiwake
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
14 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
178 Coots
2 Redwings
4 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
3 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
28 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
30 Mute Swans
40 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
161 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Black-necked Grebe
18 Swans
4 Gadwall
41 Pochard
75 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
311 Coots
600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
12 Goldfinches
10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Dawn Balmer/Peter Wilson)
2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
3 Cormorants
32 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
c.100 Black-headed Gulls
23 Redwing
(Martin Adlam)
2005
Priorslee lake
10 Pochard
15 Tufted Duck
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
c.100 Lesser Black-backs
1 Water Rail
20 Pied Wagtails
365 Rooks
325 Jackdaw
1 Kingfisher
51 Siskin
7 Redpoll
13 Greenfinch 13
12 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)
3 Redwing
c.50 Siskin
7 Redpoll
8 Reed Bunting
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Adlam)