15 Jan 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

0.0°C: Sunny intervals developing for a while after earlier fog. More cloud again later. Very light wind. Moderate visibility with haze.

Sunrise: 08:14 GMT

*= a photo today

Early fog delayed my start

Priorslee Lake: 08:35 – 09:50

(14th visit of the year)

c.30% ice still. All viewing from the E end lay-by and dam-top.

Bird notes:
- A few changes since yesterday lunchtime. A drake Shoveler new in; more Mallard; a duck Pochard replacing four of yesterday's drakes; a few more Tufted Ducks.
- Almost all the gulls departed, spooked by something unseen.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 5 (3♂) Gadwall still
- 15 (10♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 70 (33♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens again
- 43 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes
- 116 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Herring Gulls
- 53 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

One addition to my 2022 bird log for here:
Shoveler

Year to date: 60 bird species

The drake Shoveler here with a duck Tufted Duck.

The duck Pochard flaps her wings. Note the pale on the face and especially the pale line behind the eye. Two Coots of course.

Both the duck and drake Pochard for comparison.

The gulls take flight: eight Black-headed Gulls and four Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:55 – 10:40

(13th visit of the year)

c.80% ice.

Bird notes:
- A drake Shoveler here as well as at the Balancing Lake.
- Most of the Tufted Duck seem to have baled out.
- Only one of the Great Crested Grebes found. As it was lurking under dense overhanging branches its companion might well have been nearby.
- Coal Tit singing away again.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 36 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants

On /around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese: arrived
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 43 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 2 (0♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 21 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 78 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, arrived
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull: both adults
- 2 Grey Herons: one arrived

On the street lamps or on / around the Ivy:
Nothing on any of them

One addition to my 2022 bird log for here:
Shoveler

Year to date: 45 bird species

Three for the price of one. At the top the drake Shoveler. In the foreground an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. Just visible top right are (bits of) two Moorhens.

The grass areas were all frosted so many of the Moorhens had to find somewhere to go. Climb in a bush apparently.

(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

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
10 Pochard
87 Tufted Duck
2 Goosander
121 Coot
23 Herring Gull
4 Great Black-backed Gull
181 Lesser Black-backed Gull
157 Black-headed Gull
Kingfisher
(Gary Crowder, Chris Cameron)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Greater Scaup
4 Gadwall
1 Goldeneye
82 Tufted Ducks 
15 Pochard
143 Coots
1 Dunlin
1 Great Black-backed Gull
3 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
184 Jackdaws
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Mike Cooper, John Isherwood)

The Flash
29 Tufted Duck 
8 Goosanders 
14 Goldfinches
(Ed Wilson)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Caspian Gull
Yellow-legged Gull.
(Observer Unknown)

2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
19 Pochard
22 Tufted Duck
2 Goosanders
14 Magpie
1 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Mediterranean Gull
2 Yellow legged Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
20 Herring Gull
100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
80 Black-headed Gulls
c. 60 Tufted Duck 
9 Pochard
(Mike Cooper, Andy Latham)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Geoff Holmes) 

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
8 Cormorants
11 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
>252 Black-headed Gulls
>66 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
23 Herring Gulls
200 Wood Pigeons
35 Robins
15 Blackbirds
76 Fieldfares
17 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
39 Magpies
217 Jackdaws
175 Rooks
11 Greenfinches
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
9 Cormorants
200 Wood Pigeons
11 Great Crested Grebes
11 Pochard
24 Tufted Duck
243 Coot
1 Water Rail
236 Jackdaws
216 Rooks
33 Siskins
15 Pied Wagtails
24 Robins
19 Blackbirds
8 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)