4.0°C > 3.0°C > 6.0°C: Very mixed. Started with cloud clearing after overnight light rain. At the lake soon very foggy at low level, only gradually thinning. Clear at The Flash. Calm start; light WNW breeze later. Poor visibility at the lake; very good at The Flash.
Sunrise: 08:14 GMT again
* = only one photo today: too foggy at the lake.
Priorslee Lake: 07:20 – 09:25
(15th visit of the year)
c.30% thin ice still
Bird notes:
- Ducks and Coots difficult to count in the mist: counted in sections as visibility permitted.
- At least 800 Black-headed Gulls had arrived by 07:30 when the mist descended.
- A lone Rook seen with a full crop: nesting already?
Birds noted flying over here:
- 7 Greylag Geese: sextet and single outbound
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 43 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 2 (2♂) Gadwall
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 52 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- no Little Grebes
- >800 Black-headed Gulls
- 14 Herring Gulls
- 31 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant arrived
- no Grey Heron
Additions to my 2022 bird log for here:
None
Year to date: 60 bird species
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:25
Year to date: 60 bird species
(Ed Wilson)
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(14th visit of the year)
c.75% ice, breaking.
Bird notes:
- The highest number of Canada Geese for a while.
- Some of the resident Mallard seemed to have found somewhere to hide or somewhere less icy to go to.
- A drake Shoveler still here tucked up against the island.
- Again only one of the Great Crested Grebes found. It emerged from its hiding place and paddled about in full view, suggesting its companion might have left.
- Coal, Blue and Great Tits all singing lustily.
Bird noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
On /around the water:
- 54 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 22 (14♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler still
- 12 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 112 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: third winter, arrived
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 2 Grey Herons
On the street lamps or on / around the Ivy:
c.75% ice, breaking.
Bird notes:
- The highest number of Canada Geese for a while.
- Some of the resident Mallard seemed to have found somewhere to hide or somewhere less icy to go to.
- A drake Shoveler still here tucked up against the island.
- Again only one of the Great Crested Grebes found. It emerged from its hiding place and paddled about in full view, suggesting its companion might have left.
- Coal, Blue and Great Tits all singing lustily.
Bird noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
On /around the water:
- 54 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 22 (14♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler still
- 12 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 112 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: third winter, arrived
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 2 Grey Herons
On the street lamps or on / around the Ivy:
Nothing on any of them
Addition to my 2022 bird log for here:
None
Year to date: 45 bird species
Why do they always land at the other end of the water? Still there is just enough detail to identify this as a third winter Herring Gull with some black on the outer tail-feathers, the dark of the wing-top extending well along the leading edge and a hint of dark in the secondaries. A typical bill at this age with a dark area on both mandibles and just a hint of red on the lower one. An adult Black-headed Gull below it provides a contrast in leg colour – pink for the Herring Gull and almost scarlet for the Black-headed Gull as it comes in to breeding condition.
(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
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Gary Crowder/Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
1 adult Yellow legged Gull
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Goldeneye
(Ed Wilson/ Jim Almond / John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Bittern
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)