Note order
1.0°C: patchy cloud clearing away. Frost and ice. Calm. Moderate visibility but often poor at the lake.
[Sunrise: 08:12 GMT]
* = a photo today
Fog and ice suggested a delayed start would be appropriate.
Priorslee Lake: 10:50 – 11:30
(17th visit of the year)
>50% thin ice.
Viewing only from the dam area
Bird notes:
- Ice around the edges seemed to have forced the two Little Grebes out to edge of the reeds – still necessary to look hard!
- Most of the gulls were 'hanging about' with very few arriving or departing
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Ravens
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 2 (2♂) Gadwall still
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard still
- 38 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens again
- 37 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes
- 61 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull
- 14 Herring Gulls
- 22 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted later:
Nothing else
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:55 – 10:45
In the middle a first winter Herring Gull showing pale grey at the very top of the back. A Coot lurks behind the left-hand of the two Black-headed Gulls: this gull is a winter adult with the scarlet bill while the other is a first winter with an orange base to its bill and brown in the folded wing. Two sleeping Canada Geese at the back.
It eventually flew off coming a lot closer but not showing me its upper-wing pattern, useful for eliminating the remote possibility of Yellow-legged or Caspian Gulls. From this angle a first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull would have a much more strongly marked underwing.
Why are the large gulls so often a long way away. On the basis of the pale eye and the pale tip to the bill with a strong dark mark across it I think this is a third winter Herring Gull. The small amount of brown in the folded wing tends to confirm this though birds age at different rates and separation of second and third winter birds is not always straightforward.
Today's fly-over. A Singapore Airlines Cargo Boeing 747-400 Jumbo on its way from Los Angeles to Brussels. The rear of the fuselage is wrapped in gold-coloured paint with dark blue above it. It was at 35000' - not bad for six and half miles away!
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:55 – 10:45
(16th visit of the year)
>75% thin ice.
Bird notes:
- Two pairs of Teal were tucked up against the island.
- The drake Shoveler out on the remaining open water. Its fourth day here.
- Pochard apparently gone.
- No Great Crested Grebe again.
- Two Cormorants lurking on the island: one disappeared in to the water – brrrr!
Birds noted flying over here:
>75% thin ice.
Bird notes:
- Two pairs of Teal were tucked up against the island.
- The drake Shoveler out on the remaining open water. Its fourth day here.
- Pochard apparently gone.
- No Great Crested Grebe again.
- Two Cormorants lurking on the island: one disappeared in to the water – brrrr!
Birds noted flying over here:
Nothing
On /around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese: two of these arrived
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Teal
- 37 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- *1 (1♂) Shoveler
- no Pochard
- 37 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- *13 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- *44 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Herring Gulls: one third winter; one first winter
- *1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
On the street lamps:
On /around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese: two of these arrived
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Teal
- 37 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- *1 (1♂) Shoveler
- no Pochard
- 37 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- *13 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- *44 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Herring Gulls: one third winter; one first winter
- *1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
On the street lamps:
Nothing on any of them
Also noted:
- 2 Grey Squirrels
- 1 Brown Rat
- 2 Grey Squirrels
- 1 Brown Rat
With light at a different angle the drake Shoveler's head almost looks green – as it should.
Black-headed Gulls seem quite happy to stand on the ice.
Is this the same adult Lesser Black-backed Gull that was standing arrogantly on a roof yesterday?
This Moorhen is stretching a wing out to aid its balance on the ice. Note the long nails on its long toes.
(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 female Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
2 Yellow Legged Gulls
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Probable "intermedius" Lesser Black-backed Gull.
At least 1 Ring-billed Gull look-alike
(Andy Latham / Ian Grant)
2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
25 Pochard
100 Tufted Duck
3 Water Rails
1000 Black-headed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.400 Wood Pigeons
Blackcap
1000 Starlings
30 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
14 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
11 Great Crested Grebes
6 Pochard
26 Tufted Duck
208 Coot
c.900 Black-headed Gulls
c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gull
13 Herring Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Kingfisher
53 Siskins
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson. Martin Adlam)