5.0°C > 6.0°C: Mostly cloudy. Moderate W wind. Good visibility.
[Sunrise: 08:07 GMT]
* = a photo today
Dull again so no early start.
Priorslee Lake: 08:35 – 09:20
(20th visit of the year)
No ice. Again watching from the dam-top only.
Bird notes:
- I could not locate the duck Gadwall this morning.
- All the early-visiting gulls had left before I arrived leaving only a few arrivals to go in the log.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Feral Pigeons: together
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 38 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Jackdaws
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 5 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 30 (15♂) Tufted Duck again
- 2 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 9 Herring Gulls
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants again
- 1 Grey Heron
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:40
Apparently as surprised at seeing me as I was at seeing her – the first duck Goosander returning after the ice.
Here flying off. Note the large white area on the trailing edge of the wing. On a drake the white extends white across the wing.
Oops – too close! One of the puzzling second/third winter Herring Gulls. I suspect that the red area on the lower mandible indicates it is a third winter.
This appears to be the same individual. Has it really found a fresh-water mussel? If so most likely a Swan Mussel (Anadonta cygnea).
A Lesser Black-backed Gull. At first glance an adult, but... the black of the wing-tip bleeds too far along the leading edge and the white 'mirror' in the outer primary is too small. There is no obvious dark on the tail. So it is a third winter.
A different Lesser Black-backed Gull (it has a more black on the bill). Note how the folded wings are tinged brown. I think it is also a third winter bird.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:40
(19th visit of the year)
No ice.
Bird notes:
- The two Greylag Geese were loosely together today.
- Where were some of the Mallard hiding?
- 22 of the Tufted Duck flew in (disturbed from the lake by boating activity?): not all of them were sexed as they pitched in to the other end.
- First Goosander back after the ice.
- A Heron was seen in several location: I could only see one at any one time but there may have been the usual two.
- At least 18 Magpies jumping around noisily together in tree-tops at the bottom end.
- A lone Long-tailed Tit seen: rather belatedly this is my first of the year here. It moves my 2022 bird species total to 48.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On /around the water:
- 72 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese again
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- no Teal
- 24 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 63 (>30♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 13 Moorhens
- 26 Coots again
- 143 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls: one adult, one third winter, two second winters and two first winters
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: two third winters and one adult
- 1? Grey Heron: see notes
On one of the street lamp poles:
- *1 Early Moth (Theria primaria)
No ice.
Bird notes:
- The two Greylag Geese were loosely together today.
- Where were some of the Mallard hiding?
- 22 of the Tufted Duck flew in (disturbed from the lake by boating activity?): not all of them were sexed as they pitched in to the other end.
- First Goosander back after the ice.
- A Heron was seen in several location: I could only see one at any one time but there may have been the usual two.
- At least 18 Magpies jumping around noisily together in tree-tops at the bottom end.
- A lone Long-tailed Tit seen: rather belatedly this is my first of the year here. It moves my 2022 bird species total to 48.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On /around the water:
- 72 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese again
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- no Teal
- 24 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 63 (>30♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 13 Moorhens
- 26 Coots again
- 143 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls: one adult, one third winter, two second winters and two first winters
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: two third winters and one adult
- 1? Grey Heron: see notes
On one of the street lamp poles:
- *1 Early Moth (Theria primaria)
Also noted:
- Seen in the bill of a Herring Gull was might have been a Swan Mussel (Anadonta cygnea).
One of the first winter Herring Gulls flies by.
This morning's Early Moth (Theria primaria) on a lamp pole in squirrel alley
(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
2 Great Crested Grebes
9 Pochard
106 Tufted Duck
1 Velvet Scoter
106 Coots
c.260 Black-headed Gulls
3 Herring Gulls
204 Redwing
c.250 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
32 Wigeon
6 Gadwall
25 Pochard
105 Tufted Ducks
166 Coot
>1700 Black-headed Gulls
>1500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
>450 Herring Gulls
13 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Water Rail
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)
Holmer Lake
28 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
65 Herring Gulls
(Martin Adlam)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
31 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
c.200 Black-headed Gulls
128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gulls
20 Robins
23 Blackbirds
19 Fieldfares
17 Redwings
3 Jays
31 Magpies
183 Jackdaws
159 Rooks
7 Greenfinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)