0.0°C: Broken cloud to start; clouded from W by 09:00 with light sleet after 10:00. Calm and frosty early with light / moderate SSE wind later. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:20 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 07:00 – 09:15
(5th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A lower count of Moorhens: they do not come out on to the grass when it is frosted.
- Coot remain in very low numbers – certainly my lowest mid-winter counts for many years.
- Another very low count of Black-headed Gulls. Also a small number passing overhead among the large gulls.
- The more or less daily Cormorant flew in. It goes almost immediately to stand on one of the boat piers and presumably arrives here having fished elsewhere first.
- c.130 Jackdaws went over in one tight group. Just 10 stragglers noted.
- >40 Redwings were flying around the Teece Drive gate area at 09:00.
- There was a large mixed party of Goldfinches and Siskins between the Teece Drive gate and the sailing club HQ: at least 30 of the latter.
Overhead:
- 1 Stock Dove
- 18 Wood Pigeons
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 131 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.140 Jackdaws
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Birds seen leaving roost sites around the lake:
None
Warblers noted:
None. I was probably in the wrong place at dawn
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 8 (6♂) Mallard again
- 1 (1♂) Pochard again
- 14 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens only
- 36 Coots
- 36 Black-headed Gulls also
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived again
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
On and around the frosted street lamps:
- *1 Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider
Later:
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 8 (6♂) Mallard again
- 1 (1♂) Pochard again
- 14 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens only
- 36 Coots
- 36 Black-headed Gulls also
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived again
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
On and around the frosted street lamps:
- *1 Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider
Later:
Nothing of note
Additions to my 2022 bird log for here:
Additions to my 2022 bird log for here:
None
Year to date: 54 bird species
Year to date: 54 bird species
Broken clouds early did not look as if they were going to give a red sky ahead of the forecast rain.
As good as it got.
The only thing I could find on the frosted lamp poles this morning was this Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:00
(5th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- At least 12 Siskins whizzing about.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On /around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese: eight of these departed as two quartets
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 41 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- no Teal
- 87 (41♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens only again
- 23 Coots again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes still
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: both immatures
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults
- 1 Grey Heron
On the street lamps or on / around the Ivy:
Bird notes:
- At least 12 Siskins whizzing about.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On /around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese: eight of these departed as two quartets
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 41 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- no Teal
- 87 (41♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens only again
- 23 Coots again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes still
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: both immatures
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults
- 1 Grey Heron
On the street lamps or on / around the Ivy:
Nothing on any of them
Additions to my 2022 bird log for here:
Additions to my 2022 bird log for here:
None here either
Year to date: 37 bird species
Year to date: 37 bird species
Two flowers and a bud in close-up.
(Ed Wilson)
Note
Ed Wilson visited Venus Pool on 31 Dec 21. Here are a few photos from his visit there.
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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 Scaup
5 Great Black-backed Gulls - 4 adult and a 1st winter
(John Isherwood)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1st winter Caspian Gull
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
2 adult Caspian Gulls
10+ Yellow-legged gulls (most adults and 3rd-winters, at least 1 1st-winter)
10 Great Black-backed Gulls
(J W Reeves)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Adult Mediterranean Gull
Pair of Brambling
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Evening Report
An adult winter Ring-billed Gull at about 3:15pm
3 adult Common Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
Daytime Report
4 Common Gull
2 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 adult Great Black-backed Gull
Black-necked Grebe
1 Snipe
(Jason, Pete Jordan and Ian & Jim)