3.0°C > 3.0°C: Clear. Moderate / fresh W wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:19 GMT again
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 07:05 – 09:05
(8th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The Mute Swan cygnets went for another protracted flight, circling within the confines of the lake.
- No Pochard located.
- A distant pair of Goosanders flying high SW.
- Gull behaviour different again today. A large and mixed group arrived c.07:30 comprising c.500 Black-headed Gulls, 1 adult Great Black-backed Gull, at least 17 Herring Gulls and at least 82 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The few Herring Gulls that dropped in later were the only additions.
- Almost all the 137 Lesser Black-backed Gulls passing over seemed to be adults.
- Two of the three Cormorant arrivals peeled off from the other eight passing over. These two stayed only a short while.
- A single and then two Sparrowhawks were seen circling. Although rather distant the two together appeared to be the same size and hence apparently the same sex.
Overhead:
- 2 Canada Geese: inbound together
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 3 Stock Doves: single and duo
- 17 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 137 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 8 Cormorants
- 2 Sparrowhawks
- 1 Common Buzzard
- c.200 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 1 Starling
Counts from the lake area:
- *2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- no Pochard
- 27 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull
- 23 Herring Gulls
- 82 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived as a duo and a single
- 1 Grey Heron
Street Lamps:
The frosted street lamps were not examined
Later:
Nothing noted
Addition to my 2022 bird log for here:
Sparrowhawk
Year to date: 57 bird species
The three Mute Swan cygnets on one of several laps of the lake.
One on a close pass. After this the cold wind froze my brain so no more photos today!
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:00
(8th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The drake Goosander flew in.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
On /around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 37 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- no Teal
- 54 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 8 Moorhens
- 24 Coots again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 37 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult once again
- no Grey Heron
On the street lamps or on / around the Ivy:
Nothing on any of them
Additions to my 2022 bird log for here:
Sparrowhawk, Goldcrest, Bullfinch
Year to date: 43 bird species
(Ed Wilson)
Additions to my 2022 bird log for here:
Sparrowhawk, Goldcrest, Bullfinch
Year to date: 43 bird species
(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 female Scaup
10 Pochard
79 Tufted Duck
1 Great Crested Grebe
39 Herring Gulls
85 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
296 Black-headed Gulls
(Gary Crowder)
2013
Priorslee Flash
A drake Scaup
(Observer Unknown)
2012
Priorslee Lake
14 Pochard
12 Tufted Duck
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
36 Great Black-backed Gulls
A dark-mantled Scandinavian Herring Gulls
Common Gull
c.550 Black-headed Gulls
39 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
88 Herring Gulls
32 Redwings
(Ed Wilson, Tom Lowe, John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
7 Pochard
78 Tufted Duck
233 Black-headed Gulls,
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
Holmer Lake
71 Goosander,
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Bittern
15 Wigeon
1 Common Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
46 Magpies
39 Swans
4 Gadwall
28 Pochard
89 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
3 Water Rail
1 Snipe
303 Coots
>1000 Black-headed Gulls
c.50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Yellow legged Gull
c.15 Herring Gulls
3 Redwings
2 Willow Tits
126 Jackdaws
10+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Jim Almond, John Isherwood)
2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Common Gull
2 Raven
(John Isherwood)
2007
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
>670 Black-headed Gulls
>515 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
43 Herring Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
7 Great Black-backed Gulls
22 Robins
3 Fieldfares
50 Redwings
351 Jackdaws
264 Rooks
(Ed Wilson, Paul King)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
8 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
1200 Black-headed Gulls
21 Robins
19 Blackbirds
28 Greenfinches
28 Siskins
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)