Priorslee Lake and The Flash
9.0°C: A thin sliver of clear to the far E: otherwise medium-low cloud: some breaks after 09:00 and more after 10:00. Moderate / fresh W wind. Mainly excellent visibility.
9.0°C: A thin sliver of clear to the far E: otherwise medium-low cloud: some breaks after 09:00 and more after 10:00. Moderate / fresh W wind. Mainly excellent visibility.
Sunrise: 07:51 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:35 – 09:25
Priorslee Lake: 06:35 – 09:25
(31st visit of the year)
Did someone mention quiet? Deathly.
Bird notes:
- A single Herring Gull had a look at the water at 07:35 but carried on. The first of 45 Black-headed Gulls arrived a few minutes later.
- Most unusually (at any time of the year) no large gulls visited.
- Another bumper number of passing Jackdaws. No Rooks though: these have been very scarce so far this period.
- A puzzle is what was with the Raven that flew over. I only had a very short view before they both went behind trees. It seemed slightly smaller than the Raven and had a lot of white on it, both on the nape and belly reminding me of the Pied Crow of Africa. White patches are not unknown in Ravens, as with most members of the crow family. My impression – and it was no more than that – was that the white was too extensive and properly delineated. It did not seem to be random patches of white feathers. I remain unsure as to its identity.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Canada Geese: flew S together
- 4 Greylag Geese: also flew S together
- 43 Wood Pigeons: 12 of these flew W together
- 2 Collared Doves: together
- 3 Common Buzzards again
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 271 Jackdaws
- 1 Raven plus...?: see notes
- 1 Starling
- 2 Redwings
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: throughout
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- no Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck only
- 4 Moorhens again
- 36 Coots
- 45 Black-headed Gulls
- no large gulls
- 3 Cormorants: two arrived together, the other much later
On or around the street lamps: not much for such a mild morning.
- *several midges
- *1 small fly
- *1 possible Blunt-tailed Snake Millipede (Cylindroiulus punctatus)
- *1 small spider
Did someone mention quiet? Deathly.
Bird notes:
- A single Herring Gull had a look at the water at 07:35 but carried on. The first of 45 Black-headed Gulls arrived a few minutes later.
- Most unusually (at any time of the year) no large gulls visited.
- Another bumper number of passing Jackdaws. No Rooks though: these have been very scarce so far this period.
- A puzzle is what was with the Raven that flew over. I only had a very short view before they both went behind trees. It seemed slightly smaller than the Raven and had a lot of white on it, both on the nape and belly reminding me of the Pied Crow of Africa. White patches are not unknown in Ravens, as with most members of the crow family. My impression – and it was no more than that – was that the white was too extensive and properly delineated. It did not seem to be random patches of white feathers. I remain unsure as to its identity.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Canada Geese: flew S together
- 4 Greylag Geese: also flew S together
- 43 Wood Pigeons: 12 of these flew W together
- 2 Collared Doves: together
- 3 Common Buzzards again
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 271 Jackdaws
- 1 Raven plus...?: see notes
- 1 Starling
- 2 Redwings
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: throughout
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- no Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck only
- 4 Moorhens again
- 36 Coots
- 45 Black-headed Gulls
- no large gulls
- 3 Cormorants: two arrived together, the other much later
On or around the street lamps: not much for such a mild morning.
- *several midges
- *1 small fly
- *1 possible Blunt-tailed Snake Millipede (Cylindroiulus punctatus)
- *1 small spider
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:15
(30th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The drake Teal was out in the open again. It does seem as if he is on his own now.
- Many of the Tufted Duck were energetically diving, often right against the banks. It was hard to count them accurately.
- Strangely the gulls, especially the large gulls, seem to be hanging on here whereas they have deserted the lake.
Bird noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose flew N
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw
On /around the water:
- 15 Canada Geese: two of these arrived
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 37 (24♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- *1 (1) Teal
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 57 (32♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 51 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls: one adult; two third winters; one second winter; three first winters
- no Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
On /around any street lamp pole and of note elsewhere:
Bird notes:
- The drake Teal was out in the open again. It does seem as if he is on his own now.
- Many of the Tufted Duck were energetically diving, often right against the banks. It was hard to count them accurately.
- Strangely the gulls, especially the large gulls, seem to be hanging on here whereas they have deserted the lake.
Bird noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose flew N
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw
On /around the water:
- 15 Canada Geese: two of these arrived
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 37 (24♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- *1 (1) Teal
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 57 (32♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 51 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls: one adult; two third winters; one second winter; three first winters
- no Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
On /around any street lamp pole and of note elsewhere:
Nothing
The drake Teal was just about within camera range this morning. Very smart.
(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
2012
Priorslee Lake
Dunlin
6 Great Crested Grebes
14 Pochard
58 Tufted Duck
1 Dunlin
>5000 gulls, mostly Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Common Gull
20 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson, Mike Cooper)
Trench Pool
11 Pochard
46 Tufted Ducks
94 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
14 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
2 Sparrowhawk
16 Linnets
Siskin in song
4 Pale Brindled Beauty moths
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
3 Golden Plover
Willow Tit
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
19 Pochard
32 Tufted Ducks
1 Goosander
1 Goldeneye
>700 Black-headed Gulls
>432 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.30 Herring Gulls
34 Robins
17 Blackbirds
3 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
34 Magpies
11 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
2 Little Grebe
2 Gadwall
16 Pochard
101 Tufted Ducks
159 Coots
1 Water Rail
c.1100 Black-headed Gulls
16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
14 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls.
1 Willow Tit
2 Siskins
13 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)