5.0°C > 6.0°C: Clear early: increasing cloud ahead of forecast rain. Moderate / fresh SSE wind. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:47 GMT
* = a photo from today.
Priorslee Lake: 06:59 – 09:33
(240th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- All the Mute Swans seen flying strongly though only from one end to the other.
- Rather fewer Tufted Ducks: more seen at The Flash later so they have probably moved there.
- Most of the Fieldfare and Redwings were, rather strangely, heading East.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Stock Doves
- 67 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 19 unidentified large gulls: pre-dawn
- 16 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 21 Fieldfare: three groups
- 108 Redwings: four groups and two singles
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Siskin
Warblers noted:
None confirmed: possible Cetti's calls but inconclusive.
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 1 Redwing
- 11 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 33 (>12♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 192 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.125 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 8 unidentified large gulls: pre-dawn
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately; one departed
- 1 Grey Heron: briefly
Of Note:
Nothing else
A clear start with some scattered high clouds gave an interesting early sky.
The colour developed rather well.
Here is the sun just rising as the cloud becomes dominant.
This is a third winter Yellow-legged Gull. It can be as identified as such by the rather extensive dark along the front of the outer wing and the clean-looking head.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:22
(233rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- So where are all the geese? Also on neither of my last two visits have I seen the flightless Canada Goose with 'angel wing' deformity.
- It is always difficult to keep track of the Great Crested Grebes: I think four this morning.
- A flock of at least 40 Goldfinches were feeding in trees on the island.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese: departed
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 42 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 33 (>13♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 (2♂) Goosander
- 14 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 4? Great Crested Grebes
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Heron
On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:22
(233rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- So where are all the geese? Also on neither of my last two visits have I seen the flightless Canada Goose with 'angel wing' deformity.
- It is always difficult to keep track of the Great Crested Grebes: I think four this morning.
- A flock of at least 40 Goldfinches were feeding in trees on the island.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese: departed
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 42 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 33 (>13♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 (2♂) Goosander
- 14 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 4? Great Crested Grebes
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Heron
On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted
Later:
Also nothing noted around the Ivy bank:
(Ed Wilson)
Sightings from previous years without links are below
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Gadwall
2 Teal
3 Pochard
114 Tufted Duck
228 Coots
1 Snipe
Tawny Owl
157 Fieldfare
63 Redwings
208 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
31 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
35 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
9 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
157 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
18 Redwings
16 Fieldfares
4 Siskins
3 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
6 Yellow-legged Gulls
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood / Tom Lowe)
2007
Priorslee Lake
A male Stonechat
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
Great Black-backed Gull
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
East of Priorslee
60 Golden Plover
(John Isherwood)