Happy New Year to all our readers
Priorslee Lake and The Flash
7.0°C > 10.0°C: An early sharp rain shower delayed my arrival: an approaching squall and thunderstorm encouraged me to leave. Otherwise fine and often sunny. Moderate SSW wind with some strong gusts. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 08:22 GMT
* = a photo from today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 07:00 – 09:40
(1st visit of the year)
Some good early sightings:
- A Woodcock dropped in to its day roost at 07:30
- The Cetti's Warbler sang loudly from the north west area at 07:45. It was seen later working along the North side. Its explosive song seemed to prompt...
- A Water Rail called once from the north west area.
- A Kingfisher flew past at 07:50
- Five distant ducks to the north east came somewhat closer with three identified as Goosanders as they passed high over. I assume they were all this species.
Other bird notes:
- I heard a drake Gadwall calling before dawn but could not find any later.
- The Pochard have moved off. Drakes only were seen later at The Flash.
- The first group of Rooks flew over at 07:31 and some ten minutes before the first Wren song: this song I have historically used as the 'marker' to start looking for the first Rooks and Jackdaws.
- Two Song Thrushes were noted in song.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 1 Greylag Goose: outbound
- 5 (?) Goosanders
- 30 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 35 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 32 Jackdaws
- 71 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Fieldfare
- 2 Siskins
Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: very vocal briefly.
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 8 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- 18 Canada Geese: six of these arrived: later four departed
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall: heard only
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- [no Pochard]
- 17 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 11 Moorhens
- 184 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.550 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived as single and duo
- 1 Kingfisher
Bird Species Noted:
The following are the 40 bird species noted this morning in the order in which I recorded them (heard or seen)Robin, Coot, Blackbird, Moorhen, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Tufted Duck, Black-headed Gull, Greylag Goose, Woodcock, Rook, Mallard, Gadwall, Reed Bunting, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wren, Magpie, Dunnock, Cetti's Warbler, Water Rail, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Siskin, Goosander, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Mute Swan, Redwing, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Pied Wagtail, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Coal Tit
Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 midge
A none too exciting sunrise.
As good as it got. The long-dead vapour trail was left by a Qatar Airways en route to Doha.
An illustrative view of the upper wing pattern of a first winter Black-headed Gull.
With the grey shading on the wing trailing edge confined to the secondaries this must be a Herring Gull.
This seems to be a very typical pose of a Cormorant as it descends to the water.
Two more arriving. These both show pale feathering on the their bellies so are immatures.
A sharp shower shortly before I arrived probably caused most of the insects to move off the street lamp poles. This midge was all I could find; a presumed female with 'simple' antennae
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:45 – 10:40
(1st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Four drake Pochard new in. If these are the ones gone from the Balancing Lake then where are the ducks?
- A Song Thrush was again just about managing a few quiet song phrases.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Sparrowhawk
Noted on / around the water
- 11 Canada Geese: two of these flew off
- 1 Greylag Goose: flew off
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 40 (28♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 4 (4♂) Pochard
- 38 (25♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (0♂) Goosander
- 18 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 49 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants
- 3 Grey Herons
On / around the street lamp poles or later around the Ivy bank:
Nothing noted
Bird Species Noted:
The following are the 29 bird species noted here this morning in the order in which I recorded them (heard or seen):
Moorhen, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Black-headed Gull, Goosander, Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Coot, Mallard, Collared Dove, Magpie, Great Tit, Wood Pigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow, Greylag Goose, Pochard, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Great Crested Grebe, Dunnock, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Grey Heron, Wren, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Sparrowhawk, Goldfinch, Feral Pigeon
A clap of thunder and this approaching dark cloud ensure I did not hang around.
Light and shade. These two adult drake Pochard look quite different with one in the shade and one in the sun.
(Ed Wilson)
NOTE
Ed Wilson's visit to Venus Pool on New Year's Eve can be found Here.
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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
2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup still showing well off dam
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
21 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood and Rob Stokes)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl heard - 2nd ever record
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
About 30% ice.
Best bird remains the Black-necked Grebe.
Big gull roost:
c.3000 Black-headed Gulls
c.1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 3rd winter Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson and John Isherwood)