2.0°C: Another morning with unexpected early rain. Then mostly low cloud and dull from the Telford 'hat' - clear skies could be seen in the distance. Brisk-feeling moderate NW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:14 GMT
* = a photo from today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:50 – 09:30
(13th visit of the year)
New Bird Species
One addition to my 2023 bird species list from here:
- A single Goldcrest was seen in two separate locations. Neither bird was heard to call.
This takes my 2023 bird species total for here to 58.
Other bird notes:
- A lone duck Gadwall has been here for some days. Usually there is an excess of drakes.
- A Woodcock flew across the lake to roost at 07:30.
- I did not brave standing on the dam-top to count the Coots in the cutting wind. What a wimp!
- None of the c.100 Black-headed Gulls arrived until 07:50 (the Monday morning feeling?). As usual most had gone again by 08:00.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose: inbound
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 12 Jackdaws
- 30 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 3 (1♂) Gadwall
- 10 (6♂) Mallard again
- 4 (4♂) Pochard again
- 29 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- *3 Great Crested Grebes again
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls again
- 8 Herring Gulls: all briefly
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: adult, briefly
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all briefly
- 2 Cormorants: arrived
On / around the street lamp poles in the pre-dawn rain.
Nothing found
Noted later:
- 2 Grey Squirrels
- A single Goldcrest was seen in two separate locations. Neither bird was heard to call.
This takes my 2023 bird species total for here to 58.
Other bird notes:
- A lone duck Gadwall has been here for some days. Usually there is an excess of drakes.
- A Woodcock flew across the lake to roost at 07:30.
- I did not brave standing on the dam-top to count the Coots in the cutting wind. What a wimp!
- None of the c.100 Black-headed Gulls arrived until 07:50 (the Monday morning feeling?). As usual most had gone again by 08:00.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose: inbound
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 12 Jackdaws
- 30 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 3 (1♂) Gadwall
- 10 (6♂) Mallard again
- 4 (4♂) Pochard again
- 29 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- *3 Great Crested Grebes again
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls again
- 8 Herring Gulls: all briefly
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: adult, briefly
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all briefly
- 2 Cormorants: arrived
On / around the street lamp poles in the pre-dawn rain.
Nothing found
Noted later:
- 2 Grey Squirrels
There was nothing else close in the very dull conditions so we had better take another look.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:20
(13th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- There were two Mute Swan cygnets on the island this morning. One where it has been for some days and the other a short distance away but clearly 'separate'.
- The second Grey Heron thought about settling on the island but the Black-headed Gulls had others ideas and chased it away.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- *1 Grey Heron
Noted on / around the water
- 9 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 43 (30♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 44 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (0♂) Goosander
- 16 Moorhens
- 61 Coots again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
On / around the street lamp poles or elsewhere
Nothing noted
It had dropped in for a drink.
This Grey Heron thought about landing on the island but was chased away by the Black-headed Gulls.
With legs dangling and head-plume streaming the wind away it flies.
Shuffling about – as they do – is a Dunnock, also called Hedge Sparrow. This species is an accentor: a family of bird species that are most often found on European and Asian mountain-sides. They are not related to 'our' House- and Tree- Sparrows which are themselves related to the weaver birds of Africa.
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
NOTE:
Venus Pool - 14 Jan 23 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
2014
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Gary Crowder/Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
1 adult Yellow legged Gull
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Goldeneye
(Ed Wilson/ Jim Almond / John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Bittern
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)