5.0°C > 7.0°C: Clearer to South and West with persistent cloud forming overhead and to the East. Brisk WNW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:56 GMT
* = a photo from today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:40 – 09:25
(25th visit of the year)
*Highlight today was a party of 10 Eurasian Wigeon that circled around at 07:30 before eventually settling on the water to reveal themselves as six drakes and four ducks.
Other bird notes:
- The cob Mute Swan was already chasing the cygnets by 07:15. Later the four cygnets went for another lengthy flight within the confines of the lake before splashing back down.
- Just two Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:50 with another 22 passing East high overhead. A few on the water thereafter but never more than four at any one time. Probably more individuals.
- The / a Cetti's Warbler called once and then sang once along the middle of the North side. Later presumably the same bird was heard to sing once in the north-east corner.
- Two Mistle Thrushes flew South along the line of the dam in to the trees in the south-east corner as they did yesterday. I did not see or heard any birds in the Ricoh Copse alongside Teece Drive.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 6 Canada Geese: a single, a duo and a trio outbound; a single inbound
- 54 Greylag Geese: flew South to the East in one straggling group
- 64 Wood Pigeons: 42 of these flew high North in two groups
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 14 Herring Gulls
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Cormorants: singles
- 2 Jackdaws again
- 1 Rook
- 1 Redwing
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 19 Canada Geese: small numbers coming and going
- *2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- *10 (6♂) Eurasian Wigeon: arrived; as highlighted
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 16 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 124 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes still
- 4 Black-headed Gulls only
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- *2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 2 Grey Herons: one chased off at 07:15
'Our' four Mute Swan cygnets go for a fly-about. Number four needs to work on its formation timing. Numbers two and four both seem to be calling. Not so 'mute' swans.
The ten Eurasian Wigeon stayed as a scattered group in the middle of the water. Identify the six drakes by the white area ahead of their black rear end.
One of the two Cormorants seen. This one had either roosted here or arrived very early: I noted it at 07:15. Much white on the belly means it is an immature – a first year bird I think. Note the bare skin under the eye stays yellow at this age. On breeding condition adults it turns orange.
Here comes Cormorant number two, touching tail-first as ever. Also an immature, probably a second year bird, with less white on its belly.
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:45
Fifteen Greylag Geese inbound. They circled overhead, likely judging the wind so as to land in to the wind. We need a wind-sock for them!
One of today's two Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A full adult with some winter head-streaking remaining and a small amount of black on the mandibles to lose as it comes in to breeding plumage.
Counts from the lake area:
- 19 Canada Geese: small numbers coming and going
- *2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- *10 (6♂) Eurasian Wigeon: arrived; as highlighted
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 16 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 124 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes still
- 4 Black-headed Gulls only
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- *2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 2 Grey Herons: one chased off at 07:15
On / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn: a chilly breeze blowing
Nothing noted
Later:
Nothing noted
Later:
Nothing noted
Just three here with number two still with its bill open.
Maximum concentration as it hauls itself out to balance on the buoy.
There is always a twig in the way! A Long-tailed Tit shows its long tail but not much else.
Very acrobatic..but.
(Ed Wilson
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:45
(22nd visit of the year)
New Bird Species
New Bird Species
Yet another addition to my 2023 bird species list from here:
- While I was peering through my binoculars counting Tufted Ducks a Kingfisher flew through towards the top end. I could not relocate it amongst its favourite overhanging branches.
This takes my 2023 bird species total for here to 47.
Other bird notes:
- The cob Mute Swan was giving half-hearted chase to the remaining cygnet though he kept getting sidetracked to chase any Canada Geese that got in his way.
- A trio of drake Pochard back.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Noted on / around the water
- 29 Canada Geese: two of these arrived with...
- *15 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- *43 (28♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 61 (37♂) Tufted Duck
- *3 (1♂) Goosander
- 21 Moorhens
- 58 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 66 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both briefly
- no Grey Herons
- 1 Kingfisher
On / around the street lamp poles or of note elsewhere.
Nothing noted
- While I was peering through my binoculars counting Tufted Ducks a Kingfisher flew through towards the top end. I could not relocate it amongst its favourite overhanging branches.
This takes my 2023 bird species total for here to 47.
Other bird notes:
- The cob Mute Swan was giving half-hearted chase to the remaining cygnet though he kept getting sidetracked to chase any Canada Geese that got in his way.
- A trio of drake Pochard back.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Noted on / around the water
- 29 Canada Geese: two of these arrived with...
- *15 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- *43 (28♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 61 (37♂) Tufted Duck
- *3 (1♂) Goosander
- 21 Moorhens
- 58 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 66 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both briefly
- no Grey Herons
- 1 Kingfisher
On / around the street lamp poles or of note elsewhere.
Nothing noted
This group need to work on their formation landing.
Eight out of ten for these four.
Nine marks for these four.
A comparison in head shape and colour between a drake Mallard and a duck Goosander.
Probably the same duck Tufted Duck with the white at the base of her bill.
species I do not often photograph. A female House Sparrow. The male was more nervous and flew off.
a new livery with aircraft being painted in coloured hoops around the fuselage and tail supposedly to represent beach towels. They probably paid some 'image consultants' a lot of money to come up with that idea. On this aircraft only the tail has been painted so far. This one has blue markings. Other aircraft in the fleet have green, or yellow or red markings. What can I say?
Oh yes: the routing. Los Angeles to Frankfurt. Data from FlightRadar24. Busy local airspace this morning.
(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 Cormorants
1 Teal
7 Pochard
66 Tufted Duck
3 Greater Scaup
1 Velvet Scoter
91 Coots
1 Woodcock
50 Herring Gulls
33 Redwings
c.495 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
106 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
7 Pochard
25 Tufted Duck
4 Goosander
44 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
Park Pool, Chetwynd near Newport
31 Shoveler
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
29 Wigeon
10 Gadwall
8 Pochard
59 Tufted Ducks
1 Scaup
169 Coots
>300 Starlings
13 Redwings
46 Fieldfare
211 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
The Flash
9 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
2 Goosander
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)
Holmer Lake
1 Gadwall
9 Goosander
1 Little Grebe
Goldcrest
Nuthatch
(John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
42 Tufted Duck
c.190 Black-headed Gulls
48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
8 Herring Gulls
Glaucous Gull
75 Redwing
16 Bullfinch
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)
Priorslee Flash
1 Pochard
43 Tufted Ducks
282 Black-headed Gulls
3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Water Rail
4 Gadwall
2 Willow Tit
(John Isherwood)
2009
Priorslee Lake
A female Ruddy Duck
500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Herring & Black-headed Gulls.
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)