6.0°C > 8.0°C: Mainly sunny with the cloud staying to the West for a change. Fresh W wind, gusting strong. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:53 GMT
* = a photo from today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:35 – 09:20
(27th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Apart from the re-appearance of the additional Mute Swan cygnet it was a very quiet morning.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose: inbound
- 1 Stock Dove
- 24 Wood Pigeons: eight of these flew high East together
- 1 Herring Gull
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 39 Jackdaws
- 77 Rooks
- c.30 Fieldfare over fields to the East
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 15 Canada Geese at least: eight of these departed; five returned or were new arrivals
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived and departed
- *2 + 5 Mute Swans: the same(?) additional cygnet for a while (and presumed at The Flash later)
- Gadwall: drake heard calling only
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 14 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 124 Coots
- *1 Little Grebe
- 3 Great Crested Grebes still
- 35 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron
On / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn
- 15 Canada Geese at least: eight of these departed; five returned or were new arrivals
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived and departed
- *2 + 5 Mute Swans: the same(?) additional cygnet for a while (and presumed at The Flash later)
- Gadwall: drake heard calling only
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 14 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 124 Coots
- *1 Little Grebe
- 3 Great Crested Grebes still
- 35 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron
On / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn
Nothing noted. Too windy?
Later:
Later:
Nothing of note
At last a mostly clear sky at dawn with a half-decent sunrise.
We had better have another view in case it doesn't happen again!
And another.
The clouds had the decency to stay to the West for a change.
It seems to be a glutton for punishment. The stray Mute Swan cygnet was back again – for a while.
Nearly dipping a wing-tip as it hastens away.
A male Bullfinch eating buds: as they do. Does not seem to have much effect on the amount of Blackthorn and Hawthorn blossom that develops.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:45
(24th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- What was presumably the same Mute Swan cygnet seen recently, including today, at the Balancing Lake, was being chased around by the resident adults (and also the remaining resident cygnet some of the time).
- The Water Rail was glimpsed again. I was ready with the camera but it saw me first and dived in to cover. All I could see where it had apparently gone was a Brown Rat.
- Strangely I heard no Song Thrushes today. There were nine singing at the Balancing Lake so why were they quiet here?
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 18 Jackdaws
- c.25 Redwings to the North put up from trees by the Sparrowhawk
Noted on / around the water
- 76 Canada Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 14 Greylag Geese
- *2 + 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- 45 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- *3 (3♂) Pochard
- *50 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Water Rail again
- 11 Moorhens only
- 69 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *116 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Cormorant
- *2 Grey Herons
On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:45
(24th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- What was presumably the same Mute Swan cygnet seen recently, including today, at the Balancing Lake, was being chased around by the resident adults (and also the remaining resident cygnet some of the time).
- The Water Rail was glimpsed again. I was ready with the camera but it saw me first and dived in to cover. All I could see where it had apparently gone was a Brown Rat.
- Strangely I heard no Song Thrushes today. There were nine singing at the Balancing Lake so why were they quiet here?
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 18 Jackdaws
- c.25 Redwings to the North put up from trees by the Sparrowhawk
Noted on / around the water
- 76 Canada Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 14 Greylag Geese
- *2 + 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- 45 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- *3 (3♂) Pochard
- *50 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Water Rail again
- 11 Moorhens only
- 69 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *116 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Cormorant
- *2 Grey Herons
On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted
Of note elsewhere:
- 1 Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
- 1 Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
What seemed to be the same stray Mute Swan cygnet was here later. Almost too close.
Coming in to...
...splash-down.
I think this Black-headed Gull has been watching too many Gannets fishing.
"Go on, son".
"Right under".
Oh: it didn't drown.
A Grey Heron disguised as a flying barn door.
(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
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)