7.0°C: The last of the morning's mist and low cloud just about clearing away on a post-lunch visit. Light ESE wind. Good visibility.
[Sunrise: 07:29 GMT]
* = a photo from today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 14:50 – 15:20
(39th visit of the year)
A view from the dam-top area only on a mid-afternoon visit.
Bird notes:
- Very quiet.
Counts from the lake area:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 17 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 78 Coots
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Black-headed Gulls only
- 2 Herring Gulls: briefly
- 2 Cormorants: departed together
It would have been wise not to stand too close to this departing Cormorant.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 13:50 – 14:45
(35th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The hazy sun was not at a good angle to see whether the Common Teal were present.
- A drake Pochard has returned.
- No Great Crested Grebe located.
Birds noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water
- 35 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 27 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 33 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 20 Moorhens
- 51 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebes
- 35 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 2 Cormorants: departed
- 2 Grey Herons
Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- *1 Spring Usher moth (Agriopis leucophaearia): in the same place as yesterday
Elsewhere:
Nothing of note
- 35 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 27 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 33 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 20 Moorhens
- 51 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebes
- 35 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 2 Cormorants: departed
- 2 Grey Herons
Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- *1 Spring Usher moth (Agriopis leucophaearia): in the same place as yesterday
Elsewhere:
Nothing of note
A drake Mallard about to splash down.
A bi-plane Black-headed Gull! A first year leads an adult.
There wasn't too much around to photograph apart from Black-headed Gulls coming in to food.
No sign of breeding plumage on this one.
Or this.
Plenty of black on this bird.
Less on this.
The same individual showing the under wing.
Another with plenty of black.
"I've got the food".
The same Spring Usher moth (Agriopis leucophaearia) in the same place as yesterday. Better lighting on it today.
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
NOTE
Ed Wilson's visit to the SOS Reserve at Venus Pool near Cross Houses on 9 Feb 23 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
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
5 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
1 Tundra Bean Goose
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
Holmer Lake
3 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
35 Pochard
80 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
177 Coots
185 Jackdaws
42 Magpies
2 Siskins
39 Linnets
11 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2008
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
1 Iceland Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gull
(Rich, Vernon, Andy, Ed Wilson and Jason)
2006
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
6 Cormorants
7 Pochard
39 Tufted Ducks
140 Coots
880 Wood Pigeons
249 Jackdaws
155 Rooks
24 Robins
20 Blackbirds
11 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)