0.0°C > 5.0°C: Broken high cloud. Moderate SE wind. Very good visibility.
[Sunrise: 06:35 GMT]
* = a species photographed today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 08:10 – 09:05
(59th visit of the year)
Again viewing only from the dam-top and the Castle Farm Way lay-by to avoid the early icy surfaces. Too much breeze for ice to have formed on the lake.
Bird notes:
- The pen Mute Swan was sitting on the nest site throughout. The cob was intermittently still chasing one of last year's cygnets. These seem to be in no hurry to leave after their excursion a fortnight ago.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Jackdaws
- 1 Redwing
Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese again
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall again
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard again
- 30 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 67 Coots again
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Cormorant: arrived
- *2 Grey Herons, the second briefly
The arriving Cormorant making the usual tail-first landing.
It was a Grey Heron day today. This one was being chased away...
...by this one.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:45
(54th visit of the year)
More than 75% thin ice on this more sheltered water.
Bird notes:
- Apart from pairs of Coots at / around their nest-sites there did not seem to be many 'spare' Coots today. There were more Coots at the Balancing Lake this morning so perhaps some had flown there to escape the ice.
- I could not find yesterday's Little Grebe.
- At least four Great Crested Grebes, all with well-developed head plumes.
- Some of the Goosanders were flying around.
Birds noted flying over here:
- *1 Sparrowhawk
Noted on / around the water
- 12 Canada Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 34 (24♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 47 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- *12 (5♂) Goosanders
- 13 Moorhens
- 26 Coots only
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- *7 Herring Gulls: all immatures
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: one adult and one first year
- 5 Cormorants
- *1 Grey Heron: perhaps a second?
On / around the street lamp poles.
Nothing noted
More than 75% thin ice on this more sheltered water.
Bird notes:
- Apart from pairs of Coots at / around their nest-sites there did not seem to be many 'spare' Coots today. There were more Coots at the Balancing Lake this morning so perhaps some had flown there to escape the ice.
- I could not find yesterday's Little Grebe.
- At least four Great Crested Grebes, all with well-developed head plumes.
- Some of the Goosanders were flying around.
Birds noted flying over here:
- *1 Sparrowhawk
Noted on / around the water
- 12 Canada Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 34 (24♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 47 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- *12 (5♂) Goosanders
- 13 Moorhens
- 26 Coots only
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- *7 Herring Gulls: all immatures
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: one adult and one first year
- 5 Cormorants
- *1 Grey Heron: perhaps a second?
On / around the street lamp poles.
Nothing noted
Of note elsewhere:
- my first bumblebee of the year here flew past me at speed.
- my first bumblebee of the year here flew past me at speed.
No mistaking this as an adult drake Goosander.
Here he is with an adult duck showing the typical white chin / throat.
One of the second year Herring Gulls.
Here being pursued by a first year.
And now the tables are turned with the first year being pursued by the second year Herring Gull.
A Grey Heron here as well. This one flew off then...
...about ten minutes later this bird arrived.
Here heading to one of its favourite fishing perches.
The neck comes out as it starts its final approach.
Undercarriage down as well.
Those wings really are huge.
A Carrion Crow in hot pursuit of the Sparrowhawk.
Yet another friendly Robin.
Listening?
Smart. Note this bird has worn off the pale tips to the secondaries.
Just how appealing can it get? It almost makes me guilty not to have any mealworms.
(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
Leighton
1 Common Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
(BirdGuides)
2013
Wellington
Woodcock
(J Reeves)
2011
Priorslee Lake
10 Pochard
25 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff singing
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Village
Blackcap
2 Redwing
Frog spawn
(Martin Adlam)
The Flash
5 Great Crested Grebe 5
2 Pochard
31 Tufted Duck
10 Goosander
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Buzzard
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Lapwing
Sparrowhawk
8 Linnets
15 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
6 Cormorant
17 Tufted Duck
29 Wren
35 Robin
25 Blackbird
14 Redwing
2 Chiffchaff singing
47 Magpie
9 Greenfinch
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shelduck
6 Pochard
40 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye
1 Goosander
1 Ruddy Duck
114 Coots
1 Water Rail
221 Lesser-black Backed Gulls
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
5 Herring Gull
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Common Gull
159 Jackdaws
c.80 Fieldfares
12 Redwings
10 Greenfinches
3 Siskins
3 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)