-1.0°C > 0.0°C: Sunny and clear. Very light north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility if a bit hazy.
[Sunrise: 07:59 GMT]
Another 'wrong way round' visit today avoiding the early frost and ice.
I was disappointed that the cold weather did not seem to have brought many birds in to the open waters here.
+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:50 – 11:40
(250th visit of the year)
Again only watching from the Castle Farm Way lay-by and the dam top.
A small amount of ice against the dam.
Bird notes:
- Common Teal and Gadwall apparently gone. Pochard and Goosander new in.
- Also new were two Little Grebes at opposite ends of the water
- Again the gull numbers were instantaneous counts as I arrived. Many of the large gulls drifted away.
Birds of note seen flying over:
Another 'wrong way round' visit today avoiding the early frost and ice.
I was disappointed that the cold weather did not seem to have brought many birds in to the open waters here.
+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:50 – 11:40
(250th visit of the year)
Again only watching from the Castle Farm Way lay-by and the dam top.
A small amount of ice against the dam.
Bird notes:
- Common Teal and Gadwall apparently gone. Pochard and Goosander new in.
- Also new were two Little Grebes at opposite ends of the water
- Again the gull numbers were instantaneous counts as I arrived. Many of the large gulls drifted away.
Birds of note seen flying over:
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 87 (46♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens
- 146 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes
- 59 Black-headed Gulls
- 23 Herring Gulls
- 146 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:45
(235th visit of the year)
c.15% ice mainly at the Derwent Drive end with a little also at the top end.
Bird notes:
- Fewer geese today, mostly hiding inside the island. Perhaps more unseen.
- I thought I was going to get a low count of Mallard when someone appeared with food. I ended up with a high count.
- Two Kingfishers flew low past me along the East side, threading their way through branches overhanging the water. I am always surprised how maneuverable these birds are: they fly like arrows.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 11 Greylag Geese: of these two departed together
- 2 mainly white feral geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 47 (28♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 37 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gulls: third winter bird
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: also third winter bird
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Kingfishers
Of interest elsewhere.
A third winter Herring Gull. The plumage detail suggests this is the bird present on several days recently.
Mr. Angry. Or perhaps Mr. Surprised. Looking at the bill pattern this Lesser Black-backed Gull is a third winter. There is much streaking on the head and neck of this individual. This seems to be individual variation rather than any age or geographical effect.
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 87 (46♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens
- 146 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes
- 59 Black-headed Gulls
- 23 Herring Gulls
- 146 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:45
(235th visit of the year)
c.15% ice mainly at the Derwent Drive end with a little also at the top end.
Bird notes:
- Fewer geese today, mostly hiding inside the island. Perhaps more unseen.
- I thought I was going to get a low count of Mallard when someone appeared with food. I ended up with a high count.
- Two Kingfishers flew low past me along the East side, threading their way through branches overhanging the water. I am always surprised how maneuverable these birds are: they fly like arrows.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 11 Greylag Geese: of these two departed together
- 2 mainly white feral geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 47 (28♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 37 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gulls: third winter bird
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: also third winter bird
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Kingfishers
Of interest elsewhere.
Nothing
A drake Mallard flies around....
...approaches for a splash down...
...and breaks the ice. Not what he expected.
Another drake Mallard has seen food being proffered.
His duck companion trailing behind.
(Ed Wilson)
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
7 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye
1 Goosander
142 Coots
33 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
203 Jackdaws
50 Rooks
3 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1st-winter Mediterranean Gull
500 Black-headed Gulls
Yellow-legged Gull
800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
30 Herring Gulls
A drake hybrid Mallard x Pintail
(Tom Lowe)
Overdale
11 Waxwing
(Observer Unknown)
Granville Country Park
10 Waxwing
100+ Redwing
6 Bullfinch
20+ Redpoll
1 Tawny Owl
3 Sparrowhawk
1 hovering Buzzard
(Stuart Edmunds)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Yellow-legged Gull
(Richard Vernon)
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Observer Unknown)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Great Crested Grebes
23 Pochard
58 Tufted Ducks
65 Coots
>450 Black-headed Gulls
1128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
30 Robins
29 Blackbirds
46 Fieldfares
6 Song Thrushes
19 Redwings
2 Mistle Thrushes
168 Jackdaws
122 Rooks
1 Siskin
15 Linnets
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
10 Reed Buntings
A duck Wigeon
3500 Black-headed Gulls
2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gulls
2 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck
228 Coot
496 Jackdaws
193 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
7 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye
1 Goosander
142 Coots
33 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
203 Jackdaws
50 Rooks
3 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1st-winter Mediterranean Gull
500 Black-headed Gulls
Yellow-legged Gull
800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
30 Herring Gulls
A drake hybrid Mallard x Pintail
(Tom Lowe)
Overdale
11 Waxwing
(Observer Unknown)
Granville Country Park
10 Waxwing
100+ Redwing
6 Bullfinch
20+ Redpoll
1 Tawny Owl
3 Sparrowhawk
1 hovering Buzzard
(Stuart Edmunds)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Yellow-legged Gull
(Richard Vernon)
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Observer Unknown)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Great Crested Grebes
23 Pochard
58 Tufted Ducks
65 Coots
>450 Black-headed Gulls
1128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
30 Robins
29 Blackbirds
46 Fieldfares
6 Song Thrushes
19 Redwings
2 Mistle Thrushes
168 Jackdaws
122 Rooks
1 Siskin
15 Linnets
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
10 Reed Buntings
A duck Wigeon
3500 Black-headed Gulls
2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gulls
2 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck
228 Coot
496 Jackdaws
193 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)