0.0°C: Fine and sunny. Light north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
[Sunrise: 08:12 GMT]
No photos today
Only time for a quick passing visit to view the lake from the dam area after it had 'warmed up' - somewhat.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 11:00 – 11:40
(17th visit of the year)
c.80% ice. One clear area with most of ducks etc. Another area with bathing gulls, though most gulls were loafing on the ice.
Bird notes:
- Gulls were steadily arriving throughout. Few if any noted leaving. I could not find any 'unusual' species; neither did I note any birds with rings.
- A Grey Wagtail was noted picking along the edge of water. I have not noted this species very often recently.
Birds noted flying over:
- 8 Canada Geese: two groups
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 1 Raven
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 13 (8♂) Mallard
- 50 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 81 Coots
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- c.125 Herring Gulls
- c.400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2014
Priorslee Lake
1 female Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
2 Yellow Legged Gulls
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Probable "intermedius" Lesser Black-backed Gull.
At least 1 Ring-billed Gull look-alike
(Andy Latham / Ian Grant)
2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
25 Pochard
100 Tufted Duck
3 Water Rails
1000 Black-headed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.400 Wood Pigeons
Blackcap
1000 Starlings
30 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
14 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
11 Great Crested Grebes
6 Pochard
26 Tufted Duck
208 Coot
c.900 Black-headed Gulls
c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gull
13 Herring Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Kingfisher
53 Siskins
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson. Martin Adlam)