7.0°C: Cloudy: often wet. Moderate south-easterly wind. Good visibility.
[Sunrise: 06:02 GMT]
Another rain-affected start with The Flash first and then the Balancing Lake from the dam area only. If the forecast is correct (and would I doubt it?) this may be a feature of the week.
Photos from yesterday should brighten things up a bit.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 09:30– 10:30
Photos from yesterday should brighten things up a bit.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 09:30– 10:30
(63rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the pair of Gadwall gone again – to The Flash?
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 6 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc. noted:
Bird notes:
- the pair of Gadwall gone again – to The Flash?
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 6 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted:
Warblers noted:
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 32 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 49 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, arrived
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Nothing else noted.
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 32 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 49 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, arrived
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Nothing else noted.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 10:35 – 11:30
(65th visit of the year)
New Bird Species
Another addition to my 2024 bird species list for here: a singing Willow Warbler becomes species #57. One day later than in 2023 though that was my earliest-ever here. Also birds have already been present at the Balancing Lake for four days.
Other bird notes:
- the Gadwall pair back again.
- no Great Crested Grebes noted.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 8 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 13 (11♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 23 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: first year, arrived
Nothing else noted.
New Bird Species
Another addition to my 2024 bird species list for here: a singing Willow Warbler becomes species #57. One day later than in 2023 though that was my earliest-ever here. Also birds have already been present at the Balancing Lake for four days.
Other bird notes:
- the Gadwall pair back again.
- no Great Crested Grebes noted.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 8 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 13 (11♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 23 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: first year, arrived
Nothing else noted.
A pair of Gadwall was back here: this is the drake.
And the (slightly out of focus) duck Gadwall.
A male Blackcap zoomed right in to focus on the bird and not all the branches in-between.
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Cormorants
2 Gadwall
18 Tufted Duck
1 Kittiwake
1 Sand Martin
7 Chiffchaffs
158 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Kittiwake
(John Isherwood)
Trench Lock Pool
2 Little Grebes
4 Great Crested Grebes
15 Tufted Ducks
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool
2 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
3 Great Crested Grebe
7 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
34 Tufted Ducks
c.450 Black-headed Gulls
c.350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.50 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
7 Swans
2 Pochard
73 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebe
4 Gadwall
27 Tufted Duck
c.210 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
3 Great Crested Grebe
36 Tufted Duck
2 Siskins
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorant
2 Shoveler
27 Tufted Duck
1 Green Woodpecker
29 Wren
22 Robin
21 Blackbird
5 Fieldfare
9 Redwing
6 Chiffchaff
36 Magpie
99 Jackdaw
8 Greenfinch
7 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebe
1 Mallard x Pintail
2 Pochard
17 Tufted Duck
3 Chiffchaff
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Barn Ow
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shoveler
26 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rail
532 Wood Pigeon
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
2 Skylarks
15 Pied Wagtails
26 Wrens
34 Blackbirds
6 Redwings
1 Willow Warbler
1 Chiffchaff
17 Magpies
4 Jays
1 Brambling
13 Greenfinches
4 Siskins
1 Linnets
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
6 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
22 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaff
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)