22 Nov 24

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

2.0°C > 5.0°C: Mostly sunny with shower clouds looming. Lying snow mostly gone or melting away. Very little ice on either waters. Moderate westerly wind. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:45 GMT]

A late start with The Flash first as usual.

* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:30 – 11:15

(254rd visit of the year)

No obvious ice

Bird notes:
- the Mute Swans have "broken free" from their corral in the south-east area and annoying the resident cob all around the West end.
- a drake Eurasian Wigeon either new or returning.
- a second drake Pochard.
- a Little Grebe new in.
- very few gulls.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 48 Greylag Geese flew inbound in several concurrent groups.

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Greylag Goose
- 21 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂) Pochard
- 32 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhen
- 262 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
Gull counts taken at one point in time. Large gulls were coming and going all the while
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
also
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Of note:

Nothing else

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:20

(256th visit of the year)

<10% thin ice.

Very slippery in places on the path around here. I probably missed some things whilst ensuring I stayed upright.

Bird notes:
- with no geese around the island two drake Common Teal had reclaimed their area.
- three drake Pochard were new arrivals.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 20 Canada Geese: of these 13 arrived together
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *6 (4♂) Shoveler
- 31 (19♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Common Teal
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 43 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 115 Coots
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gull: adult; also an immature briefly
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Cormorant

Of note:

Nothing else

Two drake Shoveler in full plumage.

A distant shot of an immature drake with a few adult-type feathers appearing on the lower part of his flanks.

Plane of the day: it is a US-designed Cessna 152 licence-built by Reims Aviation in – wait for it – Reims, in France. The registered owner's address is Burnham near Slough. He owns several aircraft and leases them out to flying clubs as cover for when their own aircraft are on maintenance. If this aircraft is fitted with a transponder it was not switched on. Therefore I can give no information about this flight.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years without links are below

2013
Priorslee Lake
8 Wigeon
6 Gadwall
4 Teal
2 Shoveler
2 Pochard
116 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rails
222 Coots
1 Snipe
c.90 Lapwing over
4 Yellow-legged gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
A Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid
134 Fieldfare
22 Redwings
171 Jackdaws
3 Ravens
3 Siskins
3 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood/JW Reeves)

Horsehay Pool
Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Kingfisher
12 Goosander
Raven
(JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
152 Coots
8 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
56 Greylag Geese
12 Pochard
187 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
2 Water Rails
149 Coot
c.800 Black-headed
c.2200 Lesser Black-backed
<20 Herring Gulls
1st winter Common Gull
50 Redwings
8 Fieldfare
1 Treecreeper
c.1000 Starlings left a roost
c.20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
23 Greylag Geese
27 Pochard
55 Tufted Ducks
3 Buzzards
>1650 Black-headed Gull
>4022 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
246 Wood Pigeons
1 Kingfisher
26 Robins
27 Blackbirds
4 Fieldfares
34 Redwings
male Blackcap
1 Willow Tit
246 Jackdaws
160 Rooks
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)