13.0°C: Cloudy after very heavy early rain. Fresh southerly wind. Very good visibility.
[Sunrise: 07:49 GMT]
Another late start at The Flash first after very heavy rain earlier.
* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 09:35 – 10:35
Another late start at The Flash first after very heavy rain earlier.
* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 09:35 – 10:35
(255th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- some disturbance combined with very muddy water being brought on to the lake from the sluices was probably the reason why there were fewer ducks.
- that said: a pair of Common Teal was noted in the middle of the water.
- a Sparrowhawk zipping low over the water was the only other sighting of note.
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 21 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Common Teal
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 20 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhen
- 259 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
Of note:
Nothing else
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 10:40 – 11:30
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 10:40 – 11:30
(257th visit of the year)
The path at the top end was wetter than I have ever known it.
Bird notes:
- one reason Shovelers have been so variable in number is that they climb inside the island, out of view. I saw three drakes do just that.
- no sign of the Common Teal: however the / a Little Grebe appeared by the island.
- I was almost within touching distance before the Grey Heron decided to fly off the hand-rail of one of the footbridges.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Shoveler
- 28 (19♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Pochard
- 53 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 110 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: adult again; also an immature briefly
- *2 Cormorants
- *1 Grey Heron
Also noted:
The path at the top end was wetter than I have ever known it.
Bird notes:
- one reason Shovelers have been so variable in number is that they climb inside the island, out of view. I saw three drakes do just that.
- no sign of the Common Teal: however the / a Little Grebe appeared by the island.
- I was almost within touching distance before the Grey Heron decided to fly off the hand-rail of one of the footbridges.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Shoveler
- 28 (19♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Pochard
- 53 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 110 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: adult again; also an immature briefly
- *2 Cormorants
- *1 Grey Heron
Also noted:
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
Warm-enough to tempt them out even in overcast conditions.
It is not only a Grey Heron's bill you would not want to mess with. The talons look to be useful weapons.
(Ed Wilson)
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Gadwall
2 Teal
3 Pochard
114 Tufted Duck
228 Coots
1 Snipe
Tawny Owl
157 Fieldfare
63 Redwings
208 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
31 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
35 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
9 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
157 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
18 Redwings
16 Fieldfares
4 Siskins
3 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
6 Yellow-legged Gulls
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood / Tom Lowe)
2007
Priorslee Lake
A male Stonechat
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
Great Black-backed Gull
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
East of Priorslee
60 Golden Plover
(John Isherwood)
- 2 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
Warm-enough to tempt them out even in overcast conditions.
Not my best but included to illustrate the different head profiles of Pochard (foreground) and Tufted Duck, in this instance a drake. The Pochard looks to be an immature drake though at the time I thought it most likely a duck.
A Cormorant. All species of cormorants and their shag relatives have stunning eyes. Some species have red eyes, most are in the range of green through blue. I have never read any explanation for the different eye colour between different bird species. In any one species the colour may vary between adults and juveniles or between males and females but is otherwise consistent. I think we, as a species, are unusual in having a range of eye colours. Domestic animals do – cats for instance - but these are descendants of different species and the various eye colour genes are in what we now think of a single species.
The Grey Heron was daring anyone to walk across the footbridge.
It was almost within touching distance when it decided to fly.
Away it goes. A downward flap.
Legs hanging.
The passing local Common Buzzard is helped on its way by one of the local Carrion Crows.
And now a complaining Herring Gull joins the fray.
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years without links are below
2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Gadwall
2 Teal
3 Pochard
114 Tufted Duck
228 Coots
1 Snipe
Tawny Owl
157 Fieldfare
63 Redwings
208 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
31 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
35 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
9 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
157 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
18 Redwings
16 Fieldfares
4 Siskins
3 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
6 Yellow-legged Gulls
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood / Tom Lowe)
2007
Priorslee Lake
A male Stonechat
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
Great Black-backed Gull
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
East of Priorslee
60 Golden Plover
(John Isherwood)