1.0°C > 3.0°C: Early fog: remained misty. Thin high cloud. Light wind. Moderate visibility.
[Sunrise: 07:55 GMT]
It was fog that delayed my start today. A visit to The Flash then other things to do. Later an early afternoon visit to see whether there was a pre-roost aggregation of gulls: there wasn't!
* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:20 – 11:30
(259th visit of the year)
From the dam-top area only.
Bird notes:
- what is presumably the same Great (White) Egret put in another appearance.
- the Cetti's Warbler could be heard above the traffic noise.
Counts from the lake area:
- 12 Canada Geese
- 20 + 2 Mute Swans
- *3 (1♂) Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 7 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 242 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- *1 Great (White) Egret
Of note:
Nothing else
Record shot of the Great (White) Egret. As luck would have it there is a pair of Gadwall at the right with the drake the left bird of the pair.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 14:05 – 14:35
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 14:05 – 14:35
(262nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a duck and an immature drake Shoveler reappeared.
- two Common Teal by the island: one was a drake; in the haze I could not be sure about the sex of other.
- still the three adult and one first-winter drake Pochard.
- the drake Goosander was present again.
- even more Moorhens than the recent high counts. Perhaps the small pools between the lake and The Flash were frozen over and those residents had sought refuge here.
- a Coal Tit was singing again.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 40 (23♂) Mallard
- 2 (1?♂) Common Teal
- *4 (4♂) Pochard
- *50 (28?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 26 Moorhens
- 112 Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- *3 Herring Gull: two adults and one second winter
- 1 Cormorant
- *1 Grey Heron: arrived
Of note around The Flash:
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 40 (23♂) Mallard
- 2 (1?♂) Common Teal
- *4 (4♂) Pochard
- *50 (28?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 26 Moorhens
- 112 Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- *3 Herring Gull: two adults and one second winter
- 1 Cormorant
- *1 Grey Heron: arrived
Of note around The Flash:
Nothing else
A soggy-looking drake Pochard. The camera has managed to capture many of the fine vermiculations formed by barring on the grey back feathers.
An equally soggy-looking is this first winter drake Pochard. He has an all-dark bill.
A drake Tufted Duck flies...
...by and...
...under-carriage coming down. Apologies for the distracting out-of-focus gull in the background.
A trio of action shots of an adult winter Herring Gull. One.
Two.
And three.
The Grey Heron arrives. I get the impression I am being watched.
"Where are my meal-worms?" A Robin looks accusingly at me.
"Say that again. I am hard of hearing".
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years without links are below
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
7 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye
c.373 Wood Pigeons
2 Woodcock
17 Redwings
29 Fieldfares
c.490 Jackdaws
56 Rooks
9 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Pochard
48 Tufted Duck
10+ Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Martin & Ian Grant)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
26 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
895 Black-headed Gulls
48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
35 Fieldfares
24 Redwings
191 Jackdaws
123 Rooks
53 Starlings
16 Greenfinch
13 Goldfinches
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
A duck Wigeon
Cormorant
c.75 Lapwing
2 Fieldfares
1 duck Pochard
34 Tufted Duck logged.
200 Coot
(Ed Wilson)