2.0°C: Mist / fog again. Poor visibility. Light wind.
Sunrise: 08:22 GMT.
= a species photographed today
Once more I did not venture out until I though I had a fighting chance of seeing some birds. The Flash first.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:50 – 11:45
These two Great Crested Grebes seemed to be pairing up. Note the extent of the head plumes, especially well-developed on the left-hand bird.
(286th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the Greylag Geese seem to have a good Satnav and a huge group of at least 70 arrived (with at least two mainly white feral birds), many promptly disappearing in the mist.
- all the Pochard seem to have gone though most of the island area could not be checked.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
= a species photographed today
Once more I did not venture out until I though I had a fighting chance of seeing some birds. The Flash first.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:50 – 11:45
(284th visit of the year)
Viewing from the dam-top area just about all the lake could be made out, not very clearly.
Bird notes:
- I could not see the first winter Mute Swans: they could have been hiding on the north-west reeds where they have taken refuge from the resident cob previously.
- more Pochard were present: some from The Flash where I saw none today?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
Viewing from the dam-top area just about all the lake could be made out, not very clearly.
Bird notes:
- I could not see the first winter Mute Swans: they could have been hiding on the north-west reeds where they have taken refuge from the resident cob previously.
- more Pochard were present: some from The Flash where I saw none today?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 8 (5♂) Pochard
- *29 (21♂) Tufted Duck: the drakes are easier to see in the mist
- *3 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- *3 Great Crested Grebes
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Of note today.
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 8 (5♂) Pochard
- *29 (21♂) Tufted Duck: the drakes are easier to see in the mist
- *3 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- *3 Great Crested Grebes
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Of note today.
Nothing else
Surprisingly sharp in the conditions: a drake Tufted Duck goes for a fly-about.
A Moorhen attempting to walk on water....
..and failing.
Compare with this individual with just a few stubby plume-feathers beginning to show. I think this must be a first winter bird.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:55 – 10:40
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:55 – 10:40
(286th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the Greylag Geese seem to have a good Satnav and a huge group of at least 70 arrived (with at least two mainly white feral birds), many promptly disappearing in the mist.
- all the Pochard seem to have gone though most of the island area could not be checked.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- >70 Greylag Geese
- >2 mainly white feral geese
- 4 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 28 (20♂) Mallard
- no Pochard
- 49 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 17 Moorhens
- 52 Coots
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
Elsewhere:
Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- >70 Greylag Geese
- >2 mainly white feral geese
- 4 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 28 (20♂) Mallard
- no Pochard
- 49 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 17 Moorhens
- 52 Coots
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
Elsewhere:
Nothing noted
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
10 Pochard
64 Tufted Ducks
1 Scaup
1 Goosander
218 Coots
28 Redwings
386 Jackdaws
209 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 drake Scaup
4 Gadwall
19 Pochard
1 Peregrine
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
4 Goosander
1 Pochard
(John Isherwood)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
15+ Great Black-backed Gulls
(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)
Horsehay Pool
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Kriss Webb)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Caspian Gull
9 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Dawn Balmer/Peter Wilson/David Fairhurst)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black necked Grebe
4 Gadwall
1 Water Rail
(John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Peregrine
2 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)
Trench Pool
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)
2007
The Flash
11 Goosander
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Village
9 Siskins
7 Redwing
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
1 Pochard
15 Tufted Ducks
13 Lapwings
c.100 Black-headed Gulls
c.1100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
26 Herring Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
12 Pied Wagtails
6 Redwing
1 Fieldfare
160 Jackdaws
97 Rooks
20 Chaffinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)
2005
Priorslee lake
30 Pochard 30
32 Tufted Duck
6 Great Crested Grebe
200+ Coot
1 Water Rail
c.3000 Black-headed Gulls
c.2000 Lesser Black-backs
4 Herring Gulls
21 Pied Wagtails
247 Rooks
172 Jackdaw
5 Redwing
5 Fieldfare
46 Siskin
19 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
10 Pochard
64 Tufted Ducks
1 Scaup
1 Goosander
218 Coots
28 Redwings
386 Jackdaws
209 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 drake Scaup
4 Gadwall
19 Pochard
1 Peregrine
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
4 Goosander
1 Pochard
(John Isherwood)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
15+ Great Black-backed Gulls
(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)
Horsehay Pool
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Kriss Webb)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Caspian Gull
9 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Dawn Balmer/Peter Wilson/David Fairhurst)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black necked Grebe
4 Gadwall
1 Water Rail
(John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Peregrine
2 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)
Trench Pool
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)
2007
The Flash
11 Goosander
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Village
9 Siskins
7 Redwing
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
1 Pochard
15 Tufted Ducks
13 Lapwings
c.100 Black-headed Gulls
c.1100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
26 Herring Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
12 Pied Wagtails
6 Redwing
1 Fieldfare
160 Jackdaws
97 Rooks
20 Chaffinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)
2005
Priorslee lake
30 Pochard 30
32 Tufted Duck
6 Great Crested Grebe
200+ Coot
1 Water Rail
c.3000 Black-headed Gulls
c.2000 Lesser Black-backs
4 Herring Gulls
21 Pied Wagtails
247 Rooks
172 Jackdaw
5 Redwing
5 Fieldfare
46 Siskin
19 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)