20 Nov 25

Note:
19 Nov - 1 Dec

Sightings will be unformatted and without images.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday 20 November 2025

The Flash:  09:25 – 10:45
Priorslee Balancing Lake:  10:55 – 12:15

0.0°C > 4.0°C:  Sunny. Moderate westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
[Sunrise:  07:42 GMT]

Another "Winter schedule" visit avoiding the dreaded school run, starting again at The Flash.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(282nd visit of the year)

No ice noted.

Bird notes:
- strong cross-lighting made sexing many of the Tufted Duck very difficult: so I didn't bother.
- the gull counts were again taken when I arrived. The usual small movement through with nothing unusual seen.

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: departed
- no Mute Swans
- 13 (9♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 59 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 26 Herring Gulls
- 152 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2012

The Flash:
(276th visit of the year)

A very very small amount of ice in the most sheltered of locations. The breeze otherwise stopped any ice forming.

Highlights here included:
- a Great (White) Egret seen flying away (over?). I had vaguely registered "the Little Egret where it often is". When I saw the big egret in flight I wondered whether I had been mistaken. Probably not as the Little Egret was (still) present and when I first noted it there was a Grey Heron nearby and had it been the Great Egret I am sure it would have been obvious.
- I glimpsed a Marsh Tit near the surgery and set off camera cocked to try and photograph it. Instead I saw, but also failed to photograph, a male Blackcap. Despite their similarities I have no doubt that both species were present. Probably my first November record of Blackcap here.

Other bird notes:
- only when perusing my log did I realise that I had not seen any Mute Swans.
- many fewer geese today. There were some unseen Greylag Geese calling from inside the island.
- again only one drake (Common) Teal seen. It flew in to the top corner.
- two drake Pochard noted. Did I overlook one yesterday?
- still a few Goosanders hanging on.

No bird(s) noted flying over here:

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 12 Greylag Geese: more inside the island
- no Mute Swans
- 21 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) (Common) Teal
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 15 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (1♂) Goosander again
- 11 Moorhens
- 79 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 45 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls: ages not determined
- 5 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret: departed – see notes
- 1 Little Egret remains

Noted around the area:
I was surprised to see anything.
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 3+ Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris
Flies:
- 1 seen briefly, probably a blowfly


(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
15 Tufted Ducks
149 Coots
286 Redwings
84 Fieldfares
c.350 Jackdaws but no Rooks seen.
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
42 Mute Swan
1 Wigeon
c. 45 Tufted
36 Pochard
c. 240 Coot
c. 400 Lesser Black-backed Gull
c. 120 Black-headed Gull
10 Herring Gull
3 Yellow Legged Gull
(Mike Cooper)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 male Stonechat showing well near to sailing club hut.
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
31 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
8 Lapwings
>550 Black-headed Gulls
187 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
239 Wood Pigeons
40 Robins
32 Blackbirds
60 Fieldfares
11 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
310 Jackdaws
150 Rooks
35 Greenfinch
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
18 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
3 Ruddy Duck
1 Wigeon
c.200 Coot
4 Cormorant
C.750 birds
24 Fieldfare
3 Redpoll
12 Siskin
5 Reed Bunting
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Adlam)