The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake
7.0°C > 8.0°C: Once more the Telford "hat" of low cloud impacted viewing after early rain delayed my start. A few breaks beginning to appear. Light north-westerly wind. Good visibility.[Sunrise: 08:13 GMT]
As usual with a delayed start I visited The Flash first.
photos will be added later
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:30 – 11:50
(300th visit of the year)
A short visit viewing from the dam-top area only.
Bird notes:
- no Mallard seen.
- a scattering of Pochard new in (from The Flash?)
- two drake Goosanders noted. Unusually for here they stayed a while though were often poking about unseen inside the reeds.
- all the large gulls were spooked by something and all departed together. The Black-headed Gulls stayed on the water.
- unusually for a mid/late morning visit a few Jackdaws and Rooks were passing over on their usual post-roost trajectory.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 23 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- no Canada Geese
- no Mallard
- 6 (3) Pochard
- 26 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (2♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 42 Coot
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
- 23 Herring Gulls
- 44 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Of note.
Nothing else
A few photos of a confiding male Pied Wagtail.
The hint of yellow on his cheek probably indicates he is a first-winter bird.
Glaring at me!
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 11:55 – 12:30
(294th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a Shoveler was seen in flight only and assumed to be "our" drake, but...
- no (Common) Teal found.
- as often seems to be their habit when it has recently rained many of the Moorhens were out feeding on the grass.
- the Great (White) Egret present again.
- after many days without sight or sound I noted a Collared Dove singing (well: he calls it singing) from a roof-top in Derwent Drive.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler: see notes
- 21 (16♂) Mallard: others hiding somewhere?
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 40 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (3♂) Goosander
- 15 Moorhens
- 44 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: a first- and a third-winter arrived separately
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adults; arrived separately again
- 2 Cormorants: one departed
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Around the area:
Nothing noted
An adult-winter Black-headed Gull complaining about something.
Two things to note. The Great White Egret is still here. The island is a long way away!
A friendly Robin. Somehow it looks as if it is about to burst in to tears.
(Ed Wilson)
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2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Scaup (imm/fem)
4 Pochard
2 Teal
2 Goosanders
101 Tufted Duck
Adult Yellow-legged Gull
c.478 Lesser Black-backed
c30 Herring
c.5 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Water Rail
245 Coots
18 Fieldfare
201 Redwings
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Gary Crowder)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull.
Great Black-backed Gull
2 Gadwall
2 Teal
45 Tufted Ducks
1 Goosander
10 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
(Ed Wilson/Martin Grant)
2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
c300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
11 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Tom Lowe)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
Little Grebe
36 Swans
29 Pochard
79 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
277 Coots
5 Redwings
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow-legged Gull
7 Great Black-backed Gull
4 Gadwall
45 Golden Plover
( John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Cormorants
25 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
72 Coots
>2000 Black-headed Gulls
228 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
15 Herring Gulls
25 Robins
16 Blackbirds
31 Fieldfares
5 Redwings
278 Jackdaws
105 Rooks
32 Starlings
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
2 Little Grebes
7 Great Crested Grebes
16 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
244 Coot
262 Jackdaws
285 Rooks
1 Redpoll
24 Siskins
21 Pied Wagtails
2 Grey Wagtails
8 Redwings
15 Fieldfares
13 Reed Buntings
13 Robins
19 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
14 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
2 Scaup (imm/fem)
4 Pochard
2 Teal
2 Goosanders
101 Tufted Duck
Adult Yellow-legged Gull
c.478 Lesser Black-backed
c30 Herring
c.5 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Water Rail
245 Coots
18 Fieldfare
201 Redwings
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Gary Crowder)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull.
Great Black-backed Gull
2 Gadwall
2 Teal
45 Tufted Ducks
1 Goosander
10 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
(Ed Wilson/Martin Grant)
2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
c300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
11 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Tom Lowe)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
Little Grebe
36 Swans
29 Pochard
79 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
277 Coots
5 Redwings
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow-legged Gull
7 Great Black-backed Gull
4 Gadwall
45 Golden Plover
( John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Cormorants
25 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
72 Coots
>2000 Black-headed Gulls
228 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
15 Herring Gulls
25 Robins
16 Blackbirds
31 Fieldfares
5 Redwings
278 Jackdaws
105 Rooks
32 Starlings
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
2 Little Grebes
7 Great Crested Grebes
16 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
244 Coot
262 Jackdaws
285 Rooks
1 Redpoll
24 Siskins
21 Pied Wagtails
2 Grey Wagtails
8 Redwings
15 Fieldfares
13 Reed Buntings
13 Robins
19 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
14 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)