26 Dec 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

1.0°C > 4.0°C: Clear skies. Frost. Light, mainly northerly, breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:22 GMT

* = a species photographed today

I hope you have all given your servants their Christmas Boxes today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 07:05 – 09:30

(314th visit of the year)

Many gulls and a good Jackdaw passage today. Otherwise it was as quiet today as it was busy yesterday. Always a few bits and pieces though.

Bird notes:
- a Water Rail was calling (not the pig-like squealing) in the north-west area. There may have been two: I could not decide whether it was two or a single bird moving its head from side to side.
- a few Black-headed Gulls arrived c.07:40 with many later arrivals: about 300 eventually I would judge.
- at least 350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were already on the water by 07:35 with more streaming in and eventually at least were 650 present. Only a scatter of Herring Gulls was noted among them. Very few overflying gulls today.
- several large, tight groups of Jackdaws were noted concurrently passing low to the East. The number given is a rough estimate.
- no Song Thrushes braved the cold to sing.
- *a Treecreeper was seen in the north-west area. It is always a challenge to find this species in Winter when birds rarely call.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: flew West together
- 1 Stock Dove
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.450 Jackdaws
- 79 Rooks
- 31 Fieldfare
- 14 Redwings

Counts from the lake area:
- 18 (13♂) Mallard
- 26 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Moorhen only
- 16 Coots only
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- >300 Black-headed Gulls
- >15 Herring Gulls
- >650 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

On the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Nothing at all found.
Too cold.

Seen later:

Nothing

The pre-sunrise glow across the lake.

A layer of haze in the distance. Above the haze layer the visibility was excellent. Not visible here but I noted an aircraft contrail of a KLM flight from the Antilles to Amsterdam when it was over Guildford in Surrey. Apparently c.125 miles (200 Km) away as the crow flies.

Sunrise..!

The complete sun now above the horizon. This photo was, according to my smartphone, taken at 08:26. Official sunrise was 08:22. Does that mean that "official sunrise" is when the first part of the sun is visible?

The Treecreeper was, of course, on the shaded side of the tree. The camera (and the photo editor) have done a passable job of producing an image.

The species' thin, curved bill is evident here. Ideal to get in all those nooks and crannies.

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse area:

Another quick visit for more sunrise photos. Quiet here.

On the lower pool:
Mostly iced-over
- 1 Coot
The Mallard were all on the main lake as a result.

The upper pool:

It was completely iced over

Elsewhere
- c.50 Fieldfare
- c.10 Redwings
- 1 Grey Wagtail
- 1 Linnet

None of the Fieldfare and Redwings were visiting the still-laden Hawthorn bushes, staying in tree-tops.
The Grey Wagtail was likely the bird seen on the dam at the lake earlier.
The Linnet was frustrating: I have yet to record one this year at or from my lake recording area. So close....

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:35 – 10:45

(307th visit of the year)

About 10% ice, mostly very thin.

Families were again out "feeding the ducks" moving all the birds around.

Bird notes:
- just one Mute Swan seen.
- an extra Pochard noted: another of indeterminate age / sex.
- no Goosander noted.
- were there really only 24 Coots?
- there have been no singing Song Thrushes at the Balancing Lake. There was one here. Perhaps it had warmed up enough?

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- 35 (25♂) Mallard
- *11 (6?♂) Pochard
- 41 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- no Goosander
- 9 Moorhens
- 24? Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes yet again
- *102 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gull: first-winter and (near) adult again
- no Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Noted around the area:
The air-temperature again just 4.0°C. On the Ivy I noted just:

- *>2 Common Blow Flies Calliphora vicina

Perhaps my best photo (to date) of a drake Pochard?

The Black-headed Gull ice-skating team get ready for action. Their blood-supply must be different to mine. My feet were freezing in two layers of socks and boots even staying off the ice.

One of just two Common Blow Flies Calliphora vicina braving the cold to see whether there was any food for them on the Ivy.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
Two 1st-winter female Scaup
(Unknown)

2012
Priorslee Lake
A drake Scaup
4 Gadwall
10 Great Black-backed Gull
(Kriss Webb)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Gadwall
26 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
327 Coots
5 Redwings
4 Fieldfare
10 Goldfinches
14 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

25 Dec 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 4.0°C: Scattered clouds with good sunny spells. Just frosted in the most sheltered locations. A chilly, fresh north-easterly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:21 GMT still

Did you all have a good Christmas?

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:55 – 09:40

(313th visit of the year)

Bird notes
The arrival of the first real cold snap of the second Winter brought some different sightings. In the order in which I noted them:
- 22 Canada Geese were on the water when I arrived, leaving in two groups.
- a party of eight Lapwings circled overhead for a while.
- a group of 21 Fieldfare and several Redwings flew over (more on these later)
- and, best of all, not new for the year but a very welcome Christmas present: a drake Goldeneye on the water.

Other bird notes:
- no sign of yesterday's adult Mute Swans.
- I was sheltering from the worst of the wind and hence could not see all the gulls so numbers are minima.
- likewise my position left me unsure how many Cormorants there were. I noted two and then seven apparently leaving, though I hadn't seen any arrive. Later there were five fishing.
- with a strong tailwind the Jackdaws and Rooks were speeding over very high up and hard to see.
- just two Song Thrushes braved the cold to sing.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 15 Wood Pigeons
- 8 Lapwings
- 2 Herring Gulls again
- 43 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 124 Jackdaws
- 33 Rooks
- 1 Starling
- 21 Fieldfare
- 2 Redwings
- 2 Pied Wagtails

Counts from the lake area:
- 22 Canada Geese: departed in two groups
- 11 (7♂) Mallard
- 26 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- *1 (1♂) Goldeneye
- 3 Moorhens again
- 20 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- >35 Black-headed Gulls
- >20 Herring Gulls
- >350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- up to 14 Cormorants: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn
Too cold for most things:

Moths:
- none: the Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: has gone!

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus

Seen later:

Nothing

Best bird of the day. A drake Goldeneye. Only the drake has the white oval on its face. The unusual head shape of this species makes the duck easy to pick out amongst other diving ducks.

So let's have another look. Just about visible is the gloss on the head which can appear green or blue depending on the angle of the light.

A Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. in exactly the same place as I saw it two and three days ago. So why did I not see it yesterday?

My latest ever date for a harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus. A rare example with all eight legs.

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse area:
I expected to pay a quick visit here while I took a few sunrise photos. Instead my attention was diverted by groups of Fieldfare and Redwings feeding on nearby Hawthorns.

On the lower pool:
11 (7♂) Mallard
1 Moorhen
1 Coot

On the upper pool:

Nothing

Elsewhere
*c.40 Fieldfare
*c.15 Redwings
2 Meadow Pipits

Why I came: to view the sunrise. From the lake there are too many obstructions at this time of year when the rising sun is so far to the south-east.

A slightly different view.

I was trying to photograph flying Fieldfare and Redwings. Apparently a Wood Pigeon was among them!

Photographing the Fieldfare and Redwings was not easy. These are shy birds and easily spooked. I was careful not to try and get too close so the photos are not as sharp as I would have liked. It was good to see them anyway. Here I have homed in on five of at least 30 Fieldfare sitting in this tree.

Four Fieldfare spoilt for choice as to which Hawthorn berry to eat next. I am pleased to say that these bushes seem to be left by whoever "owns" them and are not cut at any time. Long may that continue.

This species has a grey shawl and a large grey rump. The wings are rufous-tinged and the markings on the underneath are more scalloping than spotting.

"It's a tiring business this feeding"

One flying off with his berry.

Fieldfare have a large white area on their underwing.

A top-side flight view.

Flying away are two Fieldfare leading two smaller Redwing,

 The two Redwing isolated to show why they were so-named.

Fewer Redwing were in the same Hawthorns.

 A silhouetted Redwing.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:40 – 11:00

(306th visit of the year)

Several families were out "feeding the ducks" making accurate counts difficult as birds moved around. Most species are likely under-counted.

Bird notes:
- the two Mute Swans again mostly stayed apart. One was, usually, sitting inside the island.
- yesterday's drake Gadwall not seen.
- a single brownhead Goosander noted.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese again
- 2 Mute Swans
- 28 (20♂) Mallard
- 10 (6♂) Pochard again
- 43 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes again
- 173 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gull: first-winter and (near) adult
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult, briefly again
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons: perhaps a third

Noted around the area:
Despite an air-temperature of just 4.0°C on the Ivy I noted:

- >5 Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina

As usual the brownhead Goosander was not going to allow me a close approach. Because the white on the wing is restricted to the trailing edge of the wing I am safe in identifying this as a duck (female).

Count the tail-feathers (rectrices). 16 here. [Not "retrices" as I mis-typed the other day]

A neatly severed wing I found lying by the path. Carrion Crow? Coot? Who / what / why would have done this?

A Long-tailed Tit looking for inspiration.

Tries to hide behind twigs.

Hanging on!

One more.

Oh! All right. Another one. It is Christmas!

And one for Boxing Day.

 A Goldfinch taking in the sun.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
6 Pochard
78 Tufted Ducks
1 female Greater Scaup
222 Coots counted
Caspian Gull
2 Fieldfare
17 Redwings
429 Jackdaws
173 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Pochard
110 Tufted Ducks
17 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
11 Swans
1 Shoveler
c.115 Tufted Duck
7 Goosander
129 Coots
41 Black-headed Gulls
51 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
21 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
26 Mute Swans today
4 Great Crested Grebes
>17 Greylag Geese
4 Gadwall
26 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
Common Gull
309 Coot
5 Goldfinches
c.20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
31 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
58 Coots
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
c.3200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
15 Pied Wagtails
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

24 Dec 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 3.0°C: Barely broken medium-level cloud gradually melted away with good sunny spells. A chilly, fresh easterly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:21 GMT again

Season's Greeting to you all. Thanks for reading.

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:40 – 09:30

(312th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- an adult Mute Swan landed in front of me at 08:02 and was joined by another at 08:07. Whether they had arrived together and one stayed "at the other end" for a while is unclear. Neither of them had rings so neither was the pen that was a resident here this Summer.
- yesterday's drake Shoveler apparently gone.
- even fewer Coots today: only 17 and in good lighting. There were none on the south-west grass – neither were there any Moorhens there (usually about six). The grass is in very poor condition so perhaps food-related?
- both Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls started to arrive 07:35.
- four Cormorants arrived together. Eventually there were seven fishing together by which time one had already departed.
- only three Song Thrushes braved the early cold to sing. Later two were singing from different sides of one tree!

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Greylag Geese: outbound together
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 17 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 41 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 82 Jackdaws
- 46 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans: arrived
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 40 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 17 Coots only
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.125 Black-headed Gulls
- 9 Herring Gulls
- c.200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 8 Cormorants: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Too cold for us all!

Moths:
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: sixth day in the same place

Beetles:
- *1 possible Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Seen later:

Nothing

A much better-looking start to the day.

Some good breaks in the cloud quickly developed.

 Even some colour.

What might, or might not, be a Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala.

Very little on the street lamp poles on a chilly morning. A harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis with anti-freeze in its blood – perhaps.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:35

(305th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the two Mute Swans stayed apart. No aggression noted.
- a drake Gadwall was a new arrival
- all ten Pochard located today
- two brownhead Goosanders noted.
- Coot numbers are lower than typical for this date but at the moment are holding steady.
- another Raven overhead.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls together
- *1 Raven

Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- *1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 34 (23♂) Mallard
- 10 (6♂) Pochard
- 34 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosander
- 11 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 72 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: third-winter
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult, briefly
- no Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Around the area:

Nothing noted

While I was parking my car this drake Gadwall was paddling past very close. Once I had got and was more (dis)organised it was, naturally, a long way away and stayed that way.

Did someone mention food? The Black-headed Gulls thought so. The lowest bird and the slightly right of centre top are first-winter birds (dark tail band), the other seven are all adult-winter birds.

Hot on the heels of my first sighting of Raven here this year there was another today. Note the diamond-shaped tail and the well-separated outer primaries ("fingers"). It is the low sun causing the under-wing to gloss.

This species' large bill is (slightly) more evident here.

"Robin: wipe that dirt off your bill"

"Wanna make sumfink of it sonny-boy?"

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
7 Pochard
34 Tufted Ducks
204 Coots counted
123 Black-headed Gulls
16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
22 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Grey Herons
126 Canada Geese
110 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes
2 Shoveler
71 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
125 Coots
>40 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
1 Tufted Duck
19 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
13 Pochard
35 Tufted Ducks
178 Coots
Peregrine
14 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Pochard
38 Tufted Duck
5 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
10 Swans
28 Pochard
77 Tufted Ducks
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
60 Herring Gulls
1 Water Rail heard
299 Coots counted
4 Redwings
2 Willow Tits again
c.5 Goldfinches
c.10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Dawn Balmer/ Peter Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Little Grebe
41 Pochard
38 Tufted Ducks
8 Redwing
2 Fieldfare
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

23 Dec 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 7.0°C: The weather forecast was correct: "thick cloud and a moderate (easterly) breeze". Good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:21 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:45 – 09:50

(311th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a drake Shoveler in breeding plumage was a new arrival. No Mallard seen though.
- I did count the Coots today and only found 21. The light-level was nit good but surely not that bad. Where are they all?.
- higher gull numbers today. The first arrivals were c.30 Lesser Black-backed Gulls at 07:42 with eventually c.100 present by 07:55 when a Grey Heron flying across spooked them and they all departed with only a few, all Herring Gulls, returning.
- Black-headed Gulls did not arrive until c.08:10 with c.200 present. Much later I noted 19 on the football field.
- the Great (White) Egret not seen. (None was at The Flash either.)
- 12 Fieldfare flew over heading East c.08:20
- only eight Song Thrushes were singing in today's cooler conditions.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Greylag Goose: outbound
- 2 Wood Pigeons only
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 74 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 66 Jackdaws
- 127 Rooks
- 12 Fieldfare: together
- 12 Goldfinches: together

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- no Mallard
- 36 (25♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 21 Coots only
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Herring Gulls
- c.100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 3 Grey Herons
- no Great (White) Egret

As a postscript to yesterday I am indebted to Martin Adlam for the identity of the fish falling victim to the Grey Heron. It was a Ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus. (me neither!). Sometimes called a Daddy Ruffe, Tommy Ruffe or Pope Fish.

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: fifth day in the same place

Flies:
- 1 "is it a fly or an ichneumon?"

Springtails:
- 3 springtails sp., probably Dicyrtomina saundersi
- 2 other springtails

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 possible Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Seen later:

Nothing

Today's breeding plumage drake Shoveler. Other than Mallard this is by far the most common species of dabbling duck to visit.

Twigs in the way but the Grey Heron probably wanted it that way. This alongside Teece Drive and near the gate to the lake. Whether this was one of the two I had noted around the edge of the water or a third is hard to say.

It took much photo-editing to produce this poor photo of two Siskins enjoying the Alder cones.

A few weeks ago five pumpkins were dumped on the "boxing ring" atop the dam. This being Telford two were quickly thrown in the water. The three survivors have been gradually getting smaller. I noted a culprit this morning – a Moorhen. I have no doubt the local Magpies have had a go as well.

The mystery "is it a fly or an ichneumon?". The similar "fly" I photographed a few days ago had spurs on its legs. It is hard to be certain with all the lichen on the street lamp pole but this one does not seem to have spurs. Not that this is any help with identification.

One of three globular springtails I noted. The abdomen pattern shows better in this photo than on most I have taken. Confirmation that it is Dicyrtomina saundersi depends on the pattern of light and dark on the antennae. Pass!

An unknown springtail. This is very small: I would judge between a quarter and a third the size of the common Pogonognathellus longicornis-type.

Similar remarks here though slightly a larger specimen. I am not sure whether I should be interested in what is top left!

Both Obsidentify and Google Lens gave Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica as the identity of this small spider. It doesn't look like any of the photos of the species on NatureSpot.

A male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli.

Trying to escape my torch-light is a harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis. It can be identified by the shape of the pale area at the end of the abdomen. The pale stripe down the abdomen is not visible here.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:55 – 11:00

(304th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the first Greylag Goose for many days: and a very noisy on at that until it departed.
- one Mute Swan chased the other in to flight though it eventually splashed back down at the other end out of sight of its aggressor.
- no Goosanders noted.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose: departed
- 2 Mute Swans
- 29 (21♂) Mallard
- 7 (5♂) Pochard
- 29 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- no Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 44 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes still
- 54 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gull: third- and first-winters
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron

Around the area:

Nothing noted 

The first Greylag Goose for several days deciding to leave us.

Not enough light for the camera to "freeze" the action but here the two-tone primary feathers can be seen – paler grey on the outer webs.

Serious chasing going on with the two adult Mute Swans.

This one...

...made two circuits...

...before splashing down out of sight of the aggressor.

This Herring Gull shows much black on its bill.

The pattern of black on the primaries suggests an adult and also rules out any thoughts of "Herring-type" Gulls (Yellow-legged, Caspian).

From this angle the extent of black on four of the primary coverts (along the leading edge of the wing) indicates it is most likely a third-winter bird.

A small amount of movement in the water prevents a perfect reflection photo of the Grey Heron.

A pair (one cannot presume!) of Collared Doves behaving as if it is Spring. Actually given half a chance they will attempt to breed at any time of the year.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
1st-winter female Great Scaup

Horsehay Pool
Kittiwake

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
14 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
178 Coots
2 Redwings
4 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
3 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
28 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
30 Mute Swans
40 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
161 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Black-necked Grebe
18 Swans
4 Gadwall
41 Pochard
75 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
311 Coots
600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
12 Goldfinches
10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Dawn Balmer/Peter Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
3 Cormorants
32 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
c.100 Black-headed Gulls
23 Redwing
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee lake
10 Pochard
15 Tufted Duck
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
c.100 Lesser Black-backs
1 Water Rail
20 Pied Wagtails
365 Rooks
325 Jackdaw
1 Kingfisher
51 Siskin
7 Redpoll
13 Greenfinch 13
12 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)
3 Redwing
c.50 Siskin
7 Redpoll
8 Reed Bunting
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Adlam)