10 Jan 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake only

3.0°C: Clear skies. Lying snow with icy patches. Light south-easterly wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:19 GMT

* = a species photographed today

I again decided not to attempt The Flash which was probably frozen over.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 12:10 – 13:30

(7th visit of the year)

>80% ice.

The recent snow and / or wind has brought down one tree and bent over many bushes along the North side which is only passable if you are reasonably supple and don't mind getting scratched.

New Bird Species:
A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling along the North side. Bird species #48 for me here this year.

Other bird notes:
- Mallard were the only species of dabbling duck noted
- apparently just three drake Pochard remain.
- still a high number of Tufted Duck, moving around. Unusually many more ducks than drakes
- a male Bullfinch noted.

Bird(s) noted flying over here not specifically counted:
Only a few Wood Pigeons noted:

Counts from the lake area:
The gulls were all very mobile with a *Common Buzzard flying around and people throwing snowballs at them.
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 149 (94♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Moorhens
- 14 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Great Black-backed Gull
- c.50 Herring Gulls
- c.40 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants
- no Grey Heron

Also noted.
Nothing else

Mostly iced over. On the extreme left are the c.150 Tufted Duck (and three Pochard and three Great Crested Grebes). Honest!

Oops!

No I meant to do this all along.

See. I have broken the ice and now can sit in my own patch of water. The only Great Black-backed Gull I noted among 150 or other gulls.

This Common Buzzard was he cause of much consternation to the gulls every time it was flushed by walkers getting too close. I am not sure why gulls are so nervous of buzzards. The ducks take almost no notice.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
(Kris Webb)

Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Kris Webb)

Horsehay Pool
Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid
Glaucous x Great Black-backed Gull hybrid
1500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
20+ Greater Black-backed Gulls
400 Herring Gulls
Yellow-legged Gull
(Kris Webb)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
5 Great Crested Grebes
14 Pochard
24 Tufted Duck
c.1200 Black-headed Gulls
c.900 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.300 Herring Gulls
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
44 Great Black-backed Gulls
5 Song Thrushes
18 Redwings
Tawny Owl
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Pool
204 Canada Geese
3 Pochard
83 Tufted Duck
104 Coot
110 Black-headed Gulls
34 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
17 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
33 Swans
4 Gadwall
6 Wigeon
15 Pochard
70 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rail
2 Snipe
c.200 Black-headed Gulls
c.200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
2 Yellow legged Gull
3 Adult Great Black-backed Gulls
2 Willow Tits
13 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Jim Almond, John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
18 Greylag Geese
12 Pochard
39 Tufted Ducks
6 Goosanders
c.80 Golden Plover
>1000 Black-headed Gulls
c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Great Black-backed Gulls
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
Caspian Gull
9 Herring Gulls
22 Robins
14 Blackbirds
41 Redwings
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Jason)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
13 Pochard
51 Tufted Duck
227 Coots
Glaucous Gull
c.1100 Black-headed Gulls
c.170 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.120 Herring Gulls
302 Jackdaws
385 Rooks
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)