4.0°C > 5.0°C: Variable cloud with some sunny intervals. Fresh westerly wind gusting strong. Very good visibility.
[Sunrise: 08:20 GMT again]
* = a species photographed today
An attempted "Winter schedule" visit. At The Flash last night's rain on top of the packed snow on the footpaths had left them extremely icy. I decided that discretion and all that... and went on to the Balancing Lake.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 09:35 – 11:40
(5th visit of the year)
<20% ice.
New Bird Species
No additions to my 2026 bird list from here:
My 2026 bird species total for here remains 47.
Other bird notes:
- yesterday's adult and first-winter cygnet Mute Swan had gone.
- a few more Pochard (six drakes) noted.
- the Tufted Duck were even more of a challenge to count as with more open water birds were more widely dispersed. They were also moving around, seemingly unnerved when Cormorants were fishing in the same area.
- fewer Coots noted. Had they departed or were the reed / sedges more accessible for them to hide in?
- the gull counts are again the number present when I arrived. Note that there were more Herring than Lesser Black-backed Gulls and this trend continued with new arrivals.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- uncounted numbers of Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 13 Jackdaws
I was more interested in keeping my balance rather than looking skyward.
Counts from the lake area:
- 20 Canada Geese: arrived in two groups
- 22 (14♂) Mallard
- 9 (6♂) Pochard
- 152 (73?♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 21 Coots: see notes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes: again
- 61 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Great Black-backed Gulls
- 82 Herring Gulls
- 64 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Note
These were missed from yesterday's counts from here: apologies. Brain frozen?
- 17 Canada Geese: departed in two groups
- 2 Greylag Geese: departed
- 3 Great Black-backed Gulls
Of note:
Nothing else
Useful size comparison between the adult-winter (no black on bill) Lesser Black-backed Gull and the Black-headed Gulls. These can be aged from the colour of their legs – adult-winters a deep red and first-winters a pinker tone.
Left foreground are (among other things) two large black-backed gulls – yes: both Great Black-backed Gulls. Note the pale (pink?) leg colour and compare with several adult Lesser Black-backs with yellow legs and adult Herring Gulls with pink legs. Immatures of all three species have pinkish legs (and I have no idea why they are called Lesser... and Great... and not Lesser... and Greater...).
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:22 – 09:25
Some of this group of Black-headed Gulls were reflecting on the ice.
Must be a hard time for species like Wren, seen here hopping around the boulders on the dam-face.
Looks perky-enough.
"Perky? Who me?"
Show is over folks.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:22 – 09:25
Paths too icy to walk on.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
A drake Scaup
(J Reeves)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Paul Paclett)
2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes.
17 Pochard
45 Tufted Duck
2 Gadwall
1 Pintail
236 Coot
2 Water Rail
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
c.140 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
46 Herring Gulls
15 Siskins
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
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Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
A drake Scaup
(J Reeves)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Paul Paclett)
2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes.
17 Pochard
45 Tufted Duck
2 Gadwall
1 Pintail
236 Coot
2 Water Rail
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
c.140 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
46 Herring Gulls
15 Siskins
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)