-1.0°C > 3.0°C: Clear skies!! Light northerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:29 GMT
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:35 – 09:15
(34thd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a Canada Goose flew in to join what seems to be a resident pair. Today after a brief dispute it seemed to be allowed to stay.
- fewer Coots counted probably because all the grass was frosted and some were probably still inside the reeds.
- early on four Great Crested Grebes were together, two of them having a real scrap with bills locked. Later a pair were displaying and only one other was seen.
- a mixed arrival of gulls at 07:05 – two Black-headed Gulls, one Herring Gull and one Lesser Black-backed Gull together. There after arrivals were sparse and I was able to count them all in.
- I have no idea where the Jackdaws and Rooks were on roost dispersal. Perhaps with the clear and bright morning they had already passed though I did not hear and as I was making my way to one of my usual vantage points. I saw just six Jackdaws and two of those were "going the wrong way".
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Greylag Geese: flew West together
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 34 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Jackdaws only
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: of these one arrived
- 14 (8♂) Mallard
- 19 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 (4♂) Goosander
- 5 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- *4 Great Crested Grebes
- 107 Black-headed Gulls
- 16 Herring Gulls
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *4 Cormorants
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 2 Grey Herons: one of these chased away
On the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Nothing noted. Too cold and frosted
Seen later:
Seen later:
Nothing of note
Not a good photo: it was still too dark and the Great Crested Grebes were some way away. I am tempted to suggest that it is two males having a fight while the two ladies look on from a safe distance. But who knows? I cannot sex this species.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:35
(31st visit of the year)
No ice on the water (only on the paths!)
Bird notes:
- now three Mute Swans. *One, an unringed immature with a small amount of discolouration in its wings, seemed to have been forced out of the water by the pair(?). It was often in the roadway. I was never in a position to read any rings on the other two.
- there were more Canada Geese than I have seen all year apart from when the water was almost frozen over.
- only one Great Crested Grebe noted.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Common Buzzards
Noted on / around the water:
- 29 Canada Geese
- still no Greylag Geese
- *3 Mute Swans: see notes
- 24 (17♂) Mallard
- *22 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: third-winter, departed
Around the area:
Nothing of note. The Ivy bank was in full sun: the ambient temperature was too low too tempt any insects out.
The "extra" Mute Swan. The bill colour suggests an immature. The thickness of the neck suggest a cob (male). Looking closely at the discoloured plumage I am not sure this is brown immature plumage but could well be mud stains from fighting.
It look to the naked eye to be an adult Herring Gull. It is a third-winter showing significant black on both mandibles and with faint brown markings in the folded wing feathers.
A male Blackbird. I think it is the strong lighting that gives some of the feathers, especially those in the tail, a grey appearance.
(Ed Wilson)
Well that makes a change even if the forecast suggests it will be back to cloudy weather from tomorrow.
An immature Cormorant dries its wings (or, according to some sources, aids food digestion).
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:35
(31st visit of the year)
No ice on the water (only on the paths!)
Bird notes:
- now three Mute Swans. *One, an unringed immature with a small amount of discolouration in its wings, seemed to have been forced out of the water by the pair(?). It was often in the roadway. I was never in a position to read any rings on the other two.
- there were more Canada Geese than I have seen all year apart from when the water was almost frozen over.
- only one Great Crested Grebe noted.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Common Buzzards
Noted on / around the water:
- 29 Canada Geese
- still no Greylag Geese
- *3 Mute Swans: see notes
- 24 (17♂) Mallard
- *22 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: third-winter, departed
Around the area:
Nothing of note. The Ivy bank was in full sun: the ambient temperature was too low too tempt any insects out.
A pleasing study of a duck Tufted Duck. She almost seems to be smiling.
That's not very friendly. A Wren turns its back on the camera.
A female Chaffinch warming in the sun.
Yes you! Unusually approachable.
A small group of Siskins were sometimes showing well in the sun. Here a male.
Another male about to jump off.
Yet another male tucks in to an Alder cone...
...delicious!
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2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
5 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
1 Tundra Bean Goose
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
Holmer Lake
3 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
35 Pochard
80 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
177 Coots
185 Jackdaws
42 Magpies
2 Siskins
39 Linnets
11 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2008
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
1 Iceland Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gull
(Rich, Vernon, Andy, Ed Wilson and Jason)
2006
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
6 Cormorants
7 Pochard
39 Tufted Ducks
140 Coots
880 Wood Pigeons
249 Jackdaws
155 Rooks
24 Robins
20 Blackbirds
11 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
5 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
1 Tundra Bean Goose
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
Holmer Lake
3 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
35 Pochard
80 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
177 Coots
185 Jackdaws
42 Magpies
2 Siskins
39 Linnets
11 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2008
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
1 Iceland Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gull
(Rich, Vernon, Andy, Ed Wilson and Jason)
2006
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
6 Cormorants
7 Pochard
39 Tufted Ducks
140 Coots
880 Wood Pigeons
249 Jackdaws
155 Rooks
24 Robins
20 Blackbirds
11 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)