8 Oct 14

Priorslee Lake: 6:34am - 9:03am
Map

5.5°C > 8.5°C:  scattered cloud, increasing; with light passing shower. Light S wind. Good visibility

Migrants noted were
- 1 Sky Lark over The Flash
- 4 Barn Swallows through the lake
- 20 Meadow Pipits – 17 at the lake and 3 over The Flash

(110th visit of the year)

Other notes
Little Grebe again.
Just 1 of the Great Crested Grebes an obvious immature.
2 Mallard flew off early: much later 22 drifted in, all in small groups and many, uncharacteristically, rather wary.
8 of the 37 Tufted Ducks flew off, leaving 29 (18) on the lake.
Water Rail heard near Wesley Brook footbridge: later a probable sighting with something scurrying through the rank undergrowth near here.
Green Woodpecker seen flying off soon after dawn without, apparently, calling first.
26 Pied Wagtails logged: singles and small groups flying in various directions and some may have been double-counted.
More Song Thrushes than on my previous few visits: at least 6 birds with one briefly on song.
Still multiple Goldcrests in multiple locations (and at least 1 at The Flash).
1 Raven over.
32 Goldfinches noted in several groups of 5 – 9 birds: but were they all different birds?

Counts
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
2 Swans
8 Greylag Geese: all inbound
4 Canada Geese: distantly outbound
24 (15) Mallard
37 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
7 Moorhen
118 Coots
c.100 Black-headed Gulls
c.110 large gulls: c.75 of these on the lake. No Herring Gulls identified
2 (1) Chiffchaffs
Corvid roost dispersal: 206 Jackdaws and 161 Rooks.

A promising start at the lake this morning.

But it didn't last with this shower approaching.

Small party of drake Tufted Ducks on the lake.

This adult Great Crested Grebe shows the reduced head-plumes outside the breeding season.

(Ed Wilson)
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Priorslee Flash: 9:06am - 9:51am
Map

(93rd visit of the year)

Notes
Immature Great Crested Grebe fully independent.
126 of the geese arrived in one large group.

Counts
2 + 1 Great Crested Grebes
2 Swans
101 Greylag Geese
83 Canada Geese
1 Greylag x ? Goose
1 Cackling-type Canada Goose
The all-white feral goose
28 (18) Mallard
The all-white feral duck
47 (22) Tufted Ducks
11 Moorhen
15 Coots
12 Black-headed Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull over
and
1 (0) Chiffchaff

(Ed Wilson)