19 Mar 16

Priorslee Lake: 07:15 – 09:40
Location

Sunrise: 06:13

c.5°C: Still overcast but cloud higher and with good visibility this morning. Some damp in the air at first. Light NE breeze.

(43rd visit of the year)

Notes
- only 12 Great Crested Grebes found but several birds sitting close to reeds, perhaps with partners hidden?
- more or less the largest number of gulls all winter! After a few overhead there were three separate arrivals each with different numbers and ratio of species so I assume all different birds. Many birds stayed at least 20 minutes before moving off, though Lesser Black-backed Gulls tended to leave more quickly until the third arrival when they outnumbered the Herring Gulls
- in addition to the 2 Stock Doves over a bird was again flushed from the putative breeding area
- many of the over flying Wood Pigeons probably flushed from fields to the E: that said at least 150 still seen in tree tops in the Ward’s Rough area
- two Kingfishers at least, being very noisy and boisterous. Doubt they will breed here as no suitable banks for their nest holes
- seem to be 4 Long-tailed Tits breeding sites being prospected
- my first singing Chiffchaff around the lake – though a single brief period of singing and then nothing more
- at least 40 Redwings in the Ricoh grounds and the surrounding tree
- still at least 3 Linnets

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 3 Canada Geese (2 parties)
- 21 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 6 Feral Pigeons (2 groups)
- 2 Stock Doves
- 141 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Jackdaws
- 2 Ravens
- 7 Greenfinches
- 5 Goldfinches
- 4 Siskins

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 17 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 12 Great Crested Grebes
- 21 Moorhens
- 64 Coots
- c.500 Black-headed Gulls
- 88 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 166 Herring Gulls

Part of the party of >40 Redwings in the trees this morning.

Part of the 2nd group of gulls with 10 Herring Gulls of various ages and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull.

The large gulls kept away from the Black-headed Gulls, the latter now mostly with ‘black heads’. In this shot all the large gulls are Herrings.

At one end of the group there were a few Lesser Black-backs – seven are visible here. Note the very small dark immature at the back of the group – presumably a female.

This the third group that landed this morning – large gulls were dominated by Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

(Ed Wilson)
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 Priorslee Flash: 09:50 – 10:00
Location

(29th visit of the year)

A rather quick canter past as I misjudged the time and needed to catch the bus

Notes
- I presume the other Swan was inside the island and not visible as I walked by
- certainly a third Great Crested Grebe this morning
- there might have been gulls than recently at the lake: there were not here

Birds noted flying over
- 3 Siskin

The counts from the water
- 1 Mute Swan
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 44 Canada Geese
- [the all-white feral goose not noted]
- 12 (10♂) Mallard
- 22 (12♂) Tufted Duck again
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 Cormorants
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- no Moorhens logged
- 14 Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in............
2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes 
7 Wigeon 
2 Gadwall 
18 Tufted Ducks 
127 Jackdaws
158 Black-headed Gulls
22 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Chiffchaff singing
6 Redwings
1 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

 The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebe 
7 Swans 
2 Pochard 
1 Greater Scaup 
81 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

 Trench Lock Pool
1 Chiffchaff  singing
1 Little Grebe 
4 Great Crested Grebes 
1 Cormorant 
25 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

 Trench Middle Pool
1 Great Crested Grebe 
3 Cormorant 
6 Tufted Duck 
2 Goosander 
5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Sand Martins
(Martin Adlam)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
2 Cormorant
22 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Green Woodpecker
8 Meadow Pipit
25 Wren
20 Blackbird
5 Redwing
5 Chiffchaff
34 Magpie
8 Greenfinch
8 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

 The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
32 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff singing
(Ed Wilson)