Location
Sunrise: 08:00 BST
13°C > 14°C: Again mainly cloudy with only few brighter intervals. Moderate WSW wind. Very good visibility
Another very mild morning with very little happening – need some colder weather to get the birds on the move!
(135th visit of the year)
Notes from today
- the cygnet again seen in flight both on its own and with its parents
- all of the Wood Pigeons flying over were singles on local movements: no migrants noted
- despite logging 15 Magpies I could find nothing that could be described as a roost. The leaves on the trees do not help: most years the number in the roost builds later in the winter
- again no Starling roost this morning
- 2 Grey Wagtails seen high over heading SW seemed not to be the local birds, one of which at least, was on the dam later
and
- no moths on the lamps today
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 47 Greylag Geese
- 25 Canada Geese
- 82 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 14 Wood Pigeons (see notes)
- 318 Jackdaws
- 9 Rooks only
- 1 Starling
- 31 Fieldfare (2 groups)
- 10 Redwings (3 groups)
- 2 Grey Wagtails
- 12 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Chaffinch
- 4 Greenfinches
- 9 Goldfinches
- 6 Siskins
Count of birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- 6 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting only
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall again
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 93 (48♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron once more
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 55 Coots
- >250 Black-headed Gulls
- 108 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
I was using the camera to try and read the Darvic ring on the cygnet when it decided to stretch its wings and go for a fly. So while it rather over-filled the frame we see here the progress of the adult white feathers developing. When the body feathers start to go white the male (cob) will decide it is time the cygnet left home and chase it off.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 10:00 – 10:30
Location
(99th visit of the year)
Notes
- the Greylag Geese seem to be using the lake as a transit stop: after 47 seen over the lake headed towards The Flash there were only 28 present when I arrived and 5 of these then flew off
- yesterday there was a large increase in Tufted Duck numbers with only a slight reduction in the numbers at the lake. Today a big fall in numbers here and a further small reduction in numbers at the lake. So where have they gone?
- just a lone Goosander this morning and unusually a moulting drake – brownheads are usually much more numerous
- Coots seemed to be hiding
and
- an addition to the late-flowering list I did for the lake and ignoring the various garden escapes
White Dead-Nettle (Lamium album)
Birds noted flying over
- 2 Redwings
- 2 Goldfinches again
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 28 Greylag Geese
- 21 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 30 (23♂) Mallard
- 45 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 7 Coots only
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
Sunrise: 08:00 BST
13°C > 14°C: Again mainly cloudy with only few brighter intervals. Moderate WSW wind. Very good visibility
Another very mild morning with very little happening – need some colder weather to get the birds on the move!
(135th visit of the year)
Notes from today
- the cygnet again seen in flight both on its own and with its parents
- all of the Wood Pigeons flying over were singles on local movements: no migrants noted
- despite logging 15 Magpies I could find nothing that could be described as a roost. The leaves on the trees do not help: most years the number in the roost builds later in the winter
- again no Starling roost this morning
- 2 Grey Wagtails seen high over heading SW seemed not to be the local birds, one of which at least, was on the dam later
and
- no moths on the lamps today
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 47 Greylag Geese
- 25 Canada Geese
- 82 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 14 Wood Pigeons (see notes)
- 318 Jackdaws
- 9 Rooks only
- 1 Starling
- 31 Fieldfare (2 groups)
- 10 Redwings (3 groups)
- 2 Grey Wagtails
- 12 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Chaffinch
- 4 Greenfinches
- 9 Goldfinches
- 6 Siskins
Count of birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- 6 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting only
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall again
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 93 (48♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron once more
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 55 Coots
- >250 Black-headed Gulls
- 108 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
Autumn colour alongside Teece Drive
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 10:00 – 10:30
Location
(99th visit of the year)
Notes
- the Greylag Geese seem to be using the lake as a transit stop: after 47 seen over the lake headed towards The Flash there were only 28 present when I arrived and 5 of these then flew off
- yesterday there was a large increase in Tufted Duck numbers with only a slight reduction in the numbers at the lake. Today a big fall in numbers here and a further small reduction in numbers at the lake. So where have they gone?
- just a lone Goosander this morning and unusually a moulting drake – brownheads are usually much more numerous
- Coots seemed to be hiding
and
- an addition to the late-flowering list I did for the lake and ignoring the various garden escapes
White Dead-Nettle (Lamium album)
Birds noted flying over
- 2 Redwings
- 2 Goldfinches again
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 28 Greylag Geese
- 21 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 30 (23♂) Mallard
- 45 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 7 Coots only
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in ...........
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2010
Priorslee Lake
c.75 Starlings left roost at W end
118 Wood Pigeons
2 Sky Larks
7 Meadow Pipits
478 Fieldfare
76 Redwings
9 Siskins
13 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
2 Cormorants
26 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
35 Fieldfares
3 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
4 Mistle Thrushes
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
Wigeon
Cormorant
300 Black-headed Gulls
40 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.75 Lapwings
2 Fieldfares
1 duck Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
200 Coot
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2010
Priorslee Lake
c.75 Starlings left roost at W end
118 Wood Pigeons
2 Sky Larks
7 Meadow Pipits
478 Fieldfare
76 Redwings
9 Siskins
13 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
2 Cormorants
26 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
35 Fieldfares
3 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
4 Mistle Thrushes
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
Wigeon
Cormorant
300 Black-headed Gulls
40 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.75 Lapwings
2 Fieldfares
1 duck Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
200 Coot
(Ed Wilson)