31 Oct 17

No Sightings in so far today......

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On this day..........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Candles Landfill Site
2nd winter Caspian Gull
8 Yellow-legged Gulls
Great Black-backed Gull
c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Chiffchaff
Mistle Thrush
29 Fieldfares
32 Redwings
13 Siskins
3 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Shoveler
5 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

2005
Trench Pool
2 Goosander
10 Shoveler
(John Isherwood)

30 Oct 17

No Sightings in today.

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On this day..........
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2010
Priorslee Lake
10 Swans
c.60 Golden Plover
c.200 Starlings left a roost in the reeds at the W end
763 Wood Pigeons
3 Sky Larks
7 Meadow Pipits
165 Fieldfare
9 Redwings
4 Siskins
3 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
8 Wigeon
20 Pochard
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Goosander
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
100 Jackdaw
130 Rooks
1 Buzzard
Kestrel
c.60 Golden Plover
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
450 to 500 Starlings left the roost
11 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
Pair of Ruddy Duck
200+ Coot
1 Dunlin
104 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
100 Black-headed Gulls
Kingfisher
A Buzzard was seen feeding on earthworms and possibly beetles
2000+ Wood Pigeon
62 Redwing
54 Fieldfare
3 Song Thrushes 
(Martin Adlam)

29 Oct 17

No Sightings in today.

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On this day..........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
1 Teal
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
Location
1 Pochard
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow legged Gull
2 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
1 Wigeon
Chiffchaff
10+ Fieldfare
Siskin
Willow Tit
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
Location
3 Pochard
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
34 Pochard a high count 
500+  Lesser Black-backed Gulls
432 Jackdaws
228 Rooks
171 Fieldfare
5 Redwings
2 Siskins
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
115 Canada Geese
9 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
c.200 Golden Plover
23 Pied Wagtails
17 Robins
18 Blackbirds
12 Song Thrushes
70 Redwing
1 Mistle Thrush
9 Fieldfare
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Tit
195 Jackdaws
206 Rooks
31 Greenfinches
4 Redpoll
10 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Buzzard feeding on earthworms, mobbed by Black-headed Gulls
1 Raven
7 Pied Wagtails
3 Grey Wagtail
11 Meadow Pipits
Kingfisher
1700+ Wood Pigeon
192 Redwing
111 Fieldfare
(Martin Adlam)

28 Oct 17

No Sightings in today.

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On this day..........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

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)

27 Oct 17

No Sightings in today.

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On this day..........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Adult Great Black-backed Gull
1000+ large gulls
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Great Black-backed Gull
11 Golden Plover
2 Kingfishers
16 Reed Buntings
5 Sky Larks
8 Meadow Pipits
71 Redwings
457 Fieldfare
31 Siskins
1 Linnet
4 Redpolls 
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
40 Tufted Duck
16 Pochard
2 Ruddy Duck
Common Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
c.2500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Kingfisher
2 Goldcrest
42 Fieldfare
Willow Tit
14 Long-tailed Tits
(Martin Adlam)

26 Oct 17

Priorslee Lake only

9.0°C > 11.0°C: Mainly cloudy at medium level; a few breaks. Very light SE wind fell calm. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 07:55 BST

Busy again with another big passage of Wood Pigeons: more smaller parties today

Priorslee Lake: 07:00 – 10:10

(130th visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- 59 of the Greylag Geese flew SW to the E before 07:30 – unusual direction. Just 4 inbound with the Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose flew inbound before 07:20 making its characteristic call
- 20 Canada Geese stopped off inbound (in addition to the overflights logged)
- more Gadwalls today: now 4 pairs and 2 ‘spare’ ducks
- 2 duck Pochard new in
- 4 separate Common Buzzards flew E pre-dawn from wherever they had been roosting
- big party of >200 Golden Plover seen flying around to the far E
- the very heavy Wood Pigeon passage started before 08:00: this morning it had stopped by 09:30. In some of the closer groups a few smaller Stock Doves were noted. The parties were tending to fly SSW today (rather than S, as they did yesterday). One party was seen heading W before turning S. More than 50 more birds were in the fields to the NE and >75 seen flying low overhead
- 5 Jays seen flying N before I noted any flying S: on the usual ‘burying acorns’ flights?
and
- 3 November Moth sp. on the lamps: another presumed this species seen in flight

On with today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 63 Greylag Geese (3 groups – see notes)
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose (inbound)
- 44 Canada Geese (3 groups inbound)
- 4 Common Buzzards
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- >200 Golden Plover
- 11 Feral Pigeons (4 groups)
- >6 Stock Doves (in with Wood Pigeons)
- >4300 Wood Pigeons (46 groups)
- 2 Collared Doves (singles)
- c.575 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook only
- 1 Skylark
- 12 Starlings (3 groups)
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 10 Meadow Pipits (4 groups)
- 25 Fieldfare (2 groups)
- 54 Redwings (7 groups)
- 1 Chaffinch
- 1 Goldfinch
- 2 Goldfinches
- >6 unidentified finch sps.

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 20 Canada Geese
- 10 (6♂) Gadwall
- 16 (9♂) Mallard again
- 2 (0♂) Pochard
- 40 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 6 + 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 169 Coots
- >110 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2011
Priorslee Lake
17 Tufted Ducks
c.400 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Mike Cooper)

2005
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
41 Tufted Duck
212 Coot
778 Fieldfare
199 Redwings
800 Wood Pigeons
Chiffchaff
Possible Firecrest
3 Siskin
18 Redpoll
275 Starlings
(Ed Wilson)

25 Oct 17

Priorslee Lake only

10.5°C > 11.5°C: Clear and fine with only a few areas of thin high cloud. light / moderate WSW wind. Very good visibility. Less mild

Sunrise: 07:53 BST

Too busy at the lake to take time out to go elsewhere with very big Wood Pigeon passage, amongst many other things

Priorslee Lake: 07:00 – 10:10

(129th visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- another two adult Mute Swans arrived 07:40. It took the sleeping residents some while to notice! They finally shooed them off at 08:40
- 38 Canada Geese in two groups of 19 stopped off inbound (in addition to the overflights logged)
- 7 Eurasian Wigeon flew W: identified from photos which show at least 3 drakes
- back to three duck Gadwalls today: now 3 pairs and 2 ‘spare’ ducks
- a small party of Golden Plover seen flying N to the far E
- a lone Lesser Black-backed Gull was already on the water at 07:10 when it became light-enough to see: perhaps it roosted?
- very heavy Wood Pigeon passage started before 08:00 and was still on-going, albeit in diminished numbers, at 10:00. Included two groups with at least 1000 birds in each group. Strangely and despite the mild weather this is a week earlier than my largest passage in 2016 of >8000 birds on 2 November. Perhaps because the previous week has been cloudy and migration has been held up? One of the parties contained an all-white bird: I am pretty certain it was a ‘piggy-back’ Feral Pigeon rather than an albino Wood Pigeon
- I managed to walk past the Magpie roost area without them noticing pre-dawn. Numbers in the roost have yet to build to last winter’s level of up to 80 birds. Not easy to count until the leaves come off the trees
- still can find no Rooks on early dispersal ahead of the Jackdaws no matter how early I arrive and how hard I look: my last significant count was on 4 October. Much later a party of 10 flew E – at 90 degrees to their usual dispersal route: with 2 more later still
- 14 Crows were noted in the air at the same time: this is not unprecedented but unusual
- at least 4 Redwings were flushed out of the trees pre-dawn: perhaps roosted, though there were none at their usual winter roost site
- at least 5 Reed Buntings left two roosts around the lake: 2 on the N side; and 3 at the W end
and
- 1 fly sp. on the lamps today: possibly Neuroctena anilis
- 1 Red Admiral on Ivy just as I was leaving

On with today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 47 Canada Geese (14 (2 groups) outbound; 33 (3 groups) inbound)
- 7 (3♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 4 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 32 Golden Plover
- 13 Feral Pigeons (3 groups)
- 2 Stock Doves
- >7400(!!) Wood Pigeons (37 groups)
- >625 Jackdaws
- 12 Rooks
- 4 Skylarks: singles
- 3 Starlings (1 group)
- 7 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Meadow Pipits: singles
- 70 Fieldfare (5 groups)
- 100 Redwings exactly (11 groups)
- 2 Chaffinches
- 4 Goldfinches
- 5 Siskins (2 groups)
- 2 Lesser Redpolls (together)
- >18 unidentified finch sps.

The counts from the lake area
- 4 + 3 Mute Swans
- 38 Canada Geese
- 8 (5♂) Gadwall
- 16 (9♂) Mallard
- 44 (20♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Little Grebe again
- 4 + 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail heard again
- 6 Moorhens again
- 146 Coots
- >320 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

 Sunrise at the lake from a different perspective as the sunrise moves in to the SE.

 In this slightly different view the two ‘extra’ Mute Swans can be seen.

And a different angle.

I thought they were supposed to be Mute Swans: these look as if they are calling. The ‘extra’ two birds that had been chased all around the lake so perhaps their mouths are open because they are out of breath.

A typical winter scene as a party of geese – Canada Geese here – flies over.

... and much to the annoyance of the Mute Swans decides to put their undercarriage down and land.

A very unhelpful group of seven ducks flying W and passing straight over making identification a challenge. About all we can see here are the pale bellies. In the early morning light it is difficult to judge whether the birds are orange-toned or not.

As they pass over another clue – the pointed tail. It is not long-enough for Pintail. Anyway that species would show a longer and thinner neck and any drakes would be very white under the neck, chest and belly. This leads us to conclude they are Eurasian Wigeon.

Just when I was giving up hope and they were far away the flock banked and gave me a view of their upper wings and we see the diagnostic white patch in the forewing on the drakes to clinch the ID.

Rather closer than my previous attempt this shows the rather loose grouping of migrant parties of Wood Pigeons. The question arises as to where they have come from – they only ever seem to pass between 08:00 and 10:00? And where they are going? Assuming that they fly at 50 miles per hour then I see birds that have started off between 0 and 100 miles away. What about birds further away?

Here we see another feature of many groups: the upper birds are passing over, the lower one coming from more local trees – in this instance Wards Rough on Limekiln Bank – and joining the group.

Struggled to ID this fly on one of the lamps. There are not too many species that have red/orange head and thorax. Seems likely to be Neuroctena anilis – it has no vernacular name. The web suggests it should be rather more orange but that may be an effect of the flash.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
1 Wigeon
1 Common Gull
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Goosander
7 Pochard
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
12 Golden Plover
1577 Wood Pigeons
28 Sky Larks
12 Fieldfare
8 Redwings
4 Siskins
1 Linnet
2 Redpoll
1 Brambling
(Ed Wilson)

24 Oct 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

13.0°C > 15.0°C: Some clear areas to E to start, otherwise low cloud with occasional light rain. Fresh SW wind. Very good visibility. Very mild again

Sunrise: 07:51 BST

Most of the interest was at The Flash this morning. However the best bird of the day was probably the adult winter Common Gull at the lake

Priorslee Lake: 06:55 – 09:30

(128th visit of the year)

Other notes from today:
- 4 Mallards overhead few very high W; presumed the same flew lower E a few minutes later
- now four duck Gadwalls: now 4 pairs and 1 ‘spare’ duck
- Jackdaws field-skimming this morning: usually they have to fly up and over the M54 and I can see at least most of them. Today the initial group comprised no more than 25 individuals. So where were they?
- no Starlings seen leaving any roost again
- 3 Grey Wagtails seen flying off high S: another? on the dam-face later
- a lone Meadow Pipit overhead – rather unusually heading N
and
- 1 November Moth-type flew past me
- nothing on the lamps today

On with today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 41 Canada Goose (2 groups inbound)
- 4 (?♂) Mallard
- 2 Cormorants
- 3 Common Buzzards
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 29 Wood Pigeons
- 123 Jackdaws only
- 6 Rooks
- 13 Starlings (1 group)
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 30 Fieldfare (2 groups)
- 36 Redwings (7 singles/groups)
- 2 Skylarks yet again
- 4 Greenfinches
- 5 Goldfinches

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 9 (5♂) Gadwall
- 10 (5♂) Mallard
- 39 (16♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 1 Little Grebe
- 6 + 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Water Rail heard
- 6 Moorhens
- 149 Coots
- >110 Black-headed Gulls
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Common Gull

 It was not a bad start.

Both taken before the ‘Telford hat’ of low cloud came over and turned it very dull.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:15

(93rd visit of the year)

Notes from here
- the Greylag Geese somewhere else this morning
- 4 Goosanders were my first of the season here and my first here since 12 March: one obvious drake and another moulting in to drake plumage
- 1 Grey Heron: my first here since 05 August
- an additional adult Great Crested Grebe today
- 10 of the Jackdaws went up in response to the over flying Sparrowhawk, as did the 14 Starlings
- as I arrived 46 Redwings landed in the trees around The Priorslee pub (along with 9 Goldfinches). Later c.35 flew out of other trees around the lake. Nine, probably of the original 46 flushed out of trees. At least 5 more overhead had nothing to do with these birds
- the 3 over-flying finch sp. proved that Murphy’s Law is alive a well: they chose to fly over just as the only car for many minutes chose to drive-by, drowning any flight calls

Bird noted flying over
- 1 Sparrowhawk again
- 1 Feral Pigeon again
- 23 Jackdaws
- 14 Starlings
- 5 Redwings
- 1 Greenfinch
- 2 Goldfinches
- 3 unidentified finches

The counts from the water
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose again
- 35 Canada Geese again
- 1 white feral goose again
- 31 (21♂) Mallard
- 29 (16♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 (2♂) Goosander
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 14 Coots
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The drake and a brownhead Goosander.

The right-hand bird here seems to be moulting in to drake plumage: a different brownhead with it.

This was my first observation of this behaviour at The Flash and it is some years since I have noted it at the lake , and then more usually in mid-summer. These Black-headed Gulls were hovering over and diving in to the tops of these Alders. They are certainly not trying to land and I have always assumed they are gleaning insects. Just what this might be at this time of year.

This one ... 

... certainly seems to have found something.

This one is diving in to the top of willows – it was normally Poplars at the lake.

This one certainly seems to be homing in on something ...

 ... and it does not have its feet out trying to land.

... and here apparently plucking something off the leaves.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2010
Priorslee Lake
733 Wood Pigeons
11 Sky Larks
151 Fieldfare
20 Redwings
2 Brambling
2 Linnets
2 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
5 Wigeon
1 Little Grebe
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Shoveler 
1 Teal (female)
1 Common Gull
(John Isherwood)

23 Oct 17

Priorslee Lake: then Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

9.0°C > 13.0°C: Low cloud and slight rain to start; breaking after 09:00 somewhat. Light SE wind until clearance brought moderate S breeze. Moderate visibility, becoming very good

Sunrise: 07:49 BST

Priorslee Lake: 06:55 – 09:35

(127th visit of the year)

A busy morning overhead without any real ‘movement’ as such – just a few of many things

The continuing mild weather makes for little movement of wildfowl. Nevertheless three Shoveler dropped in: and the first early overflight of Goosanders towards The Flash(?) was noted

Against the trend Chiffchaffs seem to have gone / quietened down early this year – I normally log the odd bird until the end of the month

Other notes from today:
- now five drake Gadwalls: 3 as pairs and 2 ‘spares’
- rather few Wood Pigeons seen until I noticed a migrant group of 72 birds flying S far to the W. Did not see any more large groups here – but see notes from Trench Lock Pool
- no Starlings seen leaving any roost around the lake this morning: there was an overnight fisherman near the reeds so perhaps they decided not to stop
- several Redwings were calling from the tree-tops as I arrived: first of the season in the trees
- all the over-flying Pied Wagtails were headed E today: when I logged the largest numbers they were headed S – presumed migrants
- a Meadow Pipit again put up from grass around the lake: also three singles over
- Willow Tit was calling loudly again this morning and did not seem to be with other tits
- the three unidentified finch parties was frustrating: just too much road noise from a wet M54 to hear their flight calls
and
- 1 November Moth-type on the lamps
- a Common Wasp (Vespula (Paravespula) vulgaris) also on one of the lamps

On with today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 46 Canada Goose (1 group inbound)
- 6 (?♂) Goosander
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 176 Wood Pigeons
- c.650 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 10 Starlings (1 group)
- 6 Pied Wagtails
- 3 Meadow Pipits
- 1 Fieldfare
- 24 Redwings (8 singles/groups)
- 2 Skylarks again
- 1 Greenfinches
- 4 Goldfinches (1 group)
- 1 Siskin
- 2 Lesser Redpolls
- 13 unidentified finches (3 groups)

Warblers seen or heard today
None

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Gadwall
- 11 (6♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂) Shoveler
- 28 (13♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 6 + 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 151 Coots
- >180 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

The inbound three Shoveler: the middle one with the blue forewing pattern is obviously a drake. It is grey on females.

And in the morning’s early murk here is that drake, still not in breeding plumage.

The characteristic pattern of a migrating party of Wood Pigeons – I make it 79 (and there may be a few more out of the frame) so I am pleased with my estimate of 80!

A male Blackbird – of course – with a single white-tipped feather – a not uncommon feature of males. Do females have the same aberration? Or is not so noticeable? I am not sure.

‘Just’ a Dunnock but nicely posed against the neutral background of the Holy Trinity Academy. Good job it is half-term – pointing the camera at a school! The neat white edges to the tertials will wear off during the winter.

This is instructive though it took a long while to identify. Superficially a wasp sp. – and it is indeed one. I was unsure it was wasp-waisted enough and seemed too hairy. Many hoverflies resemble wasps though most of these can be dismissed as they have short-antennae. My main problem was being unable to match the very distinctive pattern on the thorax with any bee, wasp or hoverfly in any of my reference books. A search for wasp mimic on the web led me, eventually, to this web site Here, where there is a photo comparing a Common Wasp (Vespula (Paravespula) vulgaris) with the female hoverfly (Chrysotoxum cautum) in which the wasp markings looks exactly like this – even if it doesn’t look like of them in my reference books! So Common Wasp it must be.

Today’s November Moth-type.

The Field Blewit (Lepista saeva) fungus from Friday is now fully developed – my size 10 (UK) boot for comparison.

This was the example that was almost buried in the leaf litter having now forced its way through.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 09:50 – 10:05 // 10:40 – 11:10

(28th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- 3 Great Crested Grebes today: not entirely sure about the ages of these
- the floating dead body of the Lesser Black-backed Gull still visible
- 36 Redwings over in two groups

Birds noted flying over here [apart from the local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws coming and going]
- 3 Canada Geese (en route to Middle Pool)
- 1 Cormorant
- 4 Wood Pigeons
- 35 Redwings (2 groups)

The counts from the water
- 1 + 7 Mute Swans still
- 3 Canada Geese
- 11 (5♂) Mallards
- 1 (1♂) ‘feralMallard again
- 29 (9♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Little Grebes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens again
- 122 Coots again
- 30 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 + 1 dead Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Two very different-looking Little Grebes: the bird on the left is more or less still in breeding plumage; the bird on the right is in winter plumage. I think at this date any juvenile / 1st winter would still show some head-striping.

A different angle.

Just a couple of flying shots of adult winter Black-headed Gull@ no #1.

And #2.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 10:10 – 10:35

(24th visit of the year)

Notes
- a record number of Coots for me here. Probably not an increase as these can be hard to accurately count as there are always some the ‘other side’ of the island
- 1 Grey Wagtail again
and

Birds noted flying over here
- 2 Jackdaws

The counts from the water
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 50 Canada Geese
- 23 (15♂) Mallard
- [1 (0♂) ‘feralMallards]
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 12 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 36 Black-headed Gulls again

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........
2010
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
9 Meadow Pipits
143 Fieldfare
8 Redwings 
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Common Gull
6 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Female Blackcap
(John Isherwood)

22 Oct 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.5°C > 10.0°C: Light shower clearing; mainly cloudy; clearer spells at times. Moderate / fresh WNW wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 07:47 BST

Priorslee Lake: 06:50 – 09:40

(126th visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- the Mute Swan family went for another fly around the lake. I wonder whether the adults are preparing the cygnets to wander outside the lake before their eventual departure
- ever-changing numbers of Gadwall: 3 pairs and an additional drake today
- very few Mallard for some reason – and they certainly weren’t at The Flash as numbers were lower there as well
- a pair of Sparrowhawks over early: the a female – one of these? – much later
- a Water Rail calling again from the S side
- two large groups of c.195 Wood Pigeons flying S: another 70 in 6 smaller groups seem to be climbing out of trees to the N of the lake and trying to catch the big groups. A few more flying E and W as usual, nothing to do with migration
- at least 159 Starlings came out of roosts(s) around the lake: they rather caught me out by coming in dribs and drabs rather than a big group and just a few stragglers. Not entirely sure where precisely they came from – seemed not to the usual reeds. Confusingly at the same time another party from somewhere else flew over
- 3 Meadow Pipits were roosting somewhere around the lake: either in the SW grass or the small copse near the boat-launching platform. Unusual
and
- nothing on the lamps again this morning

On with today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake: (all totals affected by low cloud / restricted visibility)
- 47 Canada Geese (15 outbound; 32 inbound)
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 3 Sparrowhawks
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- c.300 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- c.500 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 3 Ravens
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 32 Starlings (1 group) (see notes)
- 5 Fieldfare (1 group)
- 37 Redwings (7 singles / groups)
- 2 Skylarks
- 2 Greenfinches
- 3 Siskins

Warblers seen or heard today
None

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans as usual
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall
- 5 (3♂) Mallard only
- 39 (15♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 + 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail heard
- 3 Moorhens only
- 153 Coots
- >170 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Kingfisher

Not much of a sunrise: I’ll take any clear weather at the moment.

Soaring above their parents the local cygnets get their morning exercise.

Dad touches down.

And a perfect two-point landing from Mum.

Junior goes around for another lap.

The other two on finals.

Nine out of ten for this landing I’d say.

Coming to rest air-brakes fully deployed.

One of this morning’s Common Buzzards on a mission to scare the gulls.

A first-winter Black-headed Gull concentrates on the intended landing spot.

Touch-down.

A last-minute re-arrangement to get its balance.

A Lesser Black-backed Gull tries to keep its balance in the strong wind. Apart from smudging around the eye this individual shows little of the sometimes extensive winter streaking on the head and neck. It is a dark-mantled bird and likely of the fuscus form from Scandinavia.

Rather over-blown deliberately to show the pointers this shot provided me with a useful gull plumage lesson. At the time I thought a 2nd winter Herring Gull – which is what it is. What I had not appreciated was how similar the upper side plumage is to 1st winter Common Gull with the pale grey mantle, pale secondary coverts; brown webs on the otherwise grey inner primaries; and even a dotted neck-collar. Clinchers for the Herring Gull option – more obvious in the field when the size was more apparent – are: the wholly black tail which is just a neat black band on a Common Gull; and the sloping forehead leading to the strong bill whereas a Common Gull would show and rounded head and small bill with a neat black tip.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:45 – 10:30

(92nd visit of the year)

Notes from here
- in contrast to the lake the two remaining cygnets here show no inclination to fly – not when I am present at least. One of them seems to spend most of the time consorting with Canada Geese
- I counted 35 Tufted Duck (18 drakes): then as I was about to leave 22 more birds flew in – likely flushed from the lake by the Sunday sailing activity

Bird noted flying over
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 4 Jackdaws
- 5 Starlings

Warblers noted
None

The counts from the water
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- >58 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 35 Canada Geese only
- 1 white feral goose again
- 21 (15♂) Mallard
- 57 (>18♂) Tufted Ducks (see notes)
- 2 Great Crested Grebes as usual
- 5 Moorhens
- 10 Coots
- 41 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 adult Great Black-backed Gull
4 Gadwall
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
A Raven tussling with Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
389 Fieldfare
6 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
15 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
13 Moorhens
232 Coots
1 Redwing heard 
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
A male Stonechat the west end
2 Gadwall
A drake Shoveler
14 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
Siskin
Redpoll
C.350 Starlings in the roost
20 Redwings
209 Coot
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)