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♂) ‘feral’ Mallard 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♂) ‘feral’ Mallards]
- 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)