Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:05
The Flash: 09:10 – 09:55
4°C > 5°C: Started with broken cloud, light E wind and good visibility. Low cloud rolled in from the SE and became dull again
Sunrise: 07:49 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:10
(162nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- 2 Swans left at 07:20. Still rather dark but seemed to be (near) adults. Not sure whether they just left or whether the new resident chased them. Cygnet not seen
- the Canada Geese arrived after 08:30
- for the second day the first gull to arrive was a Lesser Black-backed Gull. Did not stay long
- a Woodcock flew straight across the lake towards me at 06:55 and then veered off left towards the W of the lake. Did not return so seemed to be going to a different day-roost
- of the three Wood Pigeon flocks the first, of 57 birds, was a very straggly affair and seemed to comprise birds flushed from trees to the E. Later a tight group of 33 flew E, these rather low for migrants, though the cloud was also rather low. Then a loose group of 21 flew E to the N
Bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
[it seems that autumn passage is just about over]
- 10 Canada Geese outbound: more heard
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Stock Dove
- 131 Wood Pigeons (101 of these in 3 groups)
- 263 Jackdaws
- 7 Redwings (1 group E)
- 1 Siskin
Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 6 Redwings
The counts from the lake area: light-level slightly better
- 3 Mute Swan
- 7 Canada Geese
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall once again
- 15 (11♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 111 (53♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 7 Moorhens
- 115 Coots
- 129 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
As it was a quiet morning with little traffic I noted the times at which various species started calling:
- <06:25 Robins singing
- 07:00 Blackbird
- 07:04 Wren
- 07:07 Reed Bunting
- 07:09 Crow
- 07:10 Magpie
- 07:12 Dunnock
- 07:20 Jackdaws pass
- 07:23 Bullfinch
- 07:24 first gull arrived
- 07:25 Blue Tit
- 07:26 Goldcrest
- 07:26 Long-tailed Tits
- 07:28 Great Tit
The order is pretty consistent: start time varies with the light-levels
And other notes
My log today consisted of
- 1 Autumnal-type moth (Epirrita sp.) on a lamp pole
- 1 Mottled Umber moth unmoved for 2 days on its lamp pole
- 1 spider sp. on a lamp pole
- Common Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) still flowering
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:10 – 09:55
(126th visit of the year)
Bird notes from here
- splendid array of Goosanders – unless you are a fish
- when a few of the Goosanders left 2 Cormorants left at the same time. A Cormorant arriving some 15 minutes later assumed to be a 3rd bird
- 2 Goldcrests seen chasing around near the Priorslee Academy
- 2 Nuthatches here as well
and
- 4 Winter moth on 3 lamp posts
- 1 Mottled Umber moth on the same lamp posts as yesterday
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 5 Feral Pigeons
- 2 Wood Pigeons
The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans still
- 17 Canada Geese
- 35 (18♂) Mallard
- 7 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 52 (12♂) Goosander
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 2 Moorhens
- 10 Coots
- 56 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2017Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Gadwall
1 Teal
2 Pochard
99 Tufted Duck
225 Coots counted
1 Woodcock
6 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Green Woodpecker
231 Fieldfare
66 Redwings
c.375 Jackdaws
2 Redpolls
5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
31 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
23 Tufted Duck
Goosander
143 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
19 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
259 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson / Allan Heath)
2005
Priorslee Lake
206 Starlings going to roost
C.500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
10 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow legged Gull
1 Caspian Gull
c.700 Black-headed Gulls
(Martin Adlam)