Priorslee Lake: 05:45 –09:10
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:10
Trench Lock Pool: 10:20 – 10:30 // 11:20 – 11:40
Trench Middle Pool: 10:35 –11:15
5.0°C > 9.0°C: Broken medium-level cloud. A few spits of rain later. Light / moderate ESE wind. Moderate visibility in haze.
Sunrise: 07:04 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 05:45 –09:10
(258th visit of the year)
Bird notes from today:
- Drake (Eurasian) Wigeon a new arrival.
- Now four Pochard.
- As yesterday a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived from the W preceding the Black-headed Gulls.
- Starling numbers particularly hard to judge this morning. At least 400 left in a big rush together at 06:45. They broke in to two main groups which proceeded to do murmuration flights, including over the water – unusual on exit from roost? During this time they were bisected by a group of 60 Jackdaws which diverted my attention. Were there more birds emerging? Or were the original birds still orientating? Whatever: another 42 birds left in singles or small groups over the next 15 minutes.
- Well after roost-dispersal c.20 Starlings were in trees alongside Castle Farm Way. Most unusual.
- A small arrival of Blackbirds with 22 recorded – about double the number seen on recent days. Eight of these birds were flushed as they fed on the ground in the N side copse.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 59 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: mainly adults
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 370 Wood Pigeons: 343 of these in 13 migrant groups heading ‘SW’
- 97 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook again
- 1 Raven
- 53 Starlings (4 groups)
- 1 Fieldfare
- 75 Redwings (8 groups)
- >11 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Linnet
Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- >>450 Starlings (see notes)
- 5 Redwings
- 17 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) (Eurasian) Wigeon
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall
- 11 (7♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Pochard
- 31 (20♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant yet again
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 10 Great Crested Grebes again
- 6 Moorhens
- 139 Coots
- c.70 Black-headed Gulls
- 24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: all first-winter birds
Lamp poles pre-dawn revealed:
- 3 November Moth-types (Epirrita sp.) again: differing locations from yesterday
- 1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- 3 Nursery Web Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 1 rather small stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 7 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen
- 1 unidentified gnat sp.
Later sightings:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
The ‘other’ group.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:10
(244th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- 2 Collared Doves flying in to the island were my first here for some weeks. During summer I saw them daily, often as many as six birds with several calling from roofs. Where have they gone?
- At least 20 Goldfinches flitting about. Presumed feeding in the Alders on the island.
Bird noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- 19 Jackdaws
Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans as ever
- 38 Canada Geese
- 1 Feral / hybrid-type goose again
- 35 (22♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard once more
- 55 (>23♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (0♂) Goosander
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 6 Moorhens
- 16 Coots
- 21 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher
Other things:
- on the usual lamp pole
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus harvestman again
- nothing on lamp poles in squirrel alley
- elsewhere on lamp poles
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
- on the bank of Ivy: almost no sun and chill wind so low count
- 7 wasps
- [no flies noted]
- and
Two species of fungus on a different fallen and decaying tree trunk.
Here are the other two, one still preening.
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Lock Pool: 10:20 – 10:30 // 11:20 – 11:40
(47th visit of the year)
All roadworks on the approach to the Blue Pig now complete. The small development of houses behind the Blue Pig is at long last more or less complete though the site is still locked up.
Notes from here. It is becoming increasingly difficult to think of anything given the continuing dearth of birds:
- The adult Mute Swan perhaps the bird last seen at Middle Pool. Would not come close-enough to see whether it was ringed.
No birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws].
Counts from the water:
- 1 Mute Swan
- 13 Canada Geese
- 15 (9♂) Mallard
- 6 Great Crested Grebes: 2 adults, 2 juveniles, 2 undetermined
- 2 Moorhens
- 8 Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: departed
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Middle Pool: 10:35 –11:15
(47th visit of the year)
Work continues to stabilise the N side embankment .....
Notes from here:
- The all-white bird that I have previously logged as feral duck is I am sure a goose. It was with the very similar-sized Greylags and was calling very like them. It shares their all-orange bill.
- Two of the Mallard were ostensibly in duck plumage but showed unmarked pale-yellow bills suggesting late-brood drakes yet to undergo moult.
- A party of at least 20 Goldfinches flitting about the trees
and
- 2 November Moth-types (Epirrita sp.) on a lamp-pole: moth species #8 here in 2019
- 1 Green-brindled Crescent moth (Allophyes oxyacanthae) on another lamp pole: moth species #9 here in 2019 and new for me here.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
None
Counts from the water:
- 35 Greylag Geese
- 45 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 1 all-white feral Goose-type (see notes)
- 35 (22♂) Mallard
- 9 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (3♂) Goosander
- 2 Great Crested Grebes: 1 adult + ?
- 16 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
The Greylag x Canada Goose here looks rather familiar. It has been at The Flash recently.
Drake Goosanders dominated here.
(Ed Wilson)
Note
Here are a few images from Venus Pool on Sunday 27 Oct. Click here.
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On this day..........
2018Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
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)