10 Nov 16

Priorslee Lake: 07:20 – 09:55
Location

Sunrise: 07:24 GMT

5°C > 9°C: Cloud clearing from the W and sun after 10:15. Moderate SW wind veering NW. Very good visibility

Highlights today
- at least 20 Lapwings settled on the SW grass at the lake for a while: it is many years since I have seen birds anything other than flying over
- an adult Common Gull briefly: this species is anything but ‘common’ here
- the run of unseasonal Chiffchaff records continues: the bird that has been calling, even singing, recently in the SW area was heard again. The perhaps another silent bird was seen later in the NE area. Just possible this is the same bird roosting with the Long-tailed Tits in the SW area and then travelling with them as they forage

(145th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- the leading 3 birds in the Canada Geese group looked significantly larger than the others – just male?
- of the 15 Mallard, 5 (4♂) of them flew off as I arrived
- duck Shoveler new in
- now a 2nd drake Pochard
- the Lapwings as ever confused. The 20 that landed circled for ages before settling on the grass: for a while another bird was with them before it flew off W; when the birds were disturbed 2 more joined the throng as they circled for ages before I lost track of them. Then 4 birds flew W over – so how many altogether?
- 503 of the over flying Wood Pigeons were in the 21 migrant groups: there were probably more as I was caught rather unawares as the birds flew, oddly, north! 53 more birds (in singles and small groups) flew low over and may also have been on the move
- possibly more than the 10 Sky Larks I have logged: there was a group of >15 birds in the distance but I was unconvinced they were all Sky Larks – at least 8 of these were and are logged as such
- in addition to the 14 Goldfinches over there were at least 24 more at the W end feeding on the heads of the Greater Willowherb as well as the Alder cones
- as well as the identified overflights at least 11 more ‘finches’ were seen – the road noise prevented me hearing the calls of these birds in several small groups
and
- no moths on the lamps today; and the November Moth agg. sp in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel has gone

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 10 Canada Geese
- 1 Cormorant
- 4? Lapwings (see notes)
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 120 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 2 Feral Pigeon
- 5 Stock Doves
- 557 Wood Pigeons (21 groups)
- 27 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
- 10 Skylarks
- 52 Starlings again (3 groups)
- 10 Fieldfare (4 groups)
- 11 Redwings (3 groups)
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Chaffinch once moor
- 2 Greenfinches
- 14 Goldfinches
- 8 Siskins
- 1 Yellowhammer
- 11 unidentified finches (see notes)

Count of birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
*** all gone before I arrived ***

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 15 (10♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Shoveler
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 63 (36♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 12 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 64 Coots
- 20 Lapwings
- c.160 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Common Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The duck Shoveler attempting to hide in the reeds.

Here are the 20 Lapwing that spend ages ‘casing the joint’ before ...

... descending low to ...

... eventually land on the grass.

‘Grab shot’ of the Common Gull leaving the lake. Points to look for here are; the white ‘mirrors’ in the under-wing matches closely that of the upper-wing; the tone of the upper-wing is slightly darker than either Black-headed Gull or Herring Gull but paler than Lesser Black-backed Gull; the white trailing edge of the wing is broader than in many other gull species; the bill is rather ‘weak’ compared to large gulls.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:00 – 10:35
Location

(107th visit of the year)

Notes
- I only logged 2 brownhead Goosander on the water: as I was leaving 4 birds flew off – 2 drakes; 2 brownheads
- I rarely see Rooks flying over here: possibly a timing issue

Birds noted flying over
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Rook
- 1 Skylark
- 1 Goldfinch

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Grey x Canada Goose
- 32 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 32 (22♂) Mallard
- 31 (16♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 (2♂) Goosanders
- 2 Great Crested Grebes remain
- 5 Moorhens
- 15 Coots
- 35 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull still

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Teal
1 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
75 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
226 Coots
720+ large gulls over and c.50 on the lake
1 Yellow Legged Gull
c.3100 Wood Pigeons
159 Fieldfare
31 Redwings
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
c.170 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
146 Coots
c.700 Black-headed Gulls logged
c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
41 Redwings
10 Fieldfares
634 Jackdaws
198 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Grant)

2008
Priorslee Lake
300+ Wood Pigeons
326 Redwings
652 Fieldfare
269 Jackdaw
136 Rooks
c.75 Starlings seen leaving roost
6 Pochard
78 Tufted Ducks
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
4 Goosander
47 Greylag
95 Canada Geese
42 Tufted Duck
6 Redwings
1 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Shoveler
21 Starlings in the roost
12 Pochard
57 Tufted Ducks
c.80 Lapwing
192 Coot
500+ Black-headed Gulls
800+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Chiffchaff
26 lb Carp landed by one of the fishermen
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
20 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
19 Lapwings
1700+ Black-headed Gulls
518+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
334 Wood Pigeons
14 Pied Wagtails
24 Robins
27 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
8 Song Thrushes
12 Redwings
52 Jackdaws
142 Rooks
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)