22 Sep 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash; then Trench Lock Pool and Middle Pool

5.5°C > 11.5°C: Fine and clear start with a few patches of medium-level cloud. Very good visibility above some mist patches. After 08:00 the mist rolled in and visibility became poor with low cloud at the lake. Trench was below the mist with some breaks with sun. Calm start with light / moderate S breeze springing up

Sunrise: 06:55 BST

Priorslee Lake: 06:30 – 07:20 // 08:05 – 09:15

(98th visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- the cygnets all had a trial flight this morning: did not quite manage lift-off
- the Greylag Goose seen yesterday lurking in the reeds was today on the dam-face: seems to be injured (or unwell) and unable to fly
- in addition to the 23 outbound Canada Geese another 12 pitched in to the lake and stayed a while despite the half-hearted attempt by the cob Mute Swan to move them
- probably many more Tufted Ducks present initially: I left checking until after I returned from The Flash and the light was better. By that time a wind-surfer was setting up and many birds seemed to have left (most of the Mallard had gone too)
- a Little Grebe made a typically brief appearance away from the reeds
- an additional adult Great Crested Grebe today
- lower count of Rooks today may be due to my being distracted by an oddly-behaving grebe sp. Several parties of Jackdaws were my first for many weeks here. After the arrival of the mist two late passing birds became ‘lost’ and landed in the trees along the N side – something I have only ever seen them do in fog
- today’s counts of the Pied Wagtails on the football field: 16 at 07:15; 15 at 08:05; and 9 at 09:10
- a Meadow Pipit over was my first of the autumn here
- a Reed Bunting noted flying out of the W end reeds. Like all buntings this species becomes very hard to find after the breeding season – unless you can find where they have gathered to feed on stubbles or seeds
and
- no moths on the lamps today
- a Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus) on one of the lamps again
- the following additional plant noted in flower
- Red Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) (new this year here!)
- Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense) (new for me)
- many fruiting bodies of fungus found by the football field: provisionally identified as Fairy Ring Champignon (Marasmius oreades)

On with the bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 2 Greylag Geese (singles)
- 23 Canada Geese (5 parties): all outbound
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 13 Wood Pigeons
- 58 Jackdaws
- 99 Rooks
- 1 Meadow Pipit

Hirundines etc. seen today
None

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 7 (2) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose again
- 12 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall again
- 20 (?♂) Mallard
- 8 (0♂) Tufted Ducks (see notes)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 8 + 8 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 10 (4 juveniles) Moorhens
- 127 Coots
- >150 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

A touch of mist in the distance but basically a fine and clear start.

The cygnets were trying to fly today. This one is composing itself after a rather ungainly touch-down. Note that it now wears a blue Darvic ring – this has been added this week and I need to read them!

Mr. Angry! A drake Tufted Duck!

Even though this bird is not in breeding plumage – when the flanks would be gleaming white – we see a hint of green-gloss on the head.

A classic first winter Lesser Black-backed Gull with a black bill with only a hint of a pale base, extensive dark around the eye, dark brown back with white-fringed but otherwise solid black tertials and black primaries.

A different bird, also a first winter Lesser Black-backed Gull with the black bill even more prominent.

A trio of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls showing variable amount of winter plumage head-spotting.

This seems to be Red Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum). Not a flower I expected to see at this time of year: the literature says it flowers until November. Did not look much like the Spring examples with the leaves rather old and mottled. That said I had not recorded it here this year.

The leaves and rather small flower-head suggest this a Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense). New for me here but I am sure I have overlooked it amongst all the other thistles around the lake.

This Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus) covered in dew.

Adjacent to the football field were several groups of the same fungus. It seems likely these are Fairy Ring Champignon (Marasmius oreades), common in short grass and not always in the classic ‘fairy ring’.

A close-up of another group.

And a look at the stems.

More Autumn colours.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:25 – 07:55

(76th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- asked around this morning but no one could give me news about the two cygnets that went missing between my visits on 31 August and 18 September. It was suggested that might have been taken in to care having become entangled with fishing gear. I would have expected it to have been returned by now
- low count of Mallard today
- a Grey Wagtail here again

Birds noted flying over
- 22 Feral Pigeons (1 group)
- 2 Pied Wagtails

Hirundines etc. noted
None

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs again

The counts from the water
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 5 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose
- 15 (9♂) Mallard
- 32 (>12♂) Tufted Ducks again
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 (both juveniles) Moorhens
- 10 Coots again
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

A Moorhen was yet again calling from the upper pool between the lake and The Flash; and a drake Mallard flew from the lower pool to the upper pool.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 09:30 – 10:05 // 10:45 – 10:50

(23rd visit of the year)

Notes from here
- the cygnets here have been ringed and I read 1VI, 1VJ and 1VL before they all entered the water: one of the adults has also been ringed – 1ZP

Birds noted flying over here
None

Hirundines etc. noted
None

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the water
- 2 + 8 Mute Swans
- 5 Canada Geese
- 16 (11) Mallards [also 1 ‘feral’ bird]
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 + 3 (1 brood?) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 113 (5 juveniles) Coots
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Plants not checked here today.

The distinctly feral Mallard-type duck here – we can tell there is Mallard in the genes by the curly-tail and that also means it a duck. Where the rest comes from is anyone’s guess.

A shot capturing the wing pattern of a flying first-winter Black-headed Gull.

And again.

(Ed Wilson)

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Middle Pool: 10:10 – 10:40

(19th visit of the year)

Notes
- the Mute Swans have lost one of their brood, with the five surviving birds looking healthy
- just one juvenile Great Crested Grebe now present from the brood of 4 that hatched in July
- my largest count of Coots here after what seemed to be a good breeding season at this site. Four birds still obvious juveniles

Birds noted flying over here
None

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff

The counts from the water
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 62 Canada Geese
- 25 (16♂) Mallard [no ‘feral’ birds noted]
- 10 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 + 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 (3 juveniles) Moorhens
- 29 (4 juveniles) Coots

Plants not checked here either.

The reflection of the trees makes the water look green. Here we see a duck Tufted Duck – the white on the face is not extensive enough for a duck (Greater) Scaup and there is the tell-tale hint of a tuft on the rear crown.

A drake Tufted Duck against the same green-looking water.

Just to prove that Great Crested Grebes are omnivorous here is an adult eating weed.

A juvenile Moorhen. At this age they lack the red shield of the adult but can most easily be separated from juvenile Coots (that similarly lack their white shield) by the white line along the flanks. It is paler than the out-of-focus adult behind it, but distinctly grey: a juvenile Coot would look blacker. Note too the white undertail, frequently exposed when moving away from danger.

An adult Coot also against the green-looking water. A fierce red eye.

Autumn colours here too.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2008
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
Common Redstart
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
The drake Mallard x Pintail has returned for the 5th year at least 
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Redwing
(Ed Wilson)