13.5°C > 14.0°C: Very low cloud started to lift and break to medium overcast after 08:15. Occasional mainly light rain. Light SSE breeze. Moderate visibility becoming good
Sunrise: 07:10 BST
Significant arrival of thrushes at the lake since my visit: 14 Song Thrushes noted with 12 of these flying out of the shrubbery in the SE area. Two birds were minded to do some quiet singing. Also more Blackbirds than of late with one of these also quietly singing
Otherwise little sign of migration with just 5 Barn Swallows passing the lake and 1 Meadow Pipit over The Flash
Exceptional for the date was 4 Blackcaps, with three (one male) seen together in the same bushes as the Song Thrushes
Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:20
(106th visit of the year)
Other notes from today:
- the cygnets went for another test flight this morning with one of them managing lift-off and even the semblance of a turn
- a drake Eurasian Wigeon was a new arrival
- another Cormorant visit, albeit briefly
- two of the older juvenile and one of the ‘extra’ adult Great Crested Grebes not seen this morning
- a Green Woodpecker seen again
- Jackdaws passage started with a tight group of at least 180 birds. Over 100 in smaller groups thereafter
- I counted just 19 Pied Wagtails on the football field at 08:00; and 13 at 09:05
and
- no moths on the lamps today
I decided against doing to do an October plant report today. With the continuing mild weather there has been little change since my reports a week or so ago. Apart from anything unusual I’ll leave it until mid-month
On with today’s bird totals
Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 8 Canada Geese: (2 groups) outbound
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 24 Wood Pigeons
- >285 Jackdaws
- 127 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails
Hirundines etc. seen today
- 5 Barn Swallows
Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 7 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (0) Blackcaps
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 28 (?♂) >> 7(2♂) Mallard
- 30 (9♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 5 + 6 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 10 (? juveniles) Moorhens
- 129 Coots
- c.85 Black-headed Gulls
A record shot of the drake Eurasian Wigeon at the lake this dull morning.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:05
(80th visit of the year)
Notes from here
- 79 of the Greylag and 40 of the Canada Geese arrived while I was walking around
- juvenile Great Crested Grebe not seen today
- yet another Grey Wagtail sighting
Birds noted flying over
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 5 Feral Pigeons (1 group)
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
Hirundines etc. noted
None
Warblers seen or heard here
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff
The counts from the water
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 82 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 41 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose
- 36 (24♂) Mallard
- 29 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 (? juveniles) Moorhens
- 12 Coots
- 39 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail
40 Mute Swan
(Mike Cooper)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Shoveler
Peregrine
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Redwing
90 Golden Plover
87 Greenfinches
3 Chiffchaffs
Blackcap
Kingfisher
2 Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
1 Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail
40 Mute Swan
(Mike Cooper)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Shoveler
Peregrine
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Redwing
90 Golden Plover
87 Greenfinches
3 Chiffchaffs
Blackcap
Kingfisher
2 Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)