13.0°C > 15.0°C: Early very low cloud and light drizzle gave way to mainly clear skies for a while before more cloud started to build. Moderate WSW. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 07:20 BST
Nothing to highlight today
Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:45
(112th visit of the year)
Notes from today:
- all geese in a single large group inbound
- an additional drake Gadwall today
- all 6 adult Great Crested Grebes located today: also the 6 remaining juveniles; two from the oldest brood seem to have left
- one of the Buzzards flushed many gulls from a field to the NE: at least 28 Lesser Black-backed Gulls headed off W to the far N; all (most?) of the Black-headed Gulls returned to the lake
- the Kestrel over the old Celestica site to the N and flushing Wood Pigeons. Did not see it chase any
- very low cloud and drizzle whilst the Jackdaws and Rooks were passing which probably accounts for lower totals
and
- just a spider sp. found on the lamps today
- on the vegetation and along with a number of unidentified flies was a rather late worker wasp sp.
- the overnight rain had brought out a few snails – I tentatively identified a Brown-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis) and a Shiny Glass Snail (Zonitoides nitidus)
On with today’s bird totals
Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 72 Canada Geese
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 2 Sparrowhawks again
- 2 Common Buzzards again
- 1 Common Kestrel
- 34 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 64 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Collared Doves (single and pair)
- c.550 Jackdaws
- 21 Rooks
- 3 Skylarks
- 1 Starling
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Greenfinches
- 2 Goldfinches
- 3 Linnets
- 1 Lesser Redpoll again
Hirundines etc. seen today
None
Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 1 (0) Chiffchaffs
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Eurasian Wigeon once more
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 14 (7♂) Mallard
- 38 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 6 + 6 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail heard again
- 6 Moorhens again
- 129 Coots
- c.180 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Kingfisher
Cloud only cleared after sun-up so the detail on the Harvest Moon is not as great as it could be.
It is of course quite possible to walk on water: an adult winter Black-headed Gulls shows how.
Another species of this difficult group. I think a Shiny Glass Snail (Zonitoides nitidus) due to the dull orange mark and the wrinkles on the shell. An unpleasant snail that is a carnivore and even a cannibal.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2014
Wellington
Fieldfare
(Jenny Hood)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Shoveler
Chiffchaff
Grey Wagtail
Reed Bunting
Siskin.
(John Isherwood)
2009
Priorslee Lake
50 Mute Swan
(Mike Cooper)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Swallow circling with swirling Starlings
(Ed Wilson)
Wellington
Fieldfare
(Jenny Hood)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Shoveler
Chiffchaff
Grey Wagtail
Reed Bunting
Siskin.
(John Isherwood)
2009
Priorslee Lake
50 Mute Swan
(Mike Cooper)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Swallow circling with swirling Starlings
(Ed Wilson)