15 Nov 17

Priorslee Lake: then Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

8.5°C > 10.5°C: Mostly cloudy at medium level again. Light and variable wind. Good visibility

Sunrise: 07:32 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:30 – 09:05

(132nd visit of the year)

One that got away: a probable Woodcock flew past me and dropped in to the wooded area in the NE area at 06:55. I saw it only out the corner of my eye but it seemed the right size at the right time in the right location. However a ‘probable’ it must remain and I am not adding it to my species list

Other than that it was very quiet this morning, especially flying over with the few Wood Pigeons making only local movements

Other notes from today:
- 5 Goosanders flew overhead at 07:25 and again headed off SW. Seemed to be all drakes: not the best of views
- 3 Little Grebes today: two positioned from the NW to the NE area; with one still in the NW area later
- 10 or more Magpies flushed as I walked underneath their roost pre-dawn – hard to be certain how many. Still many fewer than the usual winter roost count that has, in the past, reached >80 birds. 12 birds seen afterwards may have included birds that roosted elsewhere
- getting reliable numbers for Jackdaws passing is proving hard at the moment. The corvid dispersal used to start c.3 minutes after the first Wren began calling and comprised several loose groups of Rooks. Then some 5 minutes later multiple parties comprising between c.20 and c.150 Jackdaws passed for some 10 minutes with a few smaller groups thereafter. At the moment Rooks seem to be absent with the first Dunnock calls (some 5 minutes after the first Wren) marking the start of the Jackdaw passage. This typically comprises just one or two large, swirling groups that are exceptionally hard to even estimate
- 9 of the roosting Redwings left the traditional NE area
- 4 Siskins noted in trees around the Teece Drive gate
- a Reed Bunting left its W end roost
and
- 2 Winter Moths on the lamps [NB: yesterday’s moth has been re-identified as this species and that becomes the first of the season (and 2017)]
- another moth seen in flight likely also this species
- a fly sp. on one of the lamps seemed to be a spider victim and was probably dead
- yesterday’s group of fungus seem to be Common Bonnet (Mycena galericulata)

One addition to yesterday’s mid-month check of plants still in flower.
- Shaggy Soldier (Galinsoga quadriradiata)

On with today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 5 (5♂?) Goosanders
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 13 Wood Pigeons only
- c.475 Jackdaws
- 9 Redwings (2 groups)
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- >10 Magpies (see notes)
- [Starlings not seen but was in the wrong place for viewing]
- 11 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall
- 10 (6♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 38 (22♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 3 Little Grebes
- 4 + 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 173 Coots
- >140 Black-headed Gulls
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

This was the specimen that convinced me that my ID was wrong yesterday: this is a Winter Moth.

The distinction between the November Moth group and Winter Moth (apart from the subtly different wing-shape) is well illustrated here: none of the ‘November Moths’ would show the banding seen on this specimen. All these are males: like most winter-flying moths the female are almost wingless.

A puzzle here: from the striped thorax I thought this was a dead hoverfly but looking at the photo I see the spurs on the legs and hairy body which means it is likely a ‘true fly’. But which I cannot say, being unable to locate any similar examples on the web.

Here is the flower I missed yesterday – Shaggy Soldier (Galinsoga quadriradiata).

My fungi identification is always tentative. I am fairly certain this is a Mycena sp.: I would vote for Common Bonnet (Mycena galericulata). Slight concern that it is a rather late date for this species and it should be growing on dead wood – perhaps a branch hidden in the leaf litter?

Some more Autumnal views: here is one.

And another.

And another.

And yet another.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 09:25 – 09:50 // 15:15

(29th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- only 5 cygnets with the lone adult today. I know these birds can fly so I hope the other two have flown away. One of the remaining five was keeping well-away from the rest
- both drake and brownhead Goosanders fishing in the lake
- 2 Great Crested Grebes today: one adult and one 1st year

Birds noted flying over here [apart from the local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws coming and going]
- >25 Starlings from the local estate?

The counts from the water
- 1 + 5 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese
- 15 (10♂) Mallards
- 1 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard remains
- 44 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 (1♂) Goosanders
- 2 Little Grebes again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens yet again
- 120 Coots
- 61 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

As a postscript a quick look while walking past at 15:15 revealed
- 39 Canada Geese
- 1 (0♂) Shoveler
- 246 Black-headed Gulls with more arriving all the time
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived

The drake Goosander measured against a Coot.

And the brownhead Goosander, likely a female with the shaggy hair-do rather too extensive for a first-winter drake.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 09:55 – 10:20 // 14:55

(25th visit of the year)

Notes from first visit
- where are all the geese? The lone Canada Goose flew in
- another record number of Coots for me here
and
- 2 Winter Moths on the lamps: moths have been scarce here this year since the lamp-heads were changed for the latest LEDs with a different colour-spectrum
- a Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) again
- I did not do a plant survey here: however I noted flowering Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) which seems to be no longer in flower at the lake

Birds noted flying over here
None

The counts from the water
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 1 Canada Goose
- 25 (19♂) Mallard
- 9 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes remain
- 13 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls briefly

And as a postscript here: at 14:55
- 24 Canada Geese
- 23 Black-headed Gulls

Another Winter Moth: the specimens seen to today show the variability of the marking on this species. The wing shape at rest is a good clue.

This specimen is much less well-marked.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
1 Wigeon 
5 Gadwall 
2 Teal 
77 Tufted Duck 
230 Coots 
c.650 Black-headed Gulls
c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
21 Herring Gulls
36 Fieldfare
2 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Wigeon
1 Shoveler 
3 Pochard 
11 Tufted Ducks 
c.35 Redwings
c.175 Jackdaws
36 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebes
30 Pochard
75 Tufted Ducks
50 Coots
>550 Black-headed Gulls
1329 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
7 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
242 Wood Pigeons
36 Robins
22 Blackbirds
72 Fieldfares
22 Redwings
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)