16 Nov 17

Priorslee Lake: then Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

6.5°C > 10.5°C: Cloud clearing away to the E for a while: then broken mid-level cloud: became overcast after 10:00 and then heavy rain for a while starting at 10:50. Calm start with light mist: later a light, eventually moderate S / SW wind. Very good visibility until arrival of rain.

Sunrise: 07:33 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:30 – 09:15

(133rd visit of the year)

Another sighting that got away: a party of 14 geese flew N more or less overhead the lake at 07:15. Rather small and fast-flying they were certainly not Canada Geese. I did not see them until they were through the overhead and they gave little clue as to their identity. The extent of the white at the rear-end suggested either Greylag or Pink-footed Geese. I was unable to see the upper-wing pattern and I did not hear any calls. My impression was they were rather too small for Greylag Geese, but ...

A rather busier morning

Other notes from today:
- early on there was a single drake Gadwall at the W end: the totals below came from the E end at which time I was unable to confirm whether the W end bird was still there
- only the adult Great Crested Grebes seen today. A juvenile was pestering an adult yesterday without apparently getting any response from its sleeping parent: perhaps it has taken the hint
- 2 Water Rails heard squealing along the S side – so still here. Later one calling from the NW area and presumed same also squealing
- 14 of the Wood Pigeons shot out of the trees together and climbed high suggesting that they were migrants that had roosted around the lake rather than local birds. The six migrant parties were heading E, N and SW with most of the birds going NW
- the roosting Starlings were all around the W / NW area this morning: 2 singles shot out of separate areas at the W end; then 4 small groups from the NW reeds; and another single from the SW somewhere. Plenty of Starlings over later, all moving W
and
- 2 Winter Moths and 2 November-type (Epirrita sp.) moths on the lamps. I have yet again changed my mind about the earlier moths this week. Having seen two very obvious Winter Moths and seen how noticeably smaller they are it is clear that, despite their variable markings, all the previously logged moths this week have been November-type (Epirrita sp.) moths. Males Epirrita sps. have slightly different wing shapes from females which adds to the confusion
- a harvestman, probably Mitostoma bimaculatum, and two spiders of different species were sharing a lamp

In my mid-month check of plants still in flower I included
- Dandelion sp. (probably Taraxacum officinale)
This was a bit of a ‘cheat’ as I could only find ‘clocks’: all resolved when today a new flower was opening

On with today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 2 Canada Geese (1 group, outbound)
- 14 geese sp. (see notes)
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- 10 Feral Pigeons (2 parties)
- 195 Wood Pigeons (of these 165 migrants in 6 groups)
- 89 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 1 Redwing only
- 2 Fieldfares
- 106 Starlings (8 singles / groups)
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Greenfinch
- 2 Chaffinches
- 6 Siskins (all singles)

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 14 Wood Pigeons (see notes)
- 53 Starlings in 7 singles /groups
- 8 Redwings
- 2 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 9 (5♂) Gadwall (perhaps 10 (6♂))
- 10 (6♂) Mallard again
- 2 (2♂) Pochard again
- 37 (22♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron yet again
- 1 Little Grebe
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Water Rails heard
- 11 Moorhens
- 159 Coots
- >160 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Kingfishers

Cannot let the first sunrise for a while go unchallenged.

And from another vantage point.

Now THIS is a real Winter Moth.

So THIS is a November-moth (Epirrita sp.).

This seems to be the harvestman Mitostoma bimaculatum (there is no vernacular name). A harvestman with relatively short legs and active all-year.

The harvestman was sharing its lamp with two spiders: the most obvious one is a Nursery Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) and the other, hiding behind a leaf caught in the web, looks like a Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus).

I did not notice the small bug on the top of this Autumnal leaf.

And some more Autumn leaves (note: it is not true that “The leaves of brown came tumblin' down, remember: in September in the rain” even if Harry Warren and Al Dubin composed it and Dinah Washington sang it).

A whole melange of colour here with one leaf very much past its sell-by date. When the light breeze sprang up later the remaining leaves started a veritable cascade and it cannot be long now before the trees are gaunt.

So meanwhile here are a few more views.

Another.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 09:35 – 10:00

(30th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- 6 cygnets with the lone adult today. perhaps I overlooked the 6th yesterday? seems unlikely so perhaps it was ‘visiting’ somewhere
- only the drake Goosanders fishing today

No birds noted flying over here [apart from the local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws coming and going]

The counts from the water
- 1 + 6 Mute Swans
- 45 Canada Geese
- 20 (13♂) Mallards
- 1 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard remains
- 1 (0♂) Shoveler
- 42 (18♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 6 Moorhens
- 118 Coots
- 73 Black-headed Gulls
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. The position of the white area in the outer primaries and the length of these shows that regrowth after the moult is not complete.

And here it (or a very similar bird) is on the water.

Looking at the rather more extensive winter head-spotting this different bird is also still regrowing the outer primaries.

In contrast the flapping bird here shows a correctly positioned white area and full length outer primaries.

This is a clever trick: gives me neck-ache and its friends seem surprised.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 10:05 – 10:45

(27th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- the Mute Swan family went for a test-flight this morning: 3 of the cygnets flying strongly with full lift-off
- some geese at least have returned
- an overflight by a Pied Wagtail was my first record from here for two years
and
- no moths seen today: yesterday’s moths re-identified as November-type moths (see above)
- a new plant for here was noted – not terribly exiting
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Birds noted flying over here
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Pied Wagtail

The counts from the water
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 34 Canada Geese
- 23 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard
- 11 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes remain
- 15 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 59 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

A popular spot to feed the birds – probably with the wrong sort of food, but we will let that pass. Birds get very used to people and the lure of food presents opportunities to photograph the often rather shy Moorhens.

Again here: the back bird is a bird born this year and yet to get the red shield

This view shows the huge feet. It makes the bird amazingly adept at climbing in vegetation.

Unlike Coots there seems to be little aggression between Moorhens and they often gather in some numbers (two Canada Geese try to get in the picture).
(Ed Wilson)

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

2014
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon 
5 Gadwall 
2 Teal 
69 Tufted Duck 
215 Coots 
19 Lapwings 
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
c.220 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
21 Herring Gulls 
74 Starlings
8 Fieldfare
38 Redwings 
93 Jackdaws
19 Rooks
3 Ravens
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
12 Greylag Geese
3 Wigeon
1 Shoveler 
3 Pochard 
11 Tufted Ducks 
Snipe
c.35 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Caspian Gulls
8 Yellow-legged Gulls
1,600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
30+ Herring Gulls
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
Hybrid Lesser Black-backed x Herring Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2007
Priorslee Lake
140 Golden Plover
1 Gadwall
2 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Cormorants
29 Pochard
54 Tufted Ducks
>675 Black-headed Gulls
2571 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gulls
272 Wood Pigeons
32 Robins
26 Blackbirds
212 Fieldfares
5 Song Thrushes
50 Redwings
7 Mistle Thrushes
5 Goldcrests
563 Jackdaws
144 Rooks
33 Starlings
1 Redpoll
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)