17 Oct 18

Priorslee Lake
The Flash

Priorslee Lake: 06:30 – 09:10

10°C > 12°C: Broken medium / high cloud, clearing away to the E. Very light W wind. Good visibility

Sunrise: 07:38 BST

Priorslee Lake: 06:30 – 09:10

(126th visit of the year)

While Spring and the arrival of the first visitors is always exciting I find that fine days in Autumn provide even better and more rewarding bird-watching. Visible migration is at its height and new visitors are arriving for the winter. The change in the season was very evident this morning
- the first Water Rail heard
- a big passage of Wood Pigeons with 718 passage birds (in 17 parties) and 20 on more local movement
- at least 8 Starlings seen leaving a roost in the NW reeds
- the first Fieldfares and Redwing
- the first Lesser Redpolls as well
- an unprecedented group of 8 Yellowhammers flew over
A few other fly-overs with Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails, Skylarks and Siskin all logged

Other bird notes:
- the cygnets were given another flying lesson this morning. The two strong flyers managed a turn at the end. The third again failed to lift-off
- two single Cormorants overhead were followed by a group of 16 flying S
- a single Little Grebe along the N side; and then two seen along the S side. Later 3 together along the S side: was there a 4th bird?
- the juvenile Great Crested Grebe not seen this morning
- the Feral Pigeons and Stock Dove were noted within the migrant Wood Pigeons
- the Jackdaws (and, less so, the Rooks) behaved rather oddly this morning. The early passage comprised c.120 Jackdaws and but a single Rook at c.07:15. A group of 58 Jackdaws and 4 Rooks flew W at c.07:45 – a most unusual direction for these species. Then at 08:40 31 Jackdaws and 2 Rooks flew along their normal departure line – nearly 90 minutes later than usual

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 18 Cormorants
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Stock Dove
- 738 Wood Pigeons
- 219 Jackdaws
- 12 Rooks
- 9 Skylarks
- 2 Fieldfares
- 1 Redwing
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 3 Meadow Pipits
- 1 Chaffinch
- 1 Siskin
- 2 Lesser Redpolls
- 8 Yellowhammers

Warblers noted
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans as usual
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 5 (4♂) Mallards
- 55 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 3 (4?) Little Grebes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail heard
- 5 Moorhens only
- 119 Coots
- c.70 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

And other notes
- my log today consisted of
- 5 Autumnal-type moths (Epirrita sp.) all on different lamps to those seen yesterday
- 1 Epiphyas postvittana (Light Brown Apple Moth) on a lamp
- 1 spider sp. on a lamp
- 2 of the same unidentified fly sp. on a lamp pre-dawn
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- 2 species of fungus were new irruptions around the football field

The early broken cloud soon moved away and at least part of time there was a decent sunrise.

Another view.

The cob Mute Swan and his three offspring hope I have some food. I didn't.

Here all the Mute Swans take to the air – well almost: the cygnet on the right never achieved lift-off.

One of the cygnets well up in the air.

Here an adult and two of cygnets come in to land after a 270 degree turn. The non-flyer is on the right.

Normally VERY shy I was pleased to get even this rather poor shot of three Little Grebes. Had one of these come from the N side where I had seen one earlier?

Often unobtrusive outside the breeding season this Reed Bunting decided to sit up. I would judge this as a 1st winter male. Any winter adult should show a(n almost) black malar stripe. A female would have a greyer rump.

Though here the malar stripe looks rather dark.

It looks as if its singing here. It wasn’t: just calling quietly. Note the distinctive bill shape, shared with all buntings (including the Yellowhammer).

One of the Autumnal-type moths had the decency to sit quite low-down on a lamp pole and allowed the rather better shot.

This Light Brown Apple Moth was less co-operative. Smaller and high up a lamp pole it then proceeded to object to flash photography and flew off before I could get a better shot.

All I call tell you about this spider is that it is not a Garden Spider.

One of the two species of fungus near the edge of the football field.

And the other species of fungus found.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash

Today I saw 3 mature cygnets at the NW end of the Flash . Whilst feeding them (with Oats!!) the resident swans and cygnets arrived for a feed. The resident cob drove the “new” cygnets from the pond, attacked one and then herded them across the grass to the St Georges’ underpass over the A5 . After watching them for a while it then returned to the Flash.




(Christopher Wynes)

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On this day..........
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

 2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Shoveler
3 Wigeon
12 Pochard
1 Little Grebe
(John Isherwood)

 2008
Priorslee Lake
182 Wood Pigeons
10 Skylarks
(Ed Wilson)

 2006
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
84 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Kingfisher
21 Wrens
11 Dunnocks
38 Robins
22 Blackbirds
9 Song Thrushes
139 Redwings
30 Starlings
3 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)