22 Oct 18

Priorslee Lake: then Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

Priorslee Lake: 06:35 – 09:45
Trench Lock Pool: 10:00 – 10:30 // 11:15 – 11:20
Trench Middle Pool: 10:35 – 11:10

6°C > 7°C: A line of cloud to the far E otherwise clear and sunny. Light / moderate NW wind with ground frost in the sheltered areas. Good visibility

Sunrise: 07:47 BST

Priorslee Lake: 06:35 – 09:45

(131st visit of the year)

Best today were two Snipe seen flying amongst one of the migrant groups of Wood Pigeons. I am fairly sure that this was just co-incidence and they happened to be passing at the same time. I would not have seen them but for the much larger pigeons being there. It takes my 2018 site bird-species total to 101

There was a very noisy dog pre-dawn somewhere in the NW area (I did not investigate!). This may have led to some of the sedges and reeds being flattened

Bird notes:
- the 3 cygnets were taken for a long-range flight way over the construction site to the N before returning. However the weaker and / or less confident cygnet declined to leave the lake area and returned early
- an additional adult Great Crested Grebe this morning
- there were undoubtedly many more migrant Wood Pigeon parties that I failed to see: many groups were passing very high up and crossing in front of the hazy sun
- a lone Starling left the NW reed-beds. I do not think any left earlier under cover of darkness and flushed by the dog in the area

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 4 Cormorants (1 group)
- 2 Snipe
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 3 Stock Doves
- 966 Wood Pigeons (includes 931 migrants in 21 groups)
- 163 Jackdaws
- 1 Skylark
- 9 Starlings (2 groups)
- 32 Fieldfare (3 groups)
- 7 Redwings (3 groups)
- 3 Pied Wagtails again
- 3 Siskins
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 1 Starling
- 4 Redwings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall still
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- 53 (27♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Water Rails heard
- 8 Moorhens
- 121 Coots
- 53 Black-headed Gulls

And other notes
- chilly start meant fewer Autumnal-type moths
- my log today consisted of
- 3 Autumnal-type moths (Epirrita sp.) on the lamp poles
- 1 harvestman sp. on a lamp pole
- 1 spider sp. on a different lamp pole
- 1 female Tipula pagana cranefly also on a lamp pole
- >30 Muscid flies of at least 3 species sunning on lamp poles later
- 3 Grey Squirrels

All the Mute Swans take off on their epic flight away from the lake for a while.

An early return and close fly-by from the cygnet that was unhappy to leave the confines of the lake.

VERY close!

Here with an adult in pursuit.

The two adults together: the cob (male) closest with the larger swelling at the bill-base.

And again, the cob still closest. Note the difference in bill colour suggesting he is older.

And the adults return with one cygnet.

And in this shot two cygnets.

An extra adult Great Crested Grebe this morning. Perhaps what provoked this bit of a display.

The harvestman sp. on a lamp post. Hard to tell whether it really has a pale streak along its back or whether that was caused by the flash-photography. Will go unidentified.

Also unidentified is this spider sp. There are not too many spiders that habitually hold the front two pairs of legs together and most of those are crab-spiders which are a different shape entirely. Most likely a Philodromus sp.

One of many Muscid flies on the lamp poles after sun-up.

Well it looks like a crane-fly but where are its wings? It is in fact a female Tipula pagana, a species in which the female has very reduced wings and is flightless. Not something I have seen before.
(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 10:00 – 10:30 // 11:15 – 11:20

(16th visit of the year)

Water level slightly higher again

Bird notes from here
- first Pochard of the winter
- significant increase in Tufted Duck numbers as water-level rises
- the Great Crested Grebes were rather nearer today: looking closely I think two adults and their three full-grown juveniles. The juveniles stayed together much of the time
- very few gulls here at the moment. On my last three visits there have been 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls – same?

Birds noted flying over / near here
[apart from the local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws coming and going]
- c.20 Feral Pigeons circling in the distance

The counts from the water
- 17 Mute Swans
- 12 Canada Geese
- 3 (0♂) Teal still
- 13 (8♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard as usual
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 20 (7♂)Tufted Ducks
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron yet again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 2 + 3 (1 brood?) Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Moorhens
- 184 Coots
- 6 Black-headed Gulls only
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls yet again
- 1 Kingfisher again

A pair of Tufted Ducks flying about: the drake in front with the brighter eye and more extensive white on the flanks even though he is not yet in full breeding plumage.

Tufted Duck landings always look like a barely controlled crash in to the water but it seems to serve them well.

An adult and juvenile Great Crested Grebe, the juvenile still with faint head-stripes and pale bill.

All three of the juvenile Great Crested Grebes here.

Macabre: a headless gull. From the spots in the folded wings looks as if this was an adult Herring Gull. Apparently the head neatly removed: by what?

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 10:35 – 11:10

(15th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- another very good count of Goosanders. Either they are moulting fast since my last visit or some adult drakes have arrived
and
- Autumnal-type moth found on one of the lamps
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Birds noted flying over / near here
None

The counts from the water
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans still
- 2 Greylag Geese again
- 54 Canada Geese
- 37 (28♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) ‘feral’ Mallard again
- 5 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 24 (>2♂) Goosander
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron still
- 2 Great Crested Grebes still
- 10 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 43 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

A drake Goosander moulting in to adult plumage. The front of the head is bottle-green, the back still brown. And those wispy feathers on the nape will not impress too many ducks.

Another in moult.

A duck Goosander shows what a proper crest should look like.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 adult Great Black-backed Gull
4 Gadwall
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
A Raven tussling with Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
389 Fieldfare
6 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
15 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
13 Moorhens
232 Coots
1 Redwing heard 
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
A male Stonechat the west end
2 Gadwall
A drake Shoveler
14 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
Siskin
Redpoll
C.350 Starlings in the roost
20 Redwings
209 Coot
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)