31 Oct 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake: 06:00 – 09:25
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:20

0°C > 1°C: Frosty. A few areas of cloud; but mainly clear. Calm start; light SE wind later. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:04 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:00 – 09:25

(138th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a Pheasant called from the Ricoh area: my first here since 28 May. He must know it is now the close season
- now 5 Little Grebes: may be my highest-ever count here
- a party of 14 Cormorants came from the W and circled once or twice. One of these broke away and landed, the others flew off NE
- >200 Golden Plover high over fields to far E again
- migrant Wood Pigeons again all flying N and / or NE
- low Jackdaw count likely due to calm / light SE wind. In these conditions dispersing birds fly very low over the fields to the E and are partially hidden from my view by the shrubs alongside Castle Farm Way
- this morning’s apparent roost dispersal of Reed Buntings took place very late and from a different location to yesterday. 3 birds left at 07:50 and 2 more at 08:10

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 13 Cormorants
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard
- >200 Golden Plover
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon again
- 1 Stock Dove (with migrant Wood Pigeons)
- 381 Wood Pigeons (288 migrants in 12 groups)
- 122 Jackdaws
- 11 Rooks
- 59 Starlings (2 groups)
- 11 Fieldfare (1 group)
- 5 Redwings (singles)
- 3 Pied Wagtails (1 group)
- 7 Siskins
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 5 Reed Buntings again

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall still
- 13 (10♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 106 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron once more
- 5 Little Grebes
- 2 Great Crested Grebes only
- 2 Water Rails heard again
- 7 Moorhens
- 115 Coots
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

And other notes
- my log today consisted of
- 1 Autumnal-type moth (Epirrita sp.) on a lamp pole
- 1 Grey Squirrel again

The waning of the moon is captured here with the cross-lighting adding more detail to the surface features.

A good sunrise this morning.

And again.

Looking the other way from the dam there are some Autumn tints, accentuated here by the early light.

The frost always brings to life the pattern of mundane Bramble leaves.

The cygnets went for a fly-about again today, staying within the confines of the lake. Again one of them was less adventurous. Here the other two flare for landing feet-first.

Meanwhile a Cormorant lands tail first.

A drake Mallard fly-by.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:20

(110th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- just one cygnet again: I guess the others have perished?
- drake Pochard new in
- a few Tufted Duck back
- the Cormorant arrived while I was present: it did not stay long
- both Great Crested Grebes look like 1st year birds with no trace of head-plumes: both have lost any face-stripes
and
- c.10 wasps on the ivy. Although it was in full-sun the ivy was also facing the chilly SE breeze which likely kept insect numbers low

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Common Buzzard once more
- 3 Feral Pigeons
- 3 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 1 Skylark
- 1 Pied Wagtail

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- [no geese]
- 43 (24♂) Mallard
- 1 (1) Pochard
- 3 (2) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 10 Coots
- 27 Black-headed Gulls

A typically angry-looking duck Tufted Duck – too close for all the bird to be in focus. Note the broad black tip to the bill: on the somewhat similar Scaup the black is very restricted.

This drake looks slightly less angry. Note the flanks are starting to get the gleaming white of breeding plumage. Also the ‘tuft’ is starting to appear, albeit rather wispy at this stage.

Here is another drake with the flanks rather whiter, though the tuft is still wispy. Note the undertail is white, even on this drake. Many filed guides suggest it is only ducks that show this feature.

The Cormorant in-bound here. An immature with the pale belly but not the bare skin at the base of the bill is yellow. Not all field guides indicate that immatures can show the yellow bare skin.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Candles Landfill Site
2nd winter Caspian Gull
8 Yellow-legged Gulls
Great Black-backed Gull
c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Chiffchaff
Mistle Thrush
29 Fieldfares
32 Redwings
13 Siskins
3 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Shoveler
5 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

2005
Trench Pool
2 Goosander
10 Shoveler
(John Isherwood)