5 Oct 18

Priorslee Lake and Priorslee Flash

Priorslee Lake: 06:15 – 09:15
The Flash: 09:20 – 09:55

12°C > 13°C: Mainly cloudy: a few bright patches early: some light drizzle at times later. Moderate S wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 07:17 BST

Tufted Duck numbers reduced at the lake and all gone from The Flash

Priorslee Lake: 06:15 – 09:15

(124th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the cygnets were given a flying lesson this morning. Two of them almost achieved lift-off. The third managed but a few flaps
- for the last three days a single adult Lesser Black-backed Gull has appeared briefly on the water. It grieves me to say that on none of these occasions have I seen it fly in or out. Must be going blind
- corvid dispersal was again poor: I noted just c.30 Jackdaws skimming below the tree line and 3 Rooks at the normal time – c.07:00 at present. Strangely there were 15 more Jackdaws in 3 concurrent small groups at c.08:30 as well as the usual additional singles
- one of two parties of Long-tailed Tits contained 16 birds
- small influx of Song Thrushes this morning: only 5 but 3 more than usual
- two parties of 7 Pied Wagtails seen flying S

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 42 Wood Pigeons
- c.53 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 14 Pied Wagtails

Warblers noted
- 2 Chiffchaffs again

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans as usual
- 6 (4♂) Mallards
- 40 (7♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Moorhens
- 129 Coots again
- 58 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull yet again

And other notes
- my log today consisted of
- 2 Autumnal-type moths (Epirrita sp.) on different lamps
- 3 Garden Spiders on the lamp
- 2 wasps
- the same 4 fruits of Shaggy Inkcap / Lawyer's Wig (Coprinus comatus) fungus
- new fungus near the yacht club hut [Field Blewit (Lepista saeva)?]
I need to note that this whole year has been dire for bat sightings with just one sighting of Pipistrelle-type bats and no sightings of Noctule-type bats.

It was a mostly grey morning but there was some breaks to the E and for a very short time there was this amazing display.

Two (or three?) for the price of one. While photographing the moth a Garden Spider wandered in to view. The moth is one of the November Moth agg. comprising Autumnal, November, and Pale November Moths (all Epirrita sp.). These species are not visually separable. On date this is likely an Autumnal Moth.

The lifespan of Shaggy Inkcap / Lawyer's Wig (Coprinus comatus) fungus is rather short and they soon deliquesce. See yesterday’s photo.

The new fungus this morning. Perhaps Field Blewit (Lepista saeva)?

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 09:55

(101st visit of the year)

Notes from here
- cygnets nowhere near the only adult present
- where were all the geese?
- where have all the Tufted Ducks gone?
- age of Great Crested Grebe not determined: getting difficult anyway but it was asleep with head tucked in
and
- 3 Grey Squirrels

Bird noted flying over The Flash
- 1 Siskin

Warblers noted
- 1 Chiffchaff again

The counts from the water
- 1 + 3 Mute Swans
- no Geese
- 36 (19♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- no Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 1 (age?) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens yet again
- 8 Coots
- 21 Black-headed Gulls

Bath time for this Wood Pigeon.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)