11 Nov 18

Priorslee Lake only

7°C > 8°C: Rain just starting as I arrived. Eased after 08:30 with a clearance at c.09:00. Mainly light ESE wind. Moderate visibility in rain: better later

Sunrise: 07:24 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:20 – 09:05

(149th visit of the year)

November is turning in to a bumper month: my 105th bird species here this year was a Little Egret that ‘appeared’ at 07:20. A very strange sighting. I was avoiding the heaviest rain in the sailing club shelter and watching the distant departing Jackdaws when I noticed that the white object in front me was no longer the adult Mute Swan but a Little Egret. I managed a few record shots as the bird wandered off around the corner, where I assumed it had come from. But I could not find it later when the rain eased and I moved out of the shelter. How could I miss a sizeable all-white bird arriving and departing? It is my first-ever on the lake, my previous three records here have all been fly-overs. I know that many of the fishermen have seen this species competing with them from time to time

Otherwise rather quiet. Counting things on the lake in light rain was not easy

Bird notes:
- both the cygnet and adult Mute Swans present and having nothing to do with each other. The cygnet never close-enough to read its ring
- just 1 Great Crested Grebe today: an immature still with faint face-stripes
- a Mistle Thrush flew in to its usual song-perch alongside Teece Drive. The first I have seen for some weeks
- a ‘few’ Redwings were heard calling from trees etc. pre-dawn but it was too dark to see any leaving these roosts

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 brownhead Goosander
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 27 Wood Pigeons only (no groups)
- 154 Jackdaws
- 18 Redwings (1 group; 3 singles)
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 4 Meadow Pipits
- 3 Siskins
- 1 Linnet

Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- a ‘few’ Redwings

Rain affected counts from the lake area
- 1 + 1 Mute Swans again
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 93 (>42♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Little Egret
- 4 Little Grebes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 9 Moorhens again
- 96 Coots
- >140 Black-headed Gulls

And other notes
my log today consisted of just
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- several very large fungus, probably Wood Blewit (Lepista nuda)

A couple of record shots of the Little Egret this morning – well it was quite dull at 07:20 on a wet morning.

The only egret in out area with a dark bill. The blue-grey area at the base of the bill rules out any possibility of a vagrant Snowy Egret from the Americas which is bright yellow here. That would also show brighter and more extensive yellow on the feet and legs – we cannot see those here and neither could I ‘in the field’.

Had not noticed this large fungus before though it looks well-chewed. There were several somewhat smaller specimens in the area, mainly covered in leaf-litter that I carefully removed from this specimen. I guess when first emerging these were buried in the leaf-litter.

Here we seen the stalk and gills clearly. I am pretty certain these are Wood Blewit (Lepista nuda) mushrooms. Supposed to be good to eat but will cause severe indigestion unless ‘cooked thoroughly’. Best not to – eh?

And for scale here is my size 10 boot alongside it.

(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

2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Andy Latham)

2008
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes 
10 Cormorants
8 Pochard
107 Tufted Ducks 
c.1600 Wood Pigeons
c.1700 Fieldfare
c.460 Redwings
359 Jackdaws
124 Rooks
105 Starlings
c.12 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
140 Lapwings
150+ Golden Plover
1 Snipe
1 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
15 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
6 Meadow Pipits
21 Redwings
20 Fieldfare over 
3 Goldcrests
c.400 Starlings
1 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
28 Pochard
58 Tufted Ducks
15 Lapwings
670+ Black-headed Gulls
2008+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1207 Wood Pigeons
88 Fieldfare
24 Redwings
254 Jackdaws
229 Rooks
795 Starlings
10 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)