6 Nov 18

Priorslee Lake: then Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

Priorslee Lake: 06:20 – 09:10
Trench Lock Pool: 09:20 – 09:55 // 10:50 – 10:55
Trench Middle Pool: 10:00 – 10:45

10°C > 13°C: Very mixed with scudding dark low cloud overhead and to the W with some very light drizzle: however to the E good breaks and therefore early sunny spells. Moderate SE wind. Moderate visibility, good later

Sunrise: 07:15 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:20 – 09:10

(144th visit of the year)

Absolute highlight was the 4 – count them, 4 – Great White Egrets that came from the NE at 07:15 and landed at the front of the N-side reeds. They stayed c.5 minutes and then flew off S. The edge was slightly taken off this sighting when Paul, who runs the cafe in the lay-by, suggested they had been seen by fishermen yesterday. When I first glimpsed them I expected them to be the 4 Cattle Egrets that were photographed at roost at Belvide last evening. Pity in some way as that would have been a new species for me at the lake. This was my 4th record of Great White Egret at the lake and 103rd species this year. It also means that I have recorded more Great White Egrets here than Little Egrets which is a bit odd

Other bird notes:
- 5 brownhead Goosanders flew E at 07:10. Rather strange that in previous years birds have flown W overhead whereas now they are flying E. A 6th brownhead came from the S at 07:35, circled and almost flared to land before thinking better of it and flew off W
- an adult Great Crested Grebes heard doing its usual crash-landing: not sure whether it was arriving or repositioning. Another bird, apparently an immature looked too adult to be ‘our juvenile’ which I did not locate – but it was some way away so I cannot be sure
- a squeal next to me near the concrete ramp seemed to be given in response to a hitherto unseen Sparrowhawk emerging from the adjacent shrubby tree with prey. A few minutes later I heard alarm calls from the Long-tailed Tits and saw the same(?) Sparrowhawk again crashing in to nearby bush. Much later a very different and very scruffy-looking juvenile Sparrowhawk was seen dashing through the trees
- another big early arrival of Black-headed Gulls with at least 250 birds from the W by 06:45. All but 10 gone by 07:00, with birds departing to the SW and N as well the usual SE and W directions. Later as many as 80 drifted back
- 3 of the 4 groups of Wood Pigeons were flying N as they have done for a week or so. The 4th group was flying S
- almost all the Fieldfares were flying E

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 6 (0♂) Goosanders
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 4 Lapwings
- 1 Snipe
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 8 Stock Doves
- 99 Wood Pigeons (71 of these in 4 groups)
- 128 Jackdaws
- 2 Skylarks
- 42 Starlings (5 groups)
- 46 Fieldfares (5 groups)
- 18 Redwings (6 groups)
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit again
- 2 Siskins

Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 2 Redwings
- 65 Starlings (3 singles; 4 groups)
- 4 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall still
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 90 (>33♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 Great White Egrets
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 1 + 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail heard
- 8 Moorhens again
- 113 Coots
- >250 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

And other notes
- my log today consisted of
- 1 Mottled Umber on a lamp pole
- 1 rove beetle, probably Gyrohypnus angustatus (no vernacular name), also on a pole
- a new fungus species on the edge of the football field: probably Mycena polygramma (Grooved Bonnet)

Here we see one of the Great White Egrets. The yellow bill tells us it is a Cattle Egret or Great White Egret. The size means it cannot be a Cattle Egret and that species would show a heavy jowl under the bill.

Hard to see but here are the other three Great White Egrets – well it was 07:15 on a rather dull morning across the width of the lake.

These three then flew off. Again the length of the legs and the long necks tucked in, just like on a Grey Heron, tell us Great White Egrets.

The kinked neck seen well here as is the very broad wing.

Two of them here.

And the 4th flying off. The sheer size of this species is apparent here.

Almost familiar by now: a Mottled Umber moth, though in fact the previous two I have logged this year have both been at The Flash.

This small ‘thing’ was on another lamp this morning. It is a species of rove beetle and probably Gyrohypnus angustatus (no vernacular name).

A very delicate species of fungus: I think this is Mycena polygramma (Grooved Bonnet).

And here is a cluster of them.

The weird weather with the sun shining from low to the E while dark low clouds were overhead produced this nice contrast with the Autumn colours.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 09:20 – 09:55 // 10:50 – 10:55

(19th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here
- the Common Sandpiper seen on my last two visits seems to have gone. Water-level is increasing but still plenty of mud for a wader
- at last: more gulls here, including a few large gulls
- Grey Wagtail here again

Birds noted flying over / near here
[apart from the local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws coming and going]
- 36 Starlings (2 groups)

The counts from the water
- 14 Mute Swans still
- 1 Canada Goose
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- 13 (9♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard
- 6 (2♂) Shoveler
- 4 (1♂)Tufted Ducks
- 13 (5♂) Goosander
- 5 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
- 3 Little Grebes again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 185 Coots
- 51 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls

Here is some Autumn colour along the Silkin Way path at the W edge of Trench Lock Pool.

And looking the other way – north.

With leaves coming off in the breeze it is likely the colours are at their best just now.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 10:00 – 10:45

(18th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- additional adult Mute Swan being chased rather half-heartedly. The cob seemed at least as interested in displaying to his mate as he did chasing the interloper. 7JLI was the visitor. The current adults were read as 7JLE and 7JLL

Birds noted flying over / near here
None

The counts from the water
- 3 + 2 Mute Swans
- 25 Canada Geese
- 24 (20♂) Mallard
- 2 (0♂) ‘feral’ Mallard
- 5 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- 9 (2♂) Goosander
- 2 Grey Herons
- 17 Moorhens
- 26 Coots again
- 54 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull once more
and
- 1 Grey Squirrel

The interloper Mute Swan – 7JLI. Note the relatively pale bill suggesting it is not a full adult.

One of the residents is this pen 7JLE.

And the cob is 7JLL. From this I assume the interloper is one of their offspring and they were all ringed at the same time.

How ‘wild’ are any of the Mallard here? It is very much open to question. These two Mallard ducks are birds I log as ‘feral’ as they have such unusual plumage (NB: the right-hand bird’s bill looks as if it has been transplanted from a Pochard. If you look carefully it is an optical illusion created by a disturbance in the water behind the bill).

And here is the Autumn colour around the pool here.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon 
4 Gadwall 
1 Teal 
1 Pochard 
64 Tufted Duck 
21 Moorhens 
235 Coots
5 Song Thrush 
19 Fieldfare
18 Redwings 
439 Jackdaws
89 Rooks 
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
c.110 Greylag Geese
2 Gadwall 
7 Pochard 
32 Tufted Ducks 
4 Moorhens 
145 Coots 
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.1650 Wood Pigeons
51 Redwings
302 Fieldfares 
c.375 Jackdaws
c.100 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
5 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck 
18 Stock Doves
3800+ Wood Pigeons
6 Sky Larks
1 Meadow Pipit
238 Fieldfare
19 Redwings
91 Starlings
3 Siskins
11 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow Legged Gull
2 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Yellow Legged Gull
2 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
26 Greylag Geese
Gadwall
5 Shoveler
3 Pochard
79 Tufted Duck
1 Lapwing
Snipe
2 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
16 Redwings
3 Fieldfares
9 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Cormorants
3 Shoveler
3 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
149 Coot 
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
30 Pochard
111 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
47 Coots
c.562 Black-headed Gulls
63 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
89 Wood Pigeons
22 Pied Wagtails
20 Wrens
12 Dunnocks
27 Robins
31 Blackbirds
5 Song Thrushes
22 Redwings
16 Magpies
111 Jackdaws
68 Rooks
86 Greenfinches
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)