31 Dec 18

Priorslee Lake only

8°C:  Rather low overcast with occasional very slight drizzle. Light WSW wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 08:22 GMT: will be Jan 04 before this changes

Priorslee Lake:  06:45 – 08:55

(196th visit of the year)

A rather abbreviated visit this morning means that not all counts are complete

A mystery call was solved. A rather deep, guttural and even somewhat hoarse call was heard while it was still dark. I could not decide whether it was from the water or a bird in flight. I did not recognise it. I thought it might be a Great Black-backed Gull. Some 10 minutes later I heard it again and could only see a Great Crested Grebe nearby. Subsequent checking on the xeno-canto web site confirmed this was the culprit making a much louder and more insistent call than usual

Bird notes
- the Mute Swans again went for a long fly-around and were out of sight for at least 10 minutes
- no geese on the water this morning
- 2 Goosanders W at 08:23. Both brownheads
- back to just 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls arrived by 08:00. As has been the case for some weeks almost all left by 08:15 when just 15 remained. c.150 then arrived low from the W, perhaps different birds as the earlier birds had left to the S and SE
- fewer Jackdaws sped past in eight smaller groups at 07:44. Did not see or hear any others

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 2 (0♂) Goosanders
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- 117 Jackdaws
- 2 Ravens

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- [Magpies not counted]
- 4 Redwings only
- no Reed Buntings seen

The counts from the lake area:
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 23 (14♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- >300? Black-headed Gulls

My log of other things, on lamp poles
- 1 Northern Winter Moth
- 1 Scarce Umber moth
- 1 Mottled Umber moth
- 2 Early Moths
- 1 Chestnut moth – same specimen as yesterday
- 1 spider sp., perhaps a Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica)

A web-spider found at a street-lamp this morning. I am thinking this might be a Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica, also known as Toad Spider), so called because of its walnut colouration.

This is a Scarce Umber moth. Superficially like a Mottled Umber the first clue is the lack of ‘black spot’ in the middle of the forewing. While this can be absent in Mottled Umber it is usually only missing on the rare specimens that lack any markings. Here we also see the slightly wavy cross line near the base of the wing. The outer cross line is a subtly different shape, most noticeable where the wings meet and the pattern forms a straight line. On Mottled Umber the cross line dips where the wings meet.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
Two 1st-winter female Scaup
(Ian Grant)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
(Jim Almond and Paul Spear)

2010
Priorslee Lake
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Water Rail
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee lake
11 Great Crested Grebes
31 Pochard
48 Tufted Duck
237 Coot
Golden Plover
1 Water Rail
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.1250 Black-headed Gulls
300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
37 Herring Gulls
6 Great Black-backed Gull
374 Jackdaws
178 Rooks
1 Kingfisher
1 Willow Tit
2 Redpolls.
2 Redwings
14 Robins
19 Blackbirds
13 Greenfinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)