22 Oct 19

Priorslee Lake only

Priorslee Lake:  07:30 –09:40

5.0°C > 7.0°C:  Mainly broken cloud. Very light SW wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:47 BST

Priorslee Lake:  07:30 –09:40

(251st visit of the year)

Car problems meant the earliest possible public transport start this morning.

Bright overcast made for ideal viewing of passage birds. Pity there weren’t many – just a few late in the day parties of Wood Pigeons and a single group of Fieldfare. Recent postings have suggested that bird migration is strongest when pressure is falling and / or low and perhaps it was today’s high pressure (1023Mb) that put birds off.

Bird notes from today:
- Notwithstanding my late arrival many of the Jackdaws were even later and a reasonable total was logged passing.
- The only Redwings today were two singles in trees around the lake.
- My first Siskins of the season in the Alders.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 2 Cormorants
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults
- 8 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 112 Wood Pigeons: 98 of these in three migrant groups
- 81 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 16 Fieldfares (single and 1 group)
- 3 Pied Wagtails at least

Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
At least four more Reed Buntings still calling after the eight seen leaving the roost.
- c.110 Starlings
- 8 Reed Buntings

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese: departed
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 38 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 13 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens again
- 131 Coots
- >175 Black-headed Gulls
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: eight of these first-winter birds
- 7 Herring Gulls: all seven of these first-winter birds
- 1 Kingfisher

Later sightings on the lamp poles:
Despite not searching until after 09:15 there were still plenty of moths sitting the day out.
- 10 November Moth-types (Epirrita sp.)
- 1 Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria)
- 1 male Tipula pagana cranefly
- 1 Common stretch-spider (Tetragnatha extensa)

Later sightings elsewhere:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

A worthwhile sunrise this morning.

Two of the Mute Swan cygnets seem happy to keep the adults company. They were sleeping at the E end and are making their way to the concrete ramp whether they spend much time loafing and preening – its moult time and the cygnets will soon be getting white in their plumage which will trigger the adults to chase them away to look for their own territory.

Would have been better if this male Pied Wagtail had been facing the other way. Not been easy to photograph when they have been in groups on the grass at dawn and this lone bird perched up was welcome.

Not exactly the best of light but here we see a Siskin feeding alongside a Goldfinch. Both species are usually quite aggressive and I was surprised to see them together. Looking closely note that the Goldfinch is after this year’s green Alder cones whereas the Siskin is attacking last year’s brown ones. I guess that means they do not see each other as competition and will tolerate being together.

Another view.

“Only 19 watts. You’re not very bright” (© Spike Milligan, BBC Goon Show c.1955). A November Moth (Epirrita sp.) on one of the new LED lamps along the W end footpath.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 adult Great Black-backed Gull
4 Gadwall
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
A Raven tussling with Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
389 Fieldfare
6 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
15 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
13 Moorhens
232 Coots
1 Redwing heard 
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
A male Stonechat the west end
2 Gadwall
A drake Shoveler
14 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
Siskin
Redpoll
C.350 Starlings in the roost
20 Redwings
209 Coot
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)