3 Oct 19

Priorslee Lake only

Priorslee Lake:  05:55 –09:30

4.0°C > 6.0°C:  High cloud, lowering somewhat. Calm. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:14 BST

Priorslee Lake:  05:55 –09:30

(238th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today:
- I tried an 07:10 ‘football’ field count: five Black-headed Gulls, three Wood Pigeons, 15 Magpies. No Pied Wagtails, though 16 had been counted flying S a few minutes earlier.

- No sign of yesterday’s trapped sixth cygnet: nobody I spoke to knew anything about any rescue attempt.
- The large gulls confused me this morning. While on the ‘football’ field I noted 64 flying S a long way to the E and was confident that they were passing. However about 15 minutes later when I went back to the lake there were a suspiciously similar number of birds on the water – 76 birds. Of these 71 were Lesser Black-backed Gulls (40 first-winter birds); and five Herring Gulls (four first-winters). Then these were mostly flushed first by sparring Grey Herons and then a Common Buzzard with birds flying off E. Birds then started to arrive / return from the N with eventually 85 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (53 first-winter birds) and eight Herring Gulls (seven first-winters). So how many individuals?
- Today the Jackdaws were several minutes ahead of the Rooks on their roost dispersal flights: most unusual.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 1 Common Buzzard yet again
- 64 unidentified large gulls: too dark to ID (but see notes)
- 52 Wood Pigeons
- 79 Jackdaws
- 96 Rooks
- 16 Pied Wagtails (see notes)
- 1 Meadow Pipit

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 3 (1) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 10 (6♂) Mallard
- 12 (4♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 3 Little Grebes
- 7 adult + 2 immatures + 9 juvenile (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 119 Coots
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- >85 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: >53 of these first-winter birds (see notes)
- 8 Herring Gulls: seen of these first-winter birds

Pre-dawn sightings on the lamp poles:
- 1 unidentified midge

Only later sighting:
- 1 dead Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus): was very wet, but seemed rather emaciated. No visible wounds

Another day, another sunrise. Had been a slight ground frost overnight, soon chased away as high cloud spread from the W.

20 minutes later and it was a warning of rain and wind to come.

Another one of those confusing are they / aren’t they adult Yellow-legged Gulls. The bird on the right looks too dark on the mantle to be a Herring Gull yet it cannot be a Yellow-legged Gull as that species keeps an all-white head throughout and our bird shows dark marks on the head. So ....?

If I have trouble with adult gulls how about trying first-winter birds? This is, I am sure, a first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. The very small amount of white fringes to the (rather scruffily folded) tertials is a clue but for me the clinching feature is the very dark folded greater coverts above the legs.

Another two first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The bird on the right exhibits more extensive white fringes to the folded tertials and is I believe a first-winter Herring Gull. The bill is moving but does look somewhat longer and thinner than the first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull in front. Compare the ratio of white to brown on the mantle of this bird to the first-winter Herring Gull behind it which appears to be white with brown spotting rather than the other way around. Note too the long bill on this bird and the lack of dark smudging around the eye. Remember though immature gulls are notoriously variable and relying on a single feature is not wise.

There was rather little light to take flying shots. I tried. We can just about make out the blue / black chequer-board on the upper wing. In addition to the acorn in its bill we note that the crop is full, also with acorns no doubt. I have seen Jays collecting peanuts and emptying them out of their crop and bill to rearrange them so they can carry more in one shuttle-flight. Clever birds Jays (like all crows).

Here the classic rounded wing profile of a flying bird

Rather better than my effort at The Flash recently. Could have done with rather more light, but this is good view of a perky Wren anyway.

Meanwhile a Grey Wagtail steps out.

The dead Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus). Just very wet from lying in the wet grass.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2011
Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear 
50+ Meadow Pipits
2 House Martin
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
29 Golden Plover
House Martin
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)