11.0°C > 12.0°C: Another unremittingly grey morning with occasional light drizzle. Almost calm. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:36 BST
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 05:05 – 07:25 // 08:10 – 09:18
(188th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- One of the Mute Swan cygnets wears blue Darvic ring 7JUE. Three of them are unringed. The fifth bird remained in the water and I could not check.
- No more easy counting of Great Crested Grebes. The families are no longer staying 'on territory' and are mixing with each other and the 'spare' adults. Two of the spares were half-heartedly displaying as were the adults in one of the family groups – and in front of their child before the watershed. As a result not too much should be read in to my lower recorded total.
- 116 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew SE between 06:19 and 06:30, the first four having a good look at the lake before moving off. Then 33 of them decided to settle for a few minutes before they too moved on. Later birds arrived or passed over moving East – West and stopping only briefly (as did the two immature Herring Gulls). Finally at c.09:00 a party of 20 came from the South and settled on the water, again only momentarily.
- 5 Grey Wagtails were on the dam together – probably my highest-ever count. This species is difficult to age / sex at this date but I think three at least were immatures.
- 16 Meadow Pipits flew W in a single group – a strange direction for Autumn passage. Two singles later.
- At 06:40 I heard calls over Teece Drive that I thought would prove to be House Martins very high up. The 'high up' bit was correct, but the sounds came from five finch-type birds. I could not place the calls.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 82 Greylag Geese (all outbound in three groups)
- 55 Canada Geese (54 outbound in seven groups; singleton inbound)
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 4 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 101 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 36 Wood Pigeons
- 18 Meadow Pipits
- 5 finch sp. (see notes)
Hirundines etc. logged:
- >22 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 9 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcaps again
- 1 (0) Reed Warbler: my latest-ever record of this species here
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 13 (9♂) Mallard
- 3 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron
- 12 + 6 (5 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 7 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 85 adult and juvenile Coots
- 11 Black-headed Gulls only
- 66 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: many immatures
- 2 Herring Gulls: immatures
Birds on the football and academy playing fields c.06:25:
[Wood Pigeons and Magpies excluded]
- 148 Black-headed Gulls on the academy playing field.
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull also on the academy playing field.
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
Moth:
- *Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria): moth species #96 here in 2020.
Other things:
- *>20 Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris): all but one at the same lamp.
- 2 very different-looking plumed midges
- *1 unidentified spider
Insects etc. noted later:
- Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Mystacides longicornis caddis flies dancing over the water's edge vegetation
Mammals
- 2 Pipistrelle-type bats only
where are all the Noctule-type bats that were a daily occurrence in April / May?
- 1 Grey Squirrel
New flowering plant species recorded:
None
(Ed Wilson)
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Woodhouse Lane area: 07:25 – 08:10
(14th visit)
Not a full walk up and down: mainly a check of the fields from the roadway.
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 5 (2) Chiffchaffs again
Other sightings:
- 2 Jays
- 14 Meadow Pipits at least: hard to know whether the same birds were repeatedly moving.
- 1 Linnet over
- 3 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:22 – 10:11
(172nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A Song Thrush flushed in to vegetation. My first here since 21st July after which the local birds stopped singing.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Meadow Pipit
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 8 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 6 (3) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 26 Greylag Geese
- 40 Canada Geese
- 27 (14♂) Mallard
- 45 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 6 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 71 adult and juvenile Coots
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
On different lamp poles:
- 5 Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman
Also noted
- *Mystacides longicornis caddis flies
- 3 Grey Squirrels
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2011
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
2 Yellow Wagtail
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2010
The Flash
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Pochard
Common Gull
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
A juvenile Arctic Tern
(Ed Wilson)