130°C: Very low cloud again with mainly light rain starting at 07:45. Almost calm (where is storm Barbara?). Moderate visibility but poor after start of rain.
Sunrise: 07:47 BST
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 06:18 – 09:29
(226th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The Water Rail first heard two weeks ago seems to have moved on.
- No very early arrival by Black-headed Gulls: first at 07:35. c.225 noted streaming in from W / NW later. As ever hard to certain whether some birds had flown back and were really returning,
- I logged just 76 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying from the N / NW between 07:15 and 07:29. Of these 53 settled on the water and 23 flew over.
- After 08:50 another 92 Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived with five Herring Gulls, these all from the NE / E this morning. Just two more noted passing overhead
- The first party of post-roost Jackdaws was 65 birds at 07:39. At 07:45 a very large group of c.250 birds flew over. Just two seen later.
- Strange that there are no Rooks at the moment. A few weeks ago there were >100 with the Jackdaws.
- After making the usual chatter just five Starlings left the NW roost and all went quiet. Seemed a lot of noise for five birds! A few minutes later c.100 more departed silently. Many fewer than in recent days.
Birds noted flying over / near here: all numbers affected by low cloud and poor visibility.
- 1 Greylag Goose (outbound)
- 5 Canada Geese (one group outbound)
- 1 Cormorant
- c.25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- 13 Wood Pigeons only
- c.320 Jackdaws
- 10 Fieldfares (one group)
- 6 Redwings (three groups)
- >12 Pied Wagtails
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- c.100 Starlings
- 7 Redwings
- no Reed Buntings (several heard calling from roost site)
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall again
- 10 (6♂) Mallard
- 7 (5♂) Pochard
- 46 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- *2 Little Grebes
- *14 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 153 Coots again
- c.225 Black-headed Gulls
- c.145 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again (see notes)
- 5 Herring Gulls: one adult; four immatures
Playing fields
Not Visited
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- *1 probable Rhomboid Tortrix moth (Acleris rhombana)
- again probably 4 November Moth-types (Epirrita sp.). Three on lamp poles and another, presumed this species, flying around.
- 2 Common Green Lacewings (Chrysoperia carnea): both brown individuals.
- *3 spiders all of different species.
Noted later:
- 3 Grey Squirrels.
With the very mild conditions I half-expected to see some bats. I checked all the usual spots without success. It is now known that as well as hibernating many bats also migrate so perhaps our bats are no longer in the area to wake up in warmer weather.
(Ed Wilson)
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(211th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A further reduction in Tufted Duck numbers. Perhaps some gone to the lake? Still many unaccounted for.
- Many birds in the hawthorns. All those I determined were Blackbirds.
- Two Song Thrushes heard sub-singing.
- Grey Wagtail once more.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
None
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 18 Canada Geese
- 36 (21♂) Mallard
- 21 (7♂) Tufted Duck only
- 2 brownhead Goosanders remain
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 42 Coots again
- 51 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: first-winter, briefly again
On different lamp poles:
- 1 November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.)
- 1 female Leiobunum rotundum harvestman
On / around the Ivy:
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 18 Canada Geese
- 36 (21♂) Mallard
- 21 (7♂) Tufted Duck only
- 2 brownhead Goosanders remain
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 42 Coots again
- 51 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: first-winter, briefly again
On different lamp poles:
- 1 November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.)
- 1 female Leiobunum rotundum harvestman
On / around the Ivy:
Nothing seen
Otherwise:
- 2 Grey Squirrels again
Otherwise:
- 2 Grey Squirrels again
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2010
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
5 Lapwings
1487 Fieldfare logged, mostly flying W. 7 of the flocks estimated at between 110 and 130 birds
25 Redwings
Raven
56 Goldfinch
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
62 Swans
5 Wigeon
14 Pochard
22 Tufted Ducks
231 Coots
Great Black-backed Gull
3 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
27 Redwings
Chiffchaff
c.250 Starlings
8 Siskins
c.15 Goldfinches
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
25 Pochard
72 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
1 Kingfisher
20 Robins
17 Blackbirds
15 Song Thrushes
59 Redwing
3 Mistle Thrushes
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
5 Goldcrests
(Martin Adlam)