9.0°C > 10.0°C: Clear start soon clouded somewhat. Clear again later for a while only. Calm start with light SW wind later. Excellent visibility.
Sunrise: 07:49 BST
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 06:16 – 09:45
Priorslee Lake: 06:16 – 09:45
(227th visit of the year)
A morning that promised rather more than it delivered. Many winter thrushes seen leaving roost trees around the lake: then rather few overhead. Several small groups of Wood Pigeons seen climbing away to the S / SW (usually birds pass mainly E or W): no large migrant groups found.
Other bird notes:
- Three Tufted Duck flew off W at 06:55 and another at 07:30. These birds were not sexed as it was too dark.
- In admittedly better weather I logged 499(!) Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying from the N / NW between 07:11 and 07:30. At least 123 of these flew over leaving c.375 carpeting the lake for a while.
- After 08:50 another 82 Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived from the E / SE with five immature Herring Gulls. 18 flew over without stopping.
- No big groups of post-roost Jackdaws – 26 was the largest.
- Rather surprised that Sky Larks continue to pass over. As I recall in previous years larger numbers have passed in just a few days rather than the protracted passage this year.
Birds noted flying over / near here: all numbers affected by low cloud and poor visibility.
- 4 Greylag Geese (inbound)
- 16 Canada Geese (three groups outbound)
- 1 Cormorant again
- 2 Sparrowhawks
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Lapwings
- >140 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 102 Wood Pigeons
- 151 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 1 Raven
- 3 Skylarks
- 12 Fieldfares (three group)
- 24 Redwings (four groups)
- >4 Pied Wagtails
- 30 Siskins (two groups)
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- c.150 Starlings
- 7 Fieldfare
- *34 Redwings
- 16 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall still
- 15 (9♂) Mallard
- 8 (6♂) Pochard
- 37 (>22♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 brownhead Goosander, briefly
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Little Grebes again
- 15 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 132 Coots
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again (see notes)
- 5 Herring Gulls: all immatures
Playing fields
A morning that promised rather more than it delivered. Many winter thrushes seen leaving roost trees around the lake: then rather few overhead. Several small groups of Wood Pigeons seen climbing away to the S / SW (usually birds pass mainly E or W): no large migrant groups found.
Other bird notes:
- Three Tufted Duck flew off W at 06:55 and another at 07:30. These birds were not sexed as it was too dark.
- In admittedly better weather I logged 499(!) Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying from the N / NW between 07:11 and 07:30. At least 123 of these flew over leaving c.375 carpeting the lake for a while.
- After 08:50 another 82 Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived from the E / SE with five immature Herring Gulls. 18 flew over without stopping.
- No big groups of post-roost Jackdaws – 26 was the largest.
- Rather surprised that Sky Larks continue to pass over. As I recall in previous years larger numbers have passed in just a few days rather than the protracted passage this year.
Birds noted flying over / near here: all numbers affected by low cloud and poor visibility.
- 4 Greylag Geese (inbound)
- 16 Canada Geese (three groups outbound)
- 1 Cormorant again
- 2 Sparrowhawks
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Lapwings
- >140 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 102 Wood Pigeons
- 151 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 1 Raven
- 3 Skylarks
- 12 Fieldfares (three group)
- 24 Redwings (four groups)
- >4 Pied Wagtails
- 30 Siskins (two groups)
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- c.150 Starlings
- 7 Fieldfare
- *34 Redwings
- 16 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall still
- 15 (9♂) Mallard
- 8 (6♂) Pochard
- 37 (>22♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 brownhead Goosander, briefly
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Little Grebes again
- 15 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 132 Coots
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again (see notes)
- 5 Herring Gulls: all immatures
Playing fields
Not visited
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 4 November Moth-types (Epirrita sp.).
- *2 Tipula pagana craneflies.
- *2 Larinioides sclopetarius orb-web spiders
Noted later:
- 2 Grey Squirrels.
At last: a decent sunrise. The sleeping family of Mute Swans in the middle-ground (is that the right description?).
A rather nondescript crane fly that folds its wings over its back at rest. The wings are unmarked apart from the veins. It is Tipula pagana, common at this time of year. It is a male – the female have very short wings and cannot fly.
Can't quite make out what is going on here. The Larinioides sclopetarius orb-web spider is either attacking another spider or, what is perhaps more likely, sloughing off its old exoskeleton.
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 4 November Moth-types (Epirrita sp.).
- *2 Tipula pagana craneflies.
- *2 Larinioides sclopetarius orb-web spiders
Noted later:
- 2 Grey Squirrels.
The sun provides some Autumn colours before the promised gales on Saturday blows all the leaves away.
Both photos taken from the dam.
As was this, though a maximum-zoom effort in to the Ricoh grounds.
The light captures the underwing markings of this passing Common Buzzard.
Typically lurking in the Hawthorns almost out of site was a Redwing.
Keeping a careful eye on me.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:48 – 10:54
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(212th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The Mute Swan cygnets all went for a fly with both their parents.
- at least 12 of the Tufted Duck flew in (from the lake?).
- party of 11 brownhead Goosanders keeping together. Another lone bird 'at the other end'.
- Chiffchaff heard and then seen alongside the approach road to The Priorslee.
- Grey Wagtail again: on roof of houses in Derwent Drive.
- Siskins heard calling from the island.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 3 Common Buzzards
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Jackdaws
- 1 Skylark
- 16 Fieldfare
- 2 Redwings
- 1 Linnet
Counts from the water:
- *3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 14 Canada Geese
- 42 (24♂) Mallard
- *61 (>25♂) Tufted Duck
- *12 brownhead Goosanders
- *1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 37 Coots again
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: one adult; one second winter; one first-winter
- 1 Herring Gull: second winter
- 1 Kingfisher
On the lamp poles:
Nothing on any of the lamps
On / around the Ivy:
- *1 Comma (Polygonia c-album)
- >50 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris)
- very many unidentified flies.
Otherwise
- The Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) nest was active again.
- 2 Grey Squirrels
"I've washed my hair and I can't do a thing with it". A drake Tufted Duck shows off his growing 'tuft'. Still a few grey feathers in its flanks.
On / around the Ivy:
- *1 Comma (Polygonia c-album)
- >50 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris)
- very many unidentified flies.
Otherwise
- The Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) nest was active again.
- 2 Grey Squirrels
Here they come: the Mute Swan cygnet formation duo.
But then again – no longer in tight formation.
What a poseur – the duck that is.
Would any day be complete without a brownhead Goosander photo?
And here is Phil's take on it.
A second-winter Herring Gull seemed to be playing with this leaf.
Another shot that my camera would have struggled with – the gull playing with the leaf in the air.
(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
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)