5.0°C > 11.0°C: Early mainly light showers. Broken cloud. Light SSW breeze increasing somewhat. Very good visibility apart from smoke from discharge in Stafford Park.
Sunrise: 06:53 GMT
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 05:40 – 08:54
(231st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Two visiting adult Mute Swans were chased away as usual. It was the mass attack by the five cygnets that eventually persuaded them to leave.
- Quite a few of the Great Crested Grebes seemed to have moved on – unless they are hiding in the reeds.
- After yesterday's early gull arrival they were late today. The first three Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived at 06:03 with no more until 06:21. The first Black-headed Gulls did not make it until 06:35.
- Only 75 Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived from the Hortonwood roost.
- Just 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived from the E after 08:50. No Herring etc. gulls with them. Only two Lesser Black-backed Gulls noted flying over.
- Of the 675 Wood Pigeons logged flying over exactly 580 were counted in 11 migrant groups flying high SW. The groups ranged in size from eight to 146. In addition 38 birds were seen leaving trees around the lake and setting off in the same direction.
- c.300 Starlings burst out of the roost and all headed off E or NE. Three singletons left at least 10 minutes later.
- Three Chaffinches (two females) seen together in the NE area. As previously commented this species has been scarce post-breeding.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 14 Canada Geese: 10 in two groups outbound; quartet inbound
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- >2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- 675 Wood Pigeons (see notes)
- c.400 Jackdaws again
- 3 Rooks
- 9 Starlings: one group
- 32 Fieldfares: two groups
- 23 Redwings: three groups
- 11 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Siskins
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- >300 Starlings
- 11 Redwings
- 4 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- *4 + 5 Mute Swans: additional two adults briefly
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall still
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 7 (6♂) Pochard again
- 21 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Cormorants: arrived together
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens again
- 146 Coots
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls only
- c.85 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
Playing fields.
Not visited
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 4 November Moth-types (Epirrita sp.): all on lamp poles.
- 1 stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum-type harvestman
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
Noted later:
- 2 Grey Squirrels
- 4 November Moth-types (Epirrita sp.): all on lamp poles.
- 1 stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum-type harvestman
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
Noted later:
- 2 Grey Squirrels
Between the rain showers there was a bit of a sunrise.
The best 'arty' shot I could take.
One of the visitors airborne with maximum effort.
Three of the cygnets join the fray.
"Leaving so soon?"
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 08:58 – 09:55
(216th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- One cygnet was again on its own much of the time. Seems fit and alert when it joins in.
- Another day when some of the Mallard decide to hide from me.
- Tufted Duck numbers building back up again.
- The mixed group of Fieldfare and Redwings was partially obscured by tree-tops some of the time and an accurate count was not possible.
- A single Redwing also seen flying out of trees.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- c.60 Fieldfare
- c.5 Redwing
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 19 Canada Geese
- *23 (15♂) Mallard
- 95 (>35♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 brownhead Goosanders again
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes still
- 10 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- *71 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winter again
On a usual lamp pole:
- 1 November Moth-types(Epirrita sp.)
On / around the Ivy:
- at least 1 Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- >30 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris)
- the usual unidentified flies
No hoverflies again.
Elsewhere:
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera): around their nest again.
- 2 Grey Squirrels
Bird notes:
- One cygnet was again on its own much of the time. Seems fit and alert when it joins in.
- Another day when some of the Mallard decide to hide from me.
- Tufted Duck numbers building back up again.
- The mixed group of Fieldfare and Redwings was partially obscured by tree-tops some of the time and an accurate count was not possible.
- A single Redwing also seen flying out of trees.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- c.60 Fieldfare
- c.5 Redwing
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 19 Canada Geese
- *23 (15♂) Mallard
- 95 (>35♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 brownhead Goosanders again
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes still
- 10 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- *71 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winter again
On a usual lamp pole:
- 1 November Moth-types(Epirrita sp.)
On / around the Ivy:
- at least 1 Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- >30 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris)
- the usual unidentified flies
No hoverflies again.
Elsewhere:
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera): around their nest again.
- 2 Grey Squirrels
A fine passing drake Mallard.
A slightly different angle shows the curled tail-feather better.
An adult Black-headed Gull with a grey shawl? No – just the shadow of the wing making it appear so.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2019Priorslee 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
2011
Priorslee Lake
17 Tufted Ducks
c.400 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Mike Cooper)
2005
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
41 Tufted Duck
212 Coot
778 Fieldfare
199 Redwings
800 Wood Pigeons
Chiffchaff
Possible Firecrest
3 Siskin
18 Redpoll
275 Starlings
(Ed Wilson)