Priorslee Lake and The Flash
10.0°C > 11.0°C: Showers early and late. Some brighter interludes. Light / moderate WSW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:21 BST
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 05:51 – 09:20
(212th visit of the year)
Highlight this morning was a party of eight Crossbills that flew S at 07:30. Chunky-looking finches giving characteristic 'chip' calls. Only my third ever sighting here after a most unusual record of a single bird flying over on 7th July this year. That coincided with a small nationwide arrival of this species. Because it feeds on the ripe seeds of the previous year's cones it is a very early breeding species (February, typically) and post-breeding dispersal pre-dates most other species.
Other bird notes:
- The Mute Swan cygnets had another go at flying. They remain well behind those at The Flash. Only one managed complete lift-off and one made no real attempt at all, just flailing its wings.
- Two small ducks flew from the W, circled and left at 06:30. Probably Tufted Duck and I have logged them as such.
- The first Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived at 06:44 and I recorded 372 arriving by 07:00 from the NW, N and NE. A few appeared to be flying straight over but they may have circled back. They departed to the E and the S and only five remained on the water by 07:10 with just two at 07:35. Then 41 arrived with three Herring Gulls by 08:35. All these seemed to be spooked by something and suddenly departed en mass at 08:55. Just four seen passing directly over later.
- Three large groups of Jackdaws flew over before any Rooks, rather unusually. When the Rooks did appear it was a rather protracted passage and they were accompanied by even more Jackdaws. Much the highest totals so far this period.
- Again the Cetti's Warbler was not heard.
- A Chiffchaff was calling from the hedge between the football field and the academy at 07:25. One calling alongside Teece Drive in much the same area at 09:15 is assumed to have been the same bird.
- A female Blackcap seen in the NE area. My latest-ever date for this species here.
- The three Redwings I have noted as over-flying could just possibly have been flushed from N side trees by the start-up of building work on the housing site.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- no geese unusually
- 2 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- 4+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 28 Wood Pigeons
- c.465 Jackdaws
- 126 Rooks
- 1 Skylark
- 3 Redwings
- 10 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Siskin
- 8 Crossbills
Warblers logged:
- 1 Chiffchaff (see notes)
- 1 Blackcap: female
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 14 (>8♂) Mallard
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe again
- 17 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 133 Coots
- >75 Black-headed Gulls
- >400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- 3 Herring Gulls
Birds on playing fields c.07:25:
[Wood Pigeons and Magpies excluded]
- c.110 Black-headed Gulls
I logged 82 on the football field when c.30 flew from the academy field to join them. None was left on academy field.
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 1 Notch-wing Button moth (Acleris emargana)
- 1 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- 1 Larinioides cornutus orb-web spider
- 1 Larinioides sp. orb-web spider
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
Noted later:
- A Bumblebee sp. flew past me.
- A Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) also flew past me
- 2 Grey Squirrels
I checked out the fairy ring toadstools first noted on Saturday. I still think probably Fairy Ring Champignon (Marasmius oreades).
The waning Harvest Moon. Managed this shot between showers. There is another full moon at the end of this month so the Hunter's Moon will also be a Blue Moon.
Two cygnets pattering away with the footsteps of another behind them. Interestingly the adults are barely lifting off and also mainly pattering across the surface – so as not to dispirit the youngsters?
One of the easier micro moths to identify with its almost unique wing-shape. It is a Notch-wing Button moth (Acleris emargana) and a much better specimen than I photographed on 13th September. The question is what evolutionary pressure produced this wing shape and if it is really an advantage why haven't more moths and insects developed it? [There is another micro-moth with a very similar wing shape but until the DNA-analysts got at it recently it was not considered a separate species]
My best photo to date of one of the orb-web spiders around the lamps pre-dawn and this one turns out to be Larinioides cornutus and not L. sclopetarius because of the brown prosoma (cephalothorax). So how many of the others have I misidentified?
This appears to be a small fly with long antennae. I see this fly many days on any one of the street lamp poles but have yet to get any identification.
10.0°C > 11.0°C: Showers early and late. Some brighter interludes. Light / moderate WSW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:21 BST
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 05:51 – 09:20
(212th visit of the year)
Highlight this morning was a party of eight Crossbills that flew S at 07:30. Chunky-looking finches giving characteristic 'chip' calls. Only my third ever sighting here after a most unusual record of a single bird flying over on 7th July this year. That coincided with a small nationwide arrival of this species. Because it feeds on the ripe seeds of the previous year's cones it is a very early breeding species (February, typically) and post-breeding dispersal pre-dates most other species.
Other bird notes:
- The Mute Swan cygnets had another go at flying. They remain well behind those at The Flash. Only one managed complete lift-off and one made no real attempt at all, just flailing its wings.
- Two small ducks flew from the W, circled and left at 06:30. Probably Tufted Duck and I have logged them as such.
- The first Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived at 06:44 and I recorded 372 arriving by 07:00 from the NW, N and NE. A few appeared to be flying straight over but they may have circled back. They departed to the E and the S and only five remained on the water by 07:10 with just two at 07:35. Then 41 arrived with three Herring Gulls by 08:35. All these seemed to be spooked by something and suddenly departed en mass at 08:55. Just four seen passing directly over later.
- Three large groups of Jackdaws flew over before any Rooks, rather unusually. When the Rooks did appear it was a rather protracted passage and they were accompanied by even more Jackdaws. Much the highest totals so far this period.
- Again the Cetti's Warbler was not heard.
- A Chiffchaff was calling from the hedge between the football field and the academy at 07:25. One calling alongside Teece Drive in much the same area at 09:15 is assumed to have been the same bird.
- A female Blackcap seen in the NE area. My latest-ever date for this species here.
- The three Redwings I have noted as over-flying could just possibly have been flushed from N side trees by the start-up of building work on the housing site.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- no geese unusually
- 2 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- 4+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 28 Wood Pigeons
- c.465 Jackdaws
- 126 Rooks
- 1 Skylark
- 3 Redwings
- 10 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Siskin
- 8 Crossbills
Warblers logged:
- 1 Chiffchaff (see notes)
- 1 Blackcap: female
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 14 (>8♂) Mallard
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe again
- 17 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 133 Coots
- >75 Black-headed Gulls
- >400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- 3 Herring Gulls
Birds on playing fields c.07:25:
[Wood Pigeons and Magpies excluded]
- c.110 Black-headed Gulls
I logged 82 on the football field when c.30 flew from the academy field to join them. None was left on academy field.
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 1 Notch-wing Button moth (Acleris emargana)
- 1 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- 1 Larinioides cornutus orb-web spider
- 1 Larinioides sp. orb-web spider
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
Noted later:
- A Bumblebee sp. flew past me.
- A Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) also flew past me
- 2 Grey Squirrels
I checked out the fairy ring toadstools first noted on Saturday. I still think probably Fairy Ring Champignon (Marasmius oreades).
I also managed a rather uninspiring sunrise photo between the showers.
The Mute Swan family gathers ahead of this morning's flying lesson. I had to wait ages for any action.
Still not airborne.
Just sitting and thinking:
"I'm bored". Black-headed Gull of course.
A Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) and a Larinioides sp. orb-web spider eye each other up.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:23 – 10:32
(197th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- All the Mute Swan cygnets went for a prolonged fly-about, albeit within the confines of the water.
- A Carrion Crow was seen chasing the Sparrowhawk and a Jackdaw was seen chasing the Common Buzzard. On size it ought to be the other way around. Later a Carrion Crow also chased the Common Buzzard.
- I noted four calls that I thought related to over-flying Sky Larks but was puzzled that I could not seen any of them. Eventually I realised that the cygnets were sometimes making a very similar call.
- A Grey Wagtail present
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 3 Jackdaws
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- no Greylag Geese
- 13 Canada Geese only
- 42 (24♂) Mallard
- 83 (>26♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 6 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 31 Black-headed Gulls
On various lamp poles:
- 1 Common Marbled Carpet moth (Dysstroma truncata)
- 1 Tipula pagana (crane fly)
Otherwise:
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera): at their nest and on the Ivy
- Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris): abundant on the Ivy.
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax): on the Ivy
I think this is known as showing a clean pair of heels. One of the Mute Swan cygnets takes to the air.
Another one looks happy to join in.
"Let's go lads" (and ladesses)
Around for another lap.
The formating Mute Swans seemed to inspire the Black-headed Gulls.
One day I will be quick-enough to get a proper crisp shot of a drake Mallard about to touch. Until then...
A Carrion Crow chasing a Common Buzzard
"Got rid of that pesky crow."
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
1st-winter Caspian Gull.
(Observer Unknown)
2008
Priorslee Lake
3 Pochard
100 Tufted Duck
Water Rail heard
39 Lapwings
Kingfisher
3 Redwings
Redpoll
Siskin
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
49 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff
Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)
6 Oct 06 - Wesley Bridge under water (Ed Wilson)