7 Oct 20

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

9.0°C > 13.0°C: Thins high cloud patches to start: cloudier for a while: then sunny intervals. Moderate WSW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:22 BST

* = a photo today.

Priorslee Lake: 05:53 – 09:33

(213th visit of the year)

Highlight today was the arrival of a Great White Egret at 08:45. It spent a short while on the S side and was then chased in to the NW reeds by Black-headed Gulls. A cautious approach to the area – I did not want to flush it – failed to find anything other than a Grey Heron. This is my third record of this increasingly common species here this year, but the first I have seen 'on the ground'.

Bird notes:

- An adult Mute Swan landed c.07:30. It was not allowed to stay. Interestingly all the five cygnets became airborne during the chase and it was they who finally saw it off.

- Coot numbers may again be under-recorded with birds emerging from the reeds after I have done the 'sweep count' from the E end.

- 305 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were counted flying from the N / NW between 06:42 and 06:55. This early arrival is remarkably consistent in number. It is rather dark to be certain that these are all Lesser Black-backs but there are certainly no adult Herring Gulls at this time. Just nine birds remained at 07:35.

- After 08:10 another arrival, this time from the E of c.125 Lesser Black-backed Gulls along with at least five Herring Gulls (three adults) and three adult Yellow-legged Gulls. Over 90% of these gulls were adults. Among the very few immatures there may have been a handful more Herring or Yellow-legged types.

- Just two Lesser Black-backed Gulls passed over showing no suggestion they were going to alter course.

- Just one large, tight group of c.85 Jackdaws but a steady passage lasting over 40 minutes. One sprawling group of 100 birds seemed to contain 48 Jackdaws and 52 Rooks – but I may have become confused trying to keep two counts going!

- Skylarks are frustrating me at the moment. Normally I have little trouble locating calling small groups on passage overhead. Today I managed to see just two singles and they were very high up. I heard more.

- Two Song Thrushes were heard singing quietly.

- The Cetti's Warbler sang just once from the NE area. Later I heard a few calls from the same area though I doubt I would have noted them had it not previously sang.

- Four Chiffchaffs were heard calling in different locations, two of which were seen. Another non-calling bird was seen with one of these birds. A high number for this date compared with my records in earlier years.

- I am sure the number of Pied Wagtails flying over on roost dispersal is much under-recorded. When I do manage to locate any calling bird it is usually in a group – one group of seven was located today.

Birds noted flying over / near here:

- 1 Greylag Goose (outbound)
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Common Buzzards
- >2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- 34 Wood Pigeons
- c.435 Jackdaws
- c.175 Rooks
- >25 Pied Wagtails (see notes)
- >4 Sky Larks (see notes)

Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):

- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 5 (0) Chiffchaffs (see notes)

Counts from the lake area:

- 3 + 5 Mute Swans
- 10 (7♂) Mallard
- 1 Great White Egret: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 16 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 8 Moorhens
- 117 Coots
- >75 Black-headed Gulls
- >400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- >5 Herring Gulls
- >3 Yellow-legged Gulls

Playing fields

Not checked this morning.

On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:

- 1 moths sp.: got away – took off as soon as the camera's 'focus assist' beam hit it.
- 3 different spider species, none positively identified
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman

Nothing else noted

The edge just taken off the waning Hunter's Moon by thin high cloud.

The 'foreign' adult Mute Swan has been chased by the adults and drops back in the water after a short hop. Does not seem to be a ringed bird.

It was the gang of five cygnets that persuaded it to leave.

The Great White Egret dropped in initially to the S side, here amongst Coots. Note the yellow dagger-like bill and the very long and slightly kinked neck.

Here flying off. Great White Egrets are yellow at the front and black at the rear whereas Little Egrets have black bills and yellow feet.

Now being chased by a Black-headed Gull. Note how, in flight, the neck is hunched up.

The juvenile Great Crested Grebes are diving well and trying to fly about. This one is getting adult plumage along the flanks as shows the start of the head plumes. However....

...their continual begging seems to get results as a parent arrives with food.

An adult Herring Gull. Note no black on the bill and the pink legs. Nice black nail varnish.

In the centre a first winter Herring Gull. On the far right part of a first winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. I had hoped to get the two side-by-side at a better angle but they all took off before I could.

Apart from the resident Bullfinches and small groups of Goldfinches there are few finches to be seen around the lake. This male Chaffinch was my first for a while.

Three very different spiders on the lamp poles this morning. Will try to ID them later. Species #1

This is species #2 – a small crab spider type. Here taken by my torch light.....

... and here, still present in daylight.

And species #3 with very long front legs and rather short third pair.

I found this on one of the lamp poles. At the time I could not decide whether it was a small cranefly or a long-legged gnat. Having checked on-line the head is not right for a crane fly so it is likely a winter gnat (Trichocera sp). I am slightly puzzled as the the body looks very short.

 (Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:36 – 10:48

(198th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- At least two Skylarks over. Today these calls were certainly not made by the cygnets. As at the lake these were too high for me to pick up.

- A Grey Wagtail again.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:

- 1 Common Buzzard
- 3 Jackdaws
- 2+ Skylarks

Counts from the water:

- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 10 Canada Geese
- 32 (19♂) Mallard
- 92 (>31♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Great Crested Grebes still
- 8 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 36 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: immature

On the same lamp pole:

- 1 Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia)
- 1 spider sp.
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum-type harvestmen

Elsewhere:

On the Ivy

- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- female Tipula paludosa (crane fly)
- 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata)

A juvenile Common Moorhen just beginning to acquire the red shield.

This Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) is not doing any feeding at the Ivy or helping with the pollination. Exactly what it has caught it unclear but I suspect a spider from the thread hanging down.

This is a female Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia). It seemed rather more brown than most that I have seen and the claspers are held more tightly closed.

This pale cranefly is appropriately Tipula paludosa. Looks rather strange here as the wings are held at right angles to both the horizontal and vertical. A female with the pointed abdomen.

It seemed to be a 'spider morning'. Here is the one I found on a lamp pole here. Two pairs of very long legs.

 (Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 10:57 – 11:10 // 11:55 – 12:00

(30th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- The adult Mute Swans wear blue Darvic rings 7JVZ and 7JUA. None of the cygnets has a ring.

- Grey Wagtail here.

Birds noted flying over / near here:

[The local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws not included]

- 1 Common Buzzard

Counts from the water:

- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 Great Crested Grebe still
- 4 Moorhens
- 18 Coots
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults

Also noted:

The flowering patch of Ivy was busy with:

- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

and the following hoverflies:

- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)
- Syrphus sp.

elsewhere:

- Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)

A Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) on a Field Bindweed flower (Convolvulus arvensis)

 (Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 11:15 – 11:50

(30th visit of the year)

Noisy demolition to the W of the pool seemed to have little impact on the birds here.

Bird notes:

- Difficult to know exactly how many Goosanders there were. First there were five there. Then three over there. Then four at that end. Now only two there, as they typically submarine around and stay out of the limelight. Five seen together was the maximum 'point' count.

- Wood Pigeons again absent.

- Two Grey Wagtails here. Seen at all four sites this morning

Birds noted flying over / near here:

- 1 Common Buzzard

Counts from the water:

- 2 Mute Swans
- no Greylag Geese again
- 94 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose as ever
- 27 (16♂) Mallard
- 8 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 5+ brownhead Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes again
- 14 Moorhen yet again
- 51 Coots
- 56 Black-headed Gulls

Nothing else noted

One of the brownhead Goosanders.

And here a different one. Note the white streak from above the bill under the eye suggesting this is a juvenile. It has a less extensive crest. I am not at all sure why the 'shoulder' looks speckled.

The local Grey Heron sits on the island. On one leg as usual.

Some of the Autumn colours here.

And more.

 (Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2017

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2014

Wellington

Fieldfare

(Jenny Hood)

2013

Priorslee Lake

2 Shoveler

Chiffchaff

Grey Wagtail

Reed Bunting

Siskin.

(John Isherwood)

2009

Priorslee Lake

50 Mute Swan

(Mike Cooper)

2006

Priorslee Lake

Swallow circling with swirling Starlings

(Ed Wilson)