14.0°C > 11.0°C: Initially dry with very low overcast after overnight rain. Then spells of soaking heavy drizzle before clearance from NW and a drop in temperature c.08:45. Remained mainly cloudy. Moderate SW wind veered NW on clearance. Good visibility but poor in drizzle. Later very good.
Sunrise: 07:24 BST
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 05:55 – 09:28
(214th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Two groups of nine and six Tufted Duck seen pre-dawn (what dawn?). Several small groups noted flying around later though none seen to leave or arrive. Finally 16 birds counted together. Only one of these an obvious drake though light-levels generally too low to be certain about many of the others.
- A party of 10 Goosanders flew W at 07:30. Perhaps some of the 13 birds seen later at The Flash.
- A not yet full-size juvenile Moorhen was noted – I had not seen this late-brood bird previously.
- The first of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived at 06:48 when it was too murky to count them as they arrived. When visibility improved I estimated 240 on the water (not helped by passing blue-light ambulance flushing them momentarily). I counted 107 further arrivals by 07:05. Today birds were seen leaving to all four corners of the compass until there was just one remaining. Later at least 54 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and four Herring Gulls were counted: probably more as there were clearly four different Herring Gulls but only ever two at any one time.
- Today's sprawling group of corvids was noted as containing 100 Jackdaws and 90 Rooks – best effort in the rain! Other mainly single-species groups.
- A single calling Chiffchaff was the only warbler noted. It was very wet when I was in the area favoured by the Cetti's Warbler and I was not about to dive in to the undergrowth to investigate.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 10 (?) Goosanders
- 1 Cormorant again
- 1 Stock Dove
- 32 Wood Pigeons
- c.375 Jackdaws
- c.125 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
- >6 Pied Wagtails
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 + 5 Mute Swans
- 14 (8♂) Mallard
- 16 (>1♂)Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- Little Grebe(s) heard only
- 14 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 132 Coots
- >120 Black-headed Gulls
- c.400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- 4 Herring Gulls
Playing fields
Not checked.
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- *1 Tetragnatha spider sp.
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
and predictably after rain
- 1 White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- 1 slug sp., perhaps Tawny Soil Slug (Arion owenii)
Nothing else noted
This is the same species as spider #3 yesterday and as it was on the same lamp pole perhaps it is the same individual. It is one of the Tetragnatha species. I read "microscopic examination of the genitalia of mature specimens is necessary to separate the species safely". The group are known as stretch-spiders, often resting with all the legs parallel with the body. This genus in distinguished by the front pair of legs being very long.
Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:31 – 10:22
(199th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Fewer Tufted Duck noted – perhaps some gone to the lake?
- 13 brownhead Goosanders in the corner by the reeds alongside Derwent Drive. Not seen again but not seen to fly off.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Jackdaw
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 15 Canada Geese
- 41 (24♂) Mallard
- 69 (>23♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 (?) Goosanders: departed?
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens only
- 38 Coots
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: immature; departed
Nothing on any lamp pole:
Elsewhere:
-*unidentified fungus in squirrel alley
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- *1 Tetragnatha spider sp.
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
and predictably after rain
- 1 White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- 1 slug sp., perhaps Tawny Soil Slug (Arion owenii)
Nothing else noted
Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:31 – 10:22
(199th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Fewer Tufted Duck noted – perhaps some gone to the lake?
- 13 brownhead Goosanders in the corner by the reeds alongside Derwent Drive. Not seen again but not seen to fly off.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Jackdaw
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 15 Canada Geese
- 41 (24♂) Mallard
- 69 (>23♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 (?) Goosanders: departed?
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens only
- 38 Coots
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: immature; departed
Nothing on any lamp pole:
Elsewhere:
-*unidentified fungus in squirrel alley
A poor photo of the fungus in squirrel alley. With soaking wet foliage I was not about to go 'gardening' to get a clearer view and the necessary flash photo has rather enhanced the colour, though I have toned it down somewhat. Assuming the fungus has not collapsed or been eaten I will try for a better shot tomorrow.
(Ed Wilson)
(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
2014
Priorslee lake
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
2 Kingfisher
5 Redwing (Celestica Site)
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
51 Golden Plover
2 Siskins
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
45 Golden Plover
42 Lapwings
2 Wigeon
7 Pochard
6 Song Thrush
6 Redwings
3 Chiffchaffs
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)