9.0°C > 12.0°C: Initially low cloud and drizzle. After 08:00 cloud lifted and some bright spells. Fresh S wind veered SW and moderated somewhat. Moderate visibility in drizzle: very good later.
Sunrise: 07:08 GMT
Photos today.
None
Priorslee Lake: 05:45 – 08:55
(237th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- After I had failed to find any insects on the lamp poles I headed towards the water at c.06:05 and could hear both Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls calling from the water. It was a very dark morning but investigation found many hundred gulls flying around low over the water. Quite how they were managing to avoid mass collisions in the dark was amazing to (not) see. As they settled back on the water in distinct groups I estimated c.300 Black-headed and c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- After 06:20 at least another 300 Black-headed Gulls arrived from the W. I saw no Lesser Black-backs arriving from the Hortonwood area – perhaps the strong overnight wind had forced them on to the lake.
- After 08:30 just 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and three Herring Gulls dropped in.
- I was somewhat surprised to see a group of c.130 Wood Pigeons heading SW at c.08:15 before any real clearance of the rain had happened. Several more smaller groups followed (and some larger groups later at The Flash)
- In addition to the fly-over Lesser Redpoll another was, unusually, briefly in trees at the W end.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- >8 Canada Geese: duo outbound with others heard; six flew S to the E.
- 1 Cormorants
- 2 Sparrowhawks: male and female
- 10 Feral Pigeons: three groups
- c.365 Wood Pigeons: c.336 of these in seven migrant parties SW
- 2 Collared Doves (duo)
- c.181 Jackdaws
- 5 Fieldfare: one group
- 21 Redwings: four groups
- 2 Starlings (together)
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Linnets
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- no Starlings
- 6 Redwings
- 8 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Gadwall
- 2 (1♂) Mallard only
- 8 (7♂) Pochard
- 46 (>30♂) Tufted Duck: three of these unsexed birds that flew off W
- 4 Cormorants: single and then trio arrived
- 1 Grey Heron
- 12 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Moorhens
- 106 Coots only
- c.600 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes).
- 3 Herring Gulls: one adult; two first-winter birds
Playing fields.
Not visited
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
Priorslee Lake: 05:45 – 08:55
(237th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- After I had failed to find any insects on the lamp poles I headed towards the water at c.06:05 and could hear both Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls calling from the water. It was a very dark morning but investigation found many hundred gulls flying around low over the water. Quite how they were managing to avoid mass collisions in the dark was amazing to (not) see. As they settled back on the water in distinct groups I estimated c.300 Black-headed and c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- After 06:20 at least another 300 Black-headed Gulls arrived from the W. I saw no Lesser Black-backs arriving from the Hortonwood area – perhaps the strong overnight wind had forced them on to the lake.
- After 08:30 just 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and three Herring Gulls dropped in.
- I was somewhat surprised to see a group of c.130 Wood Pigeons heading SW at c.08:15 before any real clearance of the rain had happened. Several more smaller groups followed (and some larger groups later at The Flash)
- In addition to the fly-over Lesser Redpoll another was, unusually, briefly in trees at the W end.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- >8 Canada Geese: duo outbound with others heard; six flew S to the E.
- 1 Cormorants
- 2 Sparrowhawks: male and female
- 10 Feral Pigeons: three groups
- c.365 Wood Pigeons: c.336 of these in seven migrant parties SW
- 2 Collared Doves (duo)
- c.181 Jackdaws
- 5 Fieldfare: one group
- 21 Redwings: four groups
- 2 Starlings (together)
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Linnets
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- no Starlings
- 6 Redwings
- 8 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Gadwall
- 2 (1♂) Mallard only
- 8 (7♂) Pochard
- 46 (>30♂) Tufted Duck: three of these unsexed birds that flew off W
- 4 Cormorants: single and then trio arrived
- 1 Grey Heron
- 12 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Moorhens
- 106 Coots only
- c.600 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes).
- 3 Herring Gulls: one adult; two first-winter birds
Playing fields.
Not visited
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
Nothing
Noted later:
Nothing
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:00 – 10:02
(222nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Fewer Tufted Duck than yesterday afternoon. Probably at the lake where there were more.
- Three sizeable migrant parties of Wood Pigeons
- A Carrion Crow seen carrying a stick, Surely not thinking of nesting?
- Three groups of Starlings: 73, 27 and one
- Two Song Thrushes, one of which was sub-singing.
- Grey Wagtail again
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- c.405 Wood Pigeons (three groups)
- 2 Jackdaws
- 101 Starlings (three groups)
- 2 Redwings
Counts from the water: best effort in the rain
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 29 Canada Geese
- 38 (22♂) Mallard
- 116 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 25 (>1♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 49 Black-headed Gulls
On a lamp pole in squirrel alley:
- 1 November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.)
On / around the Ivy:
- c.20 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris)
- a few 'flies'
Of interest elsewhere:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(222nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Fewer Tufted Duck than yesterday afternoon. Probably at the lake where there were more.
- Three sizeable migrant parties of Wood Pigeons
- A Carrion Crow seen carrying a stick, Surely not thinking of nesting?
- Three groups of Starlings: 73, 27 and one
- Two Song Thrushes, one of which was sub-singing.
- Grey Wagtail again
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- c.405 Wood Pigeons (three groups)
- 2 Jackdaws
- 101 Starlings (three groups)
- 2 Redwings
Counts from the water: best effort in the rain
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 29 Canada Geese
- 38 (22♂) Mallard
- 116 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 25 (>1♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 49 Black-headed Gulls
On a lamp pole in squirrel alley:
- 1 November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.)
On / around the Ivy:
- c.20 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris)
- a few 'flies'
Of interest elsewhere:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day
2019Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2010
Priorslee Lake
Brambling
3 Fieldfares
12 Redwings
5 Siskins
2 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Cormorant
14 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
Female Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Goldcrest
Willow Tits with the Long-tailed Tits
Kingfisher
Jays
Skylark
Siskin
Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)