22 Nov 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 8.0°C: Some mainly thin high cloud, otherwise fine and clear. Light mainly NW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:45 GMT

* = a photo today.

Priorslee Lake: 06:14 – 09:23

(258th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Six unidentified geese, as two trios close together, flew S to the far E. A few minutes later a trio of Greylag Geese flew inbound (W) - probably one of these earlier trios. Later seven confirmed Greylag Geese also flew S to the E before they too flew inbound, though they behaved as if they were not quite sure where they were going.
- One of the trio of Canada Geese that flew inbound had an almost completely white head but showed no other features that suggested it might be a hybrid (with what?). I could not locate this bird at The Flash later.
- Now four 'spare' drake Gadwall.
- The first Black-headed Gulls arrived after their Sunday lie-in as 07:09. Birds were slow in arriving and many came in from height rather than skimming the tree-tops as they often do.
- The Lesser Black-backed Gulls started to arrive at 07:02 with just 25 noted. These did not seen to come from the Hortonwood area, appearing high overhead from the W. Just two more dropped in later with most birds passing directly over.
- After c.07:45 I counted 157 Wood Pigeons flying low W in five very open groups. Later I logged 213 in tighter, high-flying groups going either N or S, these behaving more like migrants. Very few others flying around.
- *A very confiding party of Long-tailed Tits.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 14 Greylag Geese: single and duo outbound; 11 (a seven, a trio and a single) inbound.
- 28 Canada Geese: 25 in one group outbound; trio inbound.
- 6 unidentified geese: two concurrent trios S to E (see also notes)
- 4 Cormorants: trio and single
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Kestrel
- 65 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves: duo
- 381 Wood Pigeons: 370 of these in 12 groups (see notes)
- 171 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 20 Fieldfare: two groups
- 6 Redwings: two groups
- 4 Pied Wagtails

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 3 Starlings: singles from W end
- 2 Redwings
- 16 Reed Buntings

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- *12 (8♂) Gadwall
- 12 (8♂) Mallard also
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 31 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant: arrived again
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 11 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 183 Coots
- c.250 Black-headed Gulls
- 27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 25 pre-dawn; only two later

On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 2 Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata): all on same pole
- *1 Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria)
- *1 caterpillar?
- 2 winter gnats (Trichocera sp)
- 1 Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia)
- 1 small spider sp.
- 2 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman

Later:

Nothing of note 

Makes a change from all the recent dull weather even if this sunrise is none too special.

This pair of Gadwall provided an opportunity to see both the upper and the lower parts of the drake - a surprisingly pale belly. Note the orange-side to the bill of the duck - brighter and more extensive than on the duck Mallard.

A noisy passing Common Buzzard.

A small party of Long-tailed Tits popped up in front of me. How could I resist?

No good you hiding ...

One looking for small edible items.

Poseur.

Another ...

And another. Last one.

A very mottled Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria).

Today's mystery on one of the lamp poles before dawn. I guess it is a caterpillar though it seems a strange date. Seems almost to have a horn on the front (tail?).

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:26 – 10:27

(242nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Significantly fewer Tufted Duck (also fewer at the lake).
- Two Great Crested Grebes were so obvious today that I kept having to check there weren't more. So why could I not find any yesterday?

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
- 1 Siskin

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 31 Canada Geese: 25 of these arrived in two groups
- 37 (21♂) Mallard
- 48 (also 21♂) Tufted Duck
- *10 (>2♂) Goosanders
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Moorhens
- 39 Coots
- 572 Black-headed Gulls
- remains of the adult Lesser Black-backed Gull still just afloat

On the lamp poles.

Nothing

Around the Ivy
- >20 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) again
- *many unidentified flies

Of interest elsewhere:
- just about active Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) around their nest.

Spiv! This seems to be the same brownhead Goosander that I photographed a few days ago that appeared to have something sticking out of its mouth.

I have reported on 'flies' on the Ivy. There are several species and they mostly look somewhat like these. They are likely Muscid flies: there are many different species and many are very similar.

A closer view doesn't help.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day

2019

Priorslee 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

2015

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2013

Priorslee Lake

8 Wigeon

6 Gadwall

4 Teal

2 Shoveler

2 Pochard

116 Tufted Duck

2 Water Rails

222 Coots

1 Snipe

c.90 Lapwing over

4 Yellow-legged gulls

1 Great Black-backed Gull

A Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid

134 Fieldfare

22 Redwings

171 Jackdaws

3 Ravens

3 Siskins

3 Redpolls

(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood/JW Reeves)

Horsehay Pool

Caspian Gull

1  Yellow-legged Gull

2 Great Black-backed Gulls

1 Kingfisher

12 Goosander

Raven

(JW Reeves)

2012

Priorslee Lake

3 Gadwall

8 Pochard

24 Tufted Ducks 

152 Coots 

8 Redwings

(Ed Wilson)

2008

Priorslee Lake

8 Great Crested Grebes

1 Cormorant

56 Greylag Geese

12 Pochard

187 Tufted Duck

1 Goosander

2 Water Rails

149 Coot

c.800 Black-headed

c.2200 Lesser Black-backed

<20 Herring Gulls

1st winter Common Gull

50 Redwings

8 Fieldfare

1 Treecreeper

c.1000 Starlings left a roost

c.20 Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

23 Greylag Geese

27 Pochard

55 Tufted Ducks

3 Buzzards

>1650 Black-headed Gull

>4022 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

246 Wood Pigeons

1 Kingfisher

26 Robins

27 Blackbirds

4 Fieldfares

34 Redwings

male Blackcap

1 Willow Tit

246 Jackdaws

160 Rooks

8 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)