7.0°C: Misty / foggy. Calm. Very poor visibility, gradually improving to poor at The Flash later.
Sunrise: 07:57 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:21 – 08:52
(265th visit of the year)
Very misty here and impossible to see across, let alone along, the water.
Bird notes:
- I did not locate the drake Red-crested Pochard though in the conditions it might well have still been present and impossible to see - if I could not see the calling Canada Geese what chance with this?
- Perhaps my worst-ever count of Wood Pigeons. Two seen and one heard in the trees.
- Four Song Thrushes in song. My highest count this season.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 36 Jackdaws
- 4 Starlings
- 1 Redwing
- 5 Pied Wagtails
Birds heard leaving roosts around the lake:
- 3 Redwings
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- ? Canada Geese: heard only
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 52 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- >300 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all pre-dawn
- 1 immature Herring Gull-type
On the football fields later:
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
The academy playing fields not visible
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- *1 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)
- 6 Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
- 1 Scarce Umber moth (Agriopis aurantiaria)
- 1 Limonia nubeculosa cranefly
Noted later:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 08:55 – 09:58
This too is one of the November Moth group (Epirrita sp.) and even more boldly marked than the one at the lake suggesting it has recently emerged. The literature indicates that it is Autumnal Moth (E. autumnata) that is the last to emerge. The records on the Norfolk Moths web site do not entirely support this so Epirrita sp. it stays.
I usually recognise Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen by their smallish size and the thicker basal part of the legs. From this angle another feature shows - the pale brown stripe down the centre of the abdomen.
(Ed Wilson)
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(247th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Two different Goldcrests were good to see.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 4 Wood Pigeons: together
- 5 Jackdaws
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 18 Canada Geese
- 38 (22♂) Mallard
- 49 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (0♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 33 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: still the floating mortal remains linger.
On various lamp poles:
- *1 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)
- 2 Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
- *1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
Around the Ivy or elsewhere:
Bird notes:
- Two different Goldcrests were good to see.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 4 Wood Pigeons: together
- 5 Jackdaws
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 18 Canada Geese
- 38 (22♂) Mallard
- 49 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (0♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 33 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: still the floating mortal remains linger.
On various lamp poles:
- *1 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)
- 2 Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
- *1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
Around the Ivy or elsewhere:
Nothing of note
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2019Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
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
2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Gadwall
2 Pochard
2 Teal
1 Shoveler
Shelduck
1 Yellow-legged Gull
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(JW Reeves / John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Goldeneye
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
144 Coots
Woodcock
216 Black-headed Gulls
c.480 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
47 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
c.950 Wood Pigeons
16 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
c.560 Jackdaws
81 Rooks
11 Siskins
3 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)
2010
Madeley
3 Waxwings
(Pete Nickless)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Drake Pintail
(Martin & Ian Grant)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
28 Pochard
54 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
>1450 Black-headed Gulls
331 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
278 Wood Pigeons
35 Robins
27 Blackbirds
69 Fieldfares
7 Song Thrushes
13 Redwings
1 Siskin
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes again
2 Wigeon
2 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
223 Coot
A drake Shoveler
7+ Cormorants
8000 Black-headed Gulls
3500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
7 Herring Gulls
25 Golden Plover
14 Fieldfares
8 Redwings
13 Sky Larks
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)