29 Nov 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

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

Too big to be a Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) this moth, just dappled in droplets from the mist, is one of the November Moth group (Epirrita sp.). One of the better marked specimens I have seen. Specific identification is not reliable using the markings and genitalia examination is required.

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash: 08:55 – 09:58

(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:

Nothing of note 

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)

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

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

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)