4.0°C > 10.0°C: Clear start soon gave way to broken cloud at several levels. Some more sunny spells later. Calm / very light S wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:15 GMT
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 05:58 – 09:17
(241st visit of the year)
There was evidence of fireworks having been discharged on the shore of the lake last night. This may account for the lower number of Pochard and Tufted Ducks. The 500+ Starlings that left the roost nearby seem to have been less affected.
Another large passage of Wood Pigeons. Mostly in smaller groups and almost all to the W of the lake.
Other bird notes:
- The visiting pair of Mute Swans with their lone cygnet were not welcomed.
- A drake Goosander flew in from the W, did a 180 and left.
- Groups of five and six Lapwings seen – I assume the six were all different birds.
- c.60 Black-headed Gulls were flying around low over the water by 06:25. Just under 200 more noted arriving from the W
- 229 Lesser Black-backed Gulls came from the Hortonwood direction after 06:42.
- Later 34 Lesser Black-backs, two first-winter Herring Gulls and one of the two recent second-winter Caspian Gulls arrived: none stayed long.
- The Starlings were mostly panicked out of their roost by the arrival of an unleashed noisy dog and I had difficulty estimating the numbers. The disturbance would almost certainly have spooked the roosting Reed Buntings that had been calling earlier. I did not see them leave.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 13 Canada Geese: three groups inbound
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 11 Lapwings: two groups
- 24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 10 Feral Pigeons: four sightings
- 2 Stock Doves
- c.5300 Wood Pigeons: c.5245 of these in 73 migrant parties S / SW
- c.350 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
- 1 Starling
- 11 Redwings: three groups
- 3 Pied Wagtails only
- 1 Greenfinch
- 1 Lesser Redpoll: also two in trees, briefly
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- >500 Starlings
- 3 Redwings
- no Reed Buntings (see notes)
Counts from the lake area:
- *4 + 6 Mute Swans: a visiting pair with one cygnet, briefly
- *7 (4♂) Gadwall again
- 13 (9♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard only
- 15 (>6♂) Tufted Duck: four of these flew off
- 3 Cormorants: arrived as singles
- 3 Grey Herons
- 2 Little Grebes
- 12 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens
- 142 Coots
- >250 Black-headed Gulls
- 262 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: first-winter birds
- 1 Caspian Gull: second-winter
Playing fields.
Not visited
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- *1 Common Plume moth (Emmelina monodactyla)
- 3 winter gnats (Trichocera sp)
- *2 Tetragnatha stretch spider sp.
- *5 other small spiders apparently of the same unidentified species
- 3 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen
Noted later:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- *1 Common Plume moth (Emmelina monodactyla)
- 3 winter gnats (Trichocera sp)
- *2 Tetragnatha stretch spider sp.
- *5 other small spiders apparently of the same unidentified species
- 3 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen
Noted later:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
The clouds cleared again for a while to allow a sunrise flotilla shot of the Mute Swan family.
Not so tranquil here with the residents on the warpath to repel invaders.
One of the invaders makes its get-away. It does not appear to be ringed.
It was some while before I realised there was an extra cygnet. Here it too makes its get-away.
About time we had another drake Gadwall photo.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:35
(225th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- All seven cygnets present. The 2018 sub-adult was again attacking some of the cygnets. For a change the parents decided to intervene.
- Higher numbers of Pochard and Tufted Ducks: refugees from fireworks at the lake (q.v.)?
- Seems a rather late date for Sky Larks still to be passing.
- Redwing party seen too late to get an accurate count
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- *1 Sparrowhawk
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Jackdaws
- 2 Skylarks
- 3 Starlings
- c.35 Redwings
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 21 Canada Geese
- 37 (21♂) Mallard
- 6 (6♂) Pochard
- 154 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- *32 (6?♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 62 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: first-winter
On any of the lamp poles:
Nothing
On / around the Ivy:
- *2 Red Admiral butterflies (Vanessa atalanta)
- 2 Tapered Drone Flies (Eristalis pertinax)
- >50 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris)
- many 'flies'
Of interest elsewhere:
- Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) still active at their nest site.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(225th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- All seven cygnets present. The 2018 sub-adult was again attacking some of the cygnets. For a change the parents decided to intervene.
- Higher numbers of Pochard and Tufted Ducks: refugees from fireworks at the lake (q.v.)?
- Seems a rather late date for Sky Larks still to be passing.
- Redwing party seen too late to get an accurate count
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- *1 Sparrowhawk
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Jackdaws
- 2 Skylarks
- 3 Starlings
- c.35 Redwings
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 21 Canada Geese
- 37 (21♂) Mallard
- 6 (6♂) Pochard
- 154 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- *32 (6?♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 62 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: first-winter
On any of the lamp poles:
Nothing
On / around the Ivy:
- *2 Red Admiral butterflies (Vanessa atalanta)
- 2 Tapered Drone Flies (Eristalis pertinax)
- >50 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris)
- many 'flies'
Of interest elsewhere:
- Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) still active at their nest site.
A tricky contrasting subject when the sun is out. One of two full drake plumaged Goosanders that were present.
And here the paler inner primaries show well confirming its identity.
Another view.
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
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On this day
2019Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow Legged Gull
2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls
4 Gadwall
4 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
c.80 Greylag Geese over
2 Gadwall
6 Pochard
40 Tufted Ducks
7 Moorhens
c.130 Coots
2500 Wood Pigeons
580+ Jackdaws
45+ Rooks
Raven
1 Siskin
3 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
106 Greylag Geese
1 possible Bean Goose
38 Canada Geese
2 Pochard
32 Tufted Duck
17 Goosanders
7 Moorhens
7 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
10 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
513 Jackdaws
53 Rooks
732 Wood Pigeons
5 Meadow Pipits
503 Fieldfare
2 Song Thrushes
34 Redwings
1 Brambling
12 Chaffinches
2 Siskins
51 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Grant)
2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
15 Shoveler
1 Gadwall
10 Pochards
117 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rails
100+
Many Redwings
4 Fieldfare
20+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
16 Pochard
55 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
c.600 Black-headed Gulls
189 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
803 Wood Pigeons
17 Pied Wagtails
19 Wrens
12 Dunnocks
30 Robins
21 Blackbirds
128 Fieldfares
4 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
1 Mistle Thrush
13 Magpies
347 Jackdaws
160 Rooks
12 Carrion Crows
223 Starlings
2 Siskins
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
Kingfisher
2 Little Grebe
11 Pochard
35 Tufted Duck
3 Ruddy Duck
27 Redwing
10 Fieldfare
5 Reed Bunting
Redpoll
Siskin
101 Rooks
12 Carrion Crow
227 Jackdaws
3 Jay
12 Magpies
1 Raven
1200 Wood Pigeon
(Martin Adlam)