5.0°C > 7.0°C: A few clear spells after overnight rain. More cloud later. Moderate SE wind. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:11 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:29 – 09:35
(275th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The three Goosander flew E at 08:10 - an unusual direction. Apart from yesterday's one bird that circled back all my previous sightings of fly-overs here have been bird going W / SW.
- At least 50 Black-headed Gulls had arrived before 07:05.
- Large gulls started arriving at 07:23 with a few more than on recent mornings. Most came from the W with a few high from the N toward the end of the early arrival.
- For many years I used the first Wren song as a marker for the start of the Rook passage which in those days usually preceded the Jackdaws. Some years ago the roosts seemed to have moved and Jackdaws usually preceded Rooks. They were all passing at a slightly later time. So I adopted the first Dunnock calls as the new marker. This morning the first c.100 Jackdaws that I saw passed at 07:31 before either Wrens and Dunnocks were heard and 11 minutes earlier than yesterday. Perhaps some passes unnoticed even earlier - traffic noise from the M54 drowned their calls.
- Jackdaw passage was an unusually lengthy affair. The initial rush was complete by 07:50. Pairs and small groups sporadically passed along an identical post-roost line. 32 of these were noted after 09:00.
- No Song Thrush was heard to sing for the first time for several weeks. Perhaps they could not compete with the traffic noise?
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 9 Canada Geese: two groups outbound
- 3 Goosanders: see notes
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 39 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 4 Feral Pigeons: together
- 2 Stock Doves: singles
- 42 Wood Pigeons
- c.350 Jackdaws again
- 67 Rooks
- 3 Pied Wagtails
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 2 Redwings
I was not positioned near any roost sites at an appropriate time
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 + 5 Mute Swans: adult visitor briefly c.08:10
- 2 Canada Geese: flew in 07:05
- 12 (7♂) Gadwall
- 6 (3♂) Mallard
- 24 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Grey Herons once more
- 5 Great Crested Grebes once more
- 7 Moorhens
- 182 Coots
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- 78 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 74 pre-dawn; four later
- 2 Herring Gulls: 1 (near) adult pre-dawn; different adult later
- 6 immature Herring Gull-types pre-dawn: too little light to positively ID
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 2 Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
This species typically flies in the late evening and those that I see on lamps in the mornings are likely to settled by midnight. They probably did not fly last evening because of the rain.
Rather strange is that I have so far this season seen none of the wingless females of this (or any other over-wintering moth) species. I usually find a few crawling on the lamp poles.
- *1 Scarce Umber moth (Agriopis aurantiaria): presumed the same individual as yesterday
- *1 probable Larinioides cornutus (orb-web spider)
- 1 Tetragnatha stretch spider sp.
- *2 other spiders
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
Later:
Nothing of note
I assume this is the same Scarce Umber moth (Agriopis aurantiaria) as yesterday, slightly re-orientated.
One of the two unidentified spiders today. This one quite small.
And this is the other, larger unidentified spider. I know I have seen this species before but it remains unidentified.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:39 – 10:50
(257th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Several fishermen were 'setting up' and the Tufted Ducks were moving around as they did so. Best attempt at numbers and, especially, sexing them.
- Small Westbound passage of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Over the lake they were almost all going S.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 6 Feral Pigeons
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Jackdaw
- 6 Starlings
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 Greylag Geese: one of these flew in
- 20 Canada Geese: as yesterday six of these flew in
- 40 (21♂) Mallard
- 6 (5♂) Pochard
- 73 (>27♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 4 (0♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 45 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls; the body that is still refusing to sink.
On a lamp poles
- 1 Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus): same pole as on 2nd December but no longer hiding in a fold.
On / around the Ivy or elsewhere
Nothing of note
(Ed Wilson)
Today's picture of a soggy-headed duck Goosander.
It is good to have friends but ... A Carrion Crow and Magpie objecting to the presence of Common Buzzard.
Looks as if the crow could do with a new set of wings!
(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
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
6 Gadwall
4 Pochard
2 Teal
4 Raven
(John Isherwood)
The Flash
3 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
Horsehay Pool
Caspian Gull
(Jim Almond)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe.
3 Gadwall.
6 Pochard.
46 Tufted Ducks
1 Goosander
1 Water Rail
155 Coots
23 Redwings
6 Fieldfares.
151 Jackdaws
63 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1st-winter Yellow-legged Gull
2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
c20 Herring Gulls.
(J W Reeves)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
Yellow-legged Gull
An adult Little Gull
(Jason/Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
9 Pochard
53 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
1 Merlin
3 Buzzards
>500 Black-headed Gulls
234 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
24 Robins
22 Blackbirds
122 Fieldfares
178 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
139 Jackdaws
66 Rooks
12 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson / Martin Adlam)
2005
Priorslee Lake
160 Golden Plover
1500 Black-headed Gulls
400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Little Grebes
13 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
239 Coot
1 Water Rail
142 Jackdaws
251 Rooks
2 Redpolls
47 Siskins
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)