5.0°C > 7.0°C: Mainly cloudy and dull with very light drizzle. Against all expectations clear intervals 07:15 - 07:30 and again c.09:45. Light W wind. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:01 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:22 – 09:32
(268th visit of the year)
Two frustrations this morning:
- An owl flew past me at 07:15 and disappeared in to / behind trees. Most likely a Tawny Owl but all I could positively eliminate were Little Owl (it was too large) and Barn Owl (it was not pale enough).
- At 07:40 parties of six and 26 geese flew WNW. Clearly too small and with wing-beats too fast for Canada Geese but what were they? Unusually they were not heard to call. I guess Greylag Geese but could they have been Pink-footed Geese? The photos I took are too poor to make out anything meaningful.
Other bird notes:
- Yesterday there were Black-headed Gulls on the water by 06:45. Today none before 07:30 and then rather fewer.
- The 11 Black-headed Gulls logged flying over were passing high S in with the small passage of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. They seemed to have nothing to do with birds that had been at the lake.
- The pre-dawn large gulls, as far as I could determine, consisted of 78 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, nine immature Herring Gulls, two first winter Yellow-legged Gulls and the semi-regular second-winter Caspian Gull. Strangely only two of the Lesser Black-backs seemed to be immatures whereas all the other gulls were.
- The Feral / Racing Pigeons were in a tight group headed NW as is usual with Racing Pigeons being flown. Would they be racing / training in December?
- A big mixed group of Jackdaws and Rooks flew high over c.07:40. I counted 198 Rooks and there were more Jackdaws, though how many more I would not like to say. I have used >200 in the totals below. Another much smaller mixed group later. Earlier the usual several large tight groups of just Jackdaws.
- A Redpoll heard in the Alders near the Teece Drive gate where I photographed the Siskins yesterday. Too dull for a repeat session.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 9 Greylag Geese: outbound together
- 9 Canada Geese: trio, single and quartet outbound; single inbound
- *32 unidentified geese: six and 26 high NW: see frustration!
- 5 Cormorants: trio and duo
- 1 Common Buzzard: presumed the same bird over three times
- 11 Black-headed Gulls
- 29 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 10 Feral / Racing Pigeons: together
- 11 Wood Pigeons only
- >425 Jackdaws
- 212 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Birds seen / heard leaving roosts around the lake:
- 2 Starlings: together
- 3 Redwings
- 7 Reed Bunting: more heard calling from roost site after these departed.
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 11 (7♂) Gadwall
- 12 (7♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 58 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 197 Coots
- >125 Black-headed Gulls
- 84 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 78 pre-dawn; just six later
- 9 Herring Gulls: all immatures pre-dawn
- 2 Yellow-legged Gulls: first winters pre-dawn
- 1 Caspian Gull: second winter pre-dawn
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
- *1 Trichocera sp. winter cranefly
- *1 small black beetle sp., possible the flea beetle Crepidodera fulvicornis
- *1 or 2 Nursery Web Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis)
- *2 Tetragnatha stretch spiders sp.
- *2 small 'jumping spiders'
- 2 other spiders, apparently different species
Noted later:
- *Turkeytail fungus (Trametes versicolor)
I listened to the weather forecast: the moon I did not expect. But it was OK - it was drizzling within the hour.
The 26 unidentified geese flying over at 07:48 (according to the camera).
One of the unidentified spiders noted. I have seen this rather plain-looking species several times before.
In a gloomy corner I found this common bracket-type fungus called Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor). Either left over from Thanksgiving or ready for Christmas.
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:39
The third winter Herring Gull that dropped in briefly. Note the small amount of brown on some of the folded tertials and the lack of any red on the bill.
The markings on the abdomen are classic Honey Bee (Apis mellifera). The thorax seems a bit too hairy so I thought I ought to check. It is a Honey Bee - one trapped in a spider's web and I am not sure whether it is alive and therefore whether I can put this species on my meagre December insect list.
(Ed Wilson)
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(250th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Tufted Ducks especially difficult to census as there was much flying about.
- The Goosanders have taken to hauling out inside the island and can be tricky to locate.
- Two Great Crested Grebes seen displaying. Any third bird not located.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults singly
- 5 Jackdaws
- 1 Raven
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 23 Canada Geese
- 31 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard again
- 61 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (0♂) Goosanders again
- 2 Grey Herons still
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: dead body still not sunk.
- *1 Herring Gull: third winter briefly
On various lamp poles
- 1 November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.)
- *1 Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) caught in spider's web
- *1 Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus)
On / around the Ivy or of note elsewhere
Bird notes:
- Tufted Ducks especially difficult to census as there was much flying about.
- The Goosanders have taken to hauling out inside the island and can be tricky to locate.
- Two Great Crested Grebes seen displaying. Any third bird not located.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults singly
- 5 Jackdaws
- 1 Raven
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 23 Canada Geese
- 31 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard again
- 61 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (0♂) Goosanders again
- 2 Grey Herons still
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: dead body still not sunk.
- *1 Herring Gull: third winter briefly
On various lamp poles
- 1 November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.)
- *1 Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) caught in spider's web
- *1 Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus)
On / around the Ivy or of note elsewhere
Nothing
I found this Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus) lurking in the fold of a lamp pole. This common species can be found as an adult throughout the year.
(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
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall.
8 Pochard.
51 Tufted Ducks
156 Coots.
1st-winter Great Black-backed Gull on the water.
35 Redwings
c.407 Jackdaws
82 Rooks.
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
Caspian Gull
(John Isherwood / Another Observer)
2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Pete Nickless)
2006
Priorslee Lake
21 Pochard
50 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
73 Coots
>750 Black-headed Gulls
1904 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
29 Robins
25 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
6 Song Thrushes
31 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
258 Jackdaws
248 Rooks
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
3200 Black-headed Gulls
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1st-winter Great Black-backed Gull
7 Pochard
36 Tufted Duck
208 Coot
246 Jackdaws
83 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)