1 Oct 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

11.0°C > 13.0°C > 12.0°C: Clearing after overnight rain. Heavy shower c.09:30. Moderate SW wind. Excellent visibility, moderate in shower.

Sunrise: 07:10 BST

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 07:00 – 09:10

(217th visit of the year)

A rain-delayed start. As a result I have only partial counts for the early movement of large gulls, Jackdaws and Rooks.

Bird notes:
- So where were all the Mallard?
- What was presumably the same Little Grebe heard and then seen in two different locations. As usual allowed only a brief glimpse but looked to be mostly in winter plumage and therefore likely a different individual to the two seen on several days last week.
- A Great Crested Grebe was fishing in the Wesley Brook under the footbridge again despite the stream being in spate and discoloured from run-off from the sluices near the Teece Drive gate. As usual the brook itself was running clear from The Flash.
- Small passage of Meadow Pipits with 18 seen in six pairs / small groups. Clear sky and road noise made hearing these a challenge. (Light passage continued later in the morning over my Newport house)

Overhead:
- 8 Stock Doves: together, unusually
- 153 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: together
- 26 Jackdaws
- 14 Rooks
- 1 Sky Lark again
- 11 Pied Wagtails
- 18 Meadow Pipits at least

Warblers noted:
- 2 Chiffchaffs: one in song

Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 (0♂) Mallard only
- 2 Moorhens
- 73 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe: immature?
- 6 Great Crested Grebes: all adults
- >430 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- >60 large gulls: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron

Also noted:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Some of the Ivy flowers are now open. No-one was tempted on to the soggy flowers.

Two of Mute Swan cygnets in confident flight – feet up!

A first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. The best separation from a similarly-aged Herring Gull when seen from this angle is the rather weak bill. One could posit that the wing feathers look rather dark but that is a stretching things that cannot really be confirmed.

The same gull from underneath confirms the identity with strong markings on the underwing and no hint of a paler area around the inner primaries (albeit they are rather shaded). Note the bill looks relatively larger at this angle.

The derivation of the name Nuthatch is apparently from 'nut hack'. Seems reasonable from this short video clip.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 09:55

(196th visit of the year)

The heavy shower rather interrupted things and all numbers 'best effort'

Bird notes:
- No sign of yesterday's duck Wigeon.
- The juvenile Great Crested Grebes were seen almost clear of the water as they practised flying. Two of them were seen displaying to each other – teenagers!
- The Little Egret flew in c.09:25. My second here this year after one on 21 June. One had been photographed here on 22 March.
- My first Siskin of autumn overhead.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Siskin

Warblers noted:

None

On /around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 35 (23♂) Mallard
- 14 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Egret: arrived

On a lamp pole:
- 1 Opilio canestrinii harvestman

Also noted
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Not a very good photo of the Little Egret. It was pouring with rain and I whipped the camera out of my pocket, took a quick record shot, and returned the camera to the dry. The black bill and yellow feet are discernible confirming its identity.

The only thing on any of the lamps today (before the shower!) was this Opilio canestrinii harvestman. The orange tone where the legs join the body separates this species from other Opilio harvestmen.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail
40 Mute Swan
(Mike Cooper)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Shoveler
Peregrine
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Redwing
90 Golden Plover
87 Greenfinches
3 Chiffchaffs
Blackcap
Kingfisher
2 Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)