Nothing

Drake Gadwalls are splendid-looking ducks but distinctly understated. Duck Gadwall are even more understated and easy to overlook. In flight, even on gloomy days like today, the white speculum of both sexes is hard to miss.

This distant gull sent me scurrying to my 'Gulls' monograph. The outer primary seems to have very little white and only the nest two primaries have any black marking and these are restricted to the outer webs and tips. The mantle and wing colouration define it as basically a Herring Gull-type. But what type exactly?

A split second later ad it looks rather different. It looks like the outer primary (primary 10) is still growing with a small white 'mirror' in the black: the next primary (P9) is solid black towards the tip, albeit with a small amount of white at the very tip: and it is P8 and P7 that have black predominantly on the outer web. If, as it seems it is P9 that is all-black then that points to either Caspian or Yellow-legged Gull. However both these species should show black on P6 and probably P5 and their mantle colour ought to appear darker, the poor light conditions notwithstanding. I'll go with moulting Herring Gull!

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash: 10:35 – 11:25

(211th visit of the year)

Another tree, perhaps two, seem to be about to collapse from the edge of the island. The island is an important feature that attracts birds. They feel safe on and around the island. Wave action combined with geese and ducks scrambling on and off is eroding it away, sadly.

Bird notes:
- A duck Teal was seen tucked up at the top end. Later a pair were by the island as usual. I could not then see the previously noted duck: however it might have been under the vegetation. I certainly did not note it fly down.
- Two Siskins flew in to trees on the island.

Birds noted flying over here:

None

Warblers note:
- 1 Chiffchaff: persistent calls: seen

On /around the water:
- 31 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 47 (28♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Teal: see notes
- 32 (11+♂) Tufted Duck
- 22 (0♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes again
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron still

On the lamp poles:

Nothing on any of them

Noted elsewhere:
- a few Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris) on the Ivy flowers.
- 1 Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig fungus (Coprinus comatus). A month later than in 2020; a week earlier than in 2019
- 1 Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

Nothing too exciting here. And adult Great Crested Grebe with one of the juveniles.

(Ed Wilson)

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

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
63 Mute Swan
7 Wigeon
14 Pochard
26 Tufted Duck
c.600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gull
1 Yellow Legged Gull
27 Redwings
3 Fieldfare
2 Willow Tits
(Mike Cooper / Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
>100 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rail
107 Redwings
176 Fieldfare
19 Siskins
4 Skylarks
3 Meadow Pipits
2 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Shoveler
37 Redwing
1 Fieldfare
250+ Starlings in the roost
11 Pochard
48 Tufted Duck
202 Coot
5 Moorhen
(Ed Wilson)

Friends of Priorslee Lake Wildlife Site

Pages

19 Oct 21