10.0°C: Mostly cloudy with some breaks and also some light rain at times. Excellent sunrise. Fresh S breeze. Excellent visibility.
Sunrise: 07:51 BST
*= a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:40 – 09:25
(239th visit of the year)
No Wood Pigeon migration seen today and very little local movement by them either. Significant gull movement and a few winter thrushes over.
Other bird notes:
- The Mute Swan family was present and correct at 07:00. At 07:55 they all went for a fly around heading away over the Priorslee estate. The pen soon returned, perhaps thought better of it and set off again, only to come back again possibly having lost contact with the others. Neither the cob nor any cygnets had returned by the time I left.
- Most of the early large gulls stopped off. Later there was a significant passage of large gulls heading S, mainly to the E of the lake. When it became light-enough for me to identify them they were all Lesser Black-backed Gulls with almost all of these being full adults.
- No Cetti's Warbler seen or heard: there was a Chiffchaff calling at the W end.
- While I was standing on the dam four Bullfinches flew out of one of the few remaining bushes along the E side of Castle Farm Way and climbed away to the SW, apparently crossing the M54. I do see this species in flight from time to time, not usually making such long forays.
- The only bird seen leaving a roost around the water was a lone Reed Bunting.
Overhead:
- 46 Wood Pigeons
- 83 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 171 unidentified large gulls
- 2 Cormorants: singles
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 263 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 1 Skylark
- 7 Starlings: single and two small groups
- 2 Fieldfares: singles
- 71 Redwings: two singles heard pre-dawn and seven small groups later
- 16 Pied Wagtails
- 4 Bullfinches: see notes
- 1 Greenfinch
- 15 Goldfinches: two groups
- 1 Siskin
Warblers noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff: no song
Count from the lake area:
- *2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans initially: see notes
- 12 (8♂) Mallard
- 26 (>12♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 53 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- >175 Black-headed Gulls
- *8 Herring Gulls
- *1 possible Caspian Gull
- 62 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 61 large gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.).
with:
- *1 unidentified presumed female fly sp.
- 1 Clubiona sp. of spider
- 1 Larinioides sp. Orb-web spider)
- 1 Metellina sp. of spider
- 1 Tetragnatha sp. of Stretch spider
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman
Nothing noted later:
- 1 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.).
with:
- *1 unidentified presumed female fly sp.
- 1 Clubiona sp. of spider
- 1 Larinioides sp. Orb-web spider)
- 1 Metellina sp. of spider
- 1 Tetragnatha sp. of Stretch spider
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman
Nothing noted later:
The early sunrise was rather an eerie colour – well it is coming up to Halloween.
A more spectacular tone later with the cob Mute Swan on 'photographic detail' as foreground.
The full extent of a rather spectacular sunrise.
Turn though 180 degrees and this proves it was raining.
And turn another 90 degrees and one for cloud fans.
The pen proving that she is not all that 'mute' a Mute Swan.
I am at a loss to identify this. I thought it might be a wingless female Mottled Umber moth but the body is too elongated and the legs too long. In shape it is more akin to a dragonfly nymph but the head is too small. The shape is also good for a mayfly nymph but these would have 'tails'. I note that it has 'halteres' rather than hindwings so it must belong to the 'true flies'. I can say it is not a cranefly larva as they look like maggots. I cannot say anything else.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:25
(216th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A pair of Teal seen by the island again.
- No Goosanders: too many fishermen? (some of whom were wading waist-deep in to the water)
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
Warblers noted.
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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:25
(216th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A pair of Teal seen by the island again.
- No Goosanders: too many fishermen? (some of whom were wading waist-deep in to the water)
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
Warblers noted.
None
On /around the water:
- 31 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 29 (19♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- 43 (12+♂) Tufted Duck
- no Goosander
- 8 Moorhens
- 24 Coots again
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Herons
On a lamp pole:
- 1 Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus)
Noted elsewhere:
- many Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris) on the Ivy flowers.
- unidentified fungus, just perhaps a Lepiota sp.
- 31 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 29 (19♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- 43 (12+♂) Tufted Duck
- no Goosander
- 8 Moorhens
- 24 Coots again
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Herons
On a lamp pole:
- 1 Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus)
Noted elsewhere:
- many Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris) on the Ivy flowers.
- unidentified fungus, just perhaps a Lepiota sp.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
2010
Priorslee Lake
733 Wood Pigeons
11 Skylarks
151 Fieldfare
20 Redwings
2 Brambling
2 Linnets
2 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
5 Wigeon
1 Little Grebe
(John Isherwood)
The Flash
1 Shoveler
1 Teal (female)
1 Common Gull
(John Isherwood)