6.0°C > 7.0°C: Another mixed morning. Clear at home. Then with fog almost all the way to the lake where it was, surprisingly, misty rather than foggy. It soon cleared and by 06:30 visibility was excellent to the E at least. Fog rolled in from the N at 07:40 and while it 'came and went' it often seriously impaired viewing.
Sunrise: 07:30 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:00 – 09:00
(260th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A Tawny Owl called alongside Teece Drive at 06:25
- The Cetti's Warbler emitted just two notes of its song from near the Wesley Brook bridge at 06:30. It then sang once alongside the concrete ramp at 06:55. I did not hear it on any other occasion.
- c.75 Starlings left the W end roost earlier than usual with two more groups leaving over 10 minutes later. The two over-flying groups were only minutes after that and it is possible these came from roosts elsewhere around the lake.
- A Mistle Thrush was heard giving a few quiet song phrases.
- Nine Reed Buntings left the W end roost together, unusually, flying off to the N. Four more left to the E; their usual departure direction. When I left the area at least two more were still calling.
Overhead:
- 40 Wood Pigeons: 24 of these in three possible migrant groups
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 87 Jackdaws
- 40 Starlings: two groups
- 3 Redwings: singles
- c.20 Pied Wagtails heard only
- 2 Siskins
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
->225 Starlings
- 13 Reed Buntings
Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler again
Count from the lake area:
- 5 (3♂) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 18 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- >200 Black-headed Gulls
- 9 Herring Gulls
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 58 'large gulls'
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
None
Spiders and Harvestman:
- 1 Clubiona spider
- 1 Neriene montana
- 1 Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica)
- 2 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen
Noted later:
- 1 Common European Earwig (Forficula dentata)
- 3 Grey Squirrels
Plants Recorded:
Three more plants that I did not necessarily expect to find in flower in mid-November:
- *Bramble [Blackberry] (Rubus fruticosus agg.)
- *Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
- *Meadowsweet or Mead Wort (Filipendula ulmaria)
- 1 Clubiona spider
- 1 Neriene montana
- 1 Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica)
- 2 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen
Noted later:
- 1 Common European Earwig (Forficula dentata)
- 3 Grey Squirrels
Plants Recorded:
Three more plants that I did not necessarily expect to find in flower in mid-November:
- *Bramble [Blackberry] (Rubus fruticosus agg.)
- *Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
- *Meadowsweet or Mead Wort (Filipendula ulmaria)
At times the sun threatened to break through the mist. It didn't.
A 'Global Warming' Christmas Robin? No snow.
Lastly in this group not remaining in flower but in good shape is this seed-head of Hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum). I first recorded flowers on 29 July.
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:05 – 10:05
(234th visit of the year)
Poor visibility seriously affected things at times - "what island?" on occasions.
Bird notes:
- One of the fishermen told me that three Goosanders (sex not specified) had visited briefly.
- There were three Goldcrests together at the bottom of squirrel alley.
- *I also noted a trio of Bullfinches.
Birds noted flying over here:
(234th visit of the year)
Poor visibility seriously affected things at times - "what island?" on occasions.
Bird notes:
- One of the fishermen told me that three Goosanders (sex not specified) had visited briefly.
- There were three Goldcrests together at the bottom of squirrel alley.
- *I also noted a trio of Bullfinches.
Birds noted flying over here:
None
On /around the water: 'best effort'
- 21 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 35 (22♂) Mallard
- 34 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- no Great Crested Grebes located
- 19 Black-headed Gulls
On the same lamp pole:
- 1 Stretch-spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestmen
Around the Ivy:
- 2+ Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
It now seems to be too cold to hope to see any Ivy Bees here this year. This recent coloniser in to the UK has been spreading quickly north and has certainly reached the Midlands. It only flies in Autumn, feeding exclusively on Ivy. A BBC Wildlife audio programme about this species and the importance of Ivy to it and many other creatures can be heard on the BBC iPlayer Here
Also noted
- *unidentified fungus
One of the dog-walkers showed me what he had identified as two Saffron Milkcap fungus (Lactarius deliciosus) that he was taking home to eat. The species is also known as Delicious Milkcap or Red Pine Mushroom.
If you want to learn more about fungus in general then I have found an interesting 40 minute talk on the NatureSpot web site, viewable through YouTube Here.
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- 21 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 35 (22♂) Mallard
- 34 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- no Great Crested Grebes located
- 19 Black-headed Gulls
On the same lamp pole:
- 1 Stretch-spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestmen
Around the Ivy:
- 2+ Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
It now seems to be too cold to hope to see any Ivy Bees here this year. This recent coloniser in to the UK has been spreading quickly north and has certainly reached the Midlands. It only flies in Autumn, feeding exclusively on Ivy. A BBC Wildlife audio programme about this species and the importance of Ivy to it and many other creatures can be heard on the BBC iPlayer Here
Also noted
- *unidentified fungus
One of the dog-walkers showed me what he had identified as two Saffron Milkcap fungus (Lactarius deliciosus) that he was taking home to eat. The species is also known as Delicious Milkcap or Red Pine Mushroom.
If you want to learn more about fungus in general then I have found an interesting 40 minute talk on the NatureSpot web site, viewable through YouTube Here.
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Is this a slightly clearer view?
An apparently rather distinctively-shaped fungus that I have not been able to track down.
And the underside. I should add that it had already been knocked out of the ground. I am careful not to disturb any fungus unless it is one of a large cluster and I cannot otherwise get a clear view of the underside.
(Ed Wilson)
(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
2013
Priorslee Lake
80 Golden Plover
1 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
76 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
229 Coots
133 Wood Pigeons
254 Fieldfare
51 Redwings
391 Jackdaws
66 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
11 Tufted Ducks
150 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
2 Snipe
70 Redwings
105 Fieldfares
c.325 Starlings left the roost
c.645 Jackdaws
116 Rooks
Brambling
(John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
35 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
>750 Black-headed Gulls
>825 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
660 Wood Pigeons
1 Kingfisher
31 Robins
27 Blackbirds
155 Fieldfares
23 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
415 Jackdaws
194 Rooks
69 Starlings
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)