2.0°C > 4.0°C: Early mist over the water and frost on the grass. Otherwise just a few patches of high cloud. Calm / light S wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:08 GMT
No photos today – busy doing other thing. Watch out tomorrow
Priorslee Lake: 05:40 – 09:25
(248th visit of the year)
The main feature of the morning was very the large passage of Wood Pigeons heading S. This started by 07:05, petering out somewhat after 07:45. Several groups contained at least 500 birds and on occasions groups were passing to both the E and W of the lake simultaneously. When I totted up my 'best effort' at logging these my total came to just shy of 5400 birds. Add about 100 moving locally. The most interesting flock was a distant view of c.150 birds at 08:55 which overtook a late passing group of 18 Rooks: the pigeons were in turn overtaken by a group of c.75 Golden Plover. The comparison in flight formation – the plover in very typical wavy lines - and wing rate was enough to clinch the identity of my 112th species here this year.
Other bird notes:
- The erstwhile resident cob and his three cygnets spent the night here but left to the NE at 08:15. Within 10 minutes two other adults arrived: one bird was certainly not ringed - both may have been: I could only see this as they upended in the distance.
- A Great Crested Grebe: the first for some days. It is unusual for none to be present.
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls arrived at 06:25 and by 06:35 at least 500 were present. An unusually early and an unusually large arrival.
- A single Jackdaw flew over at 06:15. The next were the first big group at 06:45.
- About 550 Starlings burst out of the reeds almost together. About 30 more left a few minutes behind these. Five small groups flew over much later.
- At least two Siskins seemed to leave trees at the W end very early, as if they might have roosted there overnight.
Overhead:
- 3 Canada Geese: flushed out of fields to the E
- 3 Greylag Geese: one outbound; duo inbound
- 2 Stock Doves, at least in with....
- c.5500 Wood Pigeons: c.5400 in 46 migrant groups, heading between S: see also highlight
- c.75 Golden Plover: see highlight
- 36 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 8 unidentified large gulls'
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Sparrowhawk again
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- c.400 Jackdaws
- 47 Rooks
- 3 Skylarks
- 59 Starlings: five groups
- 19 Redwings
- 13 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Greenfinch
- 1 Siskin
Birds leaving roosts around the lake:
- c.580 Starlings
- 2+ Siskins: see notes
Warblers noted:
None
Count from the lake area:
- 3 + 3 Mute Swans again: see notes
- 10 (7♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 19 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 58 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- >500 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull again
- 27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 13 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 2 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)
with:
- 2 spiders: photos still to be examined
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestman
- 2 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestmen
Noted later:
- Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- 3 + 3 Mute Swans again: see notes
- 10 (7♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 19 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 58 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- >500 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull again
- 27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 13 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 2 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)
with:
- 2 spiders: photos still to be examined
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestman
- 2 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestmen
Noted later:
- Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 1 Grey Squirrel
It was a misty (and frosty) start yesterday
Cleared to give some great views of of the Autumn tints.
The cob Mute Swan and his three cygnets leaving.
One of the cygnets circling overhead before finally flying away.
The other two (near) adult Mute Swans fly in.
It is even more apparent here but what is strange is that it appears only to apply to the right wing. Can't explain!
A Dunnock. Understated plumage on this species.
Here it is again.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:25
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:25
(224th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Many Mallard had done a vanishing trick.
- Bumper number of Moorhens.
- The only fly-overs noted was a loose group of Jackdaws and Rooks. Rooks not too common here.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 16 Jackdaws
- 8 Rooks
On /around the water:
- 21 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 13 (9♂) Mallard
- 31 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 (1?♂) Goosander
- 13 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 27 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Herons
On the same lamp pole as yesterday:
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman.
Noted elsewhere:
- Many Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 2 Common Drone Flies (Eristalis tenax)
- 1 Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)
- Hundreds of flies of at least four species
Bird notes:
- Many Mallard had done a vanishing trick.
- Bumper number of Moorhens.
- The only fly-overs noted was a loose group of Jackdaws and Rooks. Rooks not too common here.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 16 Jackdaws
- 8 Rooks
On /around the water:
- 21 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 13 (9♂) Mallard
- 31 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 (1?♂) Goosander
- 13 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 27 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Herons
On the same lamp pole as yesterday:
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman.
Noted elsewhere:
- Many Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 2 Common Drone Flies (Eristalis tenax)
- 1 Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)
- Hundreds of flies of at least four species
When I checked the photos of the 'small wasps' I had tried to capture I found this Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus). Not a small wasp though it tries to convince predators it is.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
7 Pochard
Kestrel
Little Grebe
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)
2011
Priorslee Lake
4 Yellow legged Gulls
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
36 Pochard
85 Tufted Ducks
4 Lapwings over
c.200 Starlings roosted at W end
53 Wood Pigeons
249 Fieldfare
14 Redwings
7 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebes
17 Pochard
57 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
c.170 Golden Plover
1175 Wood Pigeons
1 Kingfisher
16 Pied Wagtails
22 Wrens
10 Dunnocks
27 Robins
22 Blackbirds
298 Fieldfares
8 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
1 Mistle Thrush
69 Starlings
12 Chaffinches
33 Greenfinches
11 Goldfinches
1 Redpoll
5 Bullfinches
9 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Adult Arctic Tern
172 Redwing
9 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
Siskin
Redpolls
7 Reed Buntings
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)