Priorslee Lake and The Flash
5.0°C > 6.0°C: Initial broken medium-level cloud soon replaced by an often thin low overcast, thickening with occasional light drizzle. Light NW wind. Very good visibility before the drizzle when good at best.
Sunrise: 07:45 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:05 – 09:15
(269th visit of the year)
A very dull day in both senses of the word – only three Wood Pigeons flew over in the gloom!
Bird notes:
- The first 12 Black-headed Gulls arrived at the later than recent time of 06:45. Another 30 arrived at 06:55. It was after 07:15 before the main group of c.100 arrived and there seemed to be no more arrivals after that time
- A Cetti's Warbler called briefly along the N side at 07:00. I saw and heard nothing more until I heard calls along the S side at 08:35. Could this be a second bird? Or is it one very mobile bird?
- Three Mistle Thrushes were flying around calling above the football field at 09:10 with two veering off to sit in trees in the Ricoh copse. No song was heard today.
Overhead:
- 5 Feral Pigeons: together
- 3 Wood Pigeons only!!
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 74 Jackdaws
- 3 Fieldfare: together
- 55 Redwings: party of 52 N and three singles
- >41 Pied Wagtails heard
- 8 Siskins
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
5.0°C > 6.0°C: Initial broken medium-level cloud soon replaced by an often thin low overcast, thickening with occasional light drizzle. Light NW wind. Very good visibility before the drizzle when good at best.
Sunrise: 07:45 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:05 – 09:15
(269th visit of the year)
A very dull day in both senses of the word – only three Wood Pigeons flew over in the gloom!
Bird notes:
- The first 12 Black-headed Gulls arrived at the later than recent time of 06:45. Another 30 arrived at 06:55. It was after 07:15 before the main group of c.100 arrived and there seemed to be no more arrivals after that time
- A Cetti's Warbler called briefly along the N side at 07:00. I saw and heard nothing more until I heard calls along the S side at 08:35. Could this be a second bird? Or is it one very mobile bird?
- Three Mistle Thrushes were flying around calling above the football field at 09:10 with two veering off to sit in trees in the Ricoh copse. No song was heard today.
Overhead:
- 5 Feral Pigeons: together
- 3 Wood Pigeons only!!
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 74 Jackdaws
- 3 Fieldfare: together
- 55 Redwings: party of 52 N and three singles
- >41 Pied Wagtails heard
- 8 Siskins
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
None
Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: see notes
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 42 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 45 Coots again
- >150 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 unidentified large gulls pre-dawn
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *2 Scarce Umbers (Agriopis aurantiaria)
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: see notes
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 42 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 45 Coots again
- >150 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 unidentified large gulls pre-dawn
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *2 Scarce Umbers (Agriopis aurantiaria)
Also:
- 1 unidentified winter gnat
- *1 unidentified cranefly
- 1 unidentified winter gnat
- *1 unidentified cranefly
Spiders and Harvestman:
- 1 Tetragnatha sp. Stretch spider
- 4 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen
Later:
- 1 Tetragnatha sp. Stretch spider
- 4 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen
Later:
Nothing of note
The day started promisingly with the moon visible again.
So we can see the waning over three days: today on the left; 21st at top right and 22nd at bottom right.
Despite the epithet this was one of two Scarce Umber moths (Agriopis aurantiaria) on the same lamp pole.
Also on the lamps was this cranefly. If there were any markings on the wings they were obscured by dew. Not all species of cranefly have obvious halteres – this species doesn't. After I had checked the lamps low cloud and drizzle prevented any further photography.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:15
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:15
(244th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Two drake Teal tucked up against the island tried to confuse me: they were with a duck Tufted Duck. No duck Teal seen.
- Initially nine Goosanders (four drakes). A group of 12 more Goosanders flew N overhead with three (two drakes) breaking from the group to join the nine on the water. Less than five minutes later three, again including two drakes so presumably the same trio, departed to the NE.
- Back to two Great Crested Grebes!
- Two Redwings in trees here.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 9 (?♂) Goosander: see notes
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
- 2 Siskins
On /around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese: seven of these arrived
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 31 (19♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Teal
- 44 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- up to 12 (6♂) Goosander: see notes
- 14 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: departed
- 2 Grey Herons again
On the lamp poles:
Bird notes:
- Two drake Teal tucked up against the island tried to confuse me: they were with a duck Tufted Duck. No duck Teal seen.
- Initially nine Goosanders (four drakes). A group of 12 more Goosanders flew N overhead with three (two drakes) breaking from the group to join the nine on the water. Less than five minutes later three, again including two drakes so presumably the same trio, departed to the NE.
- Back to two Great Crested Grebes!
- Two Redwings in trees here.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 9 (?♂) Goosander: see notes
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
- 2 Siskins
On /around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese: seven of these arrived
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 31 (19♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Teal
- 44 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- up to 12 (6♂) Goosander: see notes
- 14 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: departed
- 2 Grey Herons again
On the lamp poles:
Nothing on any of them
On / around the Ivy (in the damp and chilly conditions):
- 1 Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris) still hanging in there
Of note:
- 1 Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris) still hanging in there
Of note:
Nothing else
(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
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
2 Pochard
123 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
2 Water Rails
15 Moorhens
227 Coots counted
1 Snipe
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Great Black-backed Gulls
2 adult hybrid Lesser Black-backed x Herring Gulls
102 Fieldfare
39 Redwings
266 Jackdaws
Redpolls
Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Tom Lowe)
Trench Middle Pool
22 Swans
6 Shoveler
14 Tufted Duck
183 Coots
61 Black-headed Gulls
14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
17 Herring Gulls
Caspian/Yellow-legged Gull
2 Ravens
1 Redwing
(Ed Wilson)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Adult + 1st winter Yellow-legged Gulls
1500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Tom Lowe)
2012
Priorslee Lake
30 Greylag
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard.
21 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
153 Coots
c.640 Wood Pigeons
8 Redwings again.
453 Jackdaws
61 Rooks logged.
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
6 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Andy Latham)
2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Cormorants
>60 Greylag Geese
14 Pochard
177 Tufted Duck
1 Lapwing
1 Snipe
2 Water Rails
159 Coot
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
c.100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5+ Herring Gulls
74 Redwings
c.60 Fieldfare
132 Jackdaws
166 Rooks
c.1750 Starlings
c.30 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)