12.0°C > 13.0°C: Very mild. Mostly low cloud with early light drizzle. A few brighter spells to the E for a while. Calm start with light SE wind developing. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:22 GMT again
* = a photo today
A Parish Notice:
For those of you who read this on the internet at: http://friendsofpriorsleelake.blogspot.com/ you will
probably notice that this comes up as 'Not Secure' on your browser.
The site is being changed to a https: secure site – exactly when the change will take place is unclear. Once the change is made you may need to find the new URL by searching again for "Friends of Priorslee Lake" in your browser and then updating any bookmark.
Another very quiet morning. Very mild – warmer than on most of my early visits in June / July!
Priorslee Lake: 06:55 – 09:15
(301st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- 'Our' Mute Swans are back, complete with cygnets. I was told they were not seen yesterday morning at least. I saw them asleep at 07:10.
- Very low number of Tufted Ducks and seven of these seen flying off. Perhaps all the rain has washed mud in to the lake and covered the underwater vegetation upon which this species feeds?
- A pair of Goosanders flew E at 08:55 – an unusual direction for this species.
- The first 100+ Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:40 taking a long while to settle which they eventually did, unusually in the extreme SW area near the concrete ramp and the boat piers. Numbers built up and up in a dense group which I think was at least 1000 strong.
- Only one Herring Gull joined the throng and there were no other large gulls on the water later with very few flying over – just like mid-summer!
- Three Song Thrushes were tempted in to song by the mild weather. Another heard calling at dawn.
Overhead:
- 2 (1♂) Goosanders
- 13 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 186 Jackdaws
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 3 Siskins
Birds seen leaving roost sites around the lake:
A plumed midge but which species? The abdomen looks thinner than most specimens I see. Also the wings extend beyond the abdomen which is unusual. It will have to stay unidentified.
The site is being changed to a https: secure site – exactly when the change will take place is unclear. Once the change is made you may need to find the new URL by searching again for "Friends of Priorslee Lake" in your browser and then updating any bookmark.
Another very quiet morning. Very mild – warmer than on most of my early visits in June / July!
Priorslee Lake: 06:55 – 09:15
(301st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- 'Our' Mute Swans are back, complete with cygnets. I was told they were not seen yesterday morning at least. I saw them asleep at 07:10.
- Very low number of Tufted Ducks and seven of these seen flying off. Perhaps all the rain has washed mud in to the lake and covered the underwater vegetation upon which this species feeds?
- A pair of Goosanders flew E at 08:55 – an unusual direction for this species.
- The first 100+ Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:40 taking a long while to settle which they eventually did, unusually in the extreme SW area near the concrete ramp and the boat piers. Numbers built up and up in a dense group which I think was at least 1000 strong.
- Only one Herring Gull joined the throng and there were no other large gulls on the water later with very few flying over – just like mid-summer!
- Three Song Thrushes were tempted in to song by the mild weather. Another heard calling at dawn.
Overhead:
- 2 (1♂) Goosanders
- 13 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 186 Jackdaws
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 3 Siskins
Birds seen leaving roost sites around the lake:
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- no Pochard
- 21 (?♂) > 14 (8♂) Tufted Duck: seven flew off
- 3 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- >1000 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- no Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Around the lamps
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- no Pochard
- 21 (?♂) > 14 (8♂) Tufted Duck: seven flew off
- 3 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- >1000 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- no Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Around the lamps
A big haul in damp but mild weather:
Moths:
- 1 presumed male Northern Winter Moth (Operophtera fagata) [on size]
- 3 male Winter Moths (O. brumata)
Moths:
- 1 presumed male Northern Winter Moth (Operophtera fagata) [on size]
- 3 male Winter Moths (O. brumata)
Also:
- 2 different leafhoppers, perhaps Eupteryx urticae and *Ribautiana tenerrima
- 1 cranefly
- *1 plumed midge
- *several different small flies
- 1 barkfly
- *1 'green larvae'?
- *1 weevil sp., just possibly Trichosirocalus troglodytes
- 2 different leafhoppers, perhaps Eupteryx urticae and *Ribautiana tenerrima
- 1 cranefly
- *1 plumed midge
- *several different small flies
- 1 barkfly
- *1 'green larvae'?
- *1 weevil sp., just possibly Trichosirocalus troglodytes
Spiders:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 Xysticus cristatus crab spider
- 1 money spider sp.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 Xysticus cristatus crab spider
- 1 money spider sp.
If the last fly was tiny then this was less than half its size.
And another but this one with bulging red eyes.
A weevil sp. with its snout (rostrum) held bent.
A spider I can identify without Nigel's help! This is a Xysticus cristatus crab spider.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:15
(277th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The Tufted Duck number is 'best effort': they were moving about all the time.
- So where were all the Moorhens?
- Three Song Thrush noted singing and another non-singing bird seen.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
On /around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 45 (28♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- no Teal
- 74 (34♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (0♂) Goosander
- 4 Moorhens only
- 24 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 23 Black-headed Gulls again
- no Grey Heron
On the street lamps:
Nothing on any of them
Also noted:
- *Yellow Brain fungus (Tremella mesenterica).
- *Yellow Brain fungus (Tremella mesenterica).
(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
2 female Scaup
1 Yellow-legged Gull
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
7 Gadwall
(John Isherwood/Dawn Balmer)
The Flash
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Yellow-legged Gull
(Dawn Balmer)
Horsehay Pool
12 Goosander
(Dawn Balmer)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Jim Almond/Chris Ballance)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
9 Great Black-backed Gulls
Water Rail
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Yellow-legged Gull
Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
(Jason)
2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
19 Pochard
34 Tufted Ducks
>300 Black-headed Gulls
>298 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gull
33 Robins
13 Blackbirds
10 Fieldfares
45 Redwings
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee lake
2 Little Grebes
11 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
2 Mute Swans
35 Pochard
84 Tufted Duck
243 Coot
c.250 Black-headed Gulls
c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
32 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)