Happy New Year to all our readers
Priorslee Lake and The Flash
11.0°C > 12.0°C again: Still mild again. Patchy early cloud: more cloudy later. Moderate SW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:22 GMT still
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:55 – 09:30
(1st visit of the year)
A very busy morning!
Bird notes:
- Several 'regular' species that had been absent for a while put in an appearance:
- a drake Gadwall was my first since 26 December
- my previous Great Crested Grebe was a one-day visit by an individual on 17 November: prior to that the last resident was seen on 8 November.
- a Grey Heron flew low over: my first here since 7 December
- I had not seen a Woodcock since 17 December when one flew S across the W end scrub at 07:25
Other notes:
- The Mute Swans ignored the Canada Geese when they arrived and all stayed close to each other.
- Many Wood Pigeons on the move. A group of at least 150 flew E; another 17 flew E later; 64 flew W in two groups; and about 65 flew N together.
- Two Lapwings appeared overhead briefly at 09:05.
- A Peregrine Falcon flew E scattering Wood Pigeons at 08:30.
- The first three Black-headed Gulls decided to get up early for the New Year and arrived after 07:30: at least 750 today.
- Very unusually a Great Black-backed Gull lumbered over with a few of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- The Cetti's Warbler sang once alongside the Wesley Brook bridge. I did not hear it again.
- A group of eight Starlings flew over – my first for several weeks. They were so low that I did wonder whether they had left a roost around the lake but I think it was too late in the morning.
- One Mistle Thrush and four Song Thrushes were singing this morning.
- A mixed group of six Fieldfare and eight Redwings flew SW. Six more Redwings were in the trees later.
Overhead:
- 3 Stock Doves: duo and single
- >375 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lapwings
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Peregrine
- 122 Jackdaws
- 8 Starlings
- 6 Fieldfare
- 8 Redwings
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Siskin
Birds seen leaving roost sites around the lake:
- The Mute Swans ignored the Canada Geese when they arrived and all stayed close to each other.
- Many Wood Pigeons on the move. A group of at least 150 flew E; another 17 flew E later; 64 flew W in two groups; and about 65 flew N together.
- Two Lapwings appeared overhead briefly at 09:05.
- A Peregrine Falcon flew E scattering Wood Pigeons at 08:30.
- The first three Black-headed Gulls decided to get up early for the New Year and arrived after 07:30: at least 750 today.
- Very unusually a Great Black-backed Gull lumbered over with a few of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- The Cetti's Warbler sang once alongside the Wesley Brook bridge. I did not hear it again.
- A group of eight Starlings flew over – my first for several weeks. They were so low that I did wonder whether they had left a roost around the lake but I think it was too late in the morning.
- One Mistle Thrush and four Song Thrushes were singing this morning.
- A mixed group of six Fieldfare and eight Redwings flew SW. Six more Redwings were in the trees later.
Overhead:
- 3 Stock Doves: duo and single
- >375 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lapwings
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Peregrine
- 122 Jackdaws
- 8 Starlings
- 6 Fieldfare
- 8 Redwings
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Siskin
Birds seen leaving roost sites around the lake:
None
- the Magpie roost is now quite difficult to census as they no longer mostly assemble on a single post-roost tree but scatter in all directions from a more dispersed roost. It is however much smaller than the 80+ it reached several years ago.
Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler again
Counts from the lake area:
- 9 Canada Geese: arrived as six and three
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 19 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- >750 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Cormorants: arrived singly
On and around the lamps:
Rather more wind seemed to discourage too much
Moths:
- 1 female Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata): much higher up the same lamp pole than yesterday
- 1 female Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata): much higher up the same lamp pole than yesterday
Also:
- 1 probable Tephritis neesii, species of picture-winged or wing-waving fly
- 1 barkfly, just possibly Philotarsus picicornis
- 1 probable Tephritis neesii, species of picture-winged or wing-waving fly
- 1 barkfly, just possibly Philotarsus picicornis
Spiders / Harvestmen:
None
Otherwise:
- 1 Grey Squirrel.
My 2022 bird log in species order:
Robin, Song Thrush, Wood Pigeon, Pied Wagtail, Blackbird, Magpie, Coot, Mute Swan, Jackdaw, Wren, Mallard, Moorhen, Tufted Duck, Woodcock, Black-headed Gull, Dunnock, Herring Gull, Gadwall, Cetti's Warbler, Carrion Crow, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Reed Bunting, Great Crested Grebe, Canada Goose, Stock Dove, Blue Tit, Starling, Siskin, Fieldfare, Redwing, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Chaffinch, Peregrine, Great Black-backed Gull, Cormorant, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Lapwing, Coal Tit, Mistle Thrush - 41 species
- 1 Grey Squirrel.
My 2022 bird log in species order:
Robin, Song Thrush, Wood Pigeon, Pied Wagtail, Blackbird, Magpie, Coot, Mute Swan, Jackdaw, Wren, Mallard, Moorhen, Tufted Duck, Woodcock, Black-headed Gull, Dunnock, Herring Gull, Gadwall, Cetti's Warbler, Carrion Crow, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Reed Bunting, Great Crested Grebe, Canada Goose, Stock Dove, Blue Tit, Starling, Siskin, Fieldfare, Redwing, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Chaffinch, Peregrine, Great Black-backed Gull, Cormorant, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Lapwing, Coal Tit, Mistle Thrush - 41 species
There was almost a sunrise this morning.
These six Canada Geese dropped in...
Soon joined by three more who stayed a short distance apart. The Mute Swans more or less ignored them.
This is a struggle to see and I am not 100% sure whether it is a fly or something else. It is tiny: it seems to have a banded body with wings that are dotted around the margins. It may just possibly be the barkfly Philotarsus picicornis.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:20
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:20
(1st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Most ducks in fewer numbers: perhaps spooked by New Year's fireworks?
- Against this trend a pair of Teal re-appeared
Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Feral Pigeons
On /around the water:
- 12 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 38 (23♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- no Pochard
- 43 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander only
- 12 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 61 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
On the street lamps:
Bird notes:
- Most ducks in fewer numbers: perhaps spooked by New Year's fireworks?
- Against this trend a pair of Teal re-appeared
Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Feral Pigeons
On /around the water:
- 12 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 38 (23♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- no Pochard
- 43 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander only
- 12 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 61 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
On the street lamps:
Nothing on any of them
Elsewhere
- The White Dead-Nettle (Lamium album) flowers stagger on to the new year.
My 2022 bird log in species order:
Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Robin, Song Thrush, Coot, Great Tit, Black-headed Gull, Mute Swan, House Sparrow, Moorhen, Carrion Crow, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Pied Wagtail, Blue Tit, Great Crested Grebe, Blackbird, Teal, Dunnock, Wren, Goosander, Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Chaffinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker - 29 species
- The White Dead-Nettle (Lamium album) flowers stagger on to the new year.
My 2022 bird log in species order:
Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Robin, Song Thrush, Coot, Great Tit, Black-headed Gull, Mute Swan, House Sparrow, Moorhen, Carrion Crow, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Pied Wagtail, Blue Tit, Great Crested Grebe, Blackbird, Teal, Dunnock, Wren, Goosander, Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Chaffinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker - 29 species
(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
Drake Scaup still showing well off dam
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
21 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood and Rob Stokes)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl heard - 2nd ever record
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
About 30% ice.
Best bird remains the Black-necked Grebe.
Big gull roost:
c.3000 Black-headed Gulls
c.1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 3rd winter Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson and John Isherwood)