6.0°C > 8.0°C: A slightly delayed start due to very heavy and squally shower. Mostly clear thereafter with just a few light passing showers. Moderate SSW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:21 GMT: first morning with earlier sunrise!
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 07:05 – 09:30
(3rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Very few Black-headed Gulls again. No more than 100 at any one time. Much coming and going so perhaps more individuals. Also a single bird noted in with six passing Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- Not for the first time I recorded a single Starling leaving a roost around the lake. Why would such a usually gregarious bird choose to roost alone?
- A Cetti's Warbler called in the SW area at least twice, only early.
- Three Reed Buntings left a roost at the W end. The location was some way from where I have seen birds fly off in previous years.
Overhead:
- 2 Stock Doves: duo
- 74 Wood Pigeons: 56 of these in a single group E
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Black-headed Gull: with large gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 44 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 143 Jackdaws
- 1 Redwing
- 2 Siskins again
Birds seen leaving roost sites around the lake:
- 1 Starling
- 3 Redwings
- 3 Reed Buntings
Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: calls only
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- no Gadwall
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 15 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens once again
- 47 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Cormorant: arrived again
- 1 Grey Heron again
On and around the lamps
Impacted by the late heavy and squally shower washing / blowing things away:
Moths:
On / around the Ivy:
Not much to show today. One of two Carrion Crows that were working along the path alongside Derwent Drive grubbing out the moss, no doubt looking for morsels. Note that it is far from the 'overall black' that it appears. There are small white patches in the wings; a blue tinge to the back; and the wing-tips are brown-toned.
Moths:
None
Also:
- 1 small cranefly sp.
- 1 Common European Earwig (Forficula dentata)
- 1 small cranefly sp.
- 1 Common European Earwig (Forficula dentata)
Spiders / Harvestmen:
- 1 Neriene montana spider
Noted later:
- 1 Neriene montana spider
Noted later:
Nothing
Note
Note
A PS from yesterday. While failing to identify the small cranefly species using the NatureSpot web site I came across photos of Tipulidae Cranefly larvae. These closely match this larva I photographed here yesterday.
Additions to my 2022 bird log for here in species order:
Common Buzzard, Goldcrest, Little Grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Grey Wagtail
Year to date: 51 bird species
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:30
Additions to my 2022 bird log for here in species order:
Common Buzzard, Goldcrest, Little Grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Grey Wagtail
Year to date: 51 bird species
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:30
(3rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The all-white drake was making overtures at a none too receptive duck Mallard.
- I could not find the Pochard.
- I saw the Grey Wagtail too late to be able to check whether it was the bird carrying rings.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Siskin
On /around the water:
- 42 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 31 (20♂) Mallard only
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- no Pochard
- 73 (41♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (2♂) Goosander
- 10 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- no Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
On the street lamps:
Bird notes:
- The all-white drake was making overtures at a none too receptive duck Mallard.
- I could not find the Pochard.
- I saw the Grey Wagtail too late to be able to check whether it was the bird carrying rings.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Siskin
On /around the water:
- 42 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 31 (20♂) Mallard only
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- no Pochard
- 73 (41♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (2♂) Goosander
- 10 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- no Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
On the street lamps:
Nothing on any of them
On / around the Ivy:
Nothing
Additions to my 2022 bird log for here in species order:
Jay, Nuthatch, Greylag Goose, Coal Tit, Grey Wagtail
Year to date: 37 bird species
Additions to my 2022 bird log for here in species order:
Jay, Nuthatch, Greylag Goose, Coal Tit, Grey Wagtail
Year to date: 37 bird species
A friendly Dunnock peering at me.
Looking coy.
(Ed Wilson)
NOTE
The 2021 Priorslee Lake Summary can be found Here.
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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
2014
Priorslee Lake
Two 1st winter female Scaup present.
2012
Priorslee Lake
Adult Yellow-legged Gull
Adult Caspian Gull
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
A 2nd winter Caspian Gull
Adult Yellow-legged Gull
(Richard Vernon)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Evening - 6:15pm
A Barn Owl
(Martin Adlam)
Morning
Big gull roost with:
2000 Black-headed Gulls
500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
160 Herring Gulls
Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
Also
At least 10000 Starlings left the roost somewhere to the S and flew N just before 8:00am.
(Ed Wilson)