12.0°C > 14.0°C: Low overcast, descending to mist and drizzle c.06:45. Drizzle ceased and clouds lifted somewhat after 08:00 with a few breaks developing. Very light south-easterly breeze increasing somewhat. Poor visibility in drizzle; very good later.
Sunrise: 07:42 BST
+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today
Not exactly highlights today were Pochard new in at both the Balancing Lake and The Flash: an adult drake at the former; and an immature drake at the latter. Also worth noting here is the first passage of Starlings over the lake this Autumn.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:20
+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today
Not exactly highlights today were Pochard new in at both the Balancing Lake and The Flash: an adult drake at the former; and an immature drake at the latter. Also worth noting here is the first passage of Starlings over the lake this Autumn.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:20
(215th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the visibility was too poor to get an accurate count of the Coots so I did not bother.
- Jackdaws typically pass in a large group about five minutes after the Rooks. Thereafter there are usually a few smaller groups of stragglers. Today the first large group of 65 passed at 07:31. Several sizeable groups were still passing much later with 32 noted at 08:17.
- there were at least 25 Siskins in trees near the Teece Drive gate c.09:00
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Canada Geese: South together
- 11 Feral Pigeon: all flying East in tow groups.
- 1 Stock Dove
- 65 Wood Pigeons: no migrant groups
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: together
- *1 Sparrowhawk
- 232 Jackdaws
- 57 Rooks
- 57 Starlings: two groups south-west
- 2 Fieldfare
- 57 Redwings: most in one group of 48 [seems to have been a Heinz day: 57 of everything]
- 3 Pied Wagtails
Warblers noted
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swan
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- no Mallard
- *1 (1♂) Pochard
- 7 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.60 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swan
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- no Mallard
- *1 (1♂) Pochard
- 7 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.60 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
There continues to be a large community of (semi) nocturnal species here with almost nothing to be seen later.
Moths:
- 3 November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)
- 3 November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)
Other things:
- 1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- *1 female mosquito Culex pipiens
- *1 possible fly from the Sciomyzidae group of Snail killing or Marsh flies
- *3 springtails Pogonognathellus longicornis
- 2 springtails Tomocerus minor
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- *1 Tawny Soil Slug (Arion owenii)
- *1 snail Oxychilus sp. perhaps Garlic Snail (O. alliarius)
- *1 spider Metellina sp.
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 spider Zygiella sp. possibly Z. x-notata
- 1 male harvestmen Leiobunum blackwalli
- *1 male harvestman Mitopus morio
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted later:
- *possible Wrinkled Snail (Candidula intersecta)
- *many Girdled Snails (Hygromia cinctella)
- 1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- *1 female mosquito Culex pipiens
- *1 possible fly from the Sciomyzidae group of Snail killing or Marsh flies
- *3 springtails Pogonognathellus longicornis
- 2 springtails Tomocerus minor
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- *1 Tawny Soil Slug (Arion owenii)
- *1 snail Oxychilus sp. perhaps Garlic Snail (O. alliarius)
- *1 spider Metellina sp.
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 spider Zygiella sp. possibly Z. x-notata
- 1 male harvestmen Leiobunum blackwalli
- *1 male harvestman Mitopus morio
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted later:
- *possible Wrinkled Snail (Candidula intersecta)
- *many Girdled Snails (Hygromia cinctella)
The drake Pochard that was new in today.
A female Sparrowhawk patrolling overhead.
A female mosquito Culex pipiens showing the proboscis she uses to draw blood.
A springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis having a bad-antennae day.
A White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger).
This snail is one of the Oxychilus sp. perhaps a Garlic Snail (O. alliarius).
A spider Metellina sp.
This male harvestman Mitopus morio has a very distinctive almost black saddle.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:20
(201st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- council contractors were strimming at one end of the water and another team was investigating the water leak on the East side. As a result the Goosanders were constantly on the move. There were certainly 34 seen together. There may have been as many as 48.
- neither adult Great Crested Grebe with begging young was seen (or heard). Could they have fledged and left?
- at least 30 Goldfinches flew from the island. So far as I could tell there were no Siskins with them today.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
- 17 Redwings: two groups
Warblers noted:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 11 Canada Geese: of these six flew in together
- 11 Greylag Geese: of these two flew in together
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 35 (23♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 1 (0♂?) Common Teal
- *1 (1♂?) Pochard
- *33 (>16♂) Tufted Duck
- >34 brownhead Goosander: see notes
- 12 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- no Cormorants
- *3 Grey Herons: one chased away
- 1 Kingfisher
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
Noted on / around the water:
- 11 Canada Geese: of these six flew in together
- 11 Greylag Geese: of these two flew in together
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 35 (23♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 1 (0♂?) Common Teal
- *1 (1♂?) Pochard
- *33 (>16♂) Tufted Duck
- >34 brownhead Goosander: see notes
- 12 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- no Cormorants
- *3 Grey Herons: one chased away
- 1 Kingfisher
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
Moths:
- none
- none
Other things:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- *1 female cranefly Tipula pagana
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- *1 female cranefly Tipula pagana
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Bees / wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Recognition class. The differing profiles of, on the left a Pochard, and on the right a Tufted Duck.
One of the three Grey Herons getting chased away.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
2009
Priorslee Lake
63 Mute Swan
7 Wigeon
14 Pochard
26 Tufted Duck
c.600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gull
1 Yellow Legged Gull
27 Redwings
3 Fieldfare
2 Willow Tits
(Mike Cooper / Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
>100 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rail
107 Redwings
176 Fieldfare
19 Siskins
4 Skylarks
3 Meadow Pipits
2 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Shoveler
37 Redwing
1 Fieldfare
250+ Starlings in the roost
11 Pochard
48 Tufted Duck
202 Coot
5 Moorhen
(Ed Wilson)