8.0°C > 10.0°C: Mostly cloudy at medium level with just a few breaks. Moderate south-westerly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:17 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:25 – 09:25
(263rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A Gadwall pair was a new arrival as was a Great Crested Grebe.
- The small movement of Wood Pigeons is unusual at this date.
- The first c.200 Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:20 with numbers building to at least 600.
- Fewer large gulls seen on the water. Also fewer overhead with a higher proportion of these Herring Gulls.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 42 Greylag Geese: 34 in two groups outbound; 8 in two groups inbound
- 6 Feral Pigeon: a single and quintet
- 162 Wood Pigeons: of these 16 flew North together; and then groups of 52 and 84 flew South.
- 2 Collared Doves: together
- 12 Herring Gulls
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 2 Cormorants: singles
- 7 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 6 Starlings: together
- 2 Fieldfares
- 2 Redwings
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.
- 32 Starlings: together
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 51 (32♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 126 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- c.600 Black-headed Gulls
- 15 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- 28 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 2 Grey Herons: one chased away
The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 2 male Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
- *4 Mottled Umbers (Erranis defoliaria)
- 2 male Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
- *4 Mottled Umbers (Erranis defoliaria)
Bees, wasps etc.
- 1 Braconid sp.
- 1 Braconid sp.
Flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- *1 wood gnat Sylvicola punctatus
- *1 non-biting midge Chironomus sp.
- *1 possible Drain Fly (Psychoda grisescens)
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- *1 wood gnat Sylvicola punctatus
- *1 non-biting midge Chironomus sp.
- *1 possible Drain Fly (Psychoda grisescens)
Bugs:
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
Spiders and allies:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 spider Neriene montana
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 3 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis: all on the same pole
- *1 possible harvestman Platybunus triangularis (also known as Rilaena triangularis)
Seen later:
- *one of the Myxomycota slime moulds
Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:
- 1 male and 1 *female Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 spider Neriene montana
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 3 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis: all on the same pole
- *1 possible harvestman Platybunus triangularis (also known as Rilaena triangularis)
Seen later:
- *one of the Myxomycota slime moulds
Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:
- 1 male and 1 *female Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
More cloud this morning. The best I could manage with the dawn colours.
Did I mention there is usually a branch in the way? A Long-tailed Tit of course.
No better here either.
Slightly better.
A female Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata).
A well-marked example of a Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria). One of four here this morning.
It is mottled and it is umber. Not such a well-marked example.
A male non-biting midge Chironomus sp. One of the smaller species, whatever that is.
Perhaps my best photo of a springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis.
This spider is Neriene montana.
One of the Myxomycota slime moulds apparently. I have no further information.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:55
(247th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A trio of Common Teal was seen beside the island with two drakes in dispute, I assume over the duck.
- The Common Buzzard was again attempting to perch in trees alongside squirrel alley with the resident Carrion Crows chasing it away.
- After two Ravens seen over the Balancing Lake on flew over here today.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Common Buzzard (perhaps the bird seen in squirrel alley later?)
- 1 Raven
Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese
- 38 Greylag Geese
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 45 (29♂) Mallard [yesterday's total should have read 40 (28♂)]
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 3 (2♂) Common Teal
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 44 (25♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 18 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 167 (gulp) Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: two third winters and *one first winter
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: two adults and one first winter
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons: one departed
Elsewhere:
Nothing noted
A first winter Herring Gull.
The Common Buzzard seen overhead.
Perhaps the same bird in squirrel alley trying to ignore the Carrion Crows dive-bombing it.
"Did you just take my photo?"
A wide black "zip" indicates this Great Tit is a male.
A Blue Tit. These are not so easy to sex.
Well: you can see the gold crest: just about.
(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
40 Golden Plover
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
4 Siskins
2 Redpolls
8 Pochard
83 Tufted Ducks
249 Coots
83 Fieldfare
54 Redwings
216 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
The Flash
Greater Scaup
1 Little Grebe
179 Tufted Ducks
1 Goosander
(John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)
Holmer Lake
30 Goosander
1 Little Grebe
(John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
11 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
Snipe
1 Water Rail
163 Coots
6 Redwings
227 Jackdaws
3 Redpolls
2 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Pochard
33 Tufted Duck
30 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
29 Swans
36 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
3 Water Rails
291 Coots
6 Redwings
c.230 Jackdaws
c.30 Goldfinches
7 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
18 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
35 Fieldfare
19 Redwings
216 Jackdaws
132 Rooks
11 Greenfinches
2 Redpoll
7 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)
2005
Priorslee Lake
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
c.400 Lesser Black-backs
18 Pochard
77 Tufted Duck
7 Shoveler
5 Great Crested Grebe
2 Dabchick
3 Water Rail
1 Snipe
40 Siskin
2 Redpoll
19 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)