26 Dec 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 5.0°C > 6.0°C: A few clouds early; then clear; after 10:00 thin high cloud from the south-west encroached as far as the low winter sun making it rather watery. Moderate westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:21 GMT
* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:40 – 09:20

(272nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Very low numbers of gulls today. c.20 Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:35. I never saw more than 50 at any one time though as usual birds were coming and going so likely more individuals involved.
- A small number of mainly Lesser Black-backed Gulls passed to the West of the lake. Just five large gulls stopped off briefly.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 4 Canada Geese: duo outbound; duo inbound
- 56 Greylag Goose: 24 outbound in five groups; 32 inbound together
- 5 Goosanders: too high to sex
- 1 Stock Dove
- 14 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 32 Jackdaws
- 5 Fieldfare: together
- 5 Redwings: a single and a quartet
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 2 Siskins

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.
- 1 Reed Bunting

Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: a duo and a quintet arrived separately
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 33 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 91 Coots
- c.50 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Cooler this morning: many fewer things noted.

Moths:
- *1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata

Flies:
- *2 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- several small plumed midges

Other insects:
- several globular springtail

On the Teece Drive fence:

Nothing noted

It was just three hours after the Cold Moon was full when I took this photo so no craters easily visible. If the weather forecast is correct just about the only morning this will be visible.

The last of the clouds clearing away around dawn.

A Common Buzzard passes over with the early light shining under one wing.

While I am checking the street lamp poles pre-dawn this friendly Robin is always singing away.

 Not much to see this morning: a male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata

One of two winter craneflies on the street lamp poles: both Trichocera sp.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:25

(254th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- No Common Teal seen today: too many geese in the way?
- No Goosanders either.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Noted on / around the water:
- 11 Canada Geese:
- 76 Greylag Geese: some of these departed
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 51 (35♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 51 (35♂) Tufted Duck
- 15 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 79 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the ivy bank:
- *Common Drone Fly Eristalis tenax
- Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
and
- *Greater Periwinkle flower Vinca major

Today it was a Common Drone Fly Eristalis tenax attempting find the last of the nectar from the Ivy bank.

I did not expect to see his flower. It is from a Greater Periwinkle Vinca major that apparently flowers between March and May. It is noted as being mainly a garden escape not that this gives it permission to flower at Christmas.

(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
Two 1st-winter female Scaup
(Unknown)

2012
Priorslee Lake
A drake Scaup
4 Gadwall
10 Great Black-backed Gull
(Kriss Webb)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Gadwall
26 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
327 Coots
5 Redwings
4 Fieldfare
10 Goldfinches
14 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)