4.0°C > 6.0°C: Cloudy and often very dull. Rain starting as I arrived. Ceased c.07:30 and then occasional drizzle. South-easterly wind breeze. Moderate visibility at best.
Sunrise: 08:22 GMT still
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:35 – 09:25
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:35 – 09:25
(275th visit of the year)
One that got away. At 07:15 while I was avoiding the rain inside the sailing club shelter a large pale shape flew past. My first thought it was a gull: not so – too large, too early and on its own which would be unusual. Then: was I looking at the pale parts of a passing Grey Heron? Well: the flight seemed less laboured than a heron and it did not call which would have been unusual. An owl perhaps? I will never know as I saw nothing more.
Other bird notes:
- A Water Rail was seen in a ditch feeding in to the lake. I am always surprised how small these are, much smaller than a Moorhen. I nearly overlooked it as it was exactly where yesterday I had seen a blackbird bathing in a muddy pool.
- It was too dull to make a full count of the Coots. I did not there were 54 on the south-west grass at dawn.
- The first 18 Black-headed Gulls did not arrive until 07:50. No more than 200 were present at any one time.
- A few large gulls settled on the water briefly. Unexpectedly these included two Great Black-backed Gulls.
- No Cormorants here or at The Flash today.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
Only birds passing more or less directly overhead could be seen.
- 1+ Greylag Goose: outbound in the murk
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 13 Jackdaws
- 1 Linnet
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 47 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail
- 12 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- *2 Great Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
The rain seemed to have sent most things scurrying for cover.
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 47 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail
- 12 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- *2 Great Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
The rain seemed to have sent most things scurrying for cover.
Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- *1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: same place for the third day
- 1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- *1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: same place for the third day
Flies:
- several small plumed midges
- several small plumed midges
Other insects:
- *1 globular springtail
In the Sailing Club Shelter
Trapped by the rain in the shelter I looked again for the spiders lurking there:
- *1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- *1 Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
On the Teece Drive fence:
On the left an adult Great Black-backed Gull; on the right the coarse markings of a first winter Great Black-backed Gull; the middle bird is an immature (second winter?) Herring Gull.
A better photo of the male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria. There were not too many things on the street lamp poles in the rain and I was reluctant to get the camera wet.
In the sailing club shelter I noted this Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp. I think the first I have seen in the shelter.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:45
(257th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Only a single drake Gadwall seen. However it was tucked up under overhanging branches and there may have been a duck with it.
- When the Sparrowhawk flew over there were sounds of Siskins alarm-calling from the trees.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 1 Sparrowhawk
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose: arrived with...
- 73 Greylag Geese at least
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 42 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 65 (36♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 13 Moorhens: still too many dog-walkers
- 42 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: one first winter; one third winter again: both departed
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult; departed
On the ivy bank:
A lot of work on the photo editor managed to rescue a 'black cat in the coal cellar' shot of a dark brown Treecreeper against a dark brown tree trunk in dull conditions.
(Ed Wilson)
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 female Scaup
1 Yellow-legged Gull
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
7 Gadwall
(John Isherwood/Dawn Balmer)
The Flash
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Yellow-legged Gull
(Dawn Balmer)
Horsehay Pool
12 Goosander
(Dawn Balmer)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Jim Almond/Chris Ballance)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
9 Great Black-backed Gulls
Water Rail
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Yellow-legged Gull
Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
(Jason)
2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
19 Pochard
34 Tufted Ducks
>300 Black-headed Gulls
>298 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gull
33 Robins
13 Blackbirds
10 Fieldfares
45 Redwings
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee lake
2 Little Grebes
11 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
2 Mute Swans
35 Pochard
84 Tufted Duck
243 Coot
c.250 Black-headed Gulls
c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
32 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
- *1 globular springtail
In the Sailing Club Shelter
Trapped by the rain in the shelter I looked again for the spiders lurking there:
- *1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- *1 Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
On the Teece Drive fence:
Nothing noted.
Today's globular springtail.
Also in that shelter was this Walnut Orb Weaver spider Nuctenea umbratica.
A different Walnut Orb Weaver from below.
(Ed Wilson)
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(257th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Only a single drake Gadwall seen. However it was tucked up under overhanging branches and there may have been a duck with it.
- When the Sparrowhawk flew over there were sounds of Siskins alarm-calling from the trees.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 1 Sparrowhawk
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose: arrived with...
- 73 Greylag Geese at least
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 42 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 65 (36♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 13 Moorhens: still too many dog-walkers
- 42 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: one first winter; one third winter again: both departed
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult; departed
On the ivy bank:
Nothing noted
Better have another one!
(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
2 female Scaup
1 Yellow-legged Gull
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
7 Gadwall
(John Isherwood/Dawn Balmer)
The Flash
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Yellow-legged Gull
(Dawn Balmer)
Horsehay Pool
12 Goosander
(Dawn Balmer)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Jim Almond/Chris Ballance)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
9 Great Black-backed Gulls
Water Rail
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Yellow-legged Gull
Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
(Jason)
2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
19 Pochard
34 Tufted Ducks
>300 Black-headed Gulls
>298 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gull
33 Robins
13 Blackbirds
10 Fieldfares
45 Redwings
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee lake
2 Little Grebes
11 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
2 Mute Swans
35 Pochard
84 Tufted Duck
243 Coot
c.250 Black-headed Gulls
c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
32 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)