6.0°C > 5.0°C: Fine and clear with encroaching cloud remaining far to the South. Light westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:22 GMT still
* = a species photographed today
Happy New Year to you all.
It was most remiss of me yesterday not to thank Martin Adlam for the vital contribution has made throughout another year turning my plain script and annotated photos in to the format you see on the web site (or read on Facebook). He does this task alongside his own blog (and life). He has done this faithfully for many years as you can see from all the links available on the web site. The look and feel of what you read would not be as professional if I was left to flounder on my own. Thank you Martin.
Generally a quieter morning with lower numbers of many duck species and a ridiculously low count of gulls on the water at the lake: just five Black-headed Gulls. The aftermath of the New Year fireworks? Were there any? I was fast asleep long before the bewitching hour.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:20 – 09:25
(1st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Eight Black-headed Gulls arrived at the very late time of 07:52 (especially as it was clear); these circled and departed again without settling. Later just five on the water. Why so few?
- No large gulls seen on the water. A small passage of mainly Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew south-west to the West of the lake.
- At least 150 Jackdaws flew past on roost dispersal in a very tight group at 07:42. Later six more smaller groups could be specifically counted.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 4 Canada Geese: two duos outbound
- 52 Greylag Geese: outbound in three groups
- 1 Stock Dove
- 37 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 73 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants: together
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- c.255 Jackdaws
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 41 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander: departed
- 2 Water Rails: heard only
- 15 Moorhens
- 93 Coots
- 5 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 41 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander: departed
- 2 Water Rails: heard only
- 15 Moorhens
- 93 Coots
- 5 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *4 Winter Moths Operophtera brumata: two males and two females
- *4 Winter Moths Operophtera brumata: two males and two females
Flies:
- 1 fly Dryomyza anilis
- 1 fly Dryomyza anilis
Other insects:
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- 2 springtails Tomocerus vulgaris
- *1 very small springtail of similar overall shape.
- 1 globular springtail
On the Teece Drive fence:
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- 2 springtails Tomocerus vulgaris
- *1 very small springtail of similar overall shape.
- 1 globular springtail
On the Teece Drive fence:
Nothing noted
Birds Recorded
As is customary at the start of each year I start a new log of species seen in the order I have seen them. This year I have added the time and a brief narrative:
1 06:20 Song Thrush singing as I arrived
2 06:20 Robin singing as I arrived
3 06:22 Blackbird feeding by the light of the street lights
4 06:55 Moorhen calling from lake
5 06:55 Coot calling from lake
6 06:57 Magpie disturbed at roost
7 07:11 Mute Swan visible on water
8 07:11 Tufted Duck calling from water
9 07:13 Cetti's Warbler single song
10 07:36 Canada Goose duo overhead
11 07:42 Jackdaw first party overhead
12 07:46 Wren waking up noises
13 07:48 Carrion Crow on distant power lines
14 07:50 Herring Gull over
15 07:50 Lesser Black-backed Gull over
16 07:52 Greylag Goose duo outbound
17 07:53 Black-headed Gull circling over
18 07:55 Rook overhead
19 07:57 Sparrowhawk overhead
20 07:58 Wood Pigeon flying over
21 07:59 Pied Wagtail over
22 08:03 *Siskin flying in to trees
23 08:04 Blue Tit calling
24 08:06 Cormorant six overhead
25 08:08 Great Tit calling
26 08:08 Long-tailed Tit party in trees
27 08:08 Chaffinch male in trees
28 08:11 Mallard on water
29 08:12 Treecreeper heard
30 08:14 Jay calling
31 08:17 Redwing single bird overhead
32 08:19 Dunnock feeding on ground
33 08:20 Goldfinch in trees at West end
34 08:39 Goosander duck flushed from lake
35 08:40 Stock Dove flew East and displayed over fields
36 08:45 Pochard duck noted amongst Tufties
37 08:54 Water Rail two heard in north-east area
Birds Recorded
As is customary at the start of each year I start a new log of species seen in the order I have seen them. This year I have added the time and a brief narrative:
1 06:20 Song Thrush singing as I arrived
2 06:20 Robin singing as I arrived
3 06:22 Blackbird feeding by the light of the street lights
4 06:55 Moorhen calling from lake
5 06:55 Coot calling from lake
6 06:57 Magpie disturbed at roost
7 07:11 Mute Swan visible on water
8 07:11 Tufted Duck calling from water
9 07:13 Cetti's Warbler single song
10 07:36 Canada Goose duo overhead
11 07:42 Jackdaw first party overhead
12 07:46 Wren waking up noises
13 07:48 Carrion Crow on distant power lines
14 07:50 Herring Gull over
15 07:50 Lesser Black-backed Gull over
16 07:52 Greylag Goose duo outbound
17 07:53 Black-headed Gull circling over
18 07:55 Rook overhead
19 07:57 Sparrowhawk overhead
20 07:58 Wood Pigeon flying over
21 07:59 Pied Wagtail over
22 08:03 *Siskin flying in to trees
23 08:04 Blue Tit calling
24 08:06 Cormorant six overhead
25 08:08 Great Tit calling
26 08:08 Long-tailed Tit party in trees
27 08:08 Chaffinch male in trees
28 08:11 Mallard on water
29 08:12 Treecreeper heard
30 08:14 Jay calling
31 08:17 Redwing single bird overhead
32 08:19 Dunnock feeding on ground
33 08:20 Goldfinch in trees at West end
34 08:39 Goosander duck flushed from lake
35 08:40 Stock Dove flew East and displayed over fields
36 08:45 Pochard duck noted amongst Tufties
37 08:54 Water Rail two heard in north-east area
My 01 January 2023 species total here was 40
As the Cold Moon wanes more and more craters become apparent.
A none too inspiring photo of a female Siskin feeding on Alder cones.
The best-looking of the two male Winter Moths Operophtera brumata.
And the best-looking of the two female Winter Moths.
The other and rather battered-looking female Winter Moths.
Almost everything else noted today was a springtail. This is a Pogonognathellus longicornis.
Not sure about this one, less than a quarter the size of the previous species and, for springtails of this general form, has very short antennae. There are a number of very small [0.05" (1.5mm)] springtails like this. My camera cannot resolve these to provide an identification.
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:20
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:20
(1st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The cob Mute Swan and all four cygnets went for a fly up the water. Not all the cygnets made it all the way. Thereafter some of the cygnets continued with flying attempts. This is all rather strange as I saw them all flying strongly more than a month ago, albeit one seemed less confident than the others.
- Drake Gadwall noted well buried in the vegetation.
- No Common Teal or Pochard located.
- The Kingfisher shot past me towards the top left of the water. I could not relocate it perched anywhere.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 25 Greylag Geese: of these 22 arrived in three groups
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 40 (27♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 42 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (0♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first winter
- 1 Kingfisher
On the ivy bank:
Nothing noted
Birds Recorded
Here are all the species seen in sighting order. As all the birds are up and about before I arrive the timing is not relevant.
1 Blackbird
2 Tufted Duck
3 Mallard
4 Greylag Goose
5 Mute Swan
6 Moorhen
7 Coot
8 Goosander
9 Black-headed Gull
10 Robin
11 Great Tit
12 Magpie
13 Carrion Crow
14 Blue Tit
15 Canada Goose
16 Great Crested Grebe
17 Chaffinch
18 Kingfisher
19 Wood Pigeon
20 Jackdaw
21 Gadwall
22 Wren
23 Common Buzzard
24 Coal Tit
25 House Sparrow
26 Herring Gull
27 Feral Pigeon
28 Collared Dove
29 Goldfinch
Birds Recorded
Here are all the species seen in sighting order. As all the birds are up and about before I arrive the timing is not relevant.
1 Blackbird
2 Tufted Duck
3 Mallard
4 Greylag Goose
5 Mute Swan
6 Moorhen
7 Coot
8 Goosander
9 Black-headed Gull
10 Robin
11 Great Tit
12 Magpie
13 Carrion Crow
14 Blue Tit
15 Canada Goose
16 Great Crested Grebe
17 Chaffinch
18 Kingfisher
19 Wood Pigeon
20 Jackdaw
21 Gadwall
22 Wren
23 Common Buzzard
24 Coal Tit
25 House Sparrow
26 Herring Gull
27 Feral Pigeon
28 Collared Dove
29 Goldfinch
My 01 January 2023 species total here was also 29.
(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
Drake Scaup still showing well off dam
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
21 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood and Rob Stokes)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl heard - 2nd ever record
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
About 30% ice.
Best bird remains the Black-necked Grebe.
Big gull roost:
c.3000 Black-headed Gulls
c.1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 3rd winter Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson and John Isherwood)