6.0°C > 12.0°C: Clear early. Sporadic low cloud from south-east. Calm start with a light south-easterly wind springing up. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:16 GMT
* = a species photographed today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 09:30
(56th visit of the year)
New Bird Species
Another two additions to my 2024 bird list from here:
- a Curlew arrived over the East end of the lake c.05:35 and proceeded to fly around for nearly 25 minutes before flying off North. For all but the last few minutes it was silent, calling only as looked to be leaving.
- long overdue was my first Nuthatch of the year hear with one calling alongside Teece Drive c.09:15.
These birds bring my 2024 species count here to 70.
Other bird notes:
- two Canada Geese throughout. A pair flew in from the East. One soon left. The other eventually succumbed to the combined efforts of the existing pair and both Mute Swans.
- just four Great Crested Grebes.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 3 Canada Geese: single and pair outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 53 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Curlew
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 40 Jackdaws
- 13 Rooks
Warblers noted (figure in brackets is singing birds):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 10 (10) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the lake area:
- *4 Canada Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 19 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately; one departed
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived
Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn.
Moths:
- *1 Shoulder Stripe Earophila badiata
- *1 Shoulder Stripe Earophila badiata
Flies:
- 1 male plumed midge
- *1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
- 1 male plumed midge
- *1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
Springtails
- 2 springtails Tomocerus type
- *3 tiny globular springtails
- 2 springtails Tomocerus type
- *3 tiny globular springtails
Arthropods:
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Noted later:
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Noted later:
Flies:
- many unidentified flies sunning on the street lamp poles.
- *greenbottles on vegetation.
- many unidentified flies sunning on the street lamp poles.
- *greenbottles on vegetation.
Beetles:
- *1 Pine Ladybird Exochomus quadripustulatus on the Teece Drive fence.
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle on the Teece Drive fence.
- 1 Lace-web Spider Amaurobius species on the Teece Drive fence.
- *1 crab spider, likely a Xysticus species on a wall of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.
- *1 Pine Ladybird Exochomus quadripustulatus on the Teece Drive fence.
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle on the Teece Drive fence.
- 1 Lace-web Spider Amaurobius species on the Teece Drive fence.
- *1 crab spider, likely a Xysticus species on a wall of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.
A clear start.
A few clouds appearing.
And some colour.
In the middle is a very soggy Canada Goose emerges from diving to avoid the attentions of the resident pair...
...who see it off.
Clearly determined to get away.
Away it goes.
Not going entirely quietly.
Still little light at 05:45 so I was pleased with this Curlew photo.
This one, still blurred, shows the curved bill to advantage.
The male Grey Wagtails seems to have got used to me.
A poser.
Two greenbottle flies cosying up. There was at least a dozen on the Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus leaves.
My first Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea of the year. These turn brown in the winter and this one has yet to fully turn back green.
A Pine Ladybird Exochomus quadripustulatus on the Teece Drive fence. Perhaps the fence is made of pine? This is a very small ladybird – about 3mm.
A White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger.
A crab spider, likely a Xysticus species on a wall of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:35– 10:45
(58th visit of the year)
New Bird Species
Also a new bird for my 2024 bird list here with a male Grey Wagtail seen flying around. Species #55 this year for me.
Bird notes:
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
Warblers noted (figure in brackets is singing birds):
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
Noted on / around the water:
- 28 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 24 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 30 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 38 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Black-headed Gull: first year
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: second year
Noted elsewhere
- 2 Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni on the wooden handrail along the West side.
- *1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata on the Ivy bank
- *Common Whitlowgrass Draba verna flowers
- *Wood Forget-me-not Myosotis sylvatica flowers
A 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata hiding among the ripening Ivy berries.
Common Whitlowgrass Draba verna.
Wood Forget-me-not Myosotis sylvatica.
Not plane of the day. Someone seems not to know the regulations about flying drones near houses.
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)
The Flash
2 Teal
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
2 Lapwing
Green Woodpecker
Linnet
Meadow Pipit
Red-legged Partridge
Stock Dove
(John Isherwood)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Mediterranean Gull
1 Iceland Gull
4 Great Crested Grebes
5 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
7 Wigeon
21 Tufted Ducks
Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
The Flash
2 Pochard
1 Greater Scaup
69 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
20 Linnets
Meadow Pipit
Fieldfare
Redwing
Lapwing
(John Isherwood)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)
2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebe
6 Gadwall
22 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Pochard
23 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
4 Tufted Duck
1 Green Woodpecker
9 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Tit
4 Buzzard
24 Wren
24 Robin
21 Blackbird
33 Redwing
39 Magpie
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
c.2500 Black-headed Gulls
605 Lesser-black backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
3rd Winter Lesser-black backed Gull Larus fuscus race: heuglini (Siberian Gull)
7 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
6 Great Crested Grebe
2 Little Grebe
1 Cormorant
7 Siskins
(Martin R Adlam)