29 Oct 24

The Flash:  09:21 – 10:37
Priorslee Balancing Lake:  10:44 – 11:36

12.0°C > 13.0°C:  Mostly cloudy a few breaks and occasional some light drizzle. Almost calm. Very good visibility. moderate in drizzle.
[Sunrise:  07:00 GMT]

* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information,

I decided not to peer in to the early low cloud and murk at probably nothing much. As usual with a late start I went to The Flash first before checking the Balancing Lake from the dam-top area only.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(231st visit of the year)

Bird notes:

No birds of interest noted flying over:

Counts from the lake area:
- 27 Canada Geese: arrived together
- 19 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 3 (3♂) Mallard
- 4 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Moorhens
- 212 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 69 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron


The Flash:
(234th visit of the year)

The highlight was my first Rook of the year at this site. For some reason they are very scarce here even though over 100 pass over the lake most days. Bird species #79 for me here this year.

Other bird notes:
- fewer Tufted Duck counted. Apart from the usual gang continually diving and difficult to count a few groups were paddling around at speed and I may have overlooked some.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 16 Jackdaws
- *1 Rook

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 8 Greylag Geese
- 6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 38 (26♂) Mallard
- *101 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- *17 Moorhens
- *135 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted around The Flash:
Moths:
-        1 Pale Birch Tortrix Acleris logiana.: the same place as yesterday
-        *1 November Moth-type Epirrita dilutata agg.
Bees, wasps etc.:
-        >5 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
It was warm enough for insects to fly though the dull conditions would have limited the production of pollen and nectar. Only a few marauding wasps were out and about.
Fungus:
-        *Butter Waxcap Hygrocybe ceracea

(Ed Wilson)

Note:
As you can see, Ed's sightings are still unformatted and without photos. Hopefully it won't be that long before I can get things back to normal. (Martin Adlam)

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Sightings from previous years

2013
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
1 Teal
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
Location
1 Pochard
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow legged Gull
2 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
1 Wigeon
Chiffchaff
10+ Fieldfare
Siskin
Willow Tit
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
Location
3 Pochard
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
34 Pochard a high count
500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
432 Jackdaws
228 Rooks
171 Fieldfare
5 Redwings
2 Siskins
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
115 Canada Geese
9 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
c.200 Golden Plover
23 Pied Wagtails
17 Robins
18 Blackbirds
12 Song Thrushes
70 Redwing
1 Mistle Thrush
9 Fieldfare
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Tit
195 Jackdaws
206 Rooks
31 Greenfinches
4 Redpoll
10 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Buzzard feeding on earthworms, mobbed by Black-headed Gulls
1 Raven
7 Pied Wagtails
3 Grey Wagtail
11 Meadow Pipits
Kingfisher
1700+ Wood Pigeon
192 Redwing
111 Fieldfare
(Martin Adlam)