9.0°C > 8.0°C: Mostly light showers early, fading away to sunny intervals. Keen and fresh north-westerly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:54 BST
* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:15 – 09:25
(260th visit of the year)
Bird notes
A small Wood Pigeon passage started after the showers began to clear away. Most things hunkered down.
Other bird notes:
- both Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls were calling overhead by 06:50 with most settling on the water by 07:10.
- a smaller passage of Jackdaws and Rooks was recorded. As previously commented when there of a northerly component to the wind these fly much higher and are more difficult to see and hear.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- *147 Greylag Geese: a single eastbound; 146 counted from photos westbound in seven almost concurrent skeins
- 1 mainly white feral goose: in with a Greylag Goose skein
- c.455 Wood Pigeons: c.410 of these estimated in four migrant groups
- 20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 135 Jackdaws
- 107 Rooks
- 2 Siskins: singles again
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 11 (6♂) Mallard
- *9 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 39 Coots: some sheltering from the wind?
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.750 Black-headed Gulls
- 16 Herring Gulls
- c.800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.750 before 07:30: c.50 after 08:30
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 2 Grey Herons: one of these arrived
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler: just a single burst of song
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
The cold and rain did not worry the moths much.
Moths:
- *11 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
- *11 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
Flies:
- *3 craneflies Tipula pagana
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- *3 craneflies Tipula pagana
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- none
Sailing Club HQ.
- none
Sailing Club HQ.
Pre-dawn
No visit today
Noted later elsewhere:
On the Teece Drive fence
- *1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
The last 12 of 146 Greylag Geese (and one mainly white feral goose) that flew westbound in seven skeins. This skein was closer to me than all the others.
Three of the Tufted Duck here today. The outer two are clearly drakes. I am less sure about the middle bird: could be a duck or a first winter of either sex.
One or other of these two November Moth types Epirrita sp., depending upon which I saw first, is my 1000th entry in my 2025 Balancing Lake moth log. Not necessarily my 1000th moth as a few have clearly stayed in the same place for more than one day. To balance that there were any number of "grass moths" in Summer that I never managed to identify.
A cranefly Tipula pagana. I paused over the ID as it seemed the wings were brown-tinged. I cannot find a species with brown wings that has long antennae and I have concluded it is the brown abdomen visible through the clear wings. It is not only harvestmen that lose legs – craneflies are prone to do so as well: as here.
(255th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- ten Mute Swans today.
- the Little Grebe was not seen.
- very small passage of migrant Wood Pigeons: a party of just eight together high over westbound
- why are there more Herring Gulls here than at the Balancing Lake? And was one of them a Yellow-legged Gull?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 8 Wood Pigeons: a single migrant party
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- 12 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- *18 Greylag Geese at least: more heard inside the island
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- *10 Mute Swans
- 27 (19♂) Mallard: others in hiding?
- 6 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 31 (2♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 92 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 53 Black-headed Gulls
- *21 Herring Gulls: various ages
- *1 Yellow-legged Gull?: third-winter
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: first-winters
- *7 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted around the area:
Gull puzzle #3. I think the outer primary (P10) is not fully grown and this there is a prominent dark sub-terminal area on P5 suggesting this is a Yellow-legged Gull. The bill looks unusually large. The most arresting feature is that the secondary coverts are darker than the secondary feathers, a feature not shown for any gull species in my Field Guides. Otherwise it looks like a third-winter bird.
Here it is in flight. The pink legs are not relevant as all immature gulls have pink legs. Note the outer tail feathers still show dark tips at this age.
Probably the same Common Buzzard as yesterday without the pursuing crows and Magpies. The gulls did not like it and all went for a fly around. Buzzards, as carrion eaters, do not pose any threat to gulls. Crows dislike them because they compete for the carrion.
A Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris demonstrating how the "wasp waist" can be bent at right angles to balance the wasp as it feeds.
Harvestman puzzle #1. On shape and leg length it is a female of the species pair Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum and therefore ought to be easy to identify using the shape of the dark area on the saddle. But the dark area here matches neither typical patterns of the species. Obsidentify suggested L. blackwalli. I don't think so as the oculum is not white. It must be L. rotundum.
Harvestman puzzle #2. I remarked only yesterday that harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis did not seem prone to losing legs. Well here we are! I did pause as this specimen does not show the typically obvious pale line down the abdomen and the pedipalps look larger than usual. I cannot suggest an alternative.
Plane of the day: this is a Piper PA-28-181 Archer III owned by Carlisle Flight Training Ltd. and based at Carlisle Airport. It is here on its way from Carlisle to Wolverhampton's Halfpenny Green Airfield. It returned home later today by way of Gamston Airfield near Retford.
(Ed Wilson)
- *1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
The trees think it is Autumn. In the keen wind and rain it felt more like Winter.
One with all legs present and correct and spattered with rain.
Today's harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus on the Teece Drive fence is either one of yesterday's further in the wars and losing another leg. Or, as I suspect, a different individual.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: day nine
- 1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: day nine
Flies:
- 40 midges of various species
- 40 midges of various species
Arthropods:
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 3 spiders: all usual suspects
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:50
- 3 spiders: all usual suspects
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:50
(255th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- ten Mute Swans today.
- the Little Grebe was not seen.
- very small passage of migrant Wood Pigeons: a party of just eight together high over westbound
- why are there more Herring Gulls here than at the Balancing Lake? And was one of them a Yellow-legged Gull?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 8 Wood Pigeons: a single migrant party
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- 12 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- *18 Greylag Geese at least: more heard inside the island
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- *10 Mute Swans
- 27 (19♂) Mallard: others in hiding?
- 6 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 31 (2♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 92 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 53 Black-headed Gulls
- *21 Herring Gulls: various ages
- *1 Yellow-legged Gull?: third-winter
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: first-winters
- *7 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- 3 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
all in squirrel alley alley
- 3 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
all in squirrel alley alley
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *>50 wasps: only Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris specifically identified. I did not look at them all!
- *>50 wasps: only Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris specifically identified. I did not look at them all!
Hoverflies:
-1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
-1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Other flies:
- >5 Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina or similar
- >2 Greenbottles Lucilia sp.
- other unidentified flies
- >5 Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina or similar
- >2 Greenbottles Lucilia sp.
- other unidentified flies
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
There were many large gulls here today. Eleven here, probably all immature Herring Gulls. One of the ten Mute Swans is also obvious. The sleeping Greylag Goose less so.
A first-winter Herring Gull in flight; another immature Herring Gull on the water. Eight (and a half) Greylag Geese are visible. Two Cormorants: the left one above the gull on the water, behind which a Mute Swan is just about visible.
The island is an important refuge where birds feel safe. Five gulls, four Cormorants, three (and a bit) Greylag Geese and a small part of the Mute Swan.
Gull puzzle #1. The inner primaries are pale but are they pale- or extensive-enough for a first-winter Herring Gull? Or is it a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull? I concluded Herring, mainly on the basis of the outer tail-feather not being solidly dark-ended. The other two birds are second-winter Herring Gulls...
Gull puzzle #2. This first-winter bird looked too dark to be a Herring Gull and too pale to be a Lesser Black-backed Gull. A trick of the strong light I feel. The tertials (the large, mainly dark feathers in front of the folded primaries) have a wavy separation between the dark centres and the white edges. Thus this must be a Herring Gull.
- *1 harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
One of 29 brownhead Goosander, looking good in the sunshine.
...showing the upper- and under-wing patterns here.
A Wren was in the bank of Ivy and seemed unconcerned about my presence...
...getting on with the business of preening its feathers.
Attending to an itch perhaps?
From this range and angle the bill of a Wren looks a formidable weapon despite the Wren's small size.
Another itch to be dealt with.
Most of the bird – including one of the feet!
"Now where was I? Looking for food".
(Ed Wilson)
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2010
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
5 Lapwings
1487 Fieldfare logged, mostly flying W. 7 of the flocks estimated at between 110 and 130 birds
25 Redwings
Raven
56 Goldfinch
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
62 Swans
5 Wigeon
14 Pochard
22 Tufted Ducks
231 Coots
Great Black-backed Gull
3 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
27 Redwings
Chiffchaff
c.250 Starlings
8 Siskins
c.15 Goldfinches
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
25 Pochard
72 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
1 Kingfisher
20 Robins
17 Blackbirds
15 Song Thrushes
59 Redwing
3 Mistle Thrushes
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
5 Goldcrests
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
5 Lapwings
1487 Fieldfare logged, mostly flying W. 7 of the flocks estimated at between 110 and 130 birds
25 Redwings
Raven
56 Goldfinch
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
62 Swans
5 Wigeon
14 Pochard
22 Tufted Ducks
231 Coots
Great Black-backed Gull
3 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
27 Redwings
Chiffchaff
c.250 Starlings
8 Siskins
c.15 Goldfinches
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
25 Pochard
72 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
1 Kingfisher
20 Robins
17 Blackbirds
15 Song Thrushes
59 Redwing
3 Mistle Thrushes
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
5 Goldcrests
(Martin Adlam)