8.0°C > 11.0°C: Early rain from medium overcast ceased c.07:15. A clearance visible to the north-west made imperceptible progress. Brighter only after 10:00. Light south-westerly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:02 GMT
* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 09:05
(264th visit of the year)
Very quiet. The overcast skies were ideal for looking at birds flying over. Sadly there was nothing unusual and no Wood Pigeon migration.
Bird notes:
- a Pheasant was calling from the Ricoh grounds c.08:45. Most unusual to hear one at this date.
- the Little Grebe seen again.
- c.400 Black-headed Gulls were already starting to stream away from the area by 06:40.
- many fewer Lesser Black-backed Gulls early – c.40. Later c.100 transited through for a wash and a drink after 07:30.
- after several quiet mornings the Cetti's Warbler was back in full voice. It will likely over-winter. I will not tabulate it daily, only remark on any unusual occurrence.
- a Pheasant was calling from the Ricoh grounds c.08:45. Most unusual to hear one at this date.
- the Little Grebe seen again.
- c.400 Black-headed Gulls were already starting to stream away from the area by 06:40.
- many fewer Lesser Black-backed Gulls early – c.40. Later c.100 transited through for a wash and a drink after 07:30.
- after several quiet mornings the Cetti's Warbler was back in full voice. It will likely over-winter. I will not tabulate it daily, only remark on any unusual occurrence.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 206 Greylag Geese: counted flying westbound more or less together in small groups and skeins.
- 3 (or 4?) mostly white geese with Greylags
- 3 Stock Doves: together
- 14 Wood Pigeons: only
- 2 Collared Doves: together again
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 29 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 388 Jackdaws
- 142 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails: singles
- 5 Siskins
- 206 Greylag Geese: counted flying westbound more or less together in small groups and skeins.
- 3 (or 4?) mostly white geese with Greylags
- 3 Stock Doves: together
- 14 Wood Pigeons: only
- 2 Collared Doves: together again
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 29 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 388 Jackdaws
- 142 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails: singles
- 5 Siskins
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 15 (10♂) Mallard
- 32 (>14♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 55 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.400 Black-headed Gulls
- 22 Herring Gulls
- c.140 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.40 before 07:00: c.100 after 07:45
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Mute Swans
- 15 (10♂) Mallard
- 32 (>14♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 55 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.400 Black-headed Gulls
- 22 Herring Gulls
- c.140 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.40 before 07:00: c.100 after 07:45
- 2 Grey Herons
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *1 Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea
- *3 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
- *1 Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea
- *3 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *1 unidentified ichneumon
- *1 unidentified ichneumon
Flies:
- 1 fly Dryomyza anilis or similar
- *1 probable male Protoclythia rufa
- *1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 fly Dryomyza anilis or similar
- *1 probable male Protoclythia rufa
- *1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Noted later all on the Teece Drive fence:
Flies:
- 1 cranefly Tipula pagana
- 1 cranefly Tipula pagana
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 4 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
A Common Buzzard taking advantage of one of Severn Trent's signs. I doubt it can read any better than most adults. The bottom entry on the sign says "Please keep dogs on leads". A (very) few folk do – and thanks to them. Not sure what the "Heathen" stencil is all about.
The best I could achieve in the overcast conditions. I would judge this bird to be an immature with a mix of different age feathers. As this species takes several years to reach maturity I would not like to guess as to its age.
A Narrow-winged Grey moth Eudonia angustea. There was one on this street lamp pole on Monday. I did not see it there yesterday and it had gone when I checked later this morning.
An unidentified ichneumon is creeping up on one of the three November Moth types Epirrita sp. that were on the street lamp poles.
Another photo where the subject is not easy to see. An unusually dark harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus on the wet, and hence dark, wood of the Teece Drive fence. Five legs on this specimen.
On the left a Grey Heron and on the right the pair of (Common) Teal. The duck seems to be asleep and the drake busy preening.
- 4 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
Sunrise?
This seems to be the same species of fly I identified on Sunday as probably being a male Protoclythia rufa, a fly in a group of flies known as flat-footed flies.
Look hard! In the middle of the frame among all the lichen is a winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
Another dark-bodied specimen, easier to see on a dry part of the wooden fence. Seven legs here.
The abdomen tone on this is more what I expect. Six legs on this one.
Another seven-legged dark-bodied specimen. The tightly-bunched legs are typical. This species was first recorded in England on the South Coast in 1957 and managed to reach Scotland by 2000. Whether that was entirely by walking or whether individuals hitched a ride is hard to say. The species origin was Morocco.
The Flash: 09:10 – 10:35
(259th visit of the year)
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: day fourteen
- 1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: day fourteen
Flies:
- *1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 16 midges of various species
- *1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 16 midges of various species
Arthropods:
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 8 spiders
- 8 spiders
One of the 100 or so species of moth fly Psychodidae sp. that cannot be identified without dissection. It is several days since I found one of them in the tunnel.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:10 – 10:35
(259th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- just nine Mute Swans noted: the first winter bird not seen.
- *the pair of (Common) Teal found again.
- bumper count of Goosander
- *Great White Egret present
- at least 8 Blackbirds flew out of a tree at the North end. As far as I could see there were no bushes or trees in the area with berries that might have attracted them. A similar number of Blackbirds were in Hawthorns near the Hickory's Smokehouse later. The same birds?
- just nine Mute Swans noted: the first winter bird not seen.
- *the pair of (Common) Teal found again.
- bumper count of Goosander
- *Great White Egret present
- at least 8 Blackbirds flew out of a tree at the North end. As far as I could see there were no bushes or trees in the area with berries that might have attracted them. A similar number of Blackbirds were in Hawthorns near the Hickory's Smokehouse later. The same birds?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Jackdaws
- 5 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- *>34 Canada Geese: more inside the island?
- *>28 Greylag Geese: more inside the island?
- no mainly white feral geese
- 9 Mute Swans
- 36 (24♂) Mallard
- *2 (1♂) (Common) Teal
- 7 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 55 (4♂) Goosander
- 9 Moorhens
- 96 Coots
- no Little Grebe
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 31 Black-headed Gulls
- 16 Herring Gulls: all ages
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both (near?) adults
- 7 Cormorants again
- *1 Grey Heron
- *1 Great White Egret
- *>34 Canada Geese: more inside the island?
- *>28 Greylag Geese: more inside the island?
- no mainly white feral geese
- 9 Mute Swans
- 36 (24♂) Mallard
- *2 (1♂) (Common) Teal
- 7 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 55 (4♂) Goosander
- 9 Moorhens
- 96 Coots
- no Little Grebe
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 31 Black-headed Gulls
- 16 Herring Gulls: all ages
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both (near?) adults
- 7 Cormorants again
- *1 Grey Heron
- *1 Great White Egret
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- *1 November Moth types Epirrita sp. only
in squirrel alley
- *1 November Moth types Epirrita sp. only
in squirrel alley
Bees, wasps etc.:
- >10 wasps: only Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris specifically identified
- >10 wasps: only Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris specifically identified
Springtails:
- *1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
- *1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
Four-winged flies:
- *1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
- *1 caddis fly Limnephilus lunatus
- *1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
- *1 caddis fly Limnephilus lunatus
Other flies:
- *1 Muscid fly Phaonia subventa/rufiventris
- *1 dead cranefly
- *1 Muscid fly Phaonia subventa/rufiventris
- *1 dead cranefly
Slugs, snails etc.:
- *1 Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella
- *1 Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 female harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 female harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
A springtail Tomocerus vulgaris.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
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)