12.0°C > 13.0°C: Low cloud and light rain. Light south-easterly breeze. Good horizontal visibility with low cloud often covering the tree tops.
Sunrise: 07:27 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
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 09:10
(275th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the only geese seen today were three Canada Geese flying South.
- no Gadwall noted.
- 13 Mallard flew from the East in five groups, circled and departed back East.
- no Pochard seen (none at The Flash either).
- two Goosander (sexes not determined) splashed down at 07:25. Whether they flew in or were repositioning was unclear. I did not see them again.
- at least 300 Black-headed Gulls were circling low over the water by 06:55. They were joined by at least another 200. At this time there were just two Lesser Black-backed Gulls. All the other large gulls were recorded after c.08:00.
- two Blackbirds and three Song Thrushes were heard singing.
- no Redwings were seen or heard.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Canada Geese: South together
- 13 (8♂) Mallard: see notes
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 130 Jackdaws
- 42 Rooks
- 2 Starlings
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 36 (18?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- c.500 Black-headed Gulls
- 15 Herring Gulls
- 108 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 36 (18?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- c.500 Black-headed Gulls
- 15 Herring Gulls
- 108 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- none
- none
Springtails:
- *2 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- 2 globular springtails Dicyrtomina-type
- *2 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- 2 globular springtails Dicyrtomina-type
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *2 different unidentified ichneumon wasps
- *2 different unidentified ichneumon wasps
Flies:
- *1 Yellow Cereal Fly Opomyza florum
- *4 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- *3 small plumed midges
- *other unidentified flies
- *1 Yellow Cereal Fly Opomyza florum
- *4 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- *3 small plumed midges
- *other unidentified flies
Bugs:
- *3 planthopper, probably Eupteryx urticae
- *3 planthopper, probably Eupteryx urticae
Beetles:
- *1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- *1 presumed Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
- *1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- *1 presumed Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 spider, just possibly Euryopis flavomaculata
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:
- *1 spider, just possibly Euryopis flavomaculata
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:
Nothing noted
The dull conditions did not provide many opportunities for photography. However the mild weather, despite the slight rain, produced a bumper crop of insects and the like from the street lamp poles pre-dawn. In the absence of much else....a springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis.
The same individual. There are many to choose from on the NatureSpot web site. None of them looks like this!
I am surmising that these are female and male (with the plumed antennae) of the same midge species. But....?
One of three tiny planthoppers, all probably Eupteryx urticae. The scientific species name points to a relationship with nettles Urtica sp. of which there are plenty in the area.
(269th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the two remaining Mute Swans spent almost all the time at opposite ends of the water
- *two Little Grebes present.
- the Little Egret still here.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 33 Canada Geese: of these 17 arrived in four groups
- 3 Greylag Geese: of these two arrived with Canadas
- 2 Mute Swans
- 31 (22♂) Mallard
- 11 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- *39 (8♂) Goosander: maybe more
- 9 Moorhens
- 78 Coots
- *2 Little Grebes
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Black-headed Gulls again
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 4 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Egret
Noted around the area:
One of two different unidentified ichneumon wasps. This one a female with an ovipositor.
The other unidentified species of ichneumon wasp.
I think this a Yellow Cereal Fly Opomyza florum
My best photo to date of a winter cranefly from the Trichocera group.
Two small plumed midges with unidentified fly #1.
Unidentified fly #2
Unidentified fly #3, probably a Muscid fly.
Unidentified fly #4, which I am sure I have (mis)identified previously but cannot trace.
Unidentified fly #5.
A 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata hiding in a fold in a street lamp pole.
A not-very-good photo of a tiny beetle, presumed to be Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
Obsidentify's strong suggestion for this spider was Euryopis flavomaculata. Photos on the internet show a more rounded abdomen, sometimes with stripes – it is also known as the Ant-Tiger Spider. So perhaps this is something else!
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
Flies:
- 11 midges
- 11 midges
Arthropods:
- no White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger: deceased?
- no White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger: deceased?
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 10 spiders: usual species
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:30
- 10 spiders: usual species
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:30
(269th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the two remaining Mute Swans spent almost all the time at opposite ends of the water
- *two Little Grebes present.
- the Little Egret still here.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 33 Canada Geese: of these 17 arrived in four groups
- 3 Greylag Geese: of these two arrived with Canadas
- 2 Mute Swans
- 31 (22♂) Mallard
- 11 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- *39 (8♂) Goosander: maybe more
- 9 Moorhens
- 78 Coots
- *2 Little Grebes
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Black-headed Gulls again
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 4 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Egret
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- *1 December Moth Poecilocampa populi: moth species #77 for me at this location in 2025 and my first here.
- *1 December Moth Poecilocampa populi: moth species #77 for me at this location in 2025 and my first here.
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- 1 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Flies:
- 1 blowfly sp.
- 1 blowfly sp.
Springtails:
- 1 springtail Orchesella cincta
- 1 springtail Orchesella cincta
Fungus:
- *1 Mycena species
A fungus from the Mycena genus, known as "Bonnets". Which I would not like to hazard a guess at. I am unsure whether this is growing out of the very-much-alive tree trunk or whether it is feeding off the moss. There looks to be another tiny fungus starting to appear.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
2 Teal
59 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
27 Moorhens
239 Coots
c.440 Wood Pigeons
8 Song Thrushes
567 Fieldfare
26 Redwings
270 Jackdaws
106 Rooks
c.310 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
103 Starlings
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
8 Goosander
139 Coots
52 Redwings
55 Fieldfares
571 Jackdaws
128 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
9 Cormorants
8 Pochard
117 Tufted Ducks
2000+ Wood Pigeons
400+ Fieldfare
125+ Redwings
33 Starlings
10+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Shoveler
2 Water Rails
c.50 Lapwings
c.150 Golden Plover
6 Redwings
3 Fieldfare
Chiffchaff
Several Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
65 Pochard
65 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
50 Coots
500+ Golden Plover
1 Woodcock
790+ Black-headed Gulls
1753+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
962 Wood Pigeons
130 Fieldfare
93 Redwings
393 Jackdaws
135 Rooks
174 Starlings
34 Greenfinches
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebe
9 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
5 Ruddy Duck
Water Rail
800 Black-headed Gull
Cormorant
10 Redwing
9 Reed Bunting
3 Redpoll
9 Siskin
(Martin Adlam)
- *1 Mycena species
One of the two Little Grebes with breakfast.
"If I throw it up in the air perhaps it will come down head first so I can swallow it"
A brownhead Goosander passes while the other Little Grebe looks on.
A December Moth Poecilocampa populi a long way up a street lamp pole. It is moth species #77 for me at this location in 2025 and my first here. It also means I have seen the same number of moth species as bird species here this year. There are over 2500 moth species on the UK list and only c.650 bird species even when all the vagrants are included.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
2 Teal
59 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
27 Moorhens
239 Coots
c.440 Wood Pigeons
8 Song Thrushes
567 Fieldfare
26 Redwings
270 Jackdaws
106 Rooks
c.310 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
103 Starlings
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
8 Goosander
139 Coots
52 Redwings
55 Fieldfares
571 Jackdaws
128 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
9 Cormorants
8 Pochard
117 Tufted Ducks
2000+ Wood Pigeons
400+ Fieldfare
125+ Redwings
33 Starlings
10+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Shoveler
2 Water Rails
c.50 Lapwings
c.150 Golden Plover
6 Redwings
3 Fieldfare
Chiffchaff
Several Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
65 Pochard
65 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
50 Coots
500+ Golden Plover
1 Woodcock
790+ Black-headed Gulls
1753+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
962 Wood Pigeons
130 Fieldfare
93 Redwings
393 Jackdaws
135 Rooks
174 Starlings
34 Greenfinches
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebe
9 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
5 Ruddy Duck
Water Rail
800 Black-headed Gull
Cormorant
10 Redwing
9 Reed Bunting
3 Redpoll
9 Siskin
(Martin Adlam)