3.0°C > 5.0°C: Clear skies. Light north-westerly wind. Excellent visibility.
Sunrise: 07:50 GMT
$ = 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 – 09:35
(287th visit of the year)
Bird notes
A distant and high party of 22 Golden Plover were seen to the East at 07:25 identified by their distinctive formation pattern and very fast wingbeats. I record this species most years. The numbers involved seems to reduce year-on-year. It is bird species #106 for me here this year.
Other bird notes:
- a male Pheasant calling again in the south-west area.
- large arrival of gulls started by 06:40 with eventually c.700 Lesser Black-backed and c.250 (very noisy) Black-headed Gulls. Not easy to see at this time but there seemed to be no more than 10 Herring Gulls with them.
- after 08:00 there was a mass arrival from the North of 41 Herring and 210 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- a low count of Jackdaws and Rooks passing over from their roost(s). With a northerly component in the breeze and clear skies those I noted were flying very high out of both audible and, without using binoculars, visual range.
- at least 20 Siskins in
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 22 $ Golden Plover
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 51 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 26 Jackdaws
- 25 Rook
Counts from the lake area:
- 9 Canada Geese: arrived as a septet and then a duo
- 10 (7♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 48 (24?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 47 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.250 Black-headed Gulls
- c.50 Herring Gulls
- c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 7 Winter Moths Operophtera brumata
- 2 Mottled Umbers Erranis defoliaria
- 7 Winter Moths Operophtera brumata
- 2 Mottled Umbers Erranis defoliaria
Ants:
- 1 Formica sp., possibly Blood-red Ant F. sanguinea
- 1 Formica sp., possibly Blood-red Ant F. sanguinea
Beetle:
- 1 flea-beetle
- 1 flea-beetle
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:
Nothing noted
A Blue Tit looking for insects wherever. Here on an air-vent on the sailing club's shower and toilet block!
What a sweetie. A male Pied Wagtail. Note the back is not universally the same shade of black (if that makes sense!). Possibly a first winter bird?
No cloud so limited interest to the sunrise.
It was still before sunrise when this distant Great Crested Grebe caught its breakfast.
Often a shy species this Redwing was not going to show itself!
Yes: you!
A female Siskin tucks in to Alder cones for the seeds.
A male Siskin does the same.
As does this one.
Direct comparison: a female Siskin above a male.
An unusually well-marked specimen of a Winter Moth Operophtera brumata.
The only spider or harvestman on the poles was this Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
(Ed Wilson)
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Flies:
- 1 midge only
- 1 midge only
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 3 spiders: all Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
About time we had a photo of a Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata (or Silver-sided Sector Spider if you prefer).
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:40 – 10:50
(280th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- still very few geese.
- a first-winter Mute Swan cygnet was departing as I arrived.
- no sign of the Little Egret but three Grey Herons.
- a trio of (Common) Teal (two drakes) flew from the top end and was then unusually seen in the open alongside the island.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 26 (17♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) (Common) Teal
- 8 (6♂) Pochard
- 31 (16♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 3 (0♂) Goosander
- 4 Moorhens only
- 59 Coots only
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 55 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls: all immatures
- 6 Cormorants
- 3 Grey Herons
- no Little Egret
Noted around the area:
A few things on the sunlit bank of Ivy despite the low temperature
- 3 spiders: all Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
(Ed Wilson)
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(280th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- still very few geese.
- a first-winter Mute Swan cygnet was departing as I arrived.
- no sign of the Little Egret but three Grey Herons.
- a trio of (Common) Teal (two drakes) flew from the top end and was then unusually seen in the open alongside the island.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 26 (17♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) (Common) Teal
- 8 (6♂) Pochard
- 31 (16♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 3 (0♂) Goosander
- 4 Moorhens only
- 59 Coots only
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 55 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls: all immatures
- 6 Cormorants
- 3 Grey Herons
- no Little Egret
Noted around the area:
A few things on the sunlit bank of Ivy despite the low temperature
Moths:
- 1 Winter Moth Operophtera brumata : same as yesterday
- 1 Winter Moth Operophtera brumata : same as yesterday
Bees, wasps etc.:
- >3 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris
- >3 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- 1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- >2 Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax
- 1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- >2 Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax
Other flies:
- >40 Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
- >10 smaller unidentified flies
Very high contrast on the trio of (Common) Teal at the edge of the island. Two drakes on the left. A Coot is lurking at the extreme right.
If the weather forecast is correct (a big if!) and it cloudy for the next few days this may be the last opportunity to see any hoverflies. The Ivy is about finished anyway. Here is one of the Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax I noted.
"Plane" of the day. This is an Airbus Helicopters built Eurocopter EC135 T3H Juno HT.1 from 1 FTS (Flying Training School) at RAF Shawbury. It was on a navex (navigation exercise) and passed over Birmingham Airport before over-flying Leicester Airport to reach Preston before returning to base.
- >40 Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
- >10 smaller unidentified flies
The first-winter Mute Swan cygnet circling to....
...to leave.
A sextet of Pochard. Two ducks on the left with four drakes. Behind is a duck Tufted Duck.
Still a few Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris around.
Probably my last Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus of the year.
Perhaps a different specimen.
The same one?
Again. Note the long tongue. However many there were they were all females.
One of very many Common Blow Flies Calliphora vicina
(Ed Wilson)
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2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Gadwall
1 Teal
2 Pochard
99 Tufted Duck
225 Coots counted
1 Woodcock
6 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Green Woodpecker
231 Fieldfare
66 Redwings
c.375 Jackdaws
2 Redpolls
5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
31 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
23 Tufted Duck
Goosander
143 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
19 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
259 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson / Allan Heath)
2005
Priorslee Lake
206 Starlings going to roost
C.500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
10 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow legged Gull
1 Caspian Gull
c.700 Black-headed Gulls
(Martin Adlam)