Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash
4.0°C > 5.0°C: Very low cloud and mist. Moderate south-easterly wind. Poor visibility, moderate at times.Sunrise: 08:19 GMT
Well that wasn't as forecast – when is it though? All my weather apps said clear skies. So why was it very misty and then low cloud?
Photos will be added later
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:35 – 09:30
(308th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- usually there are c.12 Coots scattered around the edges at the East end and c.30 at the West end with most of these on the south-west grass. Today 22 appeared on the water at the East end with only 15 on the south-west grass. I doubt they had been flushed off the grass as there were two Cormorants on the sailing club platforms and I am sure they would have moved off had there been any disturbance.
- the first Black-headed Gull arrived at 07:48. Eventually c.50.
- 22 Lesser Black-backs appeared out of the murk overhead at 07:31 and disappeared again. 34 did the same at 07:37. I am assuming these were among the eventual c.375 that were present by 08:05.
- a Great (White) Egret again. Neither of the Grey Herons flushed it away. It was therefore not seen at The Flash later.
- only a few Jackdaws and Rooks were visible overhead.
- a group of 10 Greenfinches eating Ash keys at the West end was good to see. A much-declined species. I recall 20+ years ago seeing >400 birds leaving a Winter roost in the south-west area.
- after several weeks when Siskins were heard and usually seen daily I have not recorded any here for the last three days.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Wood Pigeons
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 17 Jackdaws
- 20 Rooks
- 5 Redwings together
Counts from the lake area:
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 44 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes as usual
- c.50 Black-headed Gulls
- 24 Herring Gulls
- c.375 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: not seen to arrive
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Colder and with dew on the poles meant very little seen.
Moths:
- 1 female Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria : same as yesterday
Springtails:
- 1 springtail sp., probably Dicyrtomina saundersi
- 1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Nothing else
On the Teece Drive fence:
Nothing noted
As I was approaching the Wesley Brook bridge this Grey Heron was standing next to the bridge.
We looked at each other for a while.
The heron decided I was harmless and went on a...
...fishing expedition.
Success!
"Now what do I do with it?"
"I can't swallow it sideways".
Well the head is going down.
Gulp!
Yesterday's male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria with added Xmas sparkle courtesy of the dew.
A springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis.
(Ed Wilson)
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(301st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- what I assume is the same drake Shoveler was flushed from sedges and then went in to hiding again.
- still 10 Pochard but today I was sure there were six adult drakes.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 1 Mute Swan still
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 40 (26♂) Mallard
- 10 (6♂) Pochard: see notes
- 34 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 (3♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens again
- 44 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes still
- 53 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: (near?) adult, briefly
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron seen arriving
- no Great (White) Egret
Noted around the area:
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus
Unsurprisingly there were no insects on the bank of Ivy.
Yes: you!
Note even ducks (females) of this species always show a small "tuft"
And a drake in full breeding plumage It is difficult to recall August-time when sexing these birds was difficult as they went through their annual moult.
Six of the seven Goosanders were behaving as pairs. The other brownhead was wandering around elsewhere.
Photographers are often unhappy. A Long-tailed Tit horribly back-lit.
And now with branches in the way.
(Ed Wilson)
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2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
6 Pochard
94 Tufted Ducks
10 Goosander
1 Water Rail
229 Coots
2 Fieldfare
85 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Little Grebe
151 Tufted Ducks
1 Greater Scaup
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
1 Little Grebe
1 Shoveler
1 Pochard
95 Tufted Duck
133 Coots
54 Black-headed Gulls
4 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
7 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
Horsehay Pool
Iceland Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
(Tom Lowe)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Mallard x Pintail
c.200 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
110 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gulls
1 Redwing
4 Fieldfare
5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
Water Rail
>3000 Black-headed Gulls
28 Swans
2 Gadwall
52 Pochard
112 Tufted Ducks
287 Coots
10 Redwings
199 Jackdaws
6 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
31 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
c.2800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
31 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
18 Pied Wagtails
2 Redpolls
7 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)