3.0°C > 4.0°C: Scattered clouds with good sunny spells. Just frosted in the most sheltered locations. A chilly, fresh north-easterly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:21 GMT still
Did you all have a good Christmas?
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:55 – 09:40
(313th visit of the year)
Bird notes
The arrival of the first real cold snap of the second Winter brought some different sightings. In the order in which I noted them:
- 22 Canada Geese were on the water when I arrived, leaving in two groups.
- a party of eight Lapwings circled overhead for a while.
- a group of 21 Fieldfare and several Redwings flew over (more on these later)
- and, best of all, not new for the year but a very welcome Christmas present: a drake Goldeneye on the water.
Other bird notes:
- no sign of yesterday's adult Mute Swans.
- I was sheltering from the worst of the wind and hence could not see all the gulls so numbers are minima.
- likewise my position left me unsure how many Cormorants there were. I noted two and then seven apparently leaving, though I hadn't seen any arrive. Later there were five fishing.
- with a strong tailwind the Jackdaws and Rooks were speeding over very high up and hard to see.
- just two Song Thrushes braved the cold to sing.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 15 Wood Pigeons
- 8 Lapwings
- 2 Herring Gulls again
- 43 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 124 Jackdaws
- 33 Rooks
- 1 Starling
- 21 Fieldfare
- 2 Redwings
- 2 Pied Wagtails
Counts from the lake area:
- 22 Canada Geese: departed in two groups
- 11 (7♂) Mallard
- 26 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- *1 (1♂) Goldeneye
- 3 Moorhens again
- 20 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- >35 Black-headed Gulls
- >20 Herring Gulls
- >350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- up to 14 Cormorants: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn
Too cold for most things:
Moths:
- none: the Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: has gone!
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus
Seen later:
Nothing
My latest ever date for a harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus. A rare example with all eight legs.
(Ed Wilson)
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I expected to pay a quick visit here while I took a few sunrise photos. Instead my attention was diverted by groups of Fieldfare and Redwings feeding on nearby Hawthorns.
On the lower pool:
11 (7♂) Mallard
1 Moorhen
1 Coot
On the upper pool:
Nothing
Elsewhere
*c.40 Fieldfare
*c.15 Redwings
2 Meadow Pipits
Elsewhere
*c.40 Fieldfare
*c.15 Redwings
2 Meadow Pipits
A slightly different view.
This species has a grey shawl and a large grey rump. The wings are rufous-tinged and the markings on the underneath are more scalloping than spotting.
"It's a tiring business this feeding"
One flying off with his berry.
Fieldfare have a large white area on their underwing.
A top-side flight view.
Flying away are two Fieldfare leading two smaller Redwing,
The two Redwing isolated to show why they were so-named.
Fewer Redwing were in the same Hawthorns.
A silhouetted Redwing.
(Ed Wilson)
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(306th visit of the year)
Several families were out "feeding the ducks" making accurate counts difficult as birds moved around. Most species are likely under-counted.
Bird notes:
- the two Mute Swans again mostly stayed apart. One was, usually, sitting inside the island.
- yesterday's drake Gadwall not seen.
- a single brownhead Goosander noted.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese again
- 2 Mute Swans
- 28 (20♂) Mallard
- 10 (6♂) Pochard again
- 43 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes again
- 173 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gull: first-winter and (near) adult
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult, briefly again
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons: perhaps a third
Noted around the area:
Despite an air-temperature of just 4.0°C on the Ivy I noted:
- >5 Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
Count the tail-feathers (rectrices). 16 here. [Not "retrices" as I mis-typed the other day]
A Long-tailed Tit looking for inspiration.
Tries to hide behind twigs.
Hanging on!
One more.
Oh! All right. Another one. It is Christmas!
And one for Boxing Day.
A Goldfinch taking in the sun.
(Ed Wilson)
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2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
6 Pochard
78 Tufted Ducks
1 female Greater Scaup
222 Coots counted
Caspian Gull
2 Fieldfare
17 Redwings
429 Jackdaws
173 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Pochard
110 Tufted Ducks
17 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
11 Swans
1 Shoveler
c.115 Tufted Duck
7 Goosander
129 Coots
41 Black-headed Gulls
51 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
21 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
26 Mute Swans today
4 Great Crested Grebes
>17 Greylag Geese
4 Gadwall
26 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
Common Gull
309 Coot
5 Goldfinches
c.20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
31 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
58 Coots
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
c.3200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
15 Pied Wagtails
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)