24 Nov 25

Note:
19 Nov - 1 Dec
Sightings will be unformatted and without images.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:55 – 11:00
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 11:10 – 11:55

4.0°C > 5.0°C: Low cloud with spells of drizzle, clearing after c.11:30. Fresh north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility, less so during drizzle.
[Sunrise: 07:48 GMT]

Another "Winter schedule" visit starting again at The Flash, this time to ensure safe parcel delivery before I left home.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(286th visit of the year)

Mainly viewing from the dam-top area trying to shelter from the keen wind.

Bird notes:
- I managed to confirm the presence of a Great Black-backed Gull.
- unlike previous mid-morning visits there was almost no movement of gulls in or out.

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 51 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Moorhens
- 54 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull
- 16 Herring Gulls
- 58 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash:
(279th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- yesterday's Mute Swans gone again.
- no (Common) Teal seen.
- now four Pochard. Perhaps these were, like many of yesterday's Tufted Duck, refugees from the sailing club's exploits on the Balancing Lake.
- still a few Goosanders hanging on.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- no Mute Swans
- 28 (19♂) Mallard
- no (Common) Teal
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 29 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (0♂) Goosander
- 10 Moorhens
- 66 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: ages not determined
- 5 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Egret remains

Noted around the area:
I was surprised to see anything.
Moths:
- 1 Winter Moth Operophtera brumata


(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Gadwall
2 Teal
3 Pochard
114 Tufted Duck
228 Coots
1 Snipe
Tawny Owl
157 Fieldfare
63 Redwings
208 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
31 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
35 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
9 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
157 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
18 Redwings
16 Fieldfares
4 Siskins
3 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
6 Yellow-legged Gulls
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood / Tom Lowe)

2007
Priorslee Lake
A male Stonechat
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
Great Black-backed Gull
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

East of Priorslee
60 Golden Plover
(John Isherwood)

23 Nov 25

Note:
19 Nov - 1 Dec
Sightings will be unformatted and without images.


---------------------------------------------------------------------

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 07:50 – 09:10
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:50

7.0°C > 8.0°C: Mostly clear after earlier rain. Moderate / fresh south-westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:47 GMT

photos to be added later
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

I avoided the early rain with a late start at the Balancing Lake.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(285th visit of the year)

Viewing from the dam-top area only.

Bird notes:
- yesterday's pair of Gadwall not noted.
- very few Mallard seen.
- only those gulls arriving after 07:50 noted.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
none of the early pre-dawn movements noted
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 8 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 (2♂) Mallard only
- 6 (>2?♂) Pochard again
- 53 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens again
- 47 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes again
- 79 Black-headed Gulls
- 20 Herring Gulls
- 42 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants: arrived separately: one of these departed
- 1 Grey Heron

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2013

The Flash:
(278th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- very few geese again.
- two unringed adult Mute Swans were new in.
- at least 32 Tufted Duck flew in more or less together. These were no doubt refugees from the Balancing Lake, flushed off when the sailing club's boats were put in the water. These all settled at the "far end" and as a result I was unable to sex most of them.
- a drake as well as four brownhead Goosander.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Common Buzzard

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese: others heard from inside island?
- 24 (15♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) (Common) Teal
- 2 (2♂) Pochard remain
- 48 (?♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 5 (1♂) Goosander
- 9 Moorhens
- 89 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 98 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls: two (near) adults; three immatures
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, departed
- 10 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Egret

Noted around the area:
Bees, wasps etc.:
- >5 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- >4 Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax
- 1 syrphus-type: did not stick around to be photographed
Other flies:
- >30 Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
- 1 Muscid fly, probably Polietes lardarius
- >10 smaller similar-looking flies

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
2 Pochard
123 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
2 Water Rails
15 Moorhens
227 Coots counted
1 Snipe
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Great Black-backed Gulls
2 adult hybrid Lesser Black-backed x Herring Gulls
102 Fieldfare
39 Redwings
266 Jackdaws
Redpolls
Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Tom Lowe)

Trench Middle Pool
22 Swans
6 Shoveler
14 Tufted Duck
183 Coots
61 Black-headed Gulls
14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
17 Herring Gulls
Caspian/Yellow-legged Gull
2 Ravens
1 Redwing
(Ed Wilson)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Adult + 1st winter Yellow-legged Gulls
1500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
30 Greylag
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard.
21 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
153 Coots
c.640 Wood Pigeons
8 Redwings again.
453 Jackdaws
61 Rooks logged.
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
6 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Andy Latham)

2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Cormorants
>60 Greylag Geese
14 Pochard
177 Tufted Duck
1 Lapwing
1 Snipe
2 Water Rails
159 Coot
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
c.100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5+ Herring Gulls
74 Redwings
c.60 Fieldfare
132 Jackdaws
166 Rooks
c.1750 Starlings
c.30 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

22 Nov 25

Note:
19 Nov - 1 Dec

Sightings will be unformatted and without images.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday 22 November 2025

Priorslee Balancing Lake:  06:20 – 09:35

The Flash:  09:40 – 10:50

4.0°C > 6.0°C:  Mostly overcast with several spells of rain. Moderate south-easterly breeze, abating somewhat. Very good visibility but moderate in rain.

Sunrise:  07:45 GMT

photos to be added later

$ = my first sighting of the species for this year

$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

It was not the weather to get complete and accurate counts. With that proviso here we go...

Priorslee Balancing Lake:

(284th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- very few geese: a party of six Greylags flew East; and a duo few West much later

- yesterday's Mute Swans had gone.

- no (Common) Teal but a pair of Gadwall noted.

- many of the Mallard seen on the water flew off before it was light-enough to sex them.

- fewer gulls this morning with c.125 Lesser Black-backed Gulls by 06:55 and c.300 by 07:15. By his time there were also c.60 Black-headed Gulls. As yesterday there were mixed in with the larger gulls rather than the separate grouping they often form. A small passage of Lesser Black-backs passing to the East may account for some of the missing birds.

- no Song Thrush was heard singing. That may have been no more than I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

- the only notable fly-over was a single Meadow Pipit. A scarce species these last two years.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

- 8 Greylag Geese: seen notes

- 28 Wood Pigeons

- 2 Herring Gulls

- 74 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

- 1 Cormorant

- 126 Jackdaws

- 128 Rooks

- 7 Redwings: together

- 1 Meadow Pipit

No birds seen leaving roosts around the lake

Counts from the lake area:

- no Mute Swans

- 2 (1♂) Gadwall

- 12 (>5♂) Mallard

- 6 (>2?♂) Pochard

- 51 (?♂) Tufted Duck

- 5 Moorhens

- 39 Coots

- 4 Great Crested Grebes

- c.60 Black-headed Gulls

- 16 Herring Gulls

- c.340 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.300 early on; c.40 arrived after 08:00

- 5 Cormorants: arrived separately

- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:

- 1 $ probable Neriene peltata

- 1 Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis

- 1 unidentified small spider sp.

- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Nothing noted later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Still cold

Flies:

- 3 midges

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:

- 1 spider only: Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash:

(278th visit of the year)

Ice gone

Bird notes:

- where were all the geese? just five Canadas noted and none heard from inside the island.

- a trio of (Common) Teal found lurking by the island.

- still just four brownhead Goosander. Hard to find today with three of them loafing around the island.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

- 2 Herring Gulls: together

- 3 Jackdaws: together

Noted on / around the water:

- 5 Canada Geese

- no Greylag Geese

- 24 (17♂) Mallard

- 3 (2♂) (Common) Teal

- 2 (2♂) Pochard still

- 29 (17♂) Tufted Duck

- 4 (0♂) Goosander: again

- 8 Moorhens: again

- 57 Coots only

- 3 Great Crested Grebes only

- 56 Black-headed Gulls

- 2 Herring Gulls: immatures

- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly

- 7 Cormorants

- 1 Grey Heron

- 1 Little Egret

Nothing else noted around the area:

too cold, too dull and too windy

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2013
Priorslee Lake
8 Wigeon
6 Gadwall
4 Teal
2 Shoveler
2 Pochard
116 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rails
222 Coots
1 Snipe
c.90 Lapwing over
4 Yellow-legged gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
A Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid
134 Fieldfare
22 Redwings
171 Jackdaws
3 Ravens
3 Siskins
3 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood/JW Reeves)

Horsehay Pool
Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Kingfisher
12 Goosander
Raven
(JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
152 Coots
8 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
56 Greylag Geese
12 Pochard
187 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
2 Water Rails
149 Coot
c.800 Black-headed
c.2200 Lesser Black-backed
<20 Herring Gulls
1st winter Common Gull
50 Redwings
8 Fieldfare
1 Treecreeper
c.1000 Starlings left a roost
c.20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
23 Greylag Geese
27 Pochard
55 Tufted Ducks
3 Buzzards
>1650 Black-headed Gull
>4022 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
246 Wood Pigeons
1 Kingfisher
26 Robins
27 Blackbirds
4 Fieldfares
34 Redwings
male Blackcap
1 Willow Tit
246 Jackdaws
160 Rooks
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

21 Nov 25

Note:
19 Nov - 1 Dec

Sightings will be unformatted and without images.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday 21 November 2025

Priorslee Balancing Lake:  06:15 – 09:25

The Flash:  09:30 – 10:50

0.0°C > 3.0°C:  A small amount of thin high cloud, otherwise clear. Very light mainly south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise:  07:43 GMT

photos to be added later

With the keen wind having abated I braved the cold for a "normal" visit.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:

(283rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- six Canada Geese throughout. Perhaps the six I noted yesterday did not leave: but hid.

- a small returning Greylag Geese flock of 15 birds after singles had flown both westbound and eastbound. One of the mainly-white feral geese was with the flock.

- an adult Mute Swan flew in with four first-winter cygnets.

- a duck (Common) Teal was noted.

- just two small groups of passage Wood Pigeons.

- a large number (>400?) gulls were already present by 06:40 with more streaming in from the South and north-east. Unusually many of the Black-headed Gulls were scattered among the Lesser Black-backs. They usually mostly form separate groups. Best effort at estimating the total and the separate species counts. Later my third Common Gull – another first-winter - was found.

- only only Song Thrush was heard singing in the cold conditions.

- another fly-over Lesser Redpoll. I have yet to record Linnet here this year even though I have seen them as close as in Woodhouse Lane

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

- 17 Greylag Geese: seen notes

- 1 mainly white feral goose with Greylags

- 49 Wood Pigeons: of these 33 were noted in two migrant groups

- 52 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

- 4 Cormorants: two duos

- c.150 Jackdaws

- 40 Rooks

- 1 Pied Wagtail

- 1 Lesser Redpoll

No birds seen leaving roosts around the lake

Counts from the lake area:

- 6 Canada Geese

- 1 + 4 Mute Swans: arrived – see notes

- 20 (12♂) Mallard

- 1 (0♂) (Common) Teal

- 2 (2?♂) Pochard

- 48 (25♂) Tufted Duck

- 4 Moorhens

- 44 Coots

- 5 Great Crested Grebes

- c.200 Black-headed Gulls

- 1 Common Gull

- 24 Herring Gulls

- c.800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.750 early on; c.50 arrived after 08:00

- 3 Cormorants: arrived separately; one departed

- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Nothing noted on frost-covered poles

Nothing noted later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Cold again

Flies:

- 1 midges

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:

- 2 spiders only including, unusually, a Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash:

(277th visit of the year)

About 10% thin ice

Bird notes:

- confirming my log from yesterday: there are currently no Mute Swans here.

- no (Common) Teal noted.

- two trios of Cormorants were diving as groups, presumably to corral their prey.

- a Common Buzzard was hounded out of trees at the top end by Magpies and Carrion Crows and briefly perched in full view.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

- 1 Herring Gull

- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Noted on / around the water:

- 6 Canada Geese: more inside the island?

- 4 Greylag Geese: more inside the island?

- 1 all-white feral goose

- no Mute Swans

- 20 (12♂) Mallard

- 2 (2♂) Pochard again

- 30 (13♂) Tufted Duck

- 4 (0♂) Goosander

- 8 Moorhens

- 68 Coots

- 5 Great Crested Grebes

- 39 Black-headed Gulls

- 3 Herring Gulls: immatures

- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly

- 10 Cormorants

- 2 Grey Herons

- 1 Little Egret

Noted around the area:

Bees, wasps etc.:

- 3 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

Flies:

- >10 blowflies of at least two species.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
1 Pochard
125 Tufted Duck
3 Water Rails
15 Moorhens
221 Coots counted again
1 Snipe
23 Fieldfare
8 Redwings
196 Jackdaws
4 Rooks
2 Ravens
Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
27 Tufted Ducks
9 Moorhens
142 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1st winter Great Black-backed Gull
3 female Goosander
3 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
30 Greylag Gees
16 Pochard
166 Tufted Duck
3 Goosander
Water Rail
148 Coot
c.700 Black-headed
c.1300 Lesser Black-backed
<20 Herring Gulls
93 Redwings
c.500 Starlings left a roost
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
33 Pochard
69 Tufted Ducks
6 Buzzards
>1750 Black-headed Gulls
2251 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
26 Robins
32 Blackbirds
96 Fieldfares
4 Song Thrushes
13 Redwings
384 Jackdaws
216 Rooks
22 Greenfinch
2 Siskins
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

20 Nov 25

Note:
19 Nov - 1 Dec

Sightings will be unformatted and without images.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday 20 November 2025

The Flash:  09:25 – 10:45

Priorslee Balancing Lake:  10:55 – 12:15

0.0°C > 4.0°C:  Sunny. Moderate westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise:  07:42 GMT]

Another "Winter schedule" visit avoiding the dreaded school run, starting again at The Flash.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:

(282nd visit of the year)

No ice noted.

Bird notes:

- strong cross-lighting made sexing many of the Tufted Duck very difficult: so I didn't bother.

- the gull counts were again taken when I arrived. The usual small movement through with nothing unusual seen.

Counts from the lake area:

- 6 Canada Geese: departed

- no Mute Swans

- 13 (9♂) Mallard

- 2 (1♂) Pochard

- 59 (?♂) Tufted Duck

- 6 Moorhens

- 46 Coots

- 4 Great Crested Grebes

- 41 Black-headed Gulls

- 26 Herring Gulls

- 152 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

- 5 Cormorants

- 2 Grey Herons

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2012

The Flash:

(276th visit of the year)

A very very small amount of ice in the most sheltered of locations. The breeze otherwise stopped any ice forming.

Highlights here included:

- a Great (White) Egret seen flying away (over?). I had vaguely registered "the Little Egret where it often is". When I saw the big egret in flight I wondered whether I had been mistaken. Probably not as the Little Egret was (still) present and when I first noted it there was a Grey Heron nearby and had it been the Great Egret I am sure it would have been obvious.

- I glimpsed a Marsh Tit near the surgery and set off camera cocked to try and photograph it. Instead I saw, but also failed to photograph, a male Blackcap. Despite their similarities I have no doubt that both species were present. Probably my first November record of Blackcap here.

Other bird notes:

- only when perusing my log did I realise that I had not seen any Mute Swans.

- many fewer geese today. There were some unseen Greylag Geese calling from inside the island.

- again only one drake (Common) Teal seen. It flew in to the top corner.

- two drake Pochard noted. Did I overlook one yesterday?

- still a few Goosanders hanging on.

No bird(s) noted flying over here:

Noted on / around the water:

- 6 Canada Geese

- 12 Greylag Geese: more inside the island

- no Mute Swans

- 21 (15♂) Mallard

- 1 (1♂) (Common) Teal

- 2 (2♂) Pochard

- 15 (8♂) Tufted Duck

- 4 (1♂) Goosander again

- 11 Moorhens

- 79 Coots

- 6 Great Crested Grebes

- 45 Black-headed Gulls

- 5 Herring Gulls: ages not determined

- 5 Cormorants

- 1 Grey Heron

- 1 Great (White) Egret: departed – see notes

- 1 Little Egret remains

Noted around the area:

I was surprised to see anything.

Bees, wasps etc.:

- 3+ Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

Flies:

- 1 seen briefly, probably a blowfly

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
15 Tufted Ducks
149 Coots
286 Redwings
84 Fieldfares
c.350 Jackdaws but no Rooks seen.
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
42 Mute Swan
1 Wigeon
c. 45 Tufted
36 Pochard
c. 240 Coot
c. 400 Lesser Black-backed Gull
c. 120 Black-headed Gull
10 Herring Gull
3 Yellow Legged Gull
(Mike Cooper)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 male Stonechat showing well near to sailing club hut.
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
31 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
8 Lapwings
>550 Black-headed Gulls
187 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
239 Wood Pigeons
40 Robins
32 Blackbirds
60 Fieldfares
11 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
310 Jackdaws
150 Rooks
35 Greenfinch
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
18 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
3 Ruddy Duck
1 Wigeon
c.200 Coot
4 Cormorant
C.750 birds
24 Fieldfare
3 Redpoll
12 Siskin
5 Reed Bunting
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Adlam)

19 Nov 25

Note:
19 Nov - 1 Dec

Sightings will be unformatted and without images.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash:  09:25 – 10:25

Priorslee Balancing Lake:  10:35 – 11:40

2.0°C > 4.0°C:  Sunny periods. Fresh north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise:  07:40 GMT]

There are no photos worth showing from today.

A "Winter schedule" visit avoiding the early snow and then the school run, starting at The Flash.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:

(281st visit of the year)

Viewing from the dam-top area only.

Bird notes:

- one of the Pochard I could not sex. My thoughts changed as the angle of light on it changed. Most likely a first-winter drake.

- increase in Tufted Duck numbers.

- the gull counts are from when I arrived. There was a small movement through with nothing unusual seen.

Counts from the lake area:

- no Mute Swans

- 4 (3♂) Mallard

- 3 (1♂) Pochard: see notes

- 57 (30♂) Tufted Duck

- 9 Moorhens

- 39 Coots

- 6 Great Crested Grebes

- 9 Black-headed Gulls only

- 13 Herring Gulls

- 93 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes

- 4 Cormorants

- 1 Grey Heron

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash:

(275th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- again four Mute Swans and again the pair from the Balancing Lake were staying together and the resident duo were spending most of the time well apart.

- a big group of Greylag Geese (with one white feral goose among them) were moving around the water eventually settling beside the island. There was little evidence of more birds inside the island.

- only only drake (Common) Teal was seen alongside the island but with more than 100 of the Greylag Geese jammed in the area the other teal was possibly hidden from view.

- only one drake Pochard found.

- Tufted Duck remain in lower than usual numbers for this date. When larger numbers are seen they do not seem to stay.

- a few Goosanders hanging on.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:

- 34 Canada Geese

- 134 Greylag Geese

- 1 white feral goose

- 4 Mute Swans

- 27 (21♂) Mallard

- 1 (1♂) (Common) Teal: see notes

- 1 (1♂) Pochard

- 7 (4♂) Tufted Duck

- 4 (1♂) Goosander

- 3 Moorhens only!

- 72 Coots

- 5 Great Crested Grebes

- 24 Black-headed Gulls

- 5 Herring Gulls: one adult and four immatures

- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near?) adult

- 6 Cormorants

- 1 Grey Heron

- 1 Little Egret remains

Noted around the area:

Too cold for most things despite the sun.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:

- 1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2013
Priorslee Lake
26 Greylag Geese
5 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
134 Tufted Duck
2 Goosander
2 Water Rails
229 Coots
>400 Wood Pigeon
302 Fieldfare
88 Redwings
309 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
7 Pochard
17 Tufted Ducks
146 Coots
244 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
7 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged
c.145 Wood Pigeons
47 Redwings
82 Fieldfares
238 Jackdaws
2 Siskins
11 Bullfinches
(Ed Wilson)

2008
The Flash
10 Goosanders
c.30 Tufted Ducks
c.100 Lesser Black-backed Gull
c.200 Black-headed Gull
1 Buzzard
(Mike Cooper)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Gadwall
8 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
4 Goosander
4 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 Woodcock
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
25 Greylag Geese
1 drake Teal
34 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
drake Ruddy Duck
11 Lapwings
>1080 Black-headed Gulls
1435 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
202 Wood Pigeons
28 Robins
16 Blackbirds
142 Fieldfares
15 Redwings
158 Jackdaws
100 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
c.3000 Black-headed Gull
c.2000 Lesser-Black-backed Gulls
12 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
1 Wigeon
2 Ruddy Duck
3 Water Rail
1 Snipe
5 Redwing
23 Fieldfare
13 Reed Bunting
8 Siskin
170 Rooks
220 Jackdaws
c.500 Starlings in roost
c.500 Wood Pigeon
(Martin Adlam)

18 Nov 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 6.0°C: Early cloud clearing for while. Light south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:38 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: 06:15 – 09:25

(280th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the two Canada Geese that flew in yesterday remain.
- the returning Greylag Geese flock was seen after a few days absence. Just one of the mainly-white feral geese with them.
- for the first time as long as I can remember there were no Mute Swans present.
- a pair of Pochard seen again: did I overlook them yesterday?
- the Water Rail was heard calling from the north-east area again.
- a strong passage of Wood Pigeons, initially heading north-west; later mostly more westerly.
- where the Black-headed Gulls today? I noted my first at 07:35. My highest count was a mere thirteen.
- by contrast Lesser Black-backed Gulls started to arrive by 06:50. Early arrivals came from the South with later arrivals streaming in from the north-east. At least 300 were involved. I noted 64 arriving after 08:00.
- only three Song Thrushes were heard singing. The Blackbird was silent today.
- two Cetti's Warblers noted: the usual singing male and another calling bird.
- a Reed Bunting was heard calling in the south-west area. This species remains scarce.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- *138 Greylag Geese: 131 inbound together preceded by seven
- *1 mainly white feral goose with Greylags
- *c.1481 Wood Pigeons: of these c.1450 were noted in 17 migrant groups: see notes
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 28 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *7 Cormorants: single and sextet
- c.300 Jackdaws
- 59 Rooks
- 11 Starlings: together
- 2 Pied Wagtails

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake

None

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- no Mute Swans
- 10 (6♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 36 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only again
- 7 Moorhens
- 47 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 13? Black-headed Gulls only
- *18 Herring Gulls
- *c.365 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 5 Cormorants
- *2 Grey Heron: one chased away

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata

Springtails:
- *1 small unidentified springtail

Bugs:
- *1 $$ ground-bug Scolopostethus thomsoni or similar

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis

Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:

Nothing noted

Not much to see of the Beaver Moon.

Pre-sunrise a bank of cloud clearing to the East with some medium-high cloud beginning to pick up colour.

Colouring well.

At its best according to my smart phone.

And again this what my "big camera" made of the sunrise.

The next bank of clouds gathering to the West. Not many leaves left on the trees after the storm.

I counted them so you don't have to! There are 132 geese here: 131 Greylags and one mostly white feral bird. Seven Greylags had preceded them by a minute or so. The wide-angle available on the camera is a boon here.

For some reason the gulls are currently eschewing the two platforms and deciding to use the concrete platform. Two first-winter Herring Gulls among Lesser Black-backed Gulls. This photo illustrates a problem I have with the camera. The legs of the Lesser Black-backs are strikingly yellow in real life. You would not know that here and the colour difficult to distinguish from the pink legs on the first-winter Herring Gull in the foreground.

The gull union: "one out all out".

A very (very) small part of one of the migrant Wood Pigeon parties.

Not what fishermen like to see. Six Cormorants here.

Celebrating its success in chasing the other Grey Heron away this one gives me a fly-past.

A flying barn door!

Look no wings! Full marks and a gold star if you can identify this.

Give up? It is a Cetti's Warbler!

A two-fer: the larger insect is a ground-bug Scolopostethus thomsoni or similar. Obsidentify was sure though NatureSpot would want me to have examined the underside to exclude other similar species. Noted as active all year. Whatever: it is a new species for me. The other insect is a springtail, much smaller than others of this overall shape that I have seen.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Cold again

Flies:
- 8 midges

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 spider only: usual suspect

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:30 – 10:40

(274th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- still four Mute Swans. The pair from the Balancing Lake staying together. The resident duo spending most of the time well apart.
- two drake (Common) Teal were alongside the island today.
- two drake Pochard were new arrivals.
- a few Goosanders hanging on.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 11 Wood Pigeons in a migrant group flying high north-west
- 1 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese: more inside the island?
- 40 Greylag Geese: more inside the island?
- 4 Mute Swans
- 22 (14♂) Mallard
- *2 (2♂) (Common) Teal again
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 13 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (0♂) Goosander
- *9 Moorhens
- 75 Coots
- *6 Great Crested Grebes still
- *17 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gull: immatures
- 9 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Egret

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- *2 male Mottled Umbers Erranis defoliaria: one of these in the same place for its third day

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *>5 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

The two drake (Common) Teal were by the island (with two Black-headed Gulls looking on). It occurs to me that in winters of yore (25 years ago perhaps) the island use to host a day-roost of Common Snipe. That would be good to see again.

"Water off a duck's back" - or in this instance a Moorhen's back. Those feathers sure are waterproof.

A Great Crested Grebe still showing head-streaking indicating this is a first-winter bird.

A portrait of a first-winter Black-headed Gull.

The second of two male Mottled Umber moths Erranis defoliaria. This one is, unusually, both "mottled" and "umber".

It was both cloudy and cold – well below the 10.0°C that is usually needed for insect to be active. Nevertheless there were at least five Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris on the Ivy. This angle shows both the face-pattern and parallel-side yellow flash on the side of the thorax to confirm the species identity.

This illustrates how flexible the "wasp-waist" is.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
1 Pochard
102 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
229 Coots
1 Snipe
>500 Starlings
127 Fieldfare
7 Redwings
99 Jackdaws
1 Brambling
1 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Newport
1 Waxwing
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Adult Yellow legged Gull
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
1 adult Yellow legged Gull
2 female Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
36 Pochard
49 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
11 Lapwings
1 Woodcock
c.1700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
>600 Black-headed Gulls
5 Herring Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
910 Wood Pigeons
22 Robins
21 Blackbirds
258 Fieldfares
13 Redwings
201 Jackdaws
158 Rooks
348 Starlings
4 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam / Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
c.1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
10 Herring Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Wigeon
(Martin Adlam)

17 Nov 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

2.0°C > 5.0°C: Wall-to-wall clear. Keen northerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:36 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: 06:05 – 09:20

(279th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- two Canada Geese flew in.
- not at all sure about the Mute Swans. The resident cob was seen chasing a bird at 07:30. I was not is a position to see the resident pen and I assumed he was chasing a visitor. Two birds were seen leaving to the North at 07:45 after which there was none on the water. So was he chasing a visitor? or was he trying to persuade his partner to leave? The pen was identified when her Darvic ring Blue 7JUE was read from a photo at The Flash later.
- no sign of any Pochard
- it was a brownhead Goosander that visited briefly today: c.07:40.
- the first Water Rail of the second-winter period with one calling from the north-east area.
- another strange passage of Wood Pigeons. Several (very) small flocks flying north-west after 07:30. One group of c.100 birds flew North.
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls were circling low over the water by 06:40 with eventually c.350 noted.
- rather more Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived before 07:30: c.100. But fewer – just eight – arrived later.
- as yesterday four Cormorants arrived as separate singles and a duo. I did not note any of these leaving: only one was present later. A trio flew over.
- a low count of both Jackdaws and Rooks overhead. I did see a very large party of birds (>250?) a long, long way to the East which might have been Jackdaws (or almost anything else!).
- in colder conditions only five Song Thrushes were heard singing. The same Blackbird was singing again.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 176 Wood Pigeons: of these 132 were noted in five migrant groups: see notes
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 81 Jackdaws: see notes
- 34 Rooks: see notes
- 1 Skylark
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 3 Siskins

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- 7 Starlings!

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans: but see notes; departed
- 13 (8♂) Mallard
- 40 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander: briefly
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 5 Moorhens
- 52 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes still
- c.350 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- c.108 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 4 Cormorants again
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *2 male Winter Moths Operophtera brumata [on a different pole to yesterday]

Flies
- 1 small female plumed midge
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii
- *5 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis

Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:

Nothing noted

A none too-exciting sunrise with no cloud (don't knock it!) to give more colour in the sky.

Two Song Thrushes hiding from me as they tuck in to hawthorn berries. They would not allow me closer...

...and neither would this Redwing which was only slightly more cooperative.

 A male Great Tit attending to its feathers.

With an itch on its back!

"Have you just taken my photo?"

A female Greenfinch...

 ...and another showing how to eat a seed when you have no hands.

I was the wrong side of this male Siskin to get a great photo. Meanwhile...

Yesterday I showed a photo of a male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel with the remark that it was unusual to see one with wings closed. Perhaps not so unusual: here is one from the lake this morning.

A well-disguised Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. on a street lamp pole.

A fully-legged harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis.

Drat: missed! Not a moon shot but an Air France Airbus A350 en route from Dallas, Texas to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Note the whole disc of the moon is visible by what is known as earthshine. That is defined (by AI so it must be correct) as the faint glow on the unlit portion of the Moon, caused by sunlight reflecting off the Earth onto the lunar surface.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Too cold!

Flies:
- 6 midges again

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 spiders only: usual species

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:25 – 10:35

(273rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- now four Mute Swans not entirely content with each other's presence. One ring was read from a photo as Blue 7JUE confirming this is the pen from the Balancing Lake.
- two drake (Common) Teal were noted at the top end.
- very few Goosander now. If they have eaten all the fish no-one has told the Cormorants.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 32 Canada Geese: more inside the island?
- 3 Greylag Geese: more inside the island?
- *4 Mute Swans
- 25 (18♂) Mallard
- *2 (2♂) (Common) Teal
- 25 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (1♂) Goosander
- 8 Moorhens
- 70 Coots again
- no Little Grebe
- 6 Great Crested Grebes again
- *27 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: immature, very briefly
- *8 Cormorants again
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Egret

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria : same place as yesterday

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >15 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

Flies:
- mainly *Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Other info:

I was told that a garden in "the village" has very recently been host to both male and female Blackcaps.

Serious chasing going on here. Look carefully at the front bird: it is wearing a blue Darvic ring.

A quick edit reveals the ring to read "7JUE" identifying this as the pen that has been paired at the Balancing Lake since the previous cob died in unknown circumstances in March and she arrived to pair up with a newly arrived cob. She had been born and raised at the Balancing Lake in 2021.

I did say it was serious chasing!

Not the best light conditions for these two drake (Common) Teal lurking under overhanging vegetation at the top end.

A fine adult-winter Black-headed Gull.

And here the upper-wing pattern of a first-winter Black-headed Gull.

Some food was proffered to the ducks and Black-headed Gulls and this first-winter Herring Gull suddenly appeared and equally suddenly disappeared.

One of the eight Cormorants seen here preparing to try and find any fish the Goosanders have overlooked. An immature with white areas.

Another immature Cormorant flies around.

Apart from a surprising number of Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris (the temperature was only c.5°C) the only insects I noted on the Ivy were. This Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina. This is one. They do seem to like sitting on shiny leaves.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
2 Teal
62 Tufted Duck
214 Coots
9 Lapwings over
c.210 Black-headed Gulls
c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Herring Gulls
7 Fieldfare
10 Redwings
2 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
(Andy Latham)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
37 Pochard
55 Tufted Ducks
>625 Black-headed Gulls
2245 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
424 Wood Pigeons
23 Blackbirds
374 Fieldfares
58 Redwings
379 Jackdaws
151 Rooks
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)