19 Nov - 1 Dec
Sightings will be unformatted and without images.
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Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:15 – 09:35
The Flash: 09:40 – 10:50
3.0°C > 5.0°C: Clear skies. Light north-westerly wind. Excellent visibility.
Sunrise: 07:50 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
Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(287th visit of the year)
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
Ants:
- 1 Formica sp., possibly Blood-red Ant F. sanguinea
Beetle:
- 1 flea-beetle
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Nothing noted later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
Flies:
- 1 midge only
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 3 spiders: all Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash:
(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
Bees, wasps etc.:
- >3 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- 1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- >2 Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax
Other flies:
- >40 Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
- >10 smaller unidentified flies
(Ed Wilson)
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
Bees, wasps etc.:
- >3 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- 1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- >2 Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax
Other flies:
- >40 Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
- >10 smaller unidentified flies
(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)
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)
