3.0°C > 5.0°C: Early overcast with light rain; heavy rain c.08:15; temporary clearance after 08:45 with mix of cloud and brighter periods. light / moderate westerly wind. Mostly very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:22 GMT for the umpteenth day
A Happy New Year to you all.
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:55 – 09:40
(1st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- two Pochard (one drake) were new arrivals.
- the first of the c.50 Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:39.
- the first of rather few (27) Lesser Black-backed Gulls did not start arriving until 07:52.
- another passage of Lesser Blacked Gulls noted, again all were heading south-west. There were also six Herring Gulls among them.
- the first Jackdaws seen was a party of nine flying "the wrong way" i.e. North at 08:02.
- a Mistle Thrush was calling from trees alongside Castle Farm Way. Later another (?) was singing from the Ricoh grounds.
- two Song Thrushes and one Blackbird were also heard singing, these pre-dawn only.
- a party of 28 Fieldfare flew West from fields to the East and a few minutes later flew back the other way. Much later a single bird was in the bushes alongside the West end path.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 37 Canada Geese: two flew North together; another flew West
- 2 Greylag Geese: two singles flew East
- 31 Wood Pigeons
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 109 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 94 Jackdaws
- 87 Rooks
- 28 Fieldfare
- 3 Redwings
Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: arrived together staying only c.10 minutes
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 22 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 4 Moorhens
- 12 Coots only
- 2 Great Crested Grebes only
- c.50 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants: arrived singly
- 1 Grey Heron
New Bird Species
The following 35 bird species were noted today starting my 2026 list, in order of recording:
Robin
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Coot
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Carrion Crow
Tufted Duck
Greylag Goose
Mallard
Black-headed Gull
Grey Heron
Pochard
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Canada Goose
Moorhen
Jackdaw
Rook
Chaffinch
Cormorant
Blue Tit
Siskin
Mistle Thrush
Long-tailed Tit
Goldcrest
Fieldfare
Redwing
Great Crested Grebe
Dunnock
Jay
Goldfinch
Great Tit
Wren
Water Rail
The Wren was a struggle to find. A surprising omission was the often noisy Cetti's Warbler, Must leave something for tomorrow
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
The following 35 bird species were noted today starting my 2026 list, in order of recording:
Robin
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Coot
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Carrion Crow
Tufted Duck
Greylag Goose
Mallard
Black-headed Gull
Grey Heron
Pochard
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Canada Goose
Moorhen
Jackdaw
Rook
Chaffinch
Cormorant
Blue Tit
Siskin
Mistle Thrush
Long-tailed Tit
Goldcrest
Fieldfare
Redwing
Great Crested Grebe
Dunnock
Jay
Goldfinch
Great Tit
Wren
Water Rail
The Wren was a struggle to find. A surprising omission was the often noisy Cetti's Warbler, Must leave something for tomorrow
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
Flies:
- 1 male plumed midge
- 3 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- 1 male plumed midge
- 3 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
Springtails:
- 1 unidentified small springtail
- 1 unidentified small springtail
Beetles:
- 2 possible Cabbage-stem Flea Beetles Psylliodes chrysocephala
- 2 possible Cabbage-stem Flea Beetles Psylliodes chrysocephala
Arthropods:
- 1 unidentified millipede
- 1 unidentified millipede
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Noted later:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Noted later:
Nothing
Before the brief deluge it looked promising to the far East. The weather was coming from the West.
A male plumed midge. A larger species than many seen recently. Still no specific identity though.
The best winter cranefly Trichocera sp. specimen this morning.
Present for over a week this Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. has moved several inches from where I saw it on Tuesday. So it is not dead.
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(Ed Wilson)
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Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
It is a while since I checked the tunnel. Now I know why. I saw nothing, zilch.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:45 – 10:55
(1st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the putative pair of Mute Swans still present.
- just two Pochard (one drake) noted.
- I could only confirm the presence of two Great Crested Grebes.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 30 (20♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 28 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 76 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: a third winter departed; also a first-winter
- 2 Grey Herons
Noted around the area:
Nothing else
New Bird Species
The following 27 bird species were noted today starting my 2026 list, in order of recording:
Blackbird
Coot
Black-headed Gull
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Mallard
Moorhen
Long-tailed Tit
Carrion Crow
Great Crested Grebe
Herring Gull
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Tufted Duck
Blue Tit
House Sparrow
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Pochard
Grey Heron
Great Tit
Robin
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Dunnock
Song Thrush
Feral Pigeon
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Significantly missing was Wren. Robin was unusually late in getting on the list.
At this time of year it is easy to separate the sexes. Frustratingly during the Summer period when they are moulting and difficult to sex they never seem this approachable for close study.
First flower of the year (and last of 2025). One of a cluster of White Dead-Nettles Lamium album that seems to flower throughout the year.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup still showing well off dam
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
21 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood and Rob Stokes)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl heard - 2nd ever record
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
About 30% ice.
Best bird remains the Black-necked Grebe.
Big gull roost:
c.3000 Black-headed Gulls
c.1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 3rd winter Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson and John Isherwood)
New Bird Species
The following 27 bird species were noted today starting my 2026 list, in order of recording:
Blackbird
Coot
Black-headed Gull
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Mallard
Moorhen
Long-tailed Tit
Carrion Crow
Great Crested Grebe
Herring Gull
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Tufted Duck
Blue Tit
House Sparrow
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Pochard
Grey Heron
Great Tit
Robin
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Dunnock
Song Thrush
Feral Pigeon
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Significantly missing was Wren. Robin was unusually late in getting on the list.
No mistaking a drake Tufted Duck.
Nor Mrs. Angry Tufted Duck.
This Grey Heron is an upstanding member of the community.
Is it cross-eyed? The bill looks brown here.
This view shows that the lower mandible is orange toned.
A Song Thrush of course. I noted one singing and two others searching the ground for morsels.
(Ed Wilson)
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2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup still showing well off dam
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
21 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood and Rob Stokes)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl heard - 2nd ever record
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
About 30% ice.
Best bird remains the Black-necked Grebe.
Big gull roost:
c.3000 Black-headed Gulls
c.1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 3rd winter Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson and John Isherwood)