6.0°C > 7.0°C: More brighter spells this morning with a light showers early. Light easterly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:03 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:55 – 09:15
(22nd visit of the year)
New Bird Species:
One addition to my 2026 bird species list for this site:
- a Red Kite was circling overhead heading loosely West at 09:10
Species #57 this year.
Otherwise another very quiet day.
Bird notes:
- the only geese seen today were four Canada Geese flying South far to the West.
- now six Goosanders: three drakes. They did not seem to be consistently behaving as pairs with one of the ducks/brownheads consistently apart from the others.
- a Great Crested Grebe was my first here for 10 days.
- an even small number of gulls on the water:
- the first c.75 Black-headed Gulls arrived together at the later time of 07:35. These had all gone by 07:40. A suspiciously similar number arrived back(?) c.07:55. Much later 35 (of these?) were on the academy's own playing field.
- four Herring Gulls and no Lesser Black-backed Gulls joined the Black-heads on the water.
- fewer gulls than yesterday were noted passing over.
- of the 55 Wood Pigeons noted flying over 48 of these were in two parties flying North.
- no fewer than 16 Song Thrushes were noted singing. Two calling birds may or may not have been different individuals. Also heard in song was a Blackbird: I think the first this year though I heard at least one singing in December.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: flew South together
- 55 Wood Pigeons: see notes
- 9 Herring Gulls
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Red Kite
- 139 Jackdaws
- 97 Rooks
- 23 Starlings: together
Counts from the lake area:
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 8 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (3♂) Goosander
- 4 Moorhens
- 22 Coots
- >75 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 4 Herring Gulls
- no Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
There was light rain while I was checking the poles.
Flies:
- 3 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 midge (with spurs), quite possibly one of the Cerotelion species
- 3 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 midge (with spurs), quite possibly one of the Cerotelion species
Springtails:
- 5 globular springtail of the Dicyrtomina saundersi-type
Noted later:
- 5 globular springtail of the Dicyrtomina saundersi-type
Noted later:
Fungus:
- Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus
- Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus
A trio of drake Goosanders. The three girls had gone elsewhere to look for fish.
Same problem as yesterday: raptors as silhouettes against a leaden sky. Here is the Red Kite.
Looking at the camera?
Just a hint of red in the tail.
One of the local Common Buzzards was none too happy about the kite's presence and decided to patrol its territory.
One of three winter craneflies Trichocera sp. braving the slight rain.
A small part of a very large number of Glistening Inkcaps Coprinellus micaceus.
And a few more. I also noted this species in the same area last January.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn
Flies:
- 3 midges
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 6 probably all Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 6 probably all Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
A Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata. I suspect all six spiders I noted hanging from webs along the wall of the tunnel were this species.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:35
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:35
(18th visit of the year)
New Bird Species
Three additions to my 2026 bird species list for this site:
- a Greylag Goose (at last) was heard and then a single bird noted on the water.
- a male Blackcap was seen at the feeders between Wordsworth Way and the water.
- a Stock Dove was heard calling from the nearby worded area
This brings my bird species total for here to #49 this year.
Note
Frustrating were two "possibles" that got away:
- for the second time in three days I heard what sounded a bit like a Green Woodpecker calling. But only a "bit like". When I heard it Friday I dismissed it as being given by one of the five very vocal Song Thrushes (one of them can do a good imitation of a Redshank). Today I was not so sure. One to listen out for.
- in a fast-moving mixed party of tits I caught a snatch of what might have been a calling Marsh Tit. Booting up the Merlin app. left me confused as what it suggested was a Marsh Tit sounded like a Great Tit to me. I saw nothing to suggest a Marsh Tit was present.
Other bird notes:
- I thought the Mute Swans were missing again. After having walked all the way around I was about to climb in the car when I noted two on the East side. Did they fly in or were they hiding inside the island, perhaps nest prospecting?
- both Pochard and Tufted Duck numbers decreased today: they come and they go.
- four Goosander behaving as two pairs today.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- 31 (23♂) Mallard
- 9 (6♂) Pochard
- 30 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (2♂) Goosander
- 16 Moorhens
- 39 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 18 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: a near adult-winter was joined briefly by a second winter
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Of note around the area:
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- 31 (23♂) Mallard
- 9 (6♂) Pochard
- 30 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (2♂) Goosander
- 16 Moorhens
- 39 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 18 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: a near adult-winter was joined briefly by a second winter
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Of note around the area:
Nothing else
I have no idea why it has taken 25 days for a Greylag Goose to appear on the water for me this year. Just the one. That will do.
As with the Tufted Duck the Pochard have become much more tolerant of people. This pair, the duck in the foreground, were unusually close and unfazed by the camera even if they were watching carefully.
At first glance it looks like an adult-winter Herring Gull. Closer inspection shows too much black on the bill and, more telling, a few brown flecks in the folded wings.
Here it is joined by what looks to be a second-winter judging by the extensive pale at the base of the bill. An adult-winter Black-headed Gull is the back bird of the trio.
Not a species I expected to see today: a male Blackcap was visiting the feeding station.
A smart bird even if the low light makes the photo "grainy".
(Ed Wilson)
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2014
Priorslee Lake
11 Pochard
61 Tufted Duck
2 Greater Scaup
1 Velvet Scoter
98 Coots
4 Redwings
c.735 Jackdaws
c.257 Rooks
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
92 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
Peregrine
6 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
31 Wigeon
12 Gadwall
1 Greater Scaup
>700 Black-headed Gulls
7 Common Gulls
>1500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
>300 Herring Gulls
7 Great Black-backed Gulls.
(Ed Wilson, (John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
1 Little Grebe
30 Swans
4 Gadwall
28 Pochard
86 Tufted Ducks
1 Buzzard
296 Coots
5 Redwings
27 Greenfinches
c.30 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Goldeneye
1 Water Rail
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
c.120 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.45 Herring Gulls
10 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
24 Pochard
22 Tufted Ducks
152 Coot
1 Water Rail
c.48 Siskins
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)