10.0°C > 11.0°C: Mostly clear skies. Strong and gusty westerly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:53 GMT
* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 07:10 – 09:05
(237th visit of the year)
No: I did not forget to reset my clocks! It was a deliberate late start so that I was able to see any damage wreaked by the wind. A small tree was obstructing the North side path. The fishermen should have cleared it my the time you read this. Otherwise it was many twigs and small branches littering the ground.
Bird notes:
- *the male Pheasant was on the south-west grass again.
- now at least 66 Tufted Duck scattered around almost the whole water and mobile.
- otherwise not much on the water and very little flying over.
- there were no Black-headed Gulls on what I term 'the football field' at 07:15 though there were eight on the nearby smaller community football area.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 20 Canada Goose: flew West in two groups
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 13 Jackdaws
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: stopped off briefly before continuing West
- 6 (3♂) Mallard only
- 66 (>30♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes still
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Of note:
- 20 Canada Goose: flew West in two groups
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 13 Jackdaws
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: stopped off briefly before continuing West
- 6 (3♂) Mallard only
- 66 (>30♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes still
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Of note:
Nothing else apart from:
Fungi:
- >50 fruiting bodies of *Weeping Widow Lacrymaria lacrymabunda
On the West end street lamp poles after dawn:
- >50 fruiting bodies of *Weeping Widow Lacrymaria lacrymabunda
On the West end street lamp poles after dawn:
True flies:
- several different and unidentified flies
- several different and unidentified flies
...these c.20 were some of those inside the football field fence.
A small tree across the North side path felled by the overnight wind.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Not visited
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:10
(234th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- 1 *duck (Common) Teal found tucked up against the island.
- more Tufted Duck here as well as at the Balancing Lake today.
- four brownhead Goosander only.
- a Little Grebe noted tight against the island.
- as yesterday the two full adult Great Crested Grebe: still four begging juveniles but arranged as a three and a singleton with their parents for a change.
- no Grey Heron or Great (White) Egret.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Skylark
Noted on / around the water:
- 31 Canada Geese: of these 13 arrived in two groups
- still no Greylag Geese
- 6 Mute Swans as ever
- 40 (23♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) *(Common) Teal
- 34 (18?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (0♂) *Goosander
- 5 Moorhens yet again
- 21 Coot
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe again
- 76 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 3 Cormorants
- no Grey Herons
- no Great (White) Egret
Noted around the area:
Milder with some weak sun. The Ivy bank largely sheltered from the worst of the wind.
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- 1 *Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- >25 wasp Vespula sp.
- 1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- 1 *Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- >25 wasp Vespula sp.
Hoverflies:
- 3 *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- 3 *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
True flies:
- 1 *Muscid fly from the Phaonia genus
- numerous unidentified "bluebottles" sunning on street lamp poles
- 1 *Muscid fly from the Phaonia genus
- numerous unidentified "bluebottles" sunning on street lamp poles
Planthoppers:
- 1 *planthopper Eupteryx urticae
- 1 *planthopper Eupteryx urticae
Beetles:
- 3 *7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
Not easy to see! From the left: a sleeping brownhead Goosander (the head shape gives the game away); an adult-winter Black-headed Gull; a duck (Common) Teal (the white streak at the side of the tail is the clue); and another brownhead Goosander examining it bright red feet.
- 3 *7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
A female Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax on the Ivy flowers...
...with a dusting of pollen.
Another view. Note the pale bands of hairs between the body segments (tergites).
(Ed Wilson)
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2010
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
5 Lapwings
1487 Fieldfare logged, mostly flying W. 7 of the flocks estimated at between 110 and 130 birds
25 Redwings
Raven
56 Goldfinch
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
62 Swans
5 Wigeon
14 Pochard
22 Tufted Ducks
231 Coots
Great Black-backed Gull
3 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
27 Redwings
Chiffchaff
c.250 Starlings
8 Siskins
c.15 Goldfinches
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
25 Pochard
72 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
1 Kingfisher
20 Robins
17 Blackbirds
15 Song Thrushes
59 Redwing
3 Mistle Thrushes
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
5 Goldcrests
(Martin Adlam)