8.0°C > 9.0°C: Medium-low overcast. Light easterly breeze. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:14 GMT
* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 08:55
(246th visit of the year)
Another quieter day than I expect to find at this time of day.
Bird notes:
- after many days with few Canada Geese overhead there were 67 in five groups noted, all basically heading East though many seemed to be confused about where to go breaking formation and heading in all directions. The duo was present throughout again.
- the pair of Mute Swans was asleep in the slack water near the dam. Again not visible by 08:00.
- three Pochard today with two drakes.
- a small flock of 10 Lapwing circled overhead briefly at 07:10.
- fewer gulls before first light. Very vague numbers this morning as I spent most of the time elsewhere. The rough estimate was c.500 Black-headed Gulls and >250 large gulls. I have no idea why the totals are so variable nor have I any idea where and why they cone from – a roost somewhere?
- at 07:15 I counted 131 Black-headed and a single first-winter Gull, on the football field.
- subsequently seven Herring and 106 Lesser Black-backed Gulls visited. Among them was what I think a Caspian Gull.
- unusual was a small group of nine Black-headed Gulls flying steadily South, apparently nothing to do with any of the local birds.
- five Cormorants arrived together. Three more arrived as singles later.
- a Great White Egret was in the reeds and sedges in the south-west area c.07:00. What might have been the same bird flew East at 08:10 though its origin was not the lake at that time.
- just 23 fly-over Wood Pigeons in two groups both heading north-west.
- small groups of Starlings, Fieldfare and Redwings were all flying East.
- good to note Bullfinch calls from three different locations.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 67 Canada Geese
- 10 Lapwings
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Great White Egret
- 30 Wood Pigeons: of these 23 in two groups flying north-west.
- 361 Jackdaws
- 175 Rooks
- 46 Fieldfare flew East in one group
- 30 Redwings flew East in four groups
- 24 Starlings flew East in three groups
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Siskin
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans: departed
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 62 (31?♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 22 Coots only
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.500 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 1 possible Caspian Gull
- >350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 8 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great White Egret: departed
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
None
Found later around the Teece Drive fence
Found later around the Teece Drive fence
Moths:
- 1 Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria
Noted elsewhere:
- 1 Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria
Noted elsewhere:
Fungus:
- 5 fruiting bodies of Wood Blewit Lepista nuda
On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:
- 5 fruiting bodies of Wood Blewit Lepista nuda
On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:
Moths:
- 3 November Moth type Epirrita sp. again: all on the same pole today
- 3 November Moth type Epirrita sp. again: all on the same pole today
True flies:
- 1 male Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
- 1 female Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
- 2 wood gnat, probably Sylvicola cinctus
- 1 male Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
- 1 female Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
- 2 wood gnat, probably Sylvicola cinctus
Bugs:
- 1 Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale
- 1 Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale
Beetles:
- 2 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
- 2 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- 2 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
An "interesting" gull. The back tone is too dark for a typical Herring Gull so what is it? It does not immediately seem clean-headed enough for a Yellow-legged Gull.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- 2 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Some sun would make this look better!
Here passing an out-of-focus Herring Gull illustrates the darker wing tone.
A Cormorant seems to think it funny that it has repelled boarders of its buoy.
All the five fruiting bodies were well buried in vegetation and this was my best attempt at a side view.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
none
none
Four-winged flies:
- 1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
- 1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
True flies:
- 1 unidentified midge
- 1 probable Spear-winged Fly Lonchoptera sp.
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis or similar
- 1 unidentified midge
- 1 probable Spear-winged Fly Lonchoptera sp.
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis or similar
Arthropods:
- 2 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
- 2 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
- 2 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
- 2 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Slugs, snails etc.:
- 1 Glass Snail Oxychilus sp.
- 1 Glass Snail Oxychilus sp.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 6 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 6 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
I think this is one of the Glass Snails Oxychilus sp.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:00 – 10:20
(244th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- I could only find one drake Shoveler but now a trio of (Common) Teal: two drakes
- unprecedented was both of the Goosanders present full-plumage drakes.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 40 (25♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) (Common) Teal
- 25 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (2♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 16 Coot
- 25 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: third-winter, arrived
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, arrived and departed
- 3 Cormorants
- 3 Grey Herons
Noted around the area:
cool and cloudy.
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 40 (25♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) (Common) Teal
- 25 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (2♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 16 Coot
- 25 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: third-winter, arrived
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, arrived and departed
- 3 Cormorants
- 3 Grey Herons
Noted around the area:
cool and cloudy.
Moths:
- 1 Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria
- 1 Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 3 wasps Vespula sp. the only insects around the Ivy on this dull morning
Two drake (left and right with yellow at the tail) and one duck (centre) (Common) Teal. An out-of-focus duck Tufted Duck in the foreground.
- 3 wasps Vespula sp. the only insects around the Ivy on this dull morning
A Blue Tit contemplating a dead and leaning (honest!) tree trunk.
Perhaps better from this angle?
Ah!
There was a Feathered Thorn moth Colotois pennaria here as well.
(Ed Wilson)
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2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow Legged Gull
2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls
4 Gadwall
4 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
c.80 Greylag Geese over
2 Gadwall
6 Pochard
40 Tufted Ducks
7 Moorhens
c.130 Coots
2500 Wood Pigeons
580+ Jackdaws
45+ Rooks
Raven
1 Siskin
3 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
106 Greylag Geese
1 possible Bean Goose
38 Canada Geese
2 Pochard
32 Tufted Duck
17 Goosanders
7 Moorhens
7 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
10 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
513 Jackdaws
53 Rooks
732 Wood Pigeons
5 Meadow Pipits
503 Fieldfare
2 Song Thrushes
34 Redwings
1 Brambling
12 Chaffinches
2 Siskins
51 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Grant)
2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
15 Shoveler
1 Gadwall
10 Pochards
117 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rails
100+
Many Redwings
4 Fieldfare
20+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
16 Pochard
55 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
c.600 Black-headed Gulls
189 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
803 Wood Pigeons
17 Pied Wagtails
19 Wrens
12 Dunnocks
30 Robins
21 Blackbirds
128 Fieldfares
4 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
1 Mistle Thrush
13 Magpies
347 Jackdaws
160 Rooks
12 Carrion Crows
223 Starlings
2 Siskins
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
Kingfisher
2 Little Grebe
11 Pochard
35 Tufted Duck
3 Ruddy Duck
27 Redwing
10 Fieldfare
5 Reed Bunting
Redpoll
Siskin
101 Rooks
12 Carrion Crow
227 Jackdaws
3 Jay
12 Magpies
1 Raven
1200 Wood Pigeon
(Martin Adlam)