17 Oct 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

11.0°C > 12.5°C: Areas of cloud with good clear spells. A very light shower. Fresh SW wind fell away somewhat for a while. Very good visibility to start then rather hazy

Sunrise: 07:38 BST

Priorslee Lake: 07:05 – 09:30

(121st visit of the year)

I had hoped the gales might have blown something in:, instead it seemed to have blown them out – no Wigeon; fewer Mallard; no Pochard; and a reduced number of Coots

The winds had broken a few small branches: no real damage

A good variety of fly-overs but no real sign of movement apart from two parties of c.50 Wood Pigeons that seemed to be setting off S from trees to the N of the lake (the other Wood Pigeon fly-overs were the usual singles, small groups mainly heading E or W)

Other notes from today:
- an adult Mute Swan dropped in at 07:30: by 08:00 it took the hint. The cygnets seemed to enjoy the sport of helping their parents chase it away and did a lot of flying about
- two recounts failed to improve on the lower Coot numbers
- the only Grey Heron seen today was a fly-by
- the Water Rail was heard from the NW area today – which was where I was sheltering from the wind
- no Chiffchaffs seen or heard today
- Blackbirds and especially Song Thrushes were gorging on Dogwood berries this morning
- of course having noted yesterday that no Pied Wagtails had been on the ‘football field’ recently there were two this morning
- one of the Meadow Pipits logged as flying over was so low it seemed it must have come from the ground close to where I was. As there was no suitable habitat in the area it is presumed it came low looking for somewhere to land and then decided to carry on
- a lone Siskin and then a party of 6
- a Reed Bunting leaving a roost at the W end reeds this morning
and
- one of the November Moth group on a lamp
- the same(?) Earwig sp. (likely Forficula auricularia) in the same place on the same lamp as yesterday

On with today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 2 Greylag Geese (outbound)
- 62 Canada Geese (8 outbound; 54 inbound)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Sparrowhawks
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 1 (Common) Kestrel
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 180 Wood Pigeons
- c.600 Jackdaws only
- 3 Rooks
- 2 Ravens yet again
- 3 Skylarks (singles)
- 8 Starlings (3 groups)
- 6 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Meadow Pipits
- 19 Redwings (4 groups)
- 3 Chaffinches
- 2 Greenfinches
- 23 Goldfinches (3 groups)
- 7 Siskins
- 2 Lesser Redpolls (singles)

Hirundines
None

Warblers seen or heard today
None

The counts from the lake area
- 3 + 3 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall remain
- 14 (7♂) Mallard
- 26 (11♂) Tufted Ducks
- 6 + 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail heard
- 4 Moorhens
- 124 Coots
- c.175 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The sunrise this morning after yesterday’s gales. We’ve lost the red sun caused by the smoke from the fires in Portugal and / or the dust from the Sahara and a rather fresh morning.

The ‘extra’ Mute Swan on a flight to escape the attentions of the residents. The right leg at least seems to be unringed.

A not-very-elegant landing as one of the cygnets joins the chase.

THIS is how it should be done: the ‘extra’ bird tries to settle again.

The bent neck is presumably to try and get the centre of gravity back from a slight skew.

‘Do you want us to give chase again?’ seems to be the question the cygnets are asking.

Here’s dad at full-chat.

‘Clear off.’

‘I’m going’ .. no.

... ‘really’. No rings on either leg.

Better have a preen after all that flying about.

I have noted several times Jays ferrying acorns to bury them for winter. Here is proof. Jays have been shown to have very good spatial awareness and memory and they are able to remember where they buried them.

Another of the November Moth agg. group. Here with the underwing protruding at rest and the rather more rounded shoulders suggesting a female even if it usually males that are plainly marked like this.
(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:25

(89th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- many of the Greylag Geese had disappeared inside the island before I arrived: likely more than I could see were present
- an unusual group of 36 Jackdaws flying S, with some taking time-off to harass a Common Buzzard (2 singles later)
and
- 2 Red Admirals on the ivy
- the regular Tapered Drone Flies (Eristalis pertinax) as well
- a digger wasp sp., probably Ectemnius cephalotes also on the Ivy

Birds noted flying over
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 38 Jackdaws
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 2 Skylarks again
- 1 Goldfinch

Warblers noted
None

The counts from the water
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- >60 Greylag Geese
- 96 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose again
- 29 (20♂) Mallard
- 45 (24♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 10 Coots
- 31 Black-headed Gulls

Two Canada Geese with undercarriage down (or should that be floats down?) for the landing.

Three more still to lower their undercarriage. One unable to keep its mouth shut ....

... just like this one.

Here we see a party of 28 Jackdaws (and one stray) just as they broke away from harassing the Buzzard in the bottom left. Unusual behaviour and I do not often see sizeable groups of Jackdaws while I am at The Flash.

Something different on the Ivy today: this seems to be the digger wasp Ectemnius cephalotes – it has no vernacular name. Most digger wasps dig in sand, but the females of this species make a nest in soft dead wood in to which they bore holes. In each they places up to a dozen prey items. They have injected their eggs in to the prey beforehand. Several females may use the same nest.

A slightly different view of the typical wasp markings. A new species for me.

Rubbing its back legs together showing the pale tibia of the Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax).

Such a dramatic shot I decided to include another Red Admiral butterfly, tongue right in the small Ivy flower to get at the nectar.

Anything you can do I can do ... a Tapered Drone Fly drinking the Ivy nectar.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Shoveler
3 Wigeon
12 Pochard
1 Little Grebe
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
182 Wood Pigeons
10 Sky Larks
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
84 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Kingfisher
21 Wrens
11 Dunnocks
38 Robins
22 Blackbirds
9 Song Thrushes
139 Redwings
30 Starlings
3 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)