31 Oct 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 11.0°C: Low overcast. Visibility at low level was OK but at any height not good. Very light mainly south-easterly breeze.

Sunrise: 07:05 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 – 09:10

(242nd visit of the year)

Trusty vehicle operational and back to "normal".

Bird notes:
- two Canada Geese throughout sometimes on the dam-top. Perhaps the pair that nested here last year?
- no sign of any Mute Swans.
- *four Goosanders flew West at 08:00.
- only three Great Crested Grebes again.
- c.300 Black-headed Gulls were on the water c.06:30. When I checked the football field at 09:10 there were 21.
- >350 large gulls were present at 06:30 with some others having already flown off. At least Herring Gulls were noted at this time.
- later gull arrivals were just three Herring and 79 Lesser Black-backs. Small numbers also overhead.
- four Cormorants arrived together at the early time of 07:00. Later a single and then a trio also arrived. A group of five flew over.
- *a Great White Egret flew East at 07:35.
- five small parties of Wood Pigeons totalling 183 birds flew South around 07:30 then no more seen until a large group of at least 270 at 08:10.
- three separate large parties of Jackdaws were part of the roost dispersal flying low overhead and spread-out making in possible only to estimate the number of birds. The total below is likely under-recorded.
- six parties of Redwing seen overhead. Two of these parties were mixed in with departing Jackdaws and Rooks (confusing): and another with one of the Wood Pigeon parties.
- at least 100 Starlings were noted in three groups swirling around as they orientated West after leaving separate(?) roosting sites around the water.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 (0♂?) *Goosander: see notes
- 1 Herring Gull
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants: together
- 1 *Great White Egret
- >450 Wood Pigeons: see notes
- >560 Jackdaws
- 264 Rooks
- 53 Redwings

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 16 (9♂) Mallard
- 51 (29?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- >300 Black-headed Gulls
- 18 Herring Gulls
- >425 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 8 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons: one of these departed
[I omitted to tabulate the two Mute Swans yesterday: not here today]

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- c.100 Starlings

Found later on the Teece Drive fence

Moth/Butterfly/Sawfly?:
- 1 *unidentified caterpillar

Beetles:
- 1 *larva of a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
- 1 *ladybird pupa
- 1 *beetle?

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
- 1 *harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus

Elsewhere:

Fungus:
- just the same as yesterday including *Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus

On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:

Moths:
- 8 November Moth type Epirrita sp.

True flies:
- 2 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Springtails:
- 1 globular springtail sp., probably Dicyrtomina saundersi

Arthropods:
- 1 *White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

One of a group of four Goosanders. This one a brownhead: they probably all were.

A Great White Egret flies over.

An unusual day-time gathering of 12 Magpies (and a Carrion Crow) near the community football pitch. I note groups of Magpies this size when there are many recently-fledged juveniles: this species uses communal roost sites. I cannot recall a daytime sight like this at any other time.

On the Teece Drive fence I found this caterpillar. Obsidentify thought it was a Coypu! Google Lens suggested it was a sawfly larva. These have six or more pairs of prolegs (stubby leg-like structures under the abdomen) and can be distinguished from caterpillars of butterflies and moths which only have five or fewer. Whether Google Lens has resolved my photo or is guessing I have no idea. A scan of all the caterpillar and larvae photos in NatureSpot has not helped.

Also on the Teece Drive fence I found this what I believe to be a ladybird pupa. All attempts to get an ID have failed. If I type "UK ladybird pupae" in to Google all I get are guides to the larvae.

This I do know: the larva of a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis.

And another unknown. Is it a small beetle or convincing-looking detritus? I am sure that Obsidentify's suggestion (96%) of Smooth Newt is wrong as is Google Lens' idea of a Lapis Lazuli Scarab Beetle (also known as Cerulean Chafer Beetle) Hoplia coerulea native to southern Europe.

The White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger I found on a street lamp pole today.

Yes, well.... Covered in dew, but what is it? Small bright red eyes and long, angled antennae held swept back.

Well hidden in a knot-hole in the Teece Drive fence was this Walnut Orb Weaver spider Nuctenea umbratica.

A harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus and one with only six extant legs. #2 is missing from the left and #4 from the right.

Day three of the Shaggy Inkcap fungus Coprinus comatus. Not yet dripping liquid but looking sad.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
none

True flies:
- 3 midges
- 4 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Arthropods:
- 1 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
- 2 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 5 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:15 – 10:40

(239th visit of the year)

Bird notes
*A moulting / first-winter drake Shoveler was a new arrival and the first record of this species for me here in 2026. My first recent year when I have not recorded this species during the first-winter period. Bird species #74 here.

Other bird notes:
- still just the single adult Mute Swan. It made several short flights within the confines of the water.
- no Little Grebe seen.
- only a single adult Great Crested Grebe noted. Where have they gone? I have never seen the juveniles flying.
- 14 *Cormorants noted! Some of these flew off.
- more gulls than recently.
- a Sparrowhawk powered through.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk: sex not determined

Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- 1 (1♂) *Shoveler
- 48 (30♂) *Mallard
- 23 (>12?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 14 Coot again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 74 *Black-headed Gulls
- 2 *Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons
- 14 *Cormorants

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 1 *November Moth type Epirrita sp.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >30 wasps Vespula sp. A good number in dull conditions.

Beetles:
- 2 *7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii: as yesterday

As I approached the water Mallard seemed to arrive from everywhere. Here is a drake arriving.

And appearing to be standing on thin air!

One smart drake and one not so smart-looking fly-in. Usually the Mallard ignore me as they know I have no food. Today I was wearing a different jacket. Did they not recognise me?

As usual drakes outnumbered ducks.

And it was not only Mallard that were hoping to be fed! 21 Black-headed Gulls.

A distant view of the drake Shoveler. This species seems to attain breeding plumage much later than Mallard. It will have orange flanks and the full-length wing feathers will cover the blue speculum seen here.

No wonder the bridge is falling down. 46 Black-headed Gulls standing on the hand-rails.

A first-winter Herring Gull leaps out of the water. The Cormorant behind is not interested.

Diving back in head-first.

Count them! There are twelve Cormorants in the trees here – the hardest one to recognise is very top left. There were two more standing on tree-roots around the island. The fishermen will be happy!

A November Moth type Epirrita sp. high up on a street lamp pole in squirrel alley.

Friendly 7 Spot Ladybirds Coccinella 7-punctata.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2013
Candles Landfill Site
2nd winter Caspian Gull
8 Yellow-legged Gulls
Great Black-backed Gull
c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Chiffchaff
Mistle Thrush
29 Fieldfares
32 Redwings
13 Siskins
3 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Shoveler
5 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

2005
Trench Pool
2 Goosander
10 Shoveler
(John Isherwood)

30 Oct 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 10.0°C: A typical gloomy November day – oh: it is still October. At least it was mild for the date. Initially misty though it soon lifted to low cloud. A light southerly breeze developed. Poor visibility becoming moderate at best.

Sunrise: 07:03 GMT

* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 08:15

(241st visit of the year)

I did not do my usual circuits as I needed to put the car in for diagnostic work.

Bird notes:
Best today was a Chiffchaff calling from the reeds and sedges in the north-west area. I am sure this species over-winters in very small numbers when it stays silent. This equals the latest date on which I have previously recorded call notes.

Other bird notes:
- 22 Canada Geese were on the water until they flew off East c.07:35.
- a pair of Mute Swans throughout, often but no always by last season's nest site. I never got close enough to see, let alone, read any rings.
- a group of ten Goosanders flew West at 07:10; a brownhead flew East at 07:30.
- three Great Crested Grebes found two of which were certainly adults. No begging calls heard.
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls were on the water c.06:30. Oddly although I didn't count them (I was busy with the Jackdaws and Rooks) I gained the impression that a larger number than this flew out East with an unknown number at this time on the football field. When I checked the field at 08:10 there were: just nine.
- c.130 large gulls were present at c.06:35 when the visibility was good-enough to see them. No Herring Gulls were noted at this time.
- later gull arrivals were 11 Herring and 72 Lesser Black-backs with small numbers also overhead.
- a party of just 12 Wood Pigeons flew South as if they were likely migrants.- c.80 Starlings flew out of a roost somewhere around the water at 06:55. A lone straggler left at 07:05. Then 53 were seen flying West in two groups.
- Redwing(s) calls were again heard at separate locations with just two birds seen heading South.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 11 Goosander: see notes
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 19 Wood Pigeons
- 249 Jackdaws
- 177 Rooks
- 53 Starlings: two groups
- 2 Redwings

Counts from the lake area:
- 22 Canada Geese: departed together
- 6 (3♂) Mallard
- 54 (26?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens again
- Coots not counted
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 11 Herring Gulls
- c.200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- c.80 Starlings

Found later on the Teece Drive fence
- 1 November Moth type Epirrita sp.

Elsewhere:

Fungus:
- just the same as yesterday including *Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus

On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:

Moths:
- 7 *November Moth type Epirrita sp.

Four-winged flies
- 1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea

True flies:
- 1 *wood gnat, probably Sylvicola punctatus [Clear-tipped Window Gnat]

Bugs:
- 1 *Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale

Beetles:
- 1 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala

Earwigs:
- 1 Common European Earwig Forficula dentata: dropped off the pole as soon as I shone my torch on it!

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 *harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

A trio of November Moth types Epirrita sp. clustered at the top of one of the street lamp poles.

On another street lamp pole a very different-looking November Moth type. I cannot recall ever having seen such a strongly-marked individual. So well-marked in fact that it sent me scurrying to various internet sites to see whether it might be something unfamiliar. It isn't.

And now for something else completely different but completely the same – another November Moth type. These may of course be different species within that group but could equally well all be the same species. Another one that both Obsidentify and Google Lens got wrong – both thought it a Seraphim Lobophora halterata and I have no idea why.

This is a wood gnat, and probably Sylvicola punctatus which is the only one of an otherwise confusing group that lacks dark marks at the wing tips. I note on one of the links from Google Lens this can be called Clear-tipped Window Gnat. Interestingly both Obsidentify and Google Lens thought ichneumon wasp and it was only by digging deeper I landed on this identity.

We all agree: a Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale.

Shadows make it difficult to see but this harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis has only seven legs. Leg #2 on the right side is missing.

Whereas this one has only six legs with #2 and #4 on the right side missing.

The smart Shaggy Inkcap fungus Coprinus comatus I photographed yesterday had been trodden on. This one was at the same stage yesterday and is now starting to deliquesce. Tomorrow (if I remember) it will be a dripping mess.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

A slightly better showing.

Moths:
- 1 *Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis: moved a short way since yesterday if it was the same one

True flies:
- 1 *male plumed midge, perhaps Chironomus plumosus
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]

Arthropods:
- 1 *Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
- 1 *possible Strawberry Snail Trochulus striolatus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 5 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 *unidentified small spider

A different(?) Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis. It had moved a short way since yesterday if it was the same one. Perhaps it was just the angle at which I took the photo. It looks more strongly marked.

Not much to show today so here is one of the many midges I sometimes see here. Today just this one male plumed midge, perhaps Chironomus plumosus though I would have expected a bulkier body. There is almost nothing I can find on the internet that covers midge identification.

A Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus. I get very confused with woodlouse identification. Perhaps they all are this species I see here.

A two-fer, neither identified. The snail may be a Strawberry Snail Trochulus striolatus. It is certainly not the harvestman that was Obsidentify's best suggestion: nor a Garden Cross spider, its next best suggestion (I edited out the spider before I asked Obsidentify what it was). As for the spider: I did not see it until I looked at the photo. It is very small: not apparently "money spider" shape.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 08:50 – 09:30

(238th visit of the year)

A shorter visit without a complete circumnavigation so as to catch the bus home!

Bird notes:
very quiet again though there always seems to be something of note.
- still just the single adult Mute Swan.
- a Little Grebe was by the island. I suspect it has been lurking unseen for the last few days.
- I noted five Great Crested Grebes. Two juveniles were chasing after an adult as it disappeared under overhanging vegetation at the top end. Another juvenile was on its own in the middle of the water. A bird near the Derwent Drive wall did not look like one of the full adults and was certainly not a juvenile from here.
- a group of seven Skylarks flew West.

An update via Martin Grant for the Mute Swan "4IAN" which I (badly) photographed here on 27th. It was ringed as a second year on 09 February this year at Waterways, Sankey Valley Canal, Warrington.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Jackdaws: singles
- 7 Skylarks: together

Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- 28 (20♂) Mallard
- 25 (>10?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (1♂) Goosander: departed?
- 5 Moorhens
- 14 Coot
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 *Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 27 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons

Noted around the area:
I did not visit the Ivy bank. It was almost certainly too early and dull for anything much to be about. 

Otherwise:

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *harvestman Opilio canestrinii: two street lamp poles away from where one had been for the previous two days.

Of note:

Nothing else

Perhaps it is because is looking soggy that this Great Crested Grebe does not look quite like one of the usual smart resident adults.

A harvestman Opilio canestrinii seen two street lamp poles away from where one had been for the previous two days. I decided on a "full-view" to show just how long-legged this species is. Like all harvestmen it is pairs #2 and #4 that are the longest pairs.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2010
Priorslee Lake
10 Swans
c.60 Golden Plover
c.200 Starlings left a roost in the reeds at the W end
763 Wood Pigeons
3 Skylarks
7 Meadow Pipits
165 Fieldfare
9 Redwings
4 Siskins
3 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
8 Wigeon
20 Pochard
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Goosander
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
100 Jackdaw
130 Rooks
1 Buzzard
Kestrel
c.60 Golden Plover
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
450 to 500 Starlings left the roost
11 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
Pair of Ruddy Duck
200+ Coot
1 Dunlin
104 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
100 Black-headed Gulls
Kingfisher
A Buzzard was seen feeding on earthworms and possibly beetles
2000+ Wood Pigeon
62 Redwing
54 Fieldfare
3 Song Thrushes
(Martin Adlam)

29 Oct 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 11.0°C: Initially overcast apart from clear-skies to the far south-east. By 06:30 mist began to roll in from the north-east. Lifted to low cloud only after 09:00. Initially calm; a light southerly breeze developing. Mostly poor visibility.

Sunrise: 07:01 GMT

* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 08:50

(240th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the male Pheasant was strutting about the south-west grass: noisily too.
- no Mute Swans seen.
- only two Great Crested Grebes found and both these were adults. No begging calls heard. With the mist it is impossible to be certain these were the only birds present.
- at least 450 Black-headed Gulls were on the water by 06:45. More than 50 were noted leaving at the West. As I was approaching the football field at 07:05 about 150 were estimated to be flying off. With them were four large gulls, one of these identified as an adult Lesser Black-back. There were still 72 on the grass along with another adult Lesser Black-back. I checked the field again at 08:45: just 13.
- the large gulls were early arrivals today. By 06:35 there were at least 400 on the water (pic) with some still arriving and some already leaving. No Herring Gulls were noted at this time.
- later gull arrivals were eight Herring and 28 Lesser Black-backs. None was noted flying over!
- Redwing(s) calls were heard at three separate locations. Nothing seen overhead. Probably birds calling from trees?
- a Reed Bunting was calling along the South side.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
very little was seen flying over: badly affected by the mist and low cloud
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 152 Jackdaws
- 68 Rooks
- 3 Pied Wagtails

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: visited briefly
- 7 (4♂) Mallard again
- 43 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 19 Coots only: partial count?
- 2 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- c.450 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Herring Gulls
- c.425 *Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:

None

Later on the Teece Drive fence:

Nothing found

Elsewhere:

Fungus:
- *Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus
- *Weeping Widow Lacrymaria lacrymabunda

On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:

Moths:
- 5 November Moth type Epirrita sp.

Four-winged flies
- 1 *Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
- 1 *barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi agg.

True flies:
- 1 small midges
- 2 *winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Beetles:
- 3 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala

Planthoppers:
- 1 *planthopper Eupteryx urticae

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]

Have you a spare moment? Would you like to count the gulls on the water in this photo taken at 06:35? I thought not. I reckon about 400 and as far as I can tell all Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

A Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea covered in dew. None that I have seen recently have shown any sign of changing to the brown over-wintering colour.

This tiny insect is a barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi or similar. The wing markings (faint in my photo) do not help with specific identification. Out with the microscope!

It is not always easy to persuade the camera to focus on the winter cranefly Trichocera sp. and not its shadow. Not that it makes much difference as there is little in the way of markings to reveal.

Seems a strange time of year for these planthoppers Eupteryx urticae to be active. My third in as many days.

Two new fruiting bodies Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus with two of the existing Weeping Widow fruiting bodies Lacrymaria lacrymabunda.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

A very poor showing but at least there was a moth!

Moths:
- 1 *Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

True flies:
none!

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1! Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

My seventh Rusty-dot Pearl moth Udea ferrugalis in the tunnel this year. I did not record any in 2024 or 2025.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 08:55 – 10:00

(238th visit of the year)

Visibility under the low cloud was acceptable but not great.

Bird notes:
very quiet with most species in lower than usual numbers.
- a single adult Mute Swan again.
- yesterday's trio of (Common) Teal not found.
- Coot numbers seem to be dwindling further. Last Winter gave very low counts. So far this Winter period is worse. I know that there is an outbreak of avian botulism affecting many waterbirds. I have seen none here exhibiting the classic symptoms of sick birds – being unable to hold their neck up.
- I only confirmed three of the erstwhile four juvenile Great Crested Grebe.
- a single Grey Heron only.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- 28 (20♂) Mallard
- no (Common) Teal
- 25 (15?♂) *Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens again
- 13 Coot only
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 22 *Black-headed Gulls
- 1 *Herring Gull: third-winter
- 3 *Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted around the area:

Dull and mild. Only wasps at the Ivy despite a prolonged search. Not even a fly!

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >30 wasp Vespula sp.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii: as yesterday

Of note:

Nothing else

Drake Mallard always outnumber ducks here but 8:1 seems excessive (even if one of them is the "what sex is it really?" bird (dead-centre)).

Size comparison: a third-winter Herring Gull with an adult-winter Black-headed Gull in the foreground (and an immature / still-moulting drake Tufted Duck behind). The Herring Gull can be aged by the extent of the black on the bill and the faint brown tones to some of the feathers in the folded wing.

Two Cormorants and a Magpie have bagged the good vantage points on the island. At the bottom of the photo is the Cormorant that missed out.

This Cormorant, still just immature with a few white feathers in the belly. Not a bad photo considering the lighting conditions at the time.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2013
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
1 Teal
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
Location
1 Pochard
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow legged Gull
2 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
1 Wigeon
Chiffchaff
10+ Fieldfare
Siskin
Willow Tit
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
Location
3 Pochard
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
34 Pochard a high count
500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
432 Jackdaws
228 Rooks
171 Fieldfare
5 Redwings
2 Siskins
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
115 Canada Geese
9 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
c.200 Golden Plover
23 Pied Wagtails
17 Robins
18 Blackbirds
12 Song Thrushes
70 Redwing
1 Mistle Thrush
9 Fieldfare
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Tit
195 Jackdaws
206 Rooks
31 Greenfinches
4 Redpoll
10 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Buzzard feeding on earthworms, mobbed by Black-headed Gulls
1 Raven
7 Pied Wagtails
3 Grey Wagtail
11 Meadow Pipits
Kingfisher
1700+ Wood Pigeon
192 Redwing
111 Fieldfare
(Martin Adlam)

28 Oct 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 13.0°C: Mostly cloudy with a few breaks then c.10:00 an unforecast spell of heavy drizzle. Moderate south-westerly wind. Very good visibility but poor in drizzle.

Sunrise: 06:59 GMT

* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 09:30

(239th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- four Mute Swans today. A pair presumably throughout though the managed to "disappear" for a while. Another pair flew in without causing much aggro.
- as yesterday no more than c.50 Black-headed Gulls on the water. It seems that some / many are heading direct to the football field where I counted 137 (together with single first-winters of both Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls) at c.07:30 [there were still 12 there at c.09:15].
- the first Lesser Black-backed Gulls started arriving at 06:25 all from the West. With one of the Grey Herons standing on a buoy near their preferred bathing point they spent many minutes circling around before c.100 settled on the water. Seven Herring gulls were with them.
- later I noted six Herring Gulls and 61 Lesser Black-backs visiting, again with smaller numbers passing over.
- a small passage of Wood Pigeons today: 259 birds in six groups.
- another big number of Jackdaws and Rooks flying South on roost dispersal.
- no Starlings left any roosts around the water. A single of this normally gregarious bird was an unusual fly-over.
- also a small passage of Redwings with 74 seen in four groups.
- a Reed Bunting was calling and then seen to fly out of a roost in the West end reeds.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Goose: flew East together
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 38 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants together
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 287 Wood Pigeons: of these 259 were seen flying South in six groups
- 446 Jackdaws
- 234 Rooks
- 1 Starling
- 74 Redwings: flew West in four groups
- 1 Pied Wagtail again

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Mute Swans: see notes
- 7 (4♂) Mallard only
- 47 (>15♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens again
- 27 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes only
- c.50 Black-headed Gulls [but 137 on the football field]
- 14 Herring Gulls
- c.160 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants: two arrived separately (one departed); also a quartet arrived
- 2 *Grey Herons

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 1 Reed Bunting

Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:

Moths:
- 1 *Large Pale Masoner Blastobasis lacticolella [was London Dowd]

Slugs, snails etc.:
- 1 Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Noted elsewhere:

True flies:
- 1 *Muscid fly Phaonia subventa
- 1 *moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]

On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:
A much smaller haul but at least some moths

Moths:
- 1 *Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana
- 12? *November Moth type Epirrita sp. Eight at rest on poles; four more, presumed this species, flying around the lamps.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 *ichneumon wasp.

True flies:
- 2 *small midges

Beetles:
- 5 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
- 1 *unidentified beetle

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none!

An unspectacular sunrise.

Either a punk Grey Heron or it is having a bad hair day.

A surprise find on the Teece Drive fence well after dawn was this, my second Large Pale Masoner moth Blastobasis lacticolella this year. "Large" is a misnomer as this a species of micro moth with a wingspan of about 20mm. There are two other Masoner species, neither given the "Small" epithet. It is perhaps better than the historic name London Dowd.

Also a second for the year: a Garden Rose Tortrix moth Acleris variegana.

"Come in #3". One of the eight November Moth types Epirrita sp. I noted resting on the West end street lamp poles. Another four moths fluttering about the lights were almost certainly also from this group.

This ichneumon wasp was the most interesting sighting on the street lamp poles. Almost none of them can be identified from photos. There are about 2500 species in the UK. There are no identification guides, just a select photos of a handful of the larger and more distinctive species. This isn't one.

Just one fly caught me eye: this Muscid fly Phaonia subventa.

The clearest shot I could manage of one of the tiny moth flies Psychodidae sp. The hundred or so species look very similar.

A male small midge. There was another with "simple" antennae and therefore a female.

A by-product! When I examined the ichneumon wasp photo I noted this beetle. It looks not unlike yesterday's Round fungus beetle Leiodes calcarata but there are many similar species. This was on a different pole. Best leave as unidentified.

A particularly strongly-marked harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Why did I bother?

Bees, wasps etc.:

- 1 *ichneumon wasp.

True flies:
- 1 midge

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

The only thing of interest in the tunnel this morning, indeed just about the only insect I noted, was this smaller ichneumon wasp.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:35 – 10:50

(237th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- now just a single adult Mute Swans.
- a trio of (Common) Teal (one drake) just about visible beside the island through the drizzle.
- fewer Tufted Duck once again
- no Goosander seen.
- the usual two adult and four juvenile Great Crested Grebe seen
- three Grey Herons today.
- singles of Jay and Bullfinch seen: species I do not see too often here.

So far only tentative information on the ringed Mute Swan seen here yesterday. Martin Grant has better eye-sight than me and notes it as "4IAN" which was ringed in Lancashire earlier this year. He is awaiting further information.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- >30 Redwings: a large party was fast disappearing when I first noted them

Noted on / around the water:
- 8 *Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- 32 (21♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂) *(Common) Teal
- 29 (13?♂) Tufted Duck
- no Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 14 Coot only
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) *Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 37 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants: one of these departed
- 3 *Grey Herons

Noted around the area:
Still drizzling and wet vegetation. A surprise to see anything!

Bees, wasps etc.:
- c.25 wasp Vespula sp.

Hoverflies:
- 1 *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

True flies:
- 1 *unidentified root-maggot fly

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *harvestman Opilio canestrinii

Of note:

Nothing else

I was very pleased with the camera rendering this view so clearly, all the way to the island in the heavy drizzle. Behind the trio of Canada Geese are three (Common) Teal. A duck visible between the geese; a drake behind the right-hand goose showing the green speculum in his wing and the yellow patch near his tail; and what I believe to be another duck with her head in the water.

A headless Grey Heron? I am sure it was tucked up somewhere but I cannot work out where.

"Feed me, feed me". The adult Great Crested Grebe is not taking any notice of the juvenile's begging calls. It looks large-enough to feed for itself

Not easy to see: this is a Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus. It was nowhere near the bank of Ivy and I was fortunate to see it alight on a small twig in squirrel alley.

The only fly I saw here this morning was this otherwise unidentified root-maggot fly.

This is a harvestman Opilio canestrinii.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2010
Priorslee Lake
c.75 Starlings left roost at W end
118 Wood Pigeons
2 Skylarks
7 Meadow Pipits
478 Fieldfare
76 Redwings
9 Siskins
13 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
2 Cormorants
26 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
35 Fieldfares
3 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
4 Mistle Thrushes
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
Wigeon
Cormorant
300 Black-headed Gulls
40 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.75 Lapwings
2 Fieldfares
1 duck Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
200 Coot
(Ed Wilson)