16 Oct 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 11.0°C: Small amount of cloud clearing to the East otherwise clear after overnight rain. The light north-westerly wind dropped away for a while and then returned. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:36 BST

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 09:30

(231st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a male Pheasant on the south-west grass at c.09:00 was unexpected.
- for the third day the pair of Mute Swans "appeared". Surely they must emerge from the reeds. Atypical behaviour as this species usually sleeps on the open water.
- six Tufted Duck new in or returned.
- both Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls started to arrive at 06:55 with eventually >500 and >400 present, respectively. Only three Herring Gulls noted at this time.
- later I logged three more Herring and 38 Lesser Black-backed Gulls arriving (back?) from the East.
- no gulls were noted over-flying.
- a reasonable passage of Wood Pigeons between 07:40 and 08:30. 612 birds were counted in 16 flocks. Only one of the flocks contained >100 birds. One flock had an interloping Stock Dove. I likely missed some flocks as their height against the clear sky made them difficult to find.
- a disappointing number of Jackdaws and Rooks flying South on roost dispersal. They had a slight tail-wind today which always means they fly much higher on a flight-path further to the East.
- just four Redwings noted flying over. They were difficult to see against the clear sky and impossible to hear due to the ever-increasing traffic noise – tyre noise from big SUVs does not help..
- no Starling roost noted.
- in addition to two Siskins overhead there were at least four, much later, in trees around the Teece Drive gate.
- one (or more?) Reed Bunting(s) heard calling along the South side. My first record here since they apparently disappeared in the middle of the breeding season [previous record was a male in song on 25 June].

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 18 Canada Geese: flew West together
- 33 Greylag Geese: flew West in two groups
- no gulls!
- 1 Stock Dove
- 646 Wood Pigeons: of these 612 flew South in 16 migrant groups
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 158 Jackdaws
- 176 Rooks
- 4 Redwings
- 2 Chaffinches
- 2 Siskins again

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 16 (9♂) Mallard
- 6 (3?♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes only: just one immature
- >500 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- >440 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed

Warblers noted:

None

Also noted:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:
The poles were still wet after the overnight rain.

Moths:
- 3 *November Moth type Epirrita sp.

True flies:
- 2 small male plumed midges
- 1 *NOT Hooded Dryomyza Dryomyza anilis; possibly Suillia affinis
- 3 dew-covered unidentified flies

Springtails:
- 2 *globular springtail sp., probably Dicyrtomina saundersi
- 1 *springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type

Bugs:
- 1 *possibly nymph of unidentified bug

Beetles:
- 1 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:

none

Running around on the south-west grass was this fine male Pheasant. I typically see, and more often hear, this species in Spring. I had fewer records than usual this year. This species has bred / tried to breed in the Ricoh copse in years gone by. Too many cats now from the recent estate I suspect.

One of those pesky November Moth types Epirrita sp. This one appears to be giving a left turn signal with a banded leg.

Now is this another? I think it is. It is most unusual to see this species at rest with the antennae not folded back along the wing-edges. It is also a slightly different shape. I think both these are because it had been flying around and had only momentarily settled around the catkin. Obsidentify's best suggestion was a Winter Moth Operophtera brumata but that species is noticeably smaller with a more rounded wing-tip. Google Lens suggested a New World species.

This small red fly is NOT, as both my apps suggested, a Hooded Dryomyza Dryomyza anilis. That species has the area between the eyes bright red and also two short dark cross-veins in the wings. It is possibly Suillia affinis: I can find insufficient images on the internet for me to be happy with the ID. Note top-left in the photo is a very small plumed midge (midget? midgette?)

This is one of the globular springtails, probably Dicyrtomina saundersi. At just 2-3mm these are difficult to see and hard to photograph.

I am in two minds about this. It looks a subtly-different shape to the previous springtail and the markings are more extensive than any species illustrated in NatureSpot. I am inclined to think it is a nymph of a small bug which is what Google Lens thought: it is not the species suggested.

After the unusually-marked specimen yesterday here is today's more normal-looking springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis with bands across the abdomen and the antennae held at angles and one of them curving.

(Ed Wilson)

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

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
none

True flies:
- 8 midges of several species
- 1 cranefly Limonia nubeculosa
- 1 *cranefly Limonid sp.
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 *cranefly Tipula lateralis

Arthropods:
- 5 *Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

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

No: this cranefly Tipula lateralis does not have four wings. Two of them are shadows from the camera flash.

Another cranefly, this with its head at a jaunty angle. It is one of the Limonid species that mostly rest with their wings folded over the back hiding the abdomen markings (if any). Only those species with distinctively patterned wings can be identified at rest.

A Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber: one of five seen here this morning.

One of the many Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata. Look closely at the, mainly hidden, head and there is eye-shine from two of the eight eyes. I assume this indicates it can look behind it. A useful feature.

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash: 09:35 – 10:50

(230th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *big numbers of both Canada and Greylag Geese with groups arriving and birds hiding inside the island. At least three all/mainly white feral geese with them. All counts "best effort" and likely under-recorded.
- now eight adult Mute Swans and *a first-winter cygnet.
- 16 Tufted Duck counted.
- I could not find any Little Grebes.
- one full adult Great Crested Grebe was seen close-by two still-begging juveniles. Another juvenile was on its own.
- not sure how many Cormorants there were. I noted 10 diving as a gang at the top end. They all exited the water together and seven seemed to be flying away though by view was partially blocked. Later I counted eleven in the trees and on the edge of the island. Perhaps they circled around?
- after six Grey Herons yesterday I could only find one today.
- now six Little Egrets with the Great (White) also present.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Skylark

Noted on / around the water:
- >50 *Canada Geese
- >125 *Greylag Geese
- 3 *all/mainly white feral geese
- 9 *Mute Swans
- 37 (24♂) Mallard
- 16 (>5♂) Tufted Duck
- 24 (0♂) *Goosander
- 3 Moorhens
- 20 Coot
- no Little Grebe
- 1 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 11 Black-headed Gulls
- 11 *Cormorants: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 6 *Little Egrets

Warblers noted:

None

Noted around the area:
Sunny but cool.

Butterflies and moths:
none

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- 2 *Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- >30 wasp Vespula sp. [after Wednesday's German Wasp I better be careful! Most not specifically ID'd]

Hoverflies:
- 1 Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax [Tapered Drone Fly]
- 3 *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax [Common Drone Fly]
- 1 *Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus

Other true flies:
- 1 *Root-maggot fly sp.
- 1 greenbottle sp.
several other species of fly not identified

Beetles:
- 2 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

Fungus:
- *possible Sulphur Knight Tricholoma sulphureum

At the centre-back is one of the mainly white feral geese. It is preening and the crown and nape look grey. I don't think it is just shadow. Also in view are Canada Geese, (bits of) Greylag Geese and a Cormorant (front left).

The cygnet Mute Swan slithers to a halt.

 Altogether more serene.

What a pity it is not sharp. An altercation between a brownhead Goosander and a Little Egret.

Still around: a Honey Bee Apis mellifera.

And another. I read in Steven Falk's Field Guide that it is workers that can appear all-black with very little or no hair on the abdomen.

The parallel sides to the yellow on the side of the thorax identified this as a Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris.

A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax pretending to be a bee.

A Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus

One of the Root-maggot fly species. It looks to be similar to Botanophila fugax, a species not known to be active at this date so I will have to leave it as unidentified.

Probably not as initially suggested by Obsidentify: "Banded Garden Spider"! I tried again showing it a single fruiting body. It gave a more promising suggestion of Sulphur Knight Tricholoma sulphureum. Reference to NatureSpot supported the genus with other species looking as likely.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2011
Priorslee Lake
14 Redwing
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Common Gull, though it could have been Mew/Ring-billed Gull!
Yellow Legged Gull
(Mike Cooper/Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
42 Redwing
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
1 Shoveler
8 Pochard
64 Tufted Ducks
30 Robins
(Ed Wilson)

15 Oct 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

13.0°C > 18.0°C: Scattered below barely broken high cloud. Moderate / fresh south-westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:35 BST

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 09:20

(230th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a party of 16 Canada Geese flew in from the East, spending over an hour before heading off toward The Flash.
- as yesterday the pair of Mute Swans "appeared". I am still not sure whether they emerged from the reeds or flew in: I favour the former.
- most of the Mallard flew in as a large group, probably from the storm pools to the East. Most of them soon flew out again.
- no Tufted Duck today.
- at least 250 Black-headed Gulls arrived after 07:10.
- c.120 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present by 07:00 with c.200 present by 07:15 with five Herring Gulls among them.
- I did not visit the football field.
- later I logged 23 Herring and 133 Lesser Black-backed Gulls arriving (back?) from the East.
- any overhead passage of gulls remains almost non-existent.
- no Wood Pigeons passage today. Too windy?
- a pair of Ravens flew over.
- a bumper number of Jackdaws and Rooks flying South on roost dispersal. These high numbers are almost certainly under-recorded as there was a concurrent departure of many of the gulls from the lake making finding them a challenge; and there were unidentified distant bird, probably of these species.
- a single Chiffchaff heard calling.
- a small passage of Redwings flying East.
- at least 35 Starlings emerged from a reed-bed roost on the North side c.07:35.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 17 Wood Pigeons
- 521 Jackdaws
- 230 Rooks
- 2 Ravens
- 52 Redwings
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Siskins

Counts from the lake area:
- 16 Canada Geese: came and went – see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 21 (14♂) Mallard
- no Tufted Duck
- 2 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 7 Great Crested Grebes again
- c.250 Black-headed Gulls
- 28 Herring Gulls
- >330 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

Warblers noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff: calling

Also noted:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

True flies:
- 1 Limonid cranefly

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 lace-weaver spider Amaurobius sp.

Fungi:
- *Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus

On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:

Moths:
none

True flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 *dance fly from the Hybotidae family
- 1 *blowfly Melanomya nana
- 1 male midge sp.
- 1 *Root-maggot fly
- 3 other unidentified flies

Springtails:
- 2 *springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type

Beetles:
- 1 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
- 1 *other flea beetle type
- 1 *unidentified weevil sp.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- 1 *Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Metellina segmentata
- 1 *Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis
- 2 other unidentified spiders
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Not from the best position. It looked cloudy so I was not expecting a sunrise!

This small fly with the slender body and well-separated head is a dance fly, probably from the Hybotidae family.

This is the blowfly Melanomya nana. The brown-tinged wings help identify it.

A Root-maggot fly. There are many similar species.

It seems this has to be a springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis even though it looks "different". There are only very faint bands across the abdomen which has an unusually pale tip; the legs have white "knees". No other species in photo-galleries on the internet has such long antennae.

This flea beetle with the thick hind femur (for jumping) was about twice the size of those I have been recording as Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala. It also has brown areas on the elytra. I cannot identify it further.

Another I struggled with this morning both trying to get a photo and then trying to decide what it is. At the time I thought a small spider and indeed Obsidentify thinks it is. But it only has six legs however hard I try and find two more! It is in fact a weevil, the two eyes looking down the curved snout with the beetle's left side antenna sticking out. What species? Good question!

Just about the smallest spider I can recall seeing, hence the poor photo. No idea as to species.

A distinctive-looking spider. As often is the case my apps disagreed as to the species, indeed the family. I think they were both wrong and it is a Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Metellina segmentata.

One of few spiders I can confidently identify: a Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis

This fungus is Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus. Looking at the photo I see there is an unidentified fungus gnat on one of the fruits.

(Ed Wilson)

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

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
none

True flies:
- 7 midges of several species
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Arthropods:
none

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- 13 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 *harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Well it was a cranefly, probably Tipula lateralis. A meal for a spider.

Nothing special: just a harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis. I think my first for the tunnel, found on the ceiling.

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash: 09:25 – 11:00

(229th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
It is difficult to correctly count the Cormorants, herons and egrets on the island when the path across and between the bridges is not available. With even a small change of position birds can appear or disappear behind the geese or / and vegetation.
- just four Greylag Geese: plenty of Canada Geese again.
- as yesterday eight Mute Swans, one of which was a first-winter cygnet.
- now 11 Tufted Duck.
- another smaller number of Goosander than a week ago with no drake seen. Four birds were noted flying off.
- thanks to a very noisy calling bird I found a trio of Little Grebe beneath overhanging vegetation around the island.
- one full adult Great Crested Grebe was seen close by two dependent juveniles. Another full adult was on its own.
- *a third-winter Herring Gull briefly.
- at least six Grey Herons!
- back to four Little Egrets.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 97 Canada Geese: of these seven arrived and six departed
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 8 Mute Swans: see notes
- 51 (29♂) *Mallard
- 11 (4?♂) Tufted Duck
- 36 (0♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens
- 22 Coot
- 3 *Little Grebe
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 *Herring Gull: third-winter, briefly
- 8 Cormorants again
- 6 Grey Herons
- 1 *Great (White) Egret
- 4 *Little Egrets

Warblers noted:

None

Noted around the area:
Weak sun at best. The Ivy patch was in the breeze.

Butterflies and moths:
none

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 3 *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- 1 *Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
- >20 wasp Vespula sp. [after yesterday's German Wasp I better be careful! None specifically ID-ed]
- 1 *$ ichneumon, possibly Listrodromus nycthemerus

Hoverflies:
- 2 *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax [Common Drone Fly]
- 2 *Syrphus sp.

Other true flies:
- 1 Common Housefly Musca domestica
- 1 *Tachinid fly Tachina fera
- 1 greenbottle sp.
several other species of fly not identified

Beetles:
- 2 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- 1 *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- 1 *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. spectabilis

Slugs, snails etc.:
- 1 *Strawberry Snail Trochulus striolatus

The recently arrived "ducklings" have now matured so they can be sexed even though the drakes have yet to moult in to breeding plumage. From bill colour the two left-side birds are drakes (almost uni-coloured bills) and the other bird will be a duck (darker bill with orange-tinged edges).

Two more: a duck leading a drake.

The only one of the three Little Grebes that was not camera shy.

The back on this Herring Gull looks much like an adult: the extensive dark on the bill suggests it is a third-winter bird.

Compare and contrast. At the top a Little Egret with a black bill and yellow feet. Below a Great (White) Egret with yellow bill and black feet. A Magpie photobombing.

A male (red on the nape) Great Spotted Woodpecker at work. Note the powerful feet to hold it in position.

A Honey Bee Apis mellifera. It is just about the end of the flight season for this species. Continuing mild weather might mean they are around on sunny days for a while yet.

A Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum. The white tail and the bare centre to the orange "pile" of hairs on the thorax identify this species. On size this is a queen. Steven Falk's Field Guide notes that males of this species can be seen in to September with queens sometimes seen "into early Winter".

Not sure about this. It is an ichneumon and possibly Listrodromus nycthemerus with two yellow(?) areas on the abdomen and a red area on the legs just below the joint. A new species for me whatever it is.

A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax in close-up.

A Syrphus hoverfly. I cannot see the hind legs clearly-enough to determine the species.

One of my favourite flies! The Tachinid fly Tachina fera

A Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis of the very variable form succinea: an unusually pale specimen. The "flowers" are Common or Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica.

A Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis I think of the form spectabilis, though most of these illustrated on the internet show a dark semi-circle slightly intruding the front red circle on each elytra.

A Strawberry Snail Trochulus striolatus

(Ed Wilson)

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

2013
Nedge Hill
2 Fieldfare
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Gulls
Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
12 Pochard
87 Tufted Ducks
1 Kingfisher
23 Pied Wagtails
32 Robins
12 Blackbirds
8 Song Thrushes
11 Redwings
c.130 Starlings
(Ed Wilson)