23 Mar 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  05:00 – 08:45
The Flash:  08:50 – 09:55

6.0°C > 9.0°C:  Mainly cloudy at medium / high level. Light WNW wind. Good visibility

Sunrise: 06:06 GMT


Priorslee Lake:  05:00 – 08:45

(77th visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
72      Yellowhammer
from the dam-top, thanks to the less traffic noise at weekends, I could hear Yellowhammers singing from the Woodhouse Lane area. As a result this species now gets added to my lake species list

Other bird notes from today
- the Lesser Black-backed Gull at the lake must have spent all of 10 seconds on the water: blink and you would have missed it. Another over
- my best-ever Spring movement of Wood Pigeons with 234 of the 268 over-flying birds in 18 groups flying high N / NW, almost all before 08:00
- 1 Reed Bunting flew high over the dam N -> S: seemed to be unconnected with the local birds

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 7 Greylag Geese (two singles outbound; pair and trio inbound)
- 2 Canada Geese (pair outbound)
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Kestrel
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Stock Dove
- 268 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Collared Doves
- 30 Jackdaws only
- 2 Rooks again
- 5 Meadow Pipits
- 3 Lesser Redpolls
- 1 Reed Bunting

Hirundines noted
- 2 Sand Martins (singles widely spaced in time)

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 7 (6) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans: rings not read again
- 2 Canada Geese (arrived)
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens only
- 26 Coots
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Also noted
- 2 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea) on lamps pole pre-dawn
- 1 Trichocera regelationis ('winter gnat') on a lamp pole
- 1 probably Common Stretch-spider (Tetragnatha extensa) on a lamp pole.
- two new species of fungus - False Puffball (Enteridium lycoperdon) and Wolf's Milk (Lycogala terrestre)
- 1 Grey Squirrel again

Shooting straight in to the light as this falcon went over does not make for a great photo. The barred tail with the dark sub-terminal band and the rather indistinct facial mark all point to Kestrel.

In response to the Kestrel appearing overhead this Sparrowhawk went to ‘see it off’. Note the very different wing shape – rounded at the tip on this Sparrowhawk, pointed on the Kestrel (indeed all Falcons).

Note too the ‘bulging’ secondaries on Sparrowhawk.

As yesterday a lacewing that I think is Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea). I read that this species becomes pinkish prior to hibernating in the Autumn. It seems reasonable to assume that is might still be that colour as it emerges. However ....

This dreadful shot does show that this other lacewing is decidedly green. No brown lacewings hold their wings open – they are ‘tented’ over their back. So I can offer no other explanation.

This spider sp. seems to be a stretch spider, probably Common Stretch-spider (Tetragnatha extensa). Usually this species rests with its two front pairs of legs held tightly together and pointing forward which gives it a very distinctive look. Here with legs spread the ID clues come from the shape and paleness of the abdomen.

One of today’s two mystery fungus – except that neither of them is a fungus: they are slime moulds. Thanks to detective work by Martin Adlam I can tell you what they are. This is False Puffball (Enteridium lycoperdon).

From the side we see there is no ‘stem’ to these moulds.

These small furry balls of slime mould answer to the name Wolf's Milk (Lycogala terrestre). Another vernacular name is Pink Toothpaste Slime – ugh!

 .... and usually grow in clusters.

A view of the flowering Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) along the S side. Splendid.

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash:  08:50 – 09:55

(70th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- Gadwall now back again
- ... but now the Great Crested Grebe apparently gone
also
- a Buff-tailed Bumblebee
- several Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) found on the Ivy – queen hunting for nest site?
- several species of fly on the lamp poles
- flowering Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum): first for me here this year, though perhaps overlooked previous days

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 4 Common Buzzards
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Jackdaws
- 4 Starlings

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1  Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 22 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 20 (15♂) Mallard
- 43 (25♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 4 Moorhens
- 32 Coots

Two drake Mallard vie to give the object of their affection ‘a good ducking’ – we can just see her wing. I am not sure what the Coot thinks it can bring to the party.

This Long-tailed Tit is carrying a feather for its nest ....

While another looks on.

So cute.

This midge is not quite the bizarre shape it appears at first glance. The wings shield part of the body! It is a female Plumed Midge (Chironomus plumosus) – only the male has plumes.

The smaller of the two flies that dominated the lamp poles whenever the sun came out.

And here the larger jammed in a crevice in the lamp pole. Viewed from the side we see that the body is well-patterned. From above the wings would cover that.

The ‘sharp’ end of a wasp sp., I think a Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris). Rather early even for a queen to have left hibernation and be looking for a nest site. Is this specimen large enough to be a queen?

Here is the other end. The facial mark is good for Common Wasp.

(Ed Wilson)

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

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Meadow Pipit 
1 Woodcock
7 Wigeon 
2 Gadwall 
33 Tufted Ducks
c.45 Black-headed Gulls
c.20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
 c.30 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Nedge Hill
15 Golden Plover
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Teal
2 Redpoll
1 Siskin
1 Little Grebe 
2 Gadwall
24 Tufted Duck
c.160 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Great Crested Grebe 
28 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebe
13 Cormorant
6 Greylag Geese
29 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Kestrel
1 Lapwing
3 Stock Dove
242 Wood Pigeon
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Meadow Pipit
29 Wren
27 Robin
24 Blackbird
2 Redwing
3 Chiffchaff
50 Magpie
6 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
9 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
22 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
3 Buzzard
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
1 Cormorant
1 Pochard
26 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
700 Black-headed Gulls
125 Jackdaws
474 Wood Pigeons
1 Meadow Pipit
3 Grey Wagtails
20 Wrens
20 Robins
20 Blackbirds
7 Fieldfares
27 Redwings
9 Greenfinches
7 Siskins
3 Linnets
1 Redpoll
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)