3 Nov 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:00 –08:55
The Flash:  09:00 – 09:50

7.0°C:  Very low cloud and mist. Light NW wind. Poor / very poor visibility, clearing somewhat later.

Sunrise: 07:09 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:00 –08:55

(261st visit of the year)

An unwelcome and increasingly frequent sighting is a black cat roaming the area. RSPB research suggests that in the UK domestic cats kill 275 million prey items a year, of which 27 million are birds. At a time when wildlife and its diversity is under such great pressure then curbing the number of largely unnecessary domestic cats should be a priority.

Bird notes:
- The swan flying lesson seemed likely to consist of just four cygnets, the fifth being its often wayward self and not joining the others when rounded up by the parents. Soon after the flying formation went past it took off on its own and just about became airborne before splash-landing to just about avoid crashing headlong in to the reeds. Straight line is good: ‘turns’ are yet to come.
- The pair of Pochard were only seen in flight, low over the water.
- Only seven Great Crested Grebes found. The pair in the NW area with their two well-grown juveniles and three (near) adults at the E end.
- Two Woodcocks were seen flying together to roost at 06:45 – my first multiple sighting here.
- The Jackdaws behaved completely differently this morning. A tight group of at least 110 at 06:50 flew along the usual route. It was followed five minutes later by three more tight groups containing about 250 birds in total. These groups, most unusually, originated from the WNW and flew more or less E over the lake before heading off in the usual SSE direction. A few small groups were seen later to make up the total.
- The first 25 Starlings out of the reeds almost collided with a Sparrowhawk heading in to the reeds after its breakfast. It was about five minutes later before it emerged, with empty talons, with another 16 Starlings making their escape behind it.
- At least five Reed Buntings were heard calling early. Calls came, unusually, from vegetation on both sides of the concrete ramp. None was seen to leave the roost here – light-levels were very low. Later two birds were calling from the S side reeds.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Feral Pigeons (1 group)
- no Wood Pigeons!
- >400 Jackdaws
- 3 Redwings
- >7 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Siskin

Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- 41 Starlings
- 5 Redwings
- no Reed Buntings (see notes)

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 29 (11?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Grey Herons
- no Little Grebes
- 7 Great Crested Grebes only
- 10 Moorhens
- no meaningful count of Coots possible
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first winter bird

Lamp poles pre-dawn revealed:
- 4 November Moth-types (Epirrita sp.)
- 1 Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria)
- 1 unidentified moth caught in a web
- 1 crane fly, probably Trichocera regelationis
- 1 small red-eyed fly
- 1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- 1 Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia)
- 1 orb-web spider (Araneidae type)
- 3 Nursery Web Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 2 other unidentified spiders

Later sightings:
- 1 November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.) on a lamp pole around the football field
- presumed Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor) fungus

Not sure about this moth caught in a web. All recent Field Guides show moths in their natural resting pose and often, as with the most likely candidate here, the wings are folded so as to obscure the body. The lack of pattern on the wings would be right for one of the November-type moths. I cannot find out whether they have banded bodies. The rather brown colour does not support this identity, but may be an effect of flash against the dark background. Will have to pass.

Well-camouflaged by the mist droplets is this Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea).

I had hopes that this might be a male Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia) as the pincers seemed rather curved. Not curved enough when I compared it with photos on the web and so it is another female.

This I had originally as a Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus) but I am not so sure – there is no white cross-marking. I am fairly certain it is an orb-web spider of the Araneidae group and it seems closest to (but no exact match for) a Larinioides sp.

Only when I looked at the above photo of the spider did I notice lurking in the corner these two. One is a small red-eyed fly. The other a small winter crane fly, probably Trichocera regelationis. Both seem to have been caught in webs.

This is quite possibly just a Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor) fungus. However that species normally presents multiple overlapping bodies. It is just possible this is Birch Mazegill (Lenzites betulinus). I need to remember to find it again and see whether it has gills or is truly a bracket fungus.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:00 – 09:50

(247th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- The drake Goosander flew in.
- Back to three Great Crested Grebes: I suspect there always were – they often lurk around the island under the overhanging vegetation
- At least one Siskin and one Lesser Redpoll in with Goldfinches on Alder cones. The Lesser Redpoll likely the bird I heard calling in flight.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 1 Wood Pigeon
- 20 Jackdaws
- 7 Redwings
- 1 Meadow Pipit

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 6 Canada Geese
- 39 (21♂) Mallard
- 37 (16?♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (1♂) Goosander
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens yet again
- 16 Coots
- 31 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher again

Other things:
- nothing on the usual lamp pole
- seen elsewhere
        - 2 spiders locked together: neither identified
        - 1 Grey Squirrel

Have not been able to work out what is going on here. Obviously a spider but has it caught something? And if so what has it caught? A close examination seems to reveal more that eight legs.

I tried a different angle. Is that another spider underneath? I am sure I have seen (and failed to identify) the red-legged spider here previously.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Shifnal, Lizard Wood
Location
2 Hawfinch
(Arthur Harper)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Several Herons
>3800 Wood Pigeons
11 Sky Larks
2 Meadow Pipits
199 Fieldfare
32 Redwings
9 Siskins
1 Linnet
Brambling 
(Ed Wilson)

Wrekin
Location
1 Crossbill
Several Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
21 Pochard
58 Tufted Ducks
2 Buzzards
>900 Black-headed Gulls
176 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
807 Wood Pigeons
16 Pied Wagtails
26 Wrens
14 Dunnocks
34 Robins
24 Blackbirds
213 Fieldfares
6 Song Thrushes
150 Redwings
5 Mistle Thrushes
1 Blackcap
447 Starlings
2 Siskins
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)