12 Oct 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 8.0°C: Medium-level overcast lowering with rain after 10:30. Calm start with light S wind. Very good visibility until arrival of rain.

Sunrise: 07:31 BST

* = a photo today.

Priorslee Lake: 06:00 – 09:31

(218th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- An adult Mute Swan visited briefly again – the same one persisting?

- I am beginning to feel sorry for the lone Greylag Goose. Every day just the one bird flying over.

- I counted only 152 Lesser Black-backed Gulls coming from the N / NW between 07:02 and 07:25. Of these 28 flew directly over. All of these had left by 07:30

- Another group of c.100 large gulls flew S very far to the E at 07:35.

- Thereafter only four Lesser Black-backs and four Herring Gulls arrived with 16, all Lesser Black-backs, flying over.

- The Cetti's Warbler not heard.

- One Blackcap heard making a contact call along the S side. Not seen.

- Song Thrushes seem to be on the move. A group of five was seen flying out of W end trees – more than two together is unusual.

- At least three Redwings heard passing over pre-dawn. Later parties of 12 and two over, all heading W.

- Lower number of Pied Wagtails flying over was due to my being at a different location during their roost dispersal flights.

Birds noted flying over / near here:

- 1 Greylag Goose (single only inbound again)
- 1 Common Buzzard
- >100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- 63 Wood Pigeons
- 365 Jackdaws
- 56 Rooks
- 1 Skylark
- >17 Redwings
- >6 Pied Wagtails
- 4 Siskins
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):

- 1 (0) Chiffchaff
- 1 (0) Blackcap

Counts from the lake area:

- *3 + 5 Mute Swans
- 14 (8♂) Mallard
- 14 (8♂) Tufted Duck (same as Mallard)
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron
- [no Little Grebes seen or heard]
- 17 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 149 Coots
- >55 Black-headed Gulls
- >120 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- 4 Herring Gulls: three first-winters and one adult

Playing fields.

Not visited

On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:

- *2 Rhomboid Tortrix moths (Acleris rhombana)
- 5 November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.)

[two other moths flying around were likely this species]

- *1 Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia)
- 1 plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- *1 Limonia nubeculosa cranefly
- *1 Tetragnatha stretch spider sp.: a very small specimen.
- *1 other spider sp.
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman

Noted later:

- Grey Squirrel

Our visiting Mute Swan...

.......says goodbye.

Another entry for my worst photo competition. A large group of birds was flying S to the very far E of the lake and in the binoculars I was quite unable to see what they might be. Even though it was still very dull at 07:35 I wound the camera up to 100x and hoped for the best. This is about one third of the group and it is just possible to ID them as 'large gulls' - probably almost all Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

This is one of two Rhomboid Tortrix moths (Acleris rhombana) I found this morning. A very variable species this individual showing little in the way of the usual 'crazy paving' markings. The wing-tip shape is enough to separate this from several similar species.

This is the other Rhomboid Tortrix moth, equally devoid of the usual 'crazy paving' markings. It was only when I was sorting today's photos out that I noticed the pincers of a Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia) sticking out from under the lamp-head.

Can I count this? Birders are only allowed to count birds seen alive. What about this cranefly? I think it is Limonia nubeculosa, a species that usually rests with its wings folded over its back when the patterned wing markings can be hard to discern. Good to have them well-displayed as it lies trapped in a web. It probably does not think the same way.

The small Tetragnatha stretch spider on a lamp pole. Not sure what is in front of it. I am wondering whether it is the exoskeleton and it has just moulted – the markings on the spider look exceptionally clear as if a fresh coat of paint applied.

The unidentified spider this morning. The necessary use of flash makes sorting the legs out less than straightforward but pairs two and four of this species are much longer than the other two. The front pair seem to be manhandling (spider-legging?) something.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:34 – 10:33

(203rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- Two adult Mute Swans flew N to the E of the water at some range but still prompted the residents (all three of the adults) to arch their feathers in threat.

- Greylag Geese heard making a lot of noise, apparently arriving. When I regained a view of the water I could not find any.

- Reducing Tufted Duck numbers over the past few days.

- The brownhead Goosander 'appeared' just as I was leaving.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:

- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 6 Jackdaws
- 1 Skylark

Counts from the water:

- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- Greylag Geese heard only
- 22 Canada Geese
- 38 (22♂) Mallard
- 53 (>23♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 brownhead Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes only again
- 10 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- *26 Black-headed Gulls

On various lamp poles:

- *1 Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata)
- *3 November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.): moths species #37 for 2020 here.

[two of these on a lamp pole that I cannot recall ever seeing a moth on previously]
- *c.20 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

[back on their usual lamp pole in squirrel alley]
- *1 Leiobunum rotundum-type harvestman, perhaps even really this species.

On / around the Ivy:

Nothing

I have made no progress in identifying any of the recently photographed toadstools. The small white cluster appears in the latest issue of the RSPB magazine 'Nature's Home'. It is not identified there either.

Some of the Black-headed Gulls again appeared to be gleaning from tree-tops.

A dark form of Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata). There are a number of other carpet moths flying at this date and it is not always easy to separate them. Here the wing shape is the best clue – the others are subtly different, though moths do not always rest as they are supposed to. The brown marks one third of the way along the inner edge of the forewing clinches the ID.

This November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.) is unusual in showing clear markings. Does not mean it is possible to specifically ID it! This is likely a female – they tend to sit with the hindwing just jutting out from the leading edge of the forewing.

The Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) were back on their lamp post at the top of squirrel alley. They had no Ivy nectar to go after this morning. Six wasps here.

Eight more seem to be trying to persuade the street lamp light sensor it is dark and it should switch the light back on! I have no idea what they are doing and neither has the bees and and wasps Facebook group.

Even though I have enlarged this close-range of this harvestman I am still not 100% confident it has black ocularium and is therefore a real Leiobunum rotundum.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2014

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2012

Priorslee Lake

1 Shoveler

1 Wigeon

2 Raven

(John Isherwood)

2010

Priorslee Lake

4 Wigeon

12 Song Thrushes

Chiffchaff

(Ed Wilson)

2009

Priorslee Lake

Bittern

Redwing

Siskin

1 Chiffchaff

53 Swans

Wigeon

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

Tawny Owl

Stonechat

Common Gull

29 Redwings

27 Fieldfare

6 Siskins

1 Redpoll

3 Chiffchaffs

29 Greenfinches

4 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

9 Pochard

18 Lapwings

17 Meadow Pipits

36 Robins

24 Blackbirds

8 Song Thrushes

9 Redwings

2 Chiffchaffs

1 Redpoll

(Ed Wilson)