29 Oct 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 8.0°C: Scattered cloud below lowering overcast. Mainly light rain after 08:00. Light S wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:02 GMT

* = a photo today.

Priorslee Lake: 05:34 – 08:50

(234th visit of the year)

Much less bust today with cloud and later rain.

Bird notes:
- At 06:55 a group of c.50 large birds were seen very far to the E flying S. When first seen they were in a formation characteristic of Golden Plover. However it quickly became apparent they were too large and the wing-beats too slow for that species. I was quite unable to decide whether they were geese, large gulls or indeed anything else.
- Not certain about Pochard numbers. Three drakes initially seen together in the NE area. Later only two drakes visible and these along the S side: additions? where did the others go?
- I only saw the Goosander, a brownhead, after it had apparently just lifted off to fly off W.
- One party of c.30 post-roost Jackdaws paused their passage, unusually, and circled around to land in trees beside Woodhouse Lane. From here they made several forays in to and out of the fields before eventually continuing.
- About a week ago I was noting as many as 10 Song Thrushes, several of which were sub-singing. Today just a single calling bird and no more than three on the previous few days.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 2 Canada Geese: duo inbound.
- 6 Cormorants: a one, a two and a three
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Feral Pigeons: one groups
- 271 Wood Pigeons: 232 of these in five migrant parties SW
- c.375 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 22 Fieldfare: one group
- 20 Redwings: three groups
- 8 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Linnet
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- no Starlings
- 11 Redwings
- 1 Reed Buntings: at least three others calling from roost

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall still
- 11 (>5♂) Mallard: some flew off before dawn, unsexed
- 3 (3♂) Pochard (see notes)
- 26 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂?) Goosander: departed
- 3 Cormorants: all arrived separately
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 11 Great Crested Grebes again
- 7 Moorhens
- 136 Coots
- >225 Black-headed Gulls
- 226 Lesser Black-backed Gulls from the Hortonwood roost.
- 62 Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived later
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winter bird
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: first-winter bird
- 1 Caspian Gull: same second-winter bird, briefly
- 1 Kingfisher

Gulls on the playing fields c.07:15:
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls on the football field
- 5 Black-headed Gulls only on the academy fields
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull on the football field: first-winter

On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 1 November Moth-types (Epirrita sp.)
- 1 Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria): same as yesterday [not a Scarce Umber as I initially thought].
- 1 Tipula pagana cranefly
- 2 unidentified 'flies'
- 3 Nursery Web Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 1 possible Lace-weaver Spider (Amaurobius similis)
- 1 identified small spider
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman

Noted later:
Nothing

It is all about creepy-crawlies this morning ahead of the rain and many not identified. This is not, as I initially thought, one of the small bug-like insects with curved antennae that have appeared uninvited on other insects' photos. This is far larger (though still small) and has obvious wings. Generally 'flies' with long antennae are wasps,, including sawflies and ichneumons. Beyond that I there is too little detail for any hope of identification.

Flies with an orange thorax are not uncommon but I cannot recall seeing any with patterned wings previously. Again the antennae are rather long for most groups of fly and I cannot match anything from the web.

This is my first Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) of the season.

A variable species – this is a different specimen. There were three, each on a different lamp pole. This species often rests with the two front pairs of legs held tight together – though not here.

A slightly better shot of a very small spider I showed yesterday. Has not helped me identify it though.

And another not so small spider though as you can see it is not large – the top of the figure '1' is one part of the lamp's identification sticker. I am taking a punt at this might be a Lace-weaver Spider (Amaurobius similis).

 (Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 08:54 – 09:43

(219th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- At least two of the Goosanders, all still with brownheads, were clearly starting to moult the body-feathers to become drakes.
- Just two Great Crested Grebe initially well separated. Later one flew to join the other and they briefly displayed.
- At least 15 Blackbirds around the Hawthorn along Derwent Drive – they have eaten all the berries on the less disturbed bushes. No Redwings were with them though I did hear one calling from the island.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 6 Jackdaws

Counts from the water: best effort in the rain
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 21 Canada Geese
- 40 (24♂) Mallard
- 102 (?♂) Tufted Duck: no attempt made to sex these
- 22 (2♂?) Goosanders (see notes)
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- ?? Coots: not counted
- >65 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls – the same puzzling bird as yesterday and a first-winter

On the lamp poles:
- 3 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) on their usual pole at the top of squirrel alley.
- 1 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) hovering around a different pole.

On / around the Ivy
Nothing of note

 (Ed Wilson)

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On this day
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

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
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)