21 Nov 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

10.0°C > 12.0°C: Some early breaks before a few light showers. Then unexpectedly clear. Moderate SW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:44 GMT

* = a photo today.

Another (very) small passage of Fieldfares over both the lake and The Flash.

Priorslee Lake: 06:12 – 09:33

(257th visit of the year)

Most frustrating: at 07:20 c.40 birds in a classic 'V-formation' flew N, some way to the E. They have defied identification. Golden Plover would be possible at this time of year: however these looked too bulky. They seemed too small for geese - even for small Pink-footed Geese. Yet the wingbeats seemed too slow for ducks. I will have to pass.

Bird notes:
- Four Gadwall (two drakes) seen apparently arriving just as I was leaving. I could not see the water to tell whether these were birds I had seen earlier and were only flying around. Not added to totals.
- The first Black-headed Gulls arrived much earlier - 06:58 - and there were soon c.300 on the water.
- The Lesser Black-backed Gulls started to arrive at 07:10 with a total of just 20 (and two Herring Gulls) arriving at that time. Rather more (29) dropped in later, accompanied by an adult Yellow-legged Gull.
- Of the 88 Wood Pigeons groups of 34 and nine flew SE. Also 31 flew W in a very open and loose group in the space of c.2 minutes: it seems more likely these had been flushed from fields to the E rather than birds that were on migration. A few more singles to make up the total.
- Only heard once and briefly: I am sure I heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming. A very early date.
- A Lesser Redpoll seen leaving a roost at the W end.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 5 Greylag Goose: duo outbound; three singles inbound
- 2 Cormorants: one group
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull again
- 2 Stock Doves: singles
- 88 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 234 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 17 Fieldfare: two groups
- no Pied Wagtails
- 8 Siskins
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- >75 Starlings
- 3 Redwings
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
- 5 Reed Buntings

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 10 (6♂) Gadwall
- 16 (9♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Pochard
- 41 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander: seen briefly
- *1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe
- 10 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Moorhens again
- 172 Coots yet again
- c.300 Black-headed Gulls
- 49 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 20 pre-dawn; 29 later
- 1 Herring Gull: adult pre-dawn again
- 1 Herring-gull type: 'immature' pre-dawn again when too dark to ascribe a positive ID
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: adult later

On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 3 Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata): all on same pole
- *1 unidentified caddis fly sp.
- *1 unidentified small black beetle sp.
- 1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 3 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman

Noted later:
- 2 Grey Squirrels

An adult Cormorant posing. There seem to be three white dots where the breeding condition white thigh patch will be. This feature is often obvious by mid-December. I have never seen anything this early in the season.

The thing about putting your wings out in a moderate breeze is that you get swung about. "Is this my best side?"

 "Or this?"

"Or do I look better from behind?"

A Great Spotted Woodpecker. The head is not at the best angle to see red on the nape of a male: I think it ought to be visible so this is likely a female. I thought I heard very brief drumming later - an exceptionally early date. It is noted as "occasionally in December" and I have previously heard drumming twice before Christmas.

While deciding whether a photo of the tiny black beetle was going to be worthwhile a caddis fly flew in and momentarily stopped on the lamp pole - and was gone. Neither identified.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:36 – 10:49

(241st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A Jay at the top end was my first for a few weeks - since they stopped caching the acorns.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adult
- 2 Herring Gulls: adult and immature
- 30 Jackdaws: all in pairs / small groups
- 36 Fieldfare: one group

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 41 Canada Geese: 32 of these arrived in two groups
- 35 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 62 (25♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 (>3♂) Goosanders
- *2 Grey Herons
- no Great Crested Grebes noted
- 6 Moorhens only
- 26 Coots only
- 32 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: just about visible and well deceased

On a lamp pole.
- *1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman

Around the Ivy
- *1 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
- >20 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris)
- *2 Marmalade Hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus)
- *1 Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax)

Of interest elsewhere:
- active Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) around their nest.
- 2 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) at the top end.

Grey Heron #1 - a shady specimen.

Grey Heron #2: a sunny specimen.

Would you believe a Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)? This is what they look like in 'winter plumage'.

A very smart-looking Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus). It is not always possible to see the markings on the abdomen so clearly when the wings are folded over the back. The lines on the thorax are also exceptionally clear on this specimen.

Another one, thing time with wings akimbo. It is still finding some nectar on the Ivy flowers.

A Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax). Handily this is a male which, unlike females, shows a tapered end to the abdomen. The front legs are extensively pale which separates both sexes from the similar Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax).

I have no idea what this is. Looks interesting though. A chrysalis perhaps?

Most times Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestmen rest with their legs bunched at right angles to the body. The second pair of legs is exceptionally long and would not fit in the photo.

A close up showing the periscope eyes. Unlike spiders which usually have eight eyes harvestmen usually only have two with a few species living in caves having only photoreceptors and not 'real' eyes. Two very species occur in the UK and require microscopic examination to separate.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2019

Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2018

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2017

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2016

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2014

Local area

Today's Sightings Here

2013

Priorslee Lake

5 Gadwall 

1 Pochard 

125 Tufted Duck

3 Water Rails 

15 Moorhens 

221 Coots counted again 

1 Snipe 

23 Fieldfare

8 Redwings 

196 Jackdaws

4 Rooks

2 Ravens

Redpoll

(Ed Wilson)

2012

Priorslee Lake

3 Gadwall 

8 Pochard 

27 Tufted Ducks 

9 Moorhens 

142 Coots 

(Ed Wilson)

2011

Priorslee Lake

2 Yellow-legged Gulls

1st winter Great Black-backed Gull

3 female Goosander

3 Wigeon

(John Isherwood)

2008

Priorslee Lake

7 Great Crested Grebes

2 Cormorants

30 Greylag Gees

16 Pochard

166 Tufted Duck

3 Goosander

Water Rail

148 Coot

c.700 Black-headed

c.1300 Lesser Black-backed

<20 Herring Gulls

93 Redwings

c.500 Starlings left a roost

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

3 Great Crested Grebes

33 Pochard

69 Tufted Ducks

6 Buzzards

>1750 Black-headed Gulls

2251 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

26 Robins

32 Blackbirds

96 Fieldfares

4 Song Thrushes

13 Redwings

384 Jackdaws

216 Rooks

22 Greenfinch

2 Siskins

2 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)