20 Sep 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 13.0°C: Mostly fine and clear with just a few low-level clouds at times. Light / moderate W breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:52 BST

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:20 – 09:10

(208th visit of the year)

A duck morning:
- *At 06:35 a trio of Pintail appeared from the E. They spent about five minutes circling around trying to select a place to land before giving up and heading off W. My first Pintail here this year – always the hardest of the dabbling ducks to connect with. Species #106 for me here in 2021.
- At c.08:00 I was confused by two ducks that came from the E together that turned out to be a duck (Eurasian) Wigeon flying with a drake Tufted Duck. They settled on the water briefly before being chased by a Coot where upon they left to the S. Very strange.

Other bird notes:
- The first 14 Black-headed gulls arrived just before 06:15 and began disputing who would sit on which buoy. No more appeared until c.06:30. Later birds were commuting between the water and both the football and academy playing field. Here I logged over 250, with others still at the lake. Also a group of eight flew S with some of the large gulls.
- I noted c.220 large gulls flying from the NE/N/NW after 06:25. I would judge c.180 of these stopped for a wash and brush up. It seemed that c.35 of these stayed around and remarkably c.25 of them seemed to be immature Herring Gulls with rather fewer Lesser Black-backed Gulls, including some adults.
- Just four adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls were noted flying over.
- A Reed Bunting seen: my first here since 11 August when the last song was heard.

Overhead:
- 1 Canada Goose: inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: together inbound
- 5 Feral Pigeons: a duo and a trio of mostly white birds
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 152 Wood Pigeons
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.40 large gulls: see notes
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 34 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 6 Starlings: together
- 3 Pied Wagtails

Warblers noted:
- 10 Chiffchaffs: three in song – same as last Friday and Saturday
- 1 Blackcap again

Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (0♂) (Eurasian) Wigeon: briefly
- 11 (7♂) Mallard
- *3 (?♂) Pintail: circled low
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck: briefly
- 4 Moorhens only
- 75 Coots again
- 2 Little Grebes again
- 8 + 5 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes still
- c.275 Black-headed Gulls
- c.25 Herring Gulls: immatures – see notes
- c.10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: various ages
- c.180 'large gulls': see notes
- 1 Grey Heron: departed

At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:

Moths:

None

Other things:
- 1 Plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- *1 Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius)
- 4 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestman

Noted later

In sunny but rather brisk and sometimes breezy conditions:
- *Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- Common Nettle-tap moth (Anthophila fabriciana)
- *Grey Poplar Bell moth (Epinotia nisella f. decorana)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- *Broad-banded Epistrophe hoverfly (Epistrophe grossulariae)
- Stripe-faced Dronefly (Eristalis nemorum)
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- Syrphus sp. hoverfly (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- Alder Leaf Beetles (Agelastica alni)
- Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- 2 Grey Squirrels

Well it was 06:40! The best I could do with the flying Pintail. The long thin necks show as does the long tail, especially on the bird on the left. Very sad that this smart ducks did not stay.

This Speckled Wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria) was a bit of a poseur.

This splendid little moth is a Grey Poplar Bell (Epinotia nisella f. decorana). This form has the distinctive orange area in the mid-part of the wing which eliminates confusion with several similar species that only occur in all-grey forms.

The most obvious feature of this Broad-banded Epistrophe hoverfly (Epistrophe grossulariae) is that the yellow bands are both horizontal and parallel with the lower two showing no black intrusion in the middle. Note too the faint two bands down the thorax. A species that can be seen well in to Autumn.

Yet another what seems to be a rather late-flying Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum). I have not kept 'last seen' dates for hoverflies in previous years. Now that the horse has bolted I will start!

I cannot recall recording any Common Froghoppers (Philaenus spumarius) on lamps pre-dawn in previous years. This is my second this year.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata)

with:
- 1 presumed Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- *1 Plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- 1 Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus)
- plus the usual other unidentified spiders as usual

 A Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata). At this date it is safe to rule out the very similar Dark Marbled Carpet whose flight period ends in late August.

I am logging all these Plumed midges as Chironomus plumosus but they seem very variable... Is more than one species involved?

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15

(188th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- So: where were all the Mallard and Tufted Duck? Many fewer of both than on Saturday
- A third adult Great Crested Grebe confirmed.
- One Grey Heron chased another away. There were then still two present.

Birds noted flying over here:

- 2 Collared Doves

- 1 Jackdaw

Warblers noted:
- 3 Chiffchaffs: one in song

On /around the water:
- 16 Canada Geese
- 12 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 12 (7♂) Mallard only
- 17 (?♂) Tufted Duck only
- 6 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes again
- 19 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Grey Herons

On different lamp poles:
- *1 Stretch-spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- 2 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestman

Elsewhere in brightening conditions:
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- Common Nettle-tap moth (Anthophila fabriciana)
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- *Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- *Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
- Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)
- *Syrphus sp. hoverfly (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)
- 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata)

Many people are surprised to see Grey Herons in trees-tops but that is where they build their nests. One of three seen here today comes in to land...

 .. or not on this occasion.

'Our' ringed Grey Wagtail shouting about something. What I failed to remark upon last week was that this bird is known to be a male from photos I took in the breeding season but now shows no hint of black on the throat and chest.

An intriguing if not exactly good photo. This is a Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum). I was surprised to see the large pollen ball on the hind leg – I associate pollen-sacs with honey bees and cannot recall having see a laden carder bee before.

The shape of the abdomen is sufficient to identify this as a male Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax). The extent of the orange markings is very variable on this and most other species of drone fly.

A male Syrphus sp. hoverfly either S. ribesii or S. vitripennis: males cannot generally be separated from photos.

Easy to see why this group of spiders are called Stretch-spiders (Tetragnatha sp.).

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Scaup
(Richard Vernon)

The Flash
Scaup
(Stuart Edmunds)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)