13 Oct 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

11.0°C > 13.0°C: Early very low cloud and spells of drizzle. Clearing after 08:30 with sun c.09:30 before more cloud. Light W wind. Poor visibility in drizzle, otherwise good.

Sunrise: 07:31 BST

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:50 – 09:10

(229th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- After a count of 18 Mallard yesterday just three today.
- c.475 Black-headed Gulls were on the football field at 07:25 with one immature Herring Gull and single immature and adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls. At that time there were no gulls on the academy playing field. A few more Black-headed Gulls were drifting in and c.20 were on the lake.
- Rather few large gulls seen arriving but they did so during the heaviest of the drizzle and they were difficult to see anyway.
- In addition to the 181 Redwings noted flying W in the nine groups there had been at least two singles heard calling as they passed overhead c.06:00 in the dark. At least three more left trees at the W end where they seemed to have been roosting.

Overhead:
- 3 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 63 Wood Pigeons: no passage groups passing S today
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 373 Jackdaws
- 13 Rooks only
- 5 Skylarks
- 2 Starlings: singles
- 183 Redwing: 181 of these in nine groups flying W
- 5 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Siskin

Warblers noted:

None

Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 12 (>9♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 68 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.500 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 71 large gulls only
- 1 Grey Heron

At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 2 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)
- 1 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota): same lamp as yesterday: different position
with:
- 2 Common Green Lacewings (Chrysoperia carnea)
- 2 cranefly Tipula confusa
- *1 Mayfly sp., probably a Pond Olive (Cloeon dipterum)
- *1 Common or European Earwig (Forficula dentata)
- 1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- *2 beetles: mating
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 Metellina sp. spider
- 1 Noble False Widow (Steatoda nobilis)
- 1 Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- 2 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman

An update from yesterday. The micro-moth that I failed to ID yesterday was a male Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana). My first of this species here this year.

In the sailing club shelter pre-dawn

- 17 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
All the other spiders had gone and hidden by the time I finished counting this species.

Nothing noted later:

I did not expect to see a Mayfly in October. I read that the Pond Olive (Cloeon dipterum) is multi-brooded and almost uniquely amongst the mayflies often active in to October. So that is probably what it is.

I thought I was going to get 'two for the price of one' with a beetle and the tail-end of a Common or European Earwig (Forficula dentata). Looking at the photo I noted that there were three insects here with a pair (I assume – you cannot be two careful these days) of beetles mating. No idea of the species – there are lots of 'round black beetle species'.

Despite Nigel's tuition I still find spiders a challenge. This one fooled me since despite apparently being against a lamp pole it isn't. We are looking at the underside as it sits in its web close up against the lamp post. It is one of the Metellina sp. spiders but further identification would require a microscope.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

- 2 Plumed midges (Chironomus plumosus?)
- 1 cranefly Tipula confusa
- also the usual midges and unidentified spiders

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:15 – 10:00

(206th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Both drake and duck Teal seen with the drake rapidly acquiring breeding plumage.
- The usual confusion with the Great Crested Grebes: there seemed to be three adults and two juveniles today.
- Three Chiffchaffs were chasing around tree-tops at the top end. No calls heard.
- The small Redwing passage noted at the lake continued here for a while.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
- 4 Skylarks
- 45 Redwings: three groups

Warblers noted:
- 3 Chiffchaffs: no song

On /around the water:
- 58 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 29 (18♂) Mallard
- *2 (1♂) Teal
- 17 (1+♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 (0♂) Goosander again
- 12 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- *3 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Grey Heron

On the lamp poles:

Nothing on any of them

Noted elsewhere:
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Grey Squirrel

One of the two Great Crested Grebe juveniles I could find this morning. These are now full-size and independent. The head-stripes will be kept throughout the winter and well in to next year.

The duck Teal. Its small size is not apparent here and the markings on the flank feathers is the best guide to its identity.

The drake it not so challenging to identify. Since I first saw what is presumably the same bird here some ten days ago he has moulted considerably. Just a few flank feathers to be changed for more finely barred feathers and a smartening around the head to go. There will also be a pale yellow line along the top of the flanks though this does not always show – it depends on the way the bird is sitting.

Forgive me: this insect was not at Priorslee but on my garage door when I got home. It is an Oak Bush-cricket (Meconema thalassinum) and a new species for my garden.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2011
Nedge Hill
1 Fieldfare
100+ Redwing
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
10 Cormorants
3 Wigeon
15 Pochard
84 Tufted Ducks
Snipe
Kingfisher
8 Redwings
5 Jays
Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
7 Wigeon
500+ Lesser Black-backed Gull
52 Mute Swan
1 Little Grebe
(Mike Cooper)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Pochard
42 Tufted Duck
Treecreepers
19 Blackbirds
57 Robins
7 Song Thrushes
5 Redwings
2 Chiffchaffs
Siskins
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Skylarks
Several Redwings
3 Pochard
46 Tufted Ducks
50 Robins
9 Song Thrushes
8 Redwings
1 Treecreeper
(Ed Wilson)