18 Oct 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

11.0°C > 12.0°C: Initially scattered cloud under high overcast. By 07:30 low cloud and very dull. Light / moderate SSE breeze. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 07:40 BST

*= a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 06:00 – 09:15

(233rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Two pairs of Gadwall were new in.
- I have logged 76 of the Wood Pigeons as in six groups passing SE. In fact there were many smaller groups that may also have been on the move but they didn't seem sure where they were going: neither was I.
- The first few large gulls started to arrive at 07:05 and were immediately joined by c.25 Black-headed Gulls. These all flew around and around for more than 20 minutes with many more large gulls approaching. None of the 222 I counted inbound deigned to settle on the water, all flying on S. The Black-headed Gulls were joined by >100 more and these eventually plucked up courage to settle and bathe.
- In the dull conditions all he birds were later than usual arriving / passing and I was unable to get to see the gulls on the football and academy fields ahead of the chaos of the school run.
- Small groups of Jackdaws were still flying over after 08:10, some 45 minutes after I noted the first birds.
- Rather unusual was a single Starling flushed off the top of the dam.
- One group of four Redwings flew S. Four more were heard calling as they passed overhead in the dark: whether these were singles or calling from groups I cannot tell.

Overhead:
- 228 Wood Pigeons: 76 of these were passing SE in six groups
- 1 Herring Gull
- 23 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 222 unidentified large gulls: see notes
- 2 Cormorant: together
- 1 Sparrowhawk again
- 272 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks only
- 8+ Redwings: see notes
- *7 Pied Wagtails

Warbler noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff: calling intermittently

Count from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: departed
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 2 (1♂) Mallard again
- 25 (>3♂) Tufted Duck: 13 of these flew off W at 07:15 when too dark to sex
- 3 Moorhens
- 64 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- >150 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 30 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *6 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.).
with:
- *1 ichneumon sp., possibly Amblyjoppa proteus
- *1 Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale)
- *1 probable ground beetle sp.
- 1 Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestman
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman

Noted later:
- Three species of fungus, all at the edge of the football field:
- *Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig (Coprinus comatus)
- *possible Weeping Widow (Lacrymaria lacrymabunda)
- *as yet unidentified

The dull morning did not lead to easy photography. Remarkably this adult winter male Pied Wagtail stayed still long-enough. I was shooting a one twentieth of a second so the camera's stabilisation feature must work quite well.

So well we had better have another view.

This November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.) I found sitting, unusually, with its wings held above its back. It flew off as soon as I had taken this shot.

This ichneumon shows a white band on its antennae and has a white spot at back of its thorax. This fits the photos of a female Amblyjoppa proteus shown on the Natural History Museum's web-site "beginners identification guide". As there are so many species of ichneumon these feature may not make for a positive identification.

A Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale) beginning to acquire the dark colour it has while hibernating. Th green prosoma (the triangular area at the top of the body) is the best clue to this species though it also looks obviously smaller than the Common Green Shieldbug, the other species most likely to be seen at this date.

I think this is a species of ground beetle. There are many to choose from. On this example the thorax seems unusually narrow in comparison with the abdomen. That has not led me to any conclusion as to its identity though.

I found three species of fungus on the edges of the football field. This one is easy to identify – a Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig (Coprinus comatus).

And a trio growing together.

This example had been knocked over and provided an opportunity to look inside.#

 This is what they will probably look like tomorrow. This species deliquesces very rapidly.

Fungus species #2. I think this may be Weeping Widow (Lacrymaria lacrymabunda) though the rendition here looks rather more rufous than photos on the web.

Not entirely sure why when taking a photo of a single specimen from the same group the tone should look so different. The mottled appearance of the stem is noteworthy. The vernacular name arises from the drops of liquid that form along the veil-like edges as it decays.

Fungus species #3. The fungus gnats have been at it and are getting it ready for Halloween! I have no thoughts about its identity and...

.. I took this broken example to a more suitable location to better show its features. It did not help. I'll see what the Shropshire Recorder makes of it.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:05

(210th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A very quiet morning with only a persistently calling Chiffchaff travelling with a party of Long-tailed Tits to highlight.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Feral Pigeons: together

Warblers note:
- 1 Chiffchaff: no song

On /around the water:
- 22 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 32 (21♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- 42 (17+♂) Tufted Duck
- 24 (0♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 26 Coots only
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 52 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron again

On different lamp poles:
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestman

Nothing noted elsewhere:

(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

2008

Priorslee Lake

992 Redwings

203 Fieldfare

Siskins

Redpolls

6 Pochard

c.150 Tufted Duck

Water Rail

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

18 Pochard

98 Tufted Ducks

1 duck Goldeneye

1 drake Ruddy Duck

1 Kingfisher

20 Pied Wagtails

18 Wrens

46 Robin

20 Blackbirds

6 Song Thrushes

42 Redwings

1 Chiffchaff

12 Starlings

52 Greenfinches

9 Goldfinches

2 Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

4 Wigeon

1 Shoveler 

8 Pochard

64 Tufted Ducks

30 Robins

(Ed Wilson)