2 Oct 21

Priorslee Lake

8.0°C > 9.0°C: Scattered below high overcast. Cloud increasing and occasional light rain after 07:15. Moderate SE wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:12 BST

* = a photo today

An appointment with a 'flu jab precluded a visit to The Flash.

Priorslee Lake: 05:40 – 09:00

(218th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I counted 153 large gulls arriving from the N / NW / W before it was light-enough to positively ID any. No more than five of these seemed to pass without stopping.
- The passage Jackdaws and Rooks passed over a protracted period. There was no big flock of Rooks as there had been at the start of the week.
- A loose group of 10 Barn Swallows flew S across the football field at c.08:55. I record this species on passage in to October most years.
- A large thrush sp. flew W c.08:10. The flight did not look 'lazy'-enough for a Mistle Thrush. My thought is that it could be an early Fieldfare arriving but I did not hear any call-notes and I could not see enough details to confirm its identity.

Overhead:
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 129 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 112 Jackdaws
- 89 Rooks
- 10 Barn Swallows
- 1 possible Fieldfare: see notes
- 9 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 6 Goldfinches

Warblers noted:
- 4 Chiffchaffs: no song

Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (1♂) Mallard only
- 8 Moorhens
- 75 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.475 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls again
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 153 large gulls: see notes
- no Grey Herons
- 1 Kingfisher

At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 Notch-wing Button (Acleris emargana)

Other things:
- *1 ichneumon sp.
- *1 fly, perhaps Clusia flava
- *1 'Greenbottle', perhaps a Lucilia or Neomyia species
- 2 cranefly Tipula pagana
- 1 Common or European Earwig (Forficula dentata)
- *3 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica)
- 1 Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)

Also noted:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Ahead of the promised rain just a hint of colour in the eastern sky.

By far the best specimen of a Notch-wing Button moth (Acleris emargana) I have seen this year.

Two here: at the top a small female ichneumon sp. - the short ovipositor is just about visible. The small fly is a bit different in having a short body and long wings rather akin to an aphid sp., though I am not aware of any of these having an 'ordinary' fly's typical red eyes. So pass on that one.

I think this fly (which it, or similar, I see quite frequently) is Clusia flava. Somewhat confusingly there is a species of tropical American shrub.

'Greenbottle' flies are not things I do not usually see on the pole pre-dawn. I can only quote from the Naturespot web site: "There are several lookalike Greenbottle species that occur in different fly families and to the inexpert eye [that's me!] can look confusingly similar". Probably one of the Lucilia or Neomyia group.

This spider has the markings of a Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius) bur is much browner-toned than those I usually see. I will get it checked.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Moths:

None

With:
- *1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
- 1 cranefly Tipula pagana
- 4 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- plus various midges and the usual other unidentified spiders

This cranefly is relatively easy to identify as a Tipula lateralis. The pale area in the wing and the pale line down the abdomen identify.

(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

2013
Candles Landfill Site
1st winter Caspian Gull
2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull.
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Redwing
Swallow
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Mike Cooper)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Swallow
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)