30 Oct 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

9.0°C: Soon clearing after overnight rain. Light S wind, veering W. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: [08:02 BST]

*= a photo today

Another rain-delayed start.

Priorslee Lake: 08:35 – 10:10

(245th visit of the year)

I had hoped that as the weather cleared there might be some visible migration. Not so – apart from two small groups of Wood Pigeons.

I only viewed from the dam area.

Bird notes:
- The loud Cetti's Warbler was heard, relocated in the NE area.

Overhead:
- 4 Greylag Geese: one group, inbound
- 1 (♂?) Goosander
- 4 Stock Doves: two duos flying S.
- 42 Wood Pigeons: 18 of these in two migrant groups heading S
- 1 Herring Gull
- 24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 1 Redwing

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans: 7JVC + unringed
- 3 (2♂) Mallard: arrived
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- no Pochard located
- 42 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Moorhens
- 66 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 46 Black-headed Gulls only
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately

Also noted
- 1 Cetti's' Warbler – heard from NE area
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- *a different species of fungus, probably Butter Waxcap (Hygrocybe ceracea).

I think this fungus is Butter Waxcap (Hygrocybe ceracea). It looked rather too delicate to go rooting about 'gardening' so as to get a view that included the stem.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:15 – 11:10

(222nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- One of fishermen reported that seven Goosanders had briefly dropped in.
- A Redwing in Hawthorns near the Priorslee Academy

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Feral Pigeon

On /around the water:
- 26 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 26 (17♂) Mallard
- 19 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- no Goosander: see notes
- 9 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes again
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron again

On one of the lamp poles:
- *Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale)

Noted elsewhere:
- very many Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris) on the Ivy flowers.
- *Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- *Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)
- *Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- *Syrphus sp., possibly Glass-winged Syrphus (S. vitripennis)

It is all insects today before they all disappear. On sunny days we may get hoverflies on the bank of Ivy by the academy in to December is the wasps don't eat all the nectar first. I found four species of hoverfly this morning though mostly singes of each species. Even from the side this Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) is easy-enough to identify with paired striped on the abdomen.

Here a plan view showing those stripes. Also noticeable are the three stripes down the thorax. These stripes slightly spread apart.

When they sit still and I can get a really sharp photo I am always surprised how hairy hoverflies are. This is the most common species in late Autumn, a Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax). On this species the front legs are mainly dark.

A different specimen with its tongue stuck in to an Ivy flower.

And a third specimen. This view also highlights its hairiness.

Surprisingly my first Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare) of the year here – possibly the last also. It is just possible to make out the yellow spots on the abdomen through the folded wings. It is also just possible to see these are triangular marks indicating it is a female, though the widely separated eyes is a somewhat easier way to sex this specimen.

The fourth species of hoverfly, one of the Syrphus ribesii / S. vitripennis pair. A male which are usually regarded as inseparable unless examined under a microscope. Reference to the latest information on Steven Falck's Flickr site suggests that with very restricted yellow on the hind femur this is S. vitripennis which he calls Glass-winged Syrphus.

A sunny Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale). Some idea of the actual size of this insect can be gauged by looking at what it is resting on. That is the edge of the wrap-around to a lamp pole in squirrel alley. Sometimes I find insects tucked in to the cracks on these lamp poles.

Lastly a bit of a cheat. Taken on a window-sill of my house before it ran away and hid. It is a Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) of the less-often seen form spectabilis (as far as I recall my first this year).

(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

2010
Priorslee Lake
10 Swans
c.60 Golden Plover
c.200 Starlings left a roost in the reeds at the W end
763 Wood Pigeons
3 Skylarks
7 Meadow Pipits
165 Fieldfare
9 Redwings
4 Siskins
3 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
8 Wigeon
20 Pochard
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Goosander
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
100 Jackdaw
130 Rooks
1 Buzzard
Kestrel
c.60 Golden Plover
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
450 to 500 Starlings left the roost
11 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
Pair of Ruddy Duck
200+ Coot
1 Dunlin
104 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
100 Black-headed Gulls
Kingfisher
A Buzzard was seen feeding on earthworms and possibly beetles
2000+ Wood Pigeon
62 Redwing
54 Fieldfare
3 Song Thrushes
(Martin Adlam)
5 Goldcrests
(Martin Adlam)