20 Nov 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

10.0°C > 11.0°C: Another cloudy morning. Light W wind. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 07:40 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 06:00 – 09:15

(266th visit of the year)

Best today was a group of three Little Egrets circling over at 08:35. They soon headed off S with presumably the same three seen flying N a few minutes later.

Other bird notes:
- Two Woodcocks were seen going to their day-roost together at 06:55.
- One of my regular informants had noted a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming from the Ricoh copse. I have only once heard drumming prior to Christmas and only three times before the New Year. Will be interesting to note whether the promised colder weather causes this bird to desist from drumming (and the thrushes to stop singing).
- Just 19 Starlings were seen leaving their NW reed-bed roost site.
- With less traffic and no southerly component in the wind hearing the Pied Wagtails on roost departure overhead was easier. The first was at 06:43 and I counted 17 more until there was a pause of over five minutes in their passage. After that I counted 41 more, mainly heading N / NE. Very few were seen, either because it was too dark or the birds were just beyond my visual range. From previous experience birds are often in small groups and my total is likely to be an under-recording,

Overhead:
- 6 Canada Geese: groups of two and four outbound
- 88 Wood Pigeons: 65 of these flew W to the N at 07:45
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 12 unidentified large gulls
- 2 Cormorants: singles
- *3 Little Egrets: as highlighted
- 70 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks: together
- 2 Starlings: together
- 6 Fieldfare: together
- 3 Redwings: singles
- 59 Pied Wagtails heard: see notes

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 19 Starlings: only
- 2 Reed Buntings

Warblers noted:

None

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 22 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- >150 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 72 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed again

At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 Scarce Umber (Agriopis aurantiaria)
- 1 Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria)

And:
- 1 red fly sp. (as seen yesterday)
- *1 plumed midge
- *1 cranefly sp., probably Limonia nubeculosa.
- *1 cranefly/winter gnat sp.
- *1 caddis fly Limnephilus lunatus
- *1 presumed aphid sp.
- 1 planthopper #1, probably Eupteryx aurata (as seen yesterday)
- *1 planthopper #2, possibly Empoacsa vitis
- *1 beetle sp.
- *1 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

Spiders and Harvestman:

- *1 Metellina merianae spider

- 2 Tetragnatha sp. stretch spiders again

- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman

Noted later:
- 1 Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman

I just about managed a distant record shot that shows two of the trio of Little Egrets that flew over the lake – twice. On both occasions I had trees between me and the birds. Typical. At least I saw them.

A plumed midge. A male because only males have the feathered antennae.

Otherwise all today's photos are of some of the things found before dawn on the street lamp poles at the west end of the lake. I think this cranefly is Limonia nubeculosa. This individual has lost a few legs. Like many craneflies it clearly shows the halteres (the balls on spikes!) that all true flies possess. These are an adaptation of the hindwing that act as a tiny gyroscopes to keep the flies orientated. Since discovering that there are 300 species of cranefly in the UK I have rather lost confidence in my ability to specifically identify individuals in this group.

I never can figure out whether these are small, plain craneflies or a large species of 'winter gnat'. It is rare for me to be able to photograph one as they usually detect my approach and fly off.

This caddis fly sp. is a Limnephilus lunatus. I cannot identify most caddis flies but this has a dark-edged pale half-moon on the trailing edge of the wing – hence the species epithet in its scientific name. It is therefore easy to recognise. Another insect that has been in the wars as it has lost part of one antenna. Note all the hairs and spurs on the legs.

With its tiny body and large wings this is probably an aphid sp. A strange date?

This planthopper is possibly Empoacsa vitis. At rest on a leaf it was difficult to expose to highlight any markings on this tiny and basically pale green insect.

This is a Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) – honest! It is in its brown winter colours.

I have seen this or a similar species of small beetle before. The most obvious characteristic is the swollen hind femur. Sadly that is far from unique in small black beetles.

Another spider that Nigel has helped me with. It belongs to a difficult genus Metellina that often requires microscopic examination. In this instance the markings are clear-enough such that Nigel is almost certain it is M. merianae. It is a common species which is seen throughout the year though tending to hide away during the day.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:25

(241st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Just a single drake Teal located.
- A third Great Crested Grebe found. Was it ever really missing?
- A Kingfisher seen flying around the island disappearing from my view. Unusually I did not hear it's 'football whistle-like' call.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 18 Feral Pigeons: three groups
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull: together
- 2 Rooks: together
- 1 Siskin

On /around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 29 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Teal
- 56 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander again
- 16 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- no Grey Herons
- 1 Kingfisher

On the lamp poles:

Nothing on any of them

On / around the Ivy:
- >5 Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 1 Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Of note:

Nothing else.

(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

2012

Priorslee Lake

3 Gadwall 

8 Pochard 

15 Tufted Ducks 

149 Coots 

286 Redwings

84 Fieldfares

c.350 Jackdaws but no Rooks seen.

(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

2009

Priorslee Lake

42 Mute Swan

1 Wigeon

c. 45 Tufted

36 Pochard

c. 240 Coot

c. 400 Lesser Black-backed Gull

c. 120 Black-headed Gull

10 Herring Gull

3 Yellow Legged Gull

(Mike Cooper)

2007

Priorslee Lake

1 male Stonechat showing well near to sailing club hut.

1 Gadwall

(John Isherwood)

2006

Priorslee Lake

31 Pochard

52 Tufted Ducks

8 Lapwings

>550 Black-headed Gulls

187 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

239 Wood Pigeons

40 Robins

32 Blackbirds

60 Fieldfares

11 Redwings

1 Willow Tit

310 Jackdaws

150 Rooks

35 Greenfinch

6 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

2005

Priorslee Lake

18 Pochard

55 Tufted Duck

3 Ruddy Duck

1 Wigeon

c.200 Coot

4 Cormorant

C.750 birds

24 Fieldfare

3 Redpoll

12 Siskin

5 Reed Bunting

1 Willow Tit

(Martin Adlam)