6 Nov 21

Priorslee Lake

9.0°C > 10.0°C: Scattered cloud below a high overcast. Light SW wind, increasing moderate. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:15 GMT

A few photos from today will appear in tomorrow's blog.

The morning had the makings of another busy day but there were other things to do today and had to be away by 08:00. An abbreviated report from the lake only. A new moth species (Sprawler) was the highlight.

Priorslee Lake: 05:45 – 08:00

(252nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I first heard Black-headed Gulls calling over at 06:15 but did not see any before the first twenty arrived at 06:30. Big numbers joined in the circling group and eventually at least 350 birds were involved. As usual these began to move away after 06:50. A tight group of c.100 arrived thereafter: I suspect these were returning birds.
- The Cetti's Warbler sang four times in quick succession starting at 06:25. I did not hear it after that.
- Steady movement of small groups of Redwings and then a big group of c.90 just as I was leaving.

Overhead:
- 64 Wood Pigeons: just eight of these in one migrant group
- 23 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 16 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 218 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 19 Starlings: three groups
- c.252 Redwings: 15 groups
- c.24 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Greenfinch again
- 2 Siskins again

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- c.725 Starlings
- 4 Reed Buntings

Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler

Count from the lake area:
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 12 (8♂) Mallard
- 46 (18+♂) Tufted Duck: two of these flew off early
- 6 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- 1 Great Crested Grebe: adult
- >350 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 37 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 44 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived

At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata): an unusually late record
- 3 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)
- 2 Sprawler (Asteroscopus sphinx): a new species of moth for me in Shropshire
with:
- 2 unidentified red-eyed fly.
- 1 unidentified cranefly
- 1 large black ant!
- 2 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- 1 Larinioides cornutus Orb-web spider
- 1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 3 Tetragnatha sp. Stretch spiders
- 3 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen
- 1 male Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestman

Noted later:
- 1 caddis fly sp. in the sailing club shelter
- 1 Grey Squirrel

This has to be an unusually late-flying Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata). There are several carpet moth species that are active at this time of year before hibernating as adults to emerge in the Spring. This individual is not one of those species and this species is not one that overwinters as an adult.

A very typical-looking individual of the November Moth group (Epirrita sp.).

Some individuals look rather round-shouldered, as here. As far as I can determine from the literature this means they are females. It does not appear to help in determining which of the species it is – only genitalia examination does that.

This caddis fly was living dangerously resting on the rusty iron seat in the sailing club shelter. It was probably not expecting too many visitors pre-dawn. I do not have any detailed literature on this group of insects. Looking at the wing shape at rest and the notoriously variable markings on the wings it might be Limnephilus auricula. The arrangement of the spurs on each pair of legs is an important aid to identification though it would require a key to progress further. The spurs are not really visible in my photo. The general shape and especially the way the antennae are held is typical of most caddis flies. I wonder why the antennae are banded?

I am always surprised when I see single ants on lamp-posts pre-dawn. It seems that many species are active all year. Are these soldiers exploring?

(Ed Wilson)

Note:
If you happen to be at Priorslee Lake and hear a really loud burst of song, it could be the Cetti's Warbler.

Here is a short video of a Cetti's Warbler I recorded at Radipole Lake, Weymouth a few years back. There is a long intro and then the song. (Martin Adlam - Port and Wey)

And a photo of the Cetti's Warbler (Martin Adlam)

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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
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon 
4 Gadwall 
1 Teal 
1 Pochard 
64 Tufted Duck 
21 Moorhens 
235 Coots
5 Song Thrush 
19 Fieldfare
18 Redwings 
439 Jackdaws
89 Rooks 
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
c.110 Greylag Geese
2 Gadwall 
7 Pochard 
32 Tufted Ducks 
4 Moorhens 
145 Coots 
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.1650 Wood Pigeons
51 Redwings
302 Fieldfares 
c.375 Jackdaws
c.100 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
5 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck 
18 Stock Doves
3800+ Wood Pigeons
6 Sky Larks
1 Meadow Pipit
238 Fieldfare
19 Redwings
91 Starlings
3 Siskins
11 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow Legged Gull
2 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Yellow Legged Gull
2 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
26 Greylag Geese
Gadwall
5 Shoveler
3 Pochard
79 Tufted Duck
1 Lapwing
Snipe
2 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
16 Redwings
3 Fieldfares
9 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Cormorants
3 Shoveler
3 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
149 Coot 
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
30 Pochard
111 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
47 Coots
c.562 Black-headed Gulls
63 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
89 Wood Pigeons
22 Pied Wagtails
20 Wrens
12 Dunnocks
27 Robins
31 Blackbirds
5 Song Thrushes
22 Redwings
16 Magpies
111 Jackdaws
68 Rooks
86 Greenfinches
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)