12 Dec 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

11.0°C: Mostly cloudy with the 'Telford hat' keeping the breaks seen in the cloud mostly elsewhere. Calm / very light SSW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:12 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 06:45 – 09:25

(287th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A lone drake Gadwall was seen at each end of the water. Assumed to be the same bird.
- At least 350 Black-headed Gulls were swirling around flying over the lake by 07:25, reluctant to settle, though some did occasionally. Many left but most returned. At least 400 were scattered across the water at 08:15.
- In contrast there were rather fewer large gulls arriving early and then flying over later.
- The outbound Jackdaws had some difficulty twisting through the swirling Black-headed Gulls but seemed to managed without accident.
- A Cetti's Warbler called by the Wesley Brook bridge at 07:25. The first note of its distinctive song was also heard. Nothing more.
- A Mistle Thrush was singing from trees alongside Teece Drive. Two others arrived, calling, and the they all flew off.

Overhead:
- 2 Canada Geese: outbound
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 37 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 138 Jackdaws
- 10 Pied Wagtails heard

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:

None

Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: see notes

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 41 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 56 Coots
- >400 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Herring Gulls
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived together; two departed quickly; the third later

At / around the street lamps pre-dawn in the milder conditions:

A bumper bundle.

Moths:
- 4 Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
- 1 November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.)

Also
- *three species of planthopper; one Eupteryx urticae; the other two not identifiable from photos
- *two barkflies: one Chilenocaecilius ornatipennis; the other either Ectopscous briggsi or E. petersi
- 4 'winter midge' sp.
- *at least four species of fly, one perhaps the picture-winged fly Seioptera vibrans
- *at least two species of ichneumon wasp
- *1 weevil sp., perhaps Tychius picirostris
- plus other unidentified tiny insects

Spiders or harvestman:
- *1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 3 other spider species
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman

Noted later:
- 1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) elsewhere

The poor light means just one bird photo this morning. One of the local Common Buzzards surveying the scene.

All the other photos are insects, mainly small and unidentified, tempted out by the mild weather. Starting with a planthopper Eupteryx urticae.

The Shropshire bug man – thanks to Keith – tells me these yellow / green planthoppers cannot be identified from photos.

Apart from noting that it a different species the same remark as above.

Keith tells me this is "one of the Psocoptera (barkflies). It is Chilenocaecilius ornatipennis – easily recognisable (if you know what you are looking for!) by its slightly opaque wings with the markings where the veins meet the wing tips and the stripe along the side of its abdomen which extends onto the head". Easy when you know!

Another barkfly, this time of the genus Ectopscous – unfortunately there are two species that look very similar E. briggsi and E. petersi.

Three for the price of one – except I cannot identify any of them! The larger one looks like the springtail that may be Pogonognathellus longicornis. That is less than the length of my little finger nail and the other two are TINY.

There were at least five ichneumon flies / wasps on the lamps. This was typical.

This ichneumon is at least different in that it is a female with a short ovipositor.

The first of a number of small flies I noted. Not sharp I am afraid as I did not have the right camera for close-up work. I think one of the many Tephritid flies. Further than that I cannot say.

A very slender small fly with rather long wings (or a short body).

The wing markings on this fly match the picture-winged fly Seioptera vibrans. The 'vibrans' may be relevant as it was waving its wings about. On the other hand the body seems too slender and it may be a 'wing-waving fly'.

No mistaking this as a weevil. But which species? It shows club-ended antennae with a right-angle toward the tip of the snout. The legs are rather sturdy and marked. It may be Tychius picirostris which is a common weevil and associated with clover, an abundant plant in the area.

Another trio. I can identify the spider as a Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis). A tiny fly between its hind legs and a small beetle(?) off to the left.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:20

(262nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Six of the Canada Geese departed but were presumably the six that arrived a few minutes later.
- Another day with rather few Mallard. Where do they hide?

Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Common Buzzard

On /around the water:
- 41 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 27 (18♂) Mallard only
- no Teal
- 34 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 (5♂) Goosander
- 15 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

On / around different street lamps:
- *1 November Moth-type (Epirrita sp.)
- 1 female Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata): not the same as yesterday
- 1 Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria)
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman

Around the Ivy:
- 1 Muscid fly noted

I am sure this one of the November Moth group (Epirrita sp.). It is an unusually late date for this species. To my eyes the wings are too straight-edged for the most common moth at this time of year, the Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata). It also seemed larger though that is not apparent in the photo. There was one at the lake that I was sure also was a 'November Moth' but I could not access it for a photo.

(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

Priorslee Lake

2 Scaup (imm/fem)

4  Pochard

2 Teal

2 Goosanders

101 Tufted Duck

Adult Yellow-legged Gull

c.478 Lesser Black-backed

c30 Herring

c.5 Great Black-backed Gulls

1 Water Rail 

245 Coots

18 Fieldfare

201 Redwings

2 Siskins

(Ed Wilson/Gary Crowder)

2012

Priorslee Lake

1 Yellow-legged Gull.

Great Black-backed Gull

2 Gadwall

2 Teal

45 Tufted Ducks

1 Goosander

10 Redwings

2 Fieldfares

(Ed Wilson/Martin Grant)

2011

Priorslee Lake

2 Yellow-legged Gulls

c300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

11 Great Black-backed Gulls

(Tom Lowe)

2009

Priorslee Lake

Black-necked Grebe

Little Grebe

36 Swans

29 Pochard

79 Tufted Ducks

1 Water Rail

277 Coots

5 Redwings

(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

2008

Priorslee Lake

2 Yellow-legged Gull

7 Great Black-backed Gull

4 Gadwall

45 Golden Plover

( John Isherwood) 

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

5 Cormorants

25 Pochard

44 Tufted Ducks

72 Coots

>2000 Black-headed Gulls

228 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

15 Herring Gulls

25 Robins

16 Blackbirds

31 Fieldfares

5 Redwings

278 Jackdaws

105 Rooks

32 Starlings

7 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

2005

Priorslee Lake

Water Rail

2 Little Grebes

7 Great Crested Grebes

16 Pochard

54 Tufted Duck

244 Coot

262 Jackdaws

285 Rooks

1 Redpoll

24 Siskins

21 Pied Wagtails

2 Grey Wagtails

8 Redwings

15 Fieldfares

13 Reed Buntings

13 Robins

19 Blackbirds

1 Willow Tit

14 Greenfinches

(Ed Wilson)