17 Dec 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.0°C: Medium-level cloud with a few breaks: not enough to let the low winter sun through. Calm. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:16 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 06:45 – 09:15

(291st visit of the year)

Another very quiet morning. High pressure and calm conditions = not much moving.

Bird notes:
- I was told that the two Mute Swans were back by c.10:00 yesterday. I was not able to read any rings to identify them as 'ours' (or not).
- Two Woodcocks: one flew past me to roost at 07:25; another at the surprisingly late time of 07:40 when it was much lighter than normal.
- Very few Jackdaws seen: no large groups – three small parties and two duos.
- The Cetti's Warbler sang at the W end at 07:20. It, or another, was calling along the N side at 07:35 and then flew E past me. It was heard calling intermittently thereafter.
- *A group of 16 Siskins flew W over the dam: whether these were the birds seen at the W end later, or whether they flew on is impossible to say.

Overhead:
- 2 Canada Geese: duo inbound
- 24 Wood Pigeons: 18 of these in a single group high NE
- 1 Cormorant
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 35 Jackdaws
- 4 Pied Wagtails heard
- 16 Siskins: but see notes

Birds leaving roost sites around the lake:
- 14 Redwings

Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: song and calls

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: throughout
- *2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 28 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens again
- 44 Coots
- c.125 Black-headed Gulls
- 11 Herring Gulls
- *35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Cormorant: arrived

Around the street lamps pre-dawn in slightly cooler conditions:

Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) only
- 1 male Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria)

Also:
- *1 Ectopscous species of barkfly
- 3 'winter gnats'

Spiders:
- 1 Neriene montana
- 2 Nursery Web Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 1 Tetragnatha sp. stretch spiders
- *1 other unidentified spider
- 2 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen

Noted later:
- 1 male Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) at rest on a wall of the sailing club HQ.

The two Mute Swans here. I could not see whether these had rings to see whether they are 'ours'.

A handsome-looking first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull.

The same bird alongside a smaller third-winter bird – rather too much black on the bill for an adult. In all gull species males are typically larger than females, though there is considerable variation.

Today's Cormorant hauled out. Note there is just the start of the white thigh-patch this species acquires when in breeding condition. This can usually be first seen around Christmas time.

Not often I can show a Siskin from this angle and show the yellow rump.

Because Siskins feed on seeds they need to drink to help digestion. A group of males was drinking from puddles behind the sailing club HQ. Note the middle bird has a rather speckled crown as it continues to moult in to adult plumage. (It is a leaf behind the left hand bird.)

 I make no apology for multiple images of what was a most welcome opportunity.

Almost all birds drink by dipping their bills in to the water and then throwing the liquid down their throats. Only pigeons and doves can suck water.

Another view

Last one.

This seems to be one of the Ectopscous species of barkfly (E. briggsi / E. petersi / E. meridionalis). Not separable from photos.

 A spider for Nigel to help with. Another seven-legged special!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:20

(266th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A Collared Dove in song again.
- Also a Song Thrush singing quietly.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 25 Fieldfare: together
- 4 Redwings: group of three; single with Fieldfare

On /around the water:
- 16 Canada Geese: two departed
- 2 Greylag Geese: arrived (as yesterday)
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 45 (28♂) Mallard
- no Teal
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 60 (30♂) Tufted Duck
- *27 (3♂) Goosander
- 13 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 36 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adults
- 1 Grey Heron

On / around different street lamps:
- 2 male Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
- 1 male Mottled Umber moths (Erranis defoliaria)
- *1 Oak Apple Gall Wasp (Biorhiza pallida)
- *1 spider to be identified
- *1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman

Around the Ivy or elsewhere:

Nothing

One of the many brownhead Goosanders.

And looking over her shoulder as she swims away.

This was sidling up to the spider (below). At the time I thought it was another another spider: but it is six legs and two long antennae. It is another Oak Apple Gall Wasp (Biorhiza pallida).

I am sure I have seen this spider species before though I cannot recall having seen one with shoulder pads! Another for Nigel.

As at the lake it has been about a fortnight since I saw any harvestmen. I found this six-legged Dicranopalpus ramosus-type. This is male with long palps as well as long and forked pedipalps.

(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

40 Golden Plover

4 Great Black-backed Gulls

5 Gadwall

2 Teal

4 Siskins

2 Redpolls

8 Pochard 

83 Tufted Ducks

249 Coots

83 Fieldfare

54 Redwings

216 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

The Flash

Greater Scaup

1 Little Grebe 

179 Tufted Ducks 

1 Goosander 

(John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)

Holmer Lake

30 Goosander

1 Little Grebe

(John Isherwood)

2012

Priorslee Lake

4 Gadwall

11 Pochard

48 Tufted Ducks

Snipe

1 Water Rail

163 Coots

6 Redwings

227 Jackdaws

3 Redpolls

2 Siskin

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

2 Pochard

33 Tufted Duck

30 Goosanders

(Ed Wilson)

2009

Priorslee Lake

Black-necked Grebe

5 Great Crested Grebes

29 Swans

36 Pochard

97 Tufted Ducks

3 Water Rails

291 Coots

6 Redwings

c.230 Jackdaws

c.30 Goldfinches

7 Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

18 Pochard

41 Tufted Ducks

35 Fieldfare

19 Redwings

216 Jackdaws

132 Rooks

11 Greenfinches

2 Redpoll

7 Reed Buntings

(Martin Adlam)

2005

Priorslee Lake

c.1500 Black-headed Gulls

c.400 Lesser Black-backs

18 Pochard

77 Tufted Duck

7 Shoveler

5 Great Crested Grebe

2 Dabchick

3 Water Rail

1 Snipe

40 Siskin

2 Redpoll

19 Reed Bunting

(Martin Adlam)