27 Dec 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

6.0°C: More low cloud descending to mist from time to time. Calm start with light E wind developing. Good visibility early; becoming moderate / poor.

Sunrise: 08:21 GMT again

* = a photo today

Yet another dull morning though amazingly a few glimpses of the moon early and good horizontal visibility for a while.

Priorslee Lake: 07:00 – 09:10

(300th visit of the year!!

Best today in often limited visibility were four Lapwings circling overhead for a while c.08:20

Other bird notes:
- Similar number of c,500 Black-headed Gulls had arrived by c.07:50.
- Again fewer large gulls both early and flying over.
- Two overflying Common Buzzards today. Both emerged from over the M54 and probably from the Nedge area. One of these was probably the bird seen on the academy playing field much later.
- A big party of c.220 Jackdaws flew outbound from their roost at the currently typical time of 07:55. One or, very probably, more heard at 07:25 when I was not in a position to see them (it was still very dark anyway). Just a single later. But where are all the Rooks at the moment?
- A Mistle Thrush was singing from remnant trees in the new housing estate. The contractors building the final phase in close proximity were not working today.
- There seem to be no roosting Reed Buntings at the moment. The only one I heard this morning was at the W end. It flew off at 08:45 which can hardly be described as roost departure!

Overhead:
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- no Wood Pigeons!!
- 1 Collared Dove
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 4 Lapwings
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- >220 Jackdaws
- 2 Pied Wagtails heard
- 2 Siskins

Birds leaving roost sites around the lake:
- 6 Redwings

Warblers noted:

None

Counts from the lake area:
- no Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 49 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 47 Coots
- >500 Black-headed Gulls once more
- 7 Herring Gull
- 23 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant

Around the damp lamps:

Moths:
- *1 presumed male Northern Winter Moth (Operophtera fagata) [on size]
- 3 male Winter Moths (O. brumata)
If correctly identified the Northern Winter Moth is moth species #124 for me at the lake in 2021

Also:
- **various unidentified tiny insects: see photos

Spiders:
- *1 Neriene montana

This is the moth I have provisionally identified as a male Northern Winter Moth (Operophtera fagata). It was obviously larger than a typical Winter Moth (O. brumata) such that my initial impression was that it would be a Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria). As it was many feet up a lamp pole there is no real way to illustrate its size. The other identification feature of males is a paler underwing. Well yes!

Certainly a cranefly but which species I have no idea.

My suggestion is that this is a female midge. With the banded abdomen it could be a Plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus) - only males have the plumed antennae.

A tiny creature that I suspect is a barkfly. I did wonder about a red spider mite but they have short antennae and eight legs. I have no idea what the mark on the right is if indeed it is not a mark on the lamp pole.

Another tiny critter. I am not even certain whether this is a bug or a beetle.

Did I say tiny? This fly was about half the size of the big / beetle and waving one of its wings about. There is a family (Ulidiidae) of wing-waving flies that are generally larger and have distinctively patterned wings. Which means I am stumped about this insect.

A smart specimen of a Neriene montana spider. The abdomen markings are very variable: the radiating lines on the cephalothorax are the key identification feature.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:05

(275th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A pair of Teal reappeared
- Fewer Tufted Duck – perhaps they had gone to swell the numbers at the lake? And taken the drake Pochard with them?
- Milder weather = Song Thrush singing at the top end.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Siskin

On /around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 43 (29♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- no Pochard
- 20 (9♂) Tufted Duck only
- *16 (5♂) Goosander: 2 (1♂) flew off
- 13 Moorhens
- 24 Coots again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 36 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Herring Gulls: both first-winter birds
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron again

On various street lamps: (same number of winter moths as at the lake!)
- 1 presumed male Northern Winter Moth (Operophtera fagata) [on size]
- 3 male Winter Moths (O. brumata)
- 1 male Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria)
If correctly identified the Northern Winter Moth is moth species #51 for me at The Flash in 2021

Also noted:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

"I see no fish". One of two duck Goosanders on the hunt.

Another duck Goosander. I am sure that the very full crest precludes it being a late moulting first-winter drake.

And another. This shows some white between the bill and the eye indicating it is a first-winter. Again the extent of the crest suggests a duck. Note the bright foot visible underwater.

Yet again. I see Goosanders have not yet invented handkerchiefs.

I couldn't fit it all in and it flew off before I could zoom out. A rather handsome first-winter Herring Gull.

(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

1 Little Grebe

7 Gadwall

7 Pochard

101 Tufted Ducks

1 Scaup

210 Coots

1 Great Black-backed Gull

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

1 Little Grebe

69 Tufted Ducks

(Ed Wilson)

2012

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site

1 Caspian Gull

1 Yellow-legged Gull.

(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)

2011

The Wrekin

Flock of Crossbills near summit

(Maurice Baker)

2010

Priorslee Lake

2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull

(Observer Unknown)

2009

Priorslee Lake

Black-necked Grebe

4 Great Crested Grebes

18 Mute Swans

59 Canada Geese

4 Gadwall

29 Pochard 

92 Tufted Ducks 

2 Water Rails

327 Coots

2 Redwings

16 Goldfinches

13 Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee lake

2 Great Crested Grebe

22 Tufted Ducks

86 Coots

2 Great Black-backed Gulls

3 Buzzards

20 Pied Wagtails

c.200 Redwing

4 Mistle Thrush

c.500 Fieldfare

1 Willow Tit

3 Brambling

14 Chaffinches

13 Greenfinches

2 Redpoll

1 Siskin

3 Reed Buntings

(Martin Adlam)