None

Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: in song at the West end
- 7 Chiffchaffs: one of these in song
- 2 Blackcaps: both males

Counts from the lake area:
- *2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 2 (2♂) Eurasian Wigeon: departed?
- 14 (8♂) Mallard
- *15 (6?) Tufted Duck: eight of these flew off West
- 9 Moorhens
- 177 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes
- 21 Great Crested Grebes
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls: 78 of these were on the football field c.07:10
- 8 Herring Gulls
- *74 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 21 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

Noted on / around dew-covered street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Yellow Swarming Fly (Thaumatomyia notata)
- *several species of fly
- *1 possible Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)
- *1 Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius)
- 1 Leiobunum blackwalli harvestman
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestman: too high up to positively ID
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman

Noted later:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni): after much searching I found one only
- Grey Squirrel

There was rather little cloud around this morning but a patch prevented a decent sunrise.

The four Mute Swan cygnets take to the air. All clearing the water with feet retracted so they are already confident flyers.

Three of the cygnets always seem to be together with the fourth keeping slightly to itself.

Four of the Tufted Ducks circling around before leaving. With shading in the 'arm-pits' these are all ducks.

An immature large gull with strong underwing markings suggests a Lesser Black-backed Gull. With a pale base to the bill it is likely to be a second winter individual.

The same individual from above. The relative lack of contrast in the upper wing and conversely the contrast between the solid black tail and the pale upper tail both confirm it as a second winter.

A very much underrated species is the Dunnock. It may be the archetypical 'small brown job' but it is very intricately marked. The species also has a very 'modern' sex life. "Children from different dads? It happens with human twins very occasionally. We call it heteropaternal superfecundation. Dunnocks call it life". More on a Dunnocks life Here.

Is this a pair of flies? The one on the top left has the dark wing tips seen on several flies recently. The one on the bottom right looks very similar but lacks the dark wing tips. Could they be a male and female of the same species?

Did I mention there was a heavy dew? The shaded background to this unidentified fly is part of the number of the street lamp.

A Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius).

This may or may not be a Small Black Ant (Lasius niger). Separation of Lasius species needs a more detailed photo than my camera can reproduce.

Aircraft of the day #1. Fresh 'out of the box' is this Ryanair Boeing 737-8-200 MAX en route from Dublin to London's Gatwick airport. The -200 series is a special high-density version produced mainly at the behest of Ryanair who want to cram in as many passengers as they safely can. Delivered to Dublin on 23 September it is seen here on its fifth commercial flight. Just visible under its left wing is its identity EI-IFP. The EI- prefix indicates Eire - the Irish Republic.

Aircraft of the day #2. This helicopter is a Robinson R44 Raven II privately owned by someone near Malvern. The glare of the sun makes it hard to read its identity. Flight Radar 24 aided me: it is G-CEUU.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:15 – 10:10

(202nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The drake Gadwall was not located.
- An unusually well-balanced total of Mallard. Usually drakes significantly outnumber ducks.
- The duck Common Teal is a new arrival.
- One of the Great Crested Grebes was a full adult; another was a juvenile of the age of the residents before they all apparently departed; I could not make up my mind about the third. Was it an adult moulting its head plumes: or a well-advanced immature with little or no facial stripes. It stayed at some range throughout.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws: together

Warblers noted:
- 2 Chiffchaffs: no song

Noted on / around the water
- 51 Canada Geese
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 31 (16♂) Mallard
- *1 (0♂) Common Teal
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 29 (4?♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 10 Black-headed Gulls
- *5 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted

Noted later:

- Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner (Cameraria ohridella)

This morning's duck Common Teal. I noted a small duck right up against the island. While I was trying to get a photo to see what it was, it took off, flew past me showing its distinctive green speculum, and then landed reasonably close-by. No sooner had I taken a few photos it took off and flew back to lurk beside the island.

"Are you sure there is room here?" Two Cormorants get cosy.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

- 5 owl midges Psychodidae sp.
- 36 (gulp!) other midges of various sizes
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2011

Priorslee Lake

2 Skylarks

3 Meadow Pipits

26 Pied Wagtails

7 Siskins

2 Redpolls

142 Greylag Geese

320 Canada Geese

Common Sandpiper

45 Robins

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

Cormorant

A pair of Wigeon

220 Coots

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

(Ed Wilson)

2007

RAF Cosford

Juvenile Gannet flew over RAF Cosford at about 30 metres off the ground

(Martin R Adlam)

2005

Priorslee Lake

3 Redpoll

Siskin

5 Chiffchaffs

Blackcap

Kingfisher

Buzzard

2 Kestrel

Meadow Pipit

(Ed Wilson)

Friends of Priorslee Lake Wildlife Site

Pages

FoPL Reports

Botanical Report

Species Records

28 Sep 22