14 Oct 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

11.0°C > 13.0°C: Early cloud cleared somewhat from time to time. Light wind. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 07:33 BST

* = a photo from today.

Priorslee Lake: 06:15 – 09:15 

(224th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Strangely no geese were noted flying over.
- I counted 112 Canada Geese early though it was rather dark to be certain.
- No sizeable parties of Jackdaws located.

Birds noted flying over here:
- no geese
- 56 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 8 unidentified large gulls: pre-dawn
- 39 Jackdaws
- 176 Rooks
- 2 Skylarks again
- 5 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Siskin again

Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: singing in the north-west area pre-dawn

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 14 Reed Buntings: at least two more still calling in the roost area

Counts from the lake area:
- *112? Canada Geese: all but 19 departed; 38 arrived much later
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall: the third pair only briefly
- 10 (6♂) Mallard
- 15 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens again
- 189 Coots
- *11 Great Crested Grebes
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls: I did not visit the football field but was told c.100 were feeding there c.07:30
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 41 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 34 unidentified large gulls: pre-dawn

Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Dew on the lamp poles seemed to have reduced the numbers

- *4 November Moths agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)
- *1 small orange-toned fly
- *1 possible dance fly Tachydromia umbrarum
- *1 cranefly sp., probably Tipula confusa
- *1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea)
- *1 very small spider
- *1 probable Mitostoma chrysomelas harvestman

Noted later:
- Grey Squirrel

It was a mainly cloudy start but as so often it was clearer to the East with the sun trying to make an appearance.

Silhouetted against the sunrise are a few of the remaining 100+ Canada Geese that were present here before dawn. In the foreground two Great Crested Grebes are peering underwater for their breakfast.

Two of today's four November Moths (Epirrita sp.) get cosy. Despite the size and tonal difference there is nothing to specifically identify them from this photo.

This small unidentified orange fly closely resembles the Muscid fly Phaonia pallida but is less than half the size. For scale the dark mark on the right is the bottom left mark of a figure '3' painted on the street lamp pole as its identification in the council's inventory.

This is a better photo of a fly I have been puzzling over for a while. The rounded head, well-separated from the thorax, recalls craneflies, some of the wood gnats and also the dagger flies. Another search of the NatureSpot web site threw up the dance fly Tachydromia umbrarum as a strong possibility. The wing markings match though the photos on their web site suggest the front legs should be thicker. Perhaps I am the right area.

This cranefly is probably Tipula confusa, one of the species seen most frequently in Autumn and the one with patterned wings held over its back when at rest. Note it has lost one of its legs: a not uncommon happening amongst craneflies.

I have logged this as a Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea) mainly because it is the most common of the green lacewings and also because it is the only species to overwinter, turning straw-coloured as the year progresses. However I have never noted one with antennae shaped like this; nor one with black legs so perhaps it is another species entirely.

I found this tiny spider on one of the street lamp poles. I have no idea as to the species.

You be the judge. Is this a better photo of what I believe to be a Mitostoma chrysomelas harvestman?

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:20

(215th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- No Tufted Ducks this morning. They have been very scarce this Autumn.
- Two Kingfishers were seen chasing around the top end. Then later I was surprised to have one fly over my head while I was standing in Derwent Drive. It sped off toward the island.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
- 2 Skylarks

Noted on / around the water
- 15 Canada Geese
- 39 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 34 (23♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- no Tufted Duck
- 21 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes: adult and three immatures again
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 2 (or three) Kingfishers

Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- *1 unidentified fly sp.
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum harvestman

Noted later:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- *Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax)
- *Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- Grey Squirrel
- Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

Sunning on one of the street lamp poles was this rather unusual-looking small fly. Many flies show white around their, often red, eyes. I have never read any explanation for this.

This view identifies a male Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax). It is only the males that have the tapered abdomen.

Another male (the eyes meet) drone fly without the taper to the abdomen. It is a Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax), confirmed by the dark and slightly swollen tibia on its hind legs.

(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

2011

Priorslee Lake

14 Redwing

(Glenn Bishton)

2010

Priorslee Lake

1 Wigeon

2nd winter Common Gull

Redpoll

(Ed Wilson)

2009

Priorslee Lake

54 Mute Swans

3 Wigeon

6 Pochard

12 Tufted Ducks

15+ Lapwings

203 Coots

Meadow Pipit

3 Skylarks

1 Siskin

6 Redwing

Willow Tits

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

2 Cormorant

Water Rail

Lapwings

37 Robins

21 Blackbirds

1 Fieldfare

6 Song Thrushes

48 Redwings

Siskin

300 Starlings

(Ed Wilson)