2 Oct 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

11.0°C > 13.0°C: Early cloud to East and South cleared away to leave blue skies. A light westerly breeze developed after a calm start. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:12 BST

* = a photo from today

Priorslee Lake: 05:50 – 09:10

(212th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The four Mute Swan cygnets took themselves for a fly down the length of the lake.
- A Tawny Owl was heard again at c.06:00.
- Seven Barn Swallows flew South together at 08:20. Two flew low West at 09:00: could these be birds breeding in the village?

Birds noted flying over here:
- 7 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 6 Feral Pigeons: single and quintet
- 14 Stock Doves: four duos and two trios
- 38 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 15 unidentified large gulls: pre-dawn
- 13 Jackdaws
- 125 Rooks
- 2 Starlings: together
- 5 Pied Wagtails

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 9 Barn Swallows

Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: in song at the West end again
- 4 Chiffchaffs: no song

Counts from the lake area:
- *5 Canada Geese: flew off at 07:10; presumably the same returned at 08:50
- *2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall again
- 13 (7♂) Mallard
- 6 (2?) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 188 Coots
- 21 Great Crested Grebes again
- c.85 Black-headed Gulls: of these 46 were on the football field at 07:10
- 1 Herring Gull
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 unidentified large gulls: pre-dawn
- 2 Cormorants

Noted on / around dew-covered street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *1 female midge sp.
- two species of fly
- 1 aphid sp.
- 1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 presumed Common House-spider (Tegenaria domestica)
- 1 other spider
- 1 male Leiobunum blackwalli harvestman
- 1 male Leiobunum rotundum harvestman

Noted later:
- Grey Squirrel

Despite much cloud to the South and East there was a colourful sunrise. It is just beginning to colour here.

The quintet of Canada Geese provide most of the foreground as the colour spreads.

About as good as it got.

The four Mute Swan cygnets gathered together by the dam, calling quietly (not 'mute' at all).

"Come on you guys and gals. Let's go for a fly"

"Wait for us"

Rather frustrating. I am sure I have seen and identified this insect previously but cannot relocate the record. It looks as if it ought to be a female midge (no plumes on the antennae) and is unusual in having a spot in each wing.

Another (the same) possible Common House-spider (Tegenaria domestica) in the same area as yesterday. In this photo the long palps (boxing gloves) are visible indicating it is a male. The front pair of legs is being held directly over the spider's head giving a rather strange appearance.

Here is a side view showing the way the legs are being held – and showing how hairy it is.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:20

(205th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A Little Grebe was a new arrival.
- None of the three Great Crested Grebes seemed to be a juvenile, all apparently adults in winter plumage with only small head-plumes. Two of them were seen doing head-shaking display. One of the fishermen said he had seen five birds so perhaps yesterday's two juveniles were lurking somewhere?

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Skylark

Warblers noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff: no song

Noted on / around the water
- 22 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *38 (22♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 18 (3?♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens only
- 25 Coots
- *1 Little Grebe
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again: but see notes
- 4 Black-headed Gulls: no first winter birds
- *4 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted

Noted later:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax)
- Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)
- Migrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)
- *planthopper (Cicadellidae sp.)

I needed to be a fraction of a second earlier. This drake Mallard is nearly out of the photo.

Not the best lighting conditions, straight in to the sun but the unmistakable shape of a Little Grebe.

Oh no! Not more Cormorant photos! Just one.

A Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax) on the Ivy. It is a male with the tapered body. The markings on the abdomen of most drone fly species (Eristalis) vary considerably and are not a reliable identification feature.

This is a planthopper (Cicadellidae sp.). There are a number of mainly green species and I really needed to have photographed the head area more clearly to have had any chance of a specific identity. My excuse it that it is very small and was running around on the leaf making any photo a challenge.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

- 3 owl midges Psychodidae sp. yet again
- 13 other midges of various sizes
- no White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- *1 spider sp., perhaps Zygiella x-notata.

This spider is perhaps Zygiella x-notata. A species of web spider that is active most of the year. Its web is distinctive in have two segments missing. There was no web associated with this individual so perhaps I have the ID all wrong.

(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
Candles Landfill Site
1st winter Caspian Gull
2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull.
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Redwing
Swallow
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Mike Cooper)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Swallow
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)