7 Oct 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

12.0°C > 14.0°C: Patchy cloud. Moderate / fresh SSW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:21 BST

* = a photo from today.

Priorslee Lake: 05:50 – 09:25

(217th visit of the year)

One highlight: a male Pheasant burst out of the brush alongside the concrete ramp at 07:10. I usually only see this species in the Spring when it is trying to set up a breeding territory.

Other bird notes:
- There were eight Canada Geese present when I arrived which soon flew off. Later 17 flew East only to circle and drop in for about five minutes. At this time, and perhaps throughout, there was a single present. As I was about to leave another 21 dropped in.
- The Black-headed Gulls were very flighty and there is perhaps some double-counting as birds moved between the lake and the football field.
- I saw a Sparrowhawk on three separate occasions. I saw neither well-enough to sex them and therefore suggest whether more than one bird was involved.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: a duo outbound
- *15 Greylag Geese
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 27 Wood Pigeons
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 18 unidentified large gulls: pre-dawn
- 1 or more Sparrowhawks
- 29 Jackdaws
- 133 Rooks
- 6 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Linnet

Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: singing in the NE area.
- 2 Chiffchaffs: no song

Counts from the lake area:
- 47 Canada Geese: see notes
- *2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 2 (2♂?) Eurasian Wigeon
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 18 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens only
- 201 Coots again
- 12 Great Crested Grebes
- c.250? Black-headed Gulls: 87 were on the football field c.07:20: see notes
- 1 Herring Gull
- *1 Yellow-legged Gull
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 44 unidentified large gulls: pre-dawn

Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 2 different species of fly
- *1 possible Small Black Ant (Lasius niger)
- *2 species of springtail
- *1 species of leafhopper, probably Ribautiana tenerrima
- *2 species of beetle
- *2 species of spider

Noted later:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- greenbottle fly
- Grey Squirrel

A rather brooding morning with just a sliver of colour.

A full-length view.

A group of 15 geese fly over. But what species are they?

I did not hear any calls (or they were drowned out by the traffic on the M54) so I zoomed in and did some photo-editing to reveal the areas of pale grey in the upper wing identifying them as Greylag Geese.

Two of the four Mute Swan cygnets on their morning test flight.

Another gull I have been puzzling over, eventually concluding it is likely a second winter Yellow-legged Gull. I noted the pale head; and the rather grey back with well-marked folded wings. Rather puzzling is the pale eye which would suggest an older bird. The dark bill with a pale tip supports the second winter diagnosis.

Here is a Common Crane-fly (Tipula oleracea). One of the residents commented to me that he had seen many fewer crane flies this Autumn. He was used to catching and releasing many invading his house but had seen very few this year.

This may or may not be a Small Black Ant (Lasius niger). There is a photo on the web that looks like this but then so do many others!

On the left is a springtail which appears to be of the genus Pogonognathellus though the antennae look too short for it to be a P. longicornis. Note however that the left antennae looks shorter than the right one so perhaps they are both broken? On the right is the unknown bug I photographed yesterday. Strangely it did not seem to be present later yesterday.

This does look like a Pogonognathellus longicornis springtail. Again it looks as if the antennae are of slightly different lengths.

Another street lamp pole sighting was this leafhopper, probably Ribautiana tenerrima. This species is noted as being associated with Brambles which are plentiful in the area.

This beetle is about the same size as the springtail. I am sue it is species of ground beetle but which I could not say.

A very different and very large ground beetle showing its jaws. Again there are many similar species.

The only one of the two spiders that I was able to get an acceptable photo of. I cannot identify it though.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30– 10:30

(210th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Where have many of the ducks gone? Only about half the number of Mallard and no Tufted Ducks located. Plenty of Moorhens though.
- I thought I saw four duck / immature Goosanders flying off as I arrived. How these relate to the three beside the island later is unclear.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 4 Jackdaws: two duos

Warblers noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff: no song

Noted on / around the water
- 11 Canada Geese
- 27 Greylag Geese at least
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 14 (7♂) Mallard only
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- no Tufted Duck
- 3 (0♂)? Goosander: see notes
- 19 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes: adult and juvenile again
- 2 Black-headed Gulls only
- 4 Cormorants
- 3 Grey Herons again

On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted

Noted later:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

- 1 owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- 11 other midges / mosquitoes of various sizes
- no White-legged Snake Millipedes again

(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

2014

Wellington

Fieldfare

(Jenny Hood)

2013

Priorslee Lake

2 Shoveler

Chiffchaff

Grey Wagtail

Reed Bunting

Siskin.

(John Isherwood)

2009

Priorslee Lake

50 Mute Swan

(Mike Cooper)

2006

Priorslee Lake

Swallow circling with swirling Starlings

(Ed Wilson)