17 Aug 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

14.0°C > 17.0°C: Mostly cloudy, initially at medium level and later at lower level. Light easterly breeze, increasing. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:55 BST

+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.

* = a photo today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 06:15 // 07:10 – 08:30

(166th visit of the year)

Another abbreviated visit with other commitments.

Bird notes:
- Many fewer Coots today partly because of the dull conditions.
- Two more late Sand Martins, presumably on their way.
- Today, and several mornings recently, one of more House Martins have been heard overhead pre-dawn apparently arriving from the East. Often, particularly today, a number have been high over the football field soon afterwards. I can only suggest that having had several broods there is not enough room in the nests for all the birds and some have to go off to roost elsewhere, returning as soon as they can.

Counts of birds noted flying over here:
- 127 Canada Geese: outbound in eight groups
- 12 Greylag Geese: seven outbound in three groups; five inbound in three groups
- 1 Stock Dove
- 63 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults
Nowt else!

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 13 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (0) Reed Warblers
- 3 (0) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 2 Sand Martins
- 2 Barn Swallows
- c.30 House Martins

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 8 (?♂) Mallard
- 2 Moorhens
- 58 Coots only
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 72 Black-headed Gulls on the football field area c.06:00: one juvenile. Seven (of these?) noted at the lake later.
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: one adults; two immatures
- 1 Grey Heron

On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- none

Other things
- 1 midge sp. with spotted wings
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 other spider

Noted later during the abbreviated visit: cloudy and breezy conditions meant few things flying:

Butterflies:
- none

Moths:
- Pale Straw Pearl (Udea lutealis)

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- none

Other flies:
- none

Beetles:
- none

Bugs:
- none

Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

A Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) getting pollen from a Field Bindweed flower (Convolvulus arvensis).

Another chance to see... a Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius) in its web.

A spider day today. No idea what species this small example is.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:20 – 07:05

(154th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The two resident breeding Mute Swans chased the third white bird off the water again this morning.
- A late brood of nine Mallard ducklings. But how many will survive? None has so far in what has been a dreadful season for them.
- I can confirm the presence of five adult Great Crested Grebes

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 7 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:

None

Noted on / around the water
- 7 Canada Geese
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 19 (?♂) + 9 (1 brood) Mallard
- [all-white feral duck not seen]
- 31 (>7♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- 66 Coots
- 5 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on / beside the street lamp poles around the water etc.:

Moths:
- none

Other things
- 1 Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): caught in web
- *1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni): adult
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni): larvae

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
- *Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)
- fungus, perhaps Peppery Milkcap (Lactarius piperatus)

Unusually both adult Mute Swans were ganging up on the third bird.

It was the cob driving home the attack.

The duck Mallard with hew very new brood of nine ducklings. The white feathers are probably from the moulting adult Mute Swans and not necessarily the battle with the third bird.

 She looks a proud mother.

An Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni). I have not seen any adults for several weeks.

Not sure about this. The closest identification I can find is Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa). It is growing on the bank quite near houses in Wordsworth Way. Could it be just 'Parsnip growing wild' having escaped from a garden. Strangely I read that while the root - parsnips - are edible the sap in the leaves and stem is toxic.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash on / around street lamp poles:

Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata)

 A 'classic view' of a Common Grass-veneer moth (Agriphila tristella).

(Ed Wilson)

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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- none

Other things
- several midges including one plumed midge,

- 18(!) White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)

- 5 unidentified spiders of at least three species

All I can say about this spider is that with 'boxing glove' palps it is a male.

Unknown spider #2

And #3

(Ed Wilson)