23 Aug 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

14.0°C > 17.0°C: Clear to the East early otherwise cloudy. Occasional light rain after 07:00. Light south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:05 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: 05:05 – 06:25 // 07:35 – 09:40

(169th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A continuing dearth of juvenile Black-headed Gulls. There have been reports that many local breeding sites were badly affected by avian flu with both dead birds and abandoned locations.

Counts of birds noted flying over here:
- 72 Canada Geese: all outbound in ten groups
- 16 Greylag Geese: all outbound in two groups
- 4 Feral Pigeons: singles
- 202 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 11 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (0) Reed Warblers
- 3 (0) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 8 House Martins

Counts from the lake area:
- 17 Canada Geese: arrived together
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 90 Coots
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 71 Black-headed Gulls on the football field area c.06:15: still no juveniles. Just two (of these?) noted at the lake later.
- 1 Grey Heron: departed

On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- *+1 Dingy Dowd (Blastobasis adustella)
- *3 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- *1 Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla)
- +1 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata) [my first here this year despite all the others seen in the area]

Other things
- 1 Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 1 fly sp.
- *1 beetle sp.
- *1 spider, probably Missing Sector Orb-web Spider (Zygiella x-notata) [aka Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- *3 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestmen

In the sailing club shelter around dawn:
- *1 caddis fly, perhaps Molanna angustata
- *spiders of at least three species.

Noted later:

Butterflies:
- none

Moths:
- none

Bees / wasps etc.:
- *Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies:
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Common Twist-tail (Sphaerophoria scripta)

Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- *Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)

Other flies:
- *greenbottle Lucilia sp. and also possibly Neomyia cornicina
- *plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
- owl midge Psychodidae sp.

Beetles:
- larva and adult of Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Bugs:
- none

Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *another snail sp., possibly a Wrinkled Snail (Xeroplexa intersecta; also as Candidula intersecta)

I was nearly caught out by the sunrise this morning. When I arrived there was just the merest sliver of clear to the south-east and I decided that it would not give a decent sunrise. I was around the football field when I noted this over the new housing estate and hot-footed it back...

...to the lake in time to capture this.

The inverted 'V' marking across the folded wing of this micro-moth identifies it as my first Dingy Dowd (Blastobasis adustella) of the year.

Two for the price of one. On the left a Common Plume moth (Emmelina monodactyla): on the right a Dicranopalpus sp., of harvestman not specifically identifiable from photos.

And two more: on the left a Common Grass-veneer moth (Agriphila tristella) giving scale to an unknown species of beetle.

The only bees active were Common Carder Bees (Bombus pascuorum).

This one head buried and feeding on a Buddleia spike.

A fly on a street lamp pole pre-dawn. Note that identification apps. need to be treated with caution. Obsidentify suggested (albeit with a low probability) this was a Marasmius sp. These are species of fungus so I think not!!

Greenbottles are difficult occurring in several different genera. My Obsidentify app. thought this was most likely one of the Lucilia sp., here feeding on an over-ripe blackberry.

Whereas it suggested this was possibly Neomyia cornicina. It does look 'different' with a rather tubby abdomen.

A caddis fly, perhaps Molanna angustata, in the sailing club shelter.

A sad end but a good photo opportunity of a male plumed midge Chironomus plumosus.

In the dull and damp conditions I was surprised to disturb this male Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum): the only one I saw.

I think this is a Wrinkled Snail (Xeroplexa intersecta). My less-than-clean thumb-nail gives it scale.

Also here are two spiders in the sailing club shelter. The larger is one of the Eratigena group which include the House Spider and Giant House Spider. There is not enough of the lower green-bodied spider visible though it is likely a Cucumber Green Orb Spider-type (Araniella sp.)

Yet another from the sailing club shelter: the underside of a Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius).

And the top side of a different specimen holding its web such that it can feel whether anything is being caught.

And a third specimen from above. All these pre-dawn. Later they all hide away. I wonder whether folk that use the shelter during the day know what is lurking so close?

This spider on one of the street lamp poles is probably a Missing Sector Orb-web Spider (Zygiella x-notata)

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:30 – 07:30

(157th visit of the year)

Highlight today was the presence of a pair of Common Teal. This is unusually early for this species to reappear after the breeding season elsewhere.

Bird notes:
- The third white Mute Swan was not seen today. It may have been hiding away inside the island. I noted the adult cob fly the length of the water to settle near where it has been for that last two as if he expected it might be there. I was told that Cuan would only be interested in recovering any injured swan, otherwise they prefer to see nature take its course.
- Only one brood of six Mallard ducklings noted.
- The all-white feral duck reappeared after nearly a week's absence.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Jackdaw

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

Hirundines etc., noted:
- c.20 House Martins

Noted on / around the water
- 9 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *32 (?♂) + 6 (1 brood) Mallard
- *2 (1♂) Common Teal
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 34 (>7♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 60 Coots
- 5 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Black-headed Gulls: all flew off
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons

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

Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)

Other things
- 1 larva of Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- *1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)

Elsewhere around The Flash:

Nothing of note

The only Mallard ducklings I saw today were these six with their mother.

Small ducks a long way away in poor light: but here goes! A pair of Common Teal. On the left is the drake and the green in the speculum in the folded wing is just about discernable. On the duck the notable feature is the white mark along the side of her tail.

A Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus).

(Ed Wilson)

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

Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)

Other things:
- 1 Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- 2 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestman

(Ed Wilson)

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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel

Moths:
- *1 Brindled Flat-body (Agonopterix arenella)
- 1 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata)

Other things
- several unidentified midges
- 17 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger) at least!
- 7 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- several unidentified spiders, one a probable Missing Sector Orb-web Spider (Zygiella x-notata)
- 3 Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestmen

A small moth on the ceiling. The dark spots in the wing identify this as a Brindled Flat-body (Agonopterix arenella).

(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
Nedge Hill
1 Redstart
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Common Terns
(Ed Wilson)