2 Sep 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

14.0°C > 16.0°C: Early broken cloud giving *a belated view of the super blue moon. Soon clouded at low level and stayed that way with only a few brighter (read 'less dull') moments. Light and variable breeze. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:22 BST

+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 06:40 // 07:40 – 09:45

(178th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I counted 154 Black-headed Gulls on the football field at c.06:30 along with, unusually, two immature Herring Gulls and six (one adult) Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- Then c.08:45 at least 32 arrived at the lake, perhaps birds seen earlier on the football field returning. At least eight of these were recently fledged juveniles.
- c.25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were on the lake at c.06:20, leaving to the South. A few more drifted in and out. Then at c.08:50 at least 120 large gulls arrived together – at the other end of the water! As far as I could tell they were all Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- A loose party of 13 Barn Swallows flew south-west at 08:25: presumed migrants. Two seen later over the West end were likely local birds.

Counts of birds noted flying through the mist:
- 87 Canada Geese: 73 outbound in four groups; 14 inbound in three groups
- 31 Greylag Geese: all outbound in two groups
- other geese heard only both outbound and inbound
- 77 Wood Pigeons
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 14 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (0) Reed Warblers
- 6 (1) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 15 Barn Swallows
- House Martins heard only

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 8 (?♂) Mallard
- 9 Moorhens
- 91 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- >150 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 2 Herring Gulls: both one juvenile / first winter birds on the football field c.06:30
- >155 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron: departed

On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- 2 Common Grass-veneers (Agriphila tristella)

Other things
- *1 cranefly Tipula sp. in jaws of spider
- *1 plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- *2 Garden Spiders (Araneus diadematus)
- *11 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- [no harvestmen]

Around the sailing club HQ or in the sailing club shelter.

Nothing unusual

Noted later: very little in cloudy conditions

Butterflies:
- none

Moths:
- +*Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer (Agriphila geniculea)

Bees / wasps etc.:
- *Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- *ichneumon sp.

Hoverflies:
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- *Platycheirus sp. perhaps either Short-fanner Boxer (P. ramsarensis) or Marsh Boxer (P. clypeatus)

Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- hawker sp.

Other flies:
- greenbottles
- cranefly Tipula paludosa

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni); adults and larvae

Bugs:
- none

Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

When I arrived at the lake there were breaks in the clouds and I managed a photo of the now waning super blue moon. Thereafter it was rather dull and I do not have too much to show you.

A grass moth that only allowed this plan view so the markings are none too clear. There is enough to identify it as my first Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer (Agriphila geniculea) of the year here.

With 'chimney-sweep' antennae this is a classic male plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus).

A Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) about to get some nectar from the flower of Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis).

I have drawn a blank on this ichneumon. A male as there is no ovipositor which makes life harder – the length and shape of ovipositors can be a help to identification.

This tiny hoverfly (on the flower head of a Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)) is one of the Platycheirus sp. There are 25 to choose from and all are rather similar. I have very limited experience of this group. Examining the photos on Steven Falk's Flickr site leads me to suggest it is perhaps either a Short-fanner Boxer (P. ramsarensis) or a Marsh Boxer (P. clypeatus).

The males of almost all species of Platycheirus sp. have swellings on the front tarsus, the shape of which can help identification. This was my (failed) attempt to get a clear shot of this feature.

One of the Garden Spiders (Araneus diadematus) on the street lamp poles pre-dawn.

Well a man has to eat. A Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius) devouring a female cranefly (Tipula sp.)

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:45 – 07:35

(164th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The Great Crested Grebes were all over the water: only one juvenile seen with one of apparently five adults.

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

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs

Hirundines etc., noted:

None

Noted on / around the water: better visibility than yesterday, but still dull.
- 1 Canada Goose
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 23 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 51 (>11♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 50 Coots
- 5 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

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

Moths:
- 1 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer (Agriphila geniculea)
- 2 Common Grass-veneers (Agriphila tristella)

Other things
- 2 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestman

Of note elsewhere around The Flash:
- *possible slime-mould fungus

Many years ago a tree was felled on the East side and the stump was cut to resemble a very basic chair. Part of the 'seat' is at the top of the image. The base of the tree has sprouted this fungus. Could it have done so overnight? I have certainly not noted it before.

A closer view of some of the hundreds of fruiting bodies. I suspect it is one of the slime-mould fungus. Neither of my apps. were any help. Perhaps as the bodies develop I may get a better idea.

(Ed Wilson)

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

Nothing noted

(Ed Wilson)

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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- *=1 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella)
- *=1 probable Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea)

Other things
- 17 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- >6 unidentified spiders

A troublesome moth that would not keep still. It is a Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella).

I cannot be positive about this moth as it is rather worn. I suspect it is a Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea) which is a very common species.

(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
Common Sandpiper
c.65 House Martins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
Swifts
(Ed Wilson)