24 Sep 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

15.0°C > 17.0°C: Mainly low cloud. Moderate southerly breeze. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 06:59 BST]

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

Highlights today:
- *Two duck (Common) Teal at The Flash
- Tufted Ducks at the lake: first of Autumn here?
- *A group of eight brownhead Goosander briefly at the lake.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 07:30 – 09:10

(194th visit of the year)

A late start after overnight rain. Viewing from the dam-top area only.

Bird notes:

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 16 Feral Pigeons: a group of 13, apparently not Racing Pigeons, flew East; a trio westbound
- 1 Stoke Dove
- 86 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Jackdaws
- 4 Meadow Pipits

Warblers

Not recorded.

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 8 Barn Swallows: flew south-east at 08:25

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 9 (3♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂) Tufted Duck: the two ducks flew off
- *8 brownhead Goosanders: arrived 08:10; departed 08:25
- 3 Moorhens
- 111 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- >75 Black-headed Gulls
- 9 Herring Gulls: one (near?) adult; eight first winters
- 58 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: not all ages determined with majority being first winters
- 1 Grey Heron: departed

Not much light for photography today but here are the eight brownhead Goosanders arriving, possibly from The Flash.

And here on splashdown amongst a few Coots and a Black-headed Gull overhead.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15

(180th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the Mute Swans were all present today. At least three of the cygnets were making great attempts to fly and just failing to lift off.
- an increase in the number / proportion of drake Tufted Ducks most likely due to their closer proximity to viewing points.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 16 Jackdaws: together

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 2 (1) Chiffchaff

Hirundines etc., noted:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 48 Canada Geese: 44 of these arrived in two groups
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 29 (19♂) + *4 (1 brood) Mallard
- *2 (0♂) (Common) Teal
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 57 (>22♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 53 Coots
- 5 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

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

Moths:
- none

Other things
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Also
- ++*red-eyed fly, possibly a Hebecnema species.

A bad view of both duck (Common) Teal against the island.

This fly was resting on a leaf that was blowing around wildly in the wind. Quite how they manage to stay attached is hard to comprehend. This red-eyed fly is possibly one of the Hebecnema species that can only be separated using a microscope.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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
1 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear
1 Yellow Wagtail
(John Isherwood)