7 Sep 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

18.0°C > 23.0°C: Early very light rain. Clearing to medium / high overcast from the East. Very hazy and humid. Calm early; later with a very light easterly breeze ameliorating the humidity somewhat. Moderate visibility but poor for a while.

Sunrise: 06:30 BST

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

With darker morning and the return of the schools I am no longer able to check the lake etc. and then complete my circuit of The Flash without getting caught up in the school run. At least during weekdays I will be remaining at the lake until after the chaos has subsided and only visiting The Flash later. This will have some effect on the totals, especially with the insects seen later.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 09:00

(183rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I went earlier than usual to the football field area to see whether I could determine where the large gulls that fly low overhead before sunrise come from. Birds were calling from the south by 06:05 and I counted 151 leaving from, I would judge, somewhere in the Ricoh estate. I would expect them to roost on buildings. Soon after these departed I counted another 49 flying higher and coming from the West. From my vantage point I was unable to see whether any of these made a quick visit to the lake for a bathe and a drink.
- A Common Buzzard flew out of the Ricoh copse c.06:20.
- Another good warbler day for the date with the warm weather tempting many individuals to sing.
- I have not heard House Sparrow in the their usual area at the edge of the estate for several days. This morning it seems they may have decamped to the hedge between the academy and the football field.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 41 Canada Geese: 31 outbound in seven groups; 10 inbound as two quintets
- 6 Greylag Geese: inbound together
- 1 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Feral Pigeons: together
- 1 Stock Dove
- 89 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Collared Doves: singles
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 200 unidentified large gulls: 151 leaving nearby roost c.06:20; 49 more over-flying before 06:45
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Starlings: together
- 1 Jackdaw
- 4 Pied Wagtails

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets): a bumper morning!
- 2 (1) Willow Warbler
- 16 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (0) Reed Warblers
- 5 (3) Blackcaps
- *1 (0) Common Whitethroat

Hirundines etc., noted:
- none

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 5 Moorhens
- 83 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 146 Black-headed Gulls on the football field c.06:30. Just five seen at the lake later
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: two of these on the football field c.06:30

On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- *1 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)
- *1 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)

Other things:
- 1 small hoverfly sp.
- 1 Phaonia pallida (a Muscid fly)
- several unidentified flies including another example with all-brown wings
- 2 plumed midges (Microtendipes pedellus)
- *1 other green-bodied midge perhaps Stenochironomus gibbus
- 1 wood gnat, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- *1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- *2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 male Leiobunum blackwalli harvestmen
- 1 female Leiobunum rotundum harvestmen
on the path here
- *1 Common Toad (Bufo bufo)

Around the sailing club HQ:
- *several Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius) capturing craneflies

In the sailing club shelter:

Nothing unusual

Noted later:

Butterflies:
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)

Moths:
- none

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

Hoverflies:
- *Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- *Common Copperback (Ferdinandea cuprea) [also known as Bronze Sap Hoverfly]

Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- none

Other flies:
- greenbottles
- *Common Crane-fly (Tipula oleracea) [very many craneflies mostly not specifically identified: it is that season]

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

Bugs:
- unidentified larva, perhaps of a ladybird

Spiders:
- Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- *Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.

Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *possible Kentish Snail (Monacha cantiana)

The Coot formation team.

Most bird species are moulting after the breeding season to acquire new feathers to withstand the winter. A rather scruffy Jay is typical.

A splendid male Common Whitethroat.

Again.

This species has white outer tail-feathers which are hidden when the tail is closed. One is just visible here.

This is not an easy bird to identify without the sounds it was making.

This one is slightly easier as the warm tones at the side of the breast identify it as a juvenile Goldfinch. The first bird is younger and still has a spotted breast.

A Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa). The 'square spot' is the dark area between the two pale marks on the wing, known as 'the oval' and 'the kidney mark'.

A Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) on the flower of a Smooth Sow-thistle (Sonchus oleraceus).

This Common Copperback (Ferdinandea cuprea) is a stunning insect with its very brassy abdomen gleaming in the sun.

This green-bodied midge is perhaps Stenochironomus gibbus though the NatureSpot web site indicates one feature of this species is a darker area across the wing which I cannot see here.

The only one of the very many craneflies I identified today was this female Common Crane-fly (Tipula oleracea).

I gave Obsidentify a go at naming this, a species I have been recording as the springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type. I was pleased when it said Pogonognathellus longicornis with 99% certainty.

I cannot identify this small creature I found on the rail of the boxing ring on the dam. It looks like the larva of a ladybird. I cannot match it against any photos on the web.

This is a Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) identified by the cross-marks at the top of the abdomen. Usually this species is more brown-toned.

My first Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) of the season. The front left leg looks to be deformed on this specimen.

Another one with two legs completely missing!

I took this photo of the Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius) to see whether I could see what it had caught. I can't but what I did notice only when I looked at the photo was the Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) at the bottom of the photo.

While photographing a Bridge Orb-web Spider munching on a wrapped-up cranefly another cranefly was attracted by my torch and the spider made short work of wrapping up this one as well.

This is a male Leiobunum blackwalli harvestmen identified by the white ocularium (the areas around the eyes).

Well it is a snail and clearly not a White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis). Obsidentify suggested the most likely species as Kentish Snail (Monacha cantiana) and reference to NatureSpot supports that identity without providing conclusive proof.

A Common Toad (Bufo bufo). Frogs lack the warty appearance and also shows a dark area behind the eye.

Plane of the day. It is an AgustaWestland Agusta AW139 owned at operated by Executive Jet Charter Ltd. at Farnborough Airport.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:05 – 10:05

(169th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Mallard gone in to hiding again. I did at least find the duck with her our ducklings.
- The number of Tufted Ducks I can identify as drakes while they are still mainly still in moult depends upon the birds o

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 3 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 6 House Martins very briefly

Noted on / around the water: better visibility than yesterday, but still dull.
- 111 Canada Geese at least
- 1 Greylag Goose only
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) + *4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 64 (>14♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 63 Coots
- *4 + 2 (1 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- *3 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
- *1 Kingfisher

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

Moths:
- none. My later arrival is likely to mean many fewer moths here from now on.

Other things
- *1 female Leiobunum blackwalli harvestman

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Butterflies:
- +Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)

Moths:
- none

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

Hoverflies:
- +*Stripe-backed Fleckwing (Dasysyrphus albostriatus)
- +*Stripe-faced Dronefly (Eristalis nemorum) [previously E. interruptus]
- *Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- +Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)
- *Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- ++*White-footed Hoverfly (Platycheirus albimanus) [aka Grey-spotted Sedgesitter]
- Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)

Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- +Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator)

Other flies:
- several common, well-marked but unidentified flies
- very many craneflies: none specifically identified

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

Bugs:
- +*Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina): instars

Spiders:
- Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)

Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

The four Mallard ducklings snuggle up.

The epitome of elegant. A Great Crested Grebe of course.

An adult Cormorant takes off.

The best I could do photographing the Kingfisher all the way on the island.

A Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) feeding in a very late flowering Dog Rose (Rosa canina). Note all the pollen on the bee's pollen sac.

There were many different hoverflies feeding on a group of Smooth Sow-thistle flowers (Sonchus oleraceus). Here are a few, starting with a Stripe-backed Fleckwing (Dasysyrphus albostriatus).

A Stripe-faced Dronefly (Eristalis nemorum).

A Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax).

A Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare).

I think, based on a suggestion from Obsidentify, this is a White-footed Hoverfly (Platycheirus albimanus), also known as a Grey-spotted Sedgesitter. This despite not apparently having white feet.

This individual is a male so which of the species pair Syrphus ribesii / S. vitripennis cannot be determined. A tiny fly photo-bombed it.

Two instars of Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) snuggle up. I have no idea why they are slightly different colour.

A female Leiobunum blackwalli harvestman. Note the way the dark saddle expands towards the posterior. The white ocularium is also apparent.

Most of the Purple Loosestrife flowers (Lythrum salicaria) have finished but this spike has a few flowers remaining.

(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:
- none

Other things:
- 19 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 4 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- the usual array of mostly unidentified spiders
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestman

(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
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
3 Shoveler
Green Sandpiper
Tawny Owl
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Wrekin
Firecrest
(J Shutt)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Snipe
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)