31 Oct 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 10.0°C: Very low cloud after overnight rain. Occasional light drizzle. Cloud lifting a bit with a few patches of blue appearing. Very light south-easterly breeze. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 07:04 GMT

+ = 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: 05:45 – 09:15

(225th visit of the year)

Highlight today was a calling Chiffchaff seen at the West end. A late date to hear (and see) this species here.

Other bird notes:
- two drake Pochard were new arrivals.
- unlike yesterday there was no early arrival of Black-headed Gulls with the first five arriving at 06:45. At least 175 were present later.
- there was no early passage or arrival of large gulls and they were few and far between throughout.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 11 Goosander: south-west 06:55
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 41 Wood Pigeons: of these just seven in a single migrant flocks heading South.
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 5 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 3 Siskins: together

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- no Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 31 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 128 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.175 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed before dawn
- 1 Kingfisher

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- 2 November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)
- *1 Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria); my first of this winter season but a species already seen this year (in January)

Other things:
- *2 winter craneflies Trichocera regelationis
- *1 gnat, possibly from the Scatopsidae group
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
- *1 ++Common Shiny Woodlouse (Oniscus asellus)
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 1 Tawny Soil Slug (Arion owenii)
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- *1 male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli

Noted later
- *Kentish Snail (Monacha cantiana)

These all on the fence alongside Teece Drive.:
- *1 Common Plume moth (Emmelina monodactyla)
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- *1 Common European Earwig (Forficula dentata) [used to be lumped in with F. auricularia]

And some fungus:
- *Parrot Waxcap (Hygrocybe psittacina)
- *Snowy Waxcap (Hygrocybe virginea)
- *Brick Tuft (Hypholoma lateritium)
- *Sycamore Tarspot (Rhytisma acerinum) on Populus x canadensis (P. deltoides x P. nigra)
- *Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum)

Finally, as we come to the end of October here are the plants I noted in flower this morning, many looking rather the worse for wear after all the rain:
Red Campion (Silene dioica)
Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens)
Bramble [Blackberry] (Rubus fruticosus agg.)
Bush Vetch (Vicia sepium)
Hop Trefoil (Trifolium campestre)
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
Imperforate St John's-wort (Hypericum maculatum)
Ivy (Hedera helix)
Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)
Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)
Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Common Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)
Autumn Hawkbit (Scorzoneroides autumnalis (as Leontodon autumnalis in my ancient Flora))
Prickly (or Spiny) Sow-thistle (Sonchus asper)
Creeping [or Field] Thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Dandelion sp. (Taraxacum officinale agg.)
Common Hawkweed (Hieracium vulgatum)
plus this species not noted (probably overlooked) at the end of last month:
++*Cat's-ear (Hypochaeris radicata)

After all the rain the lake is muddy brown and here is why. The left-most exit is the Wesley Brook and that is running clear. All the mud is being washed in from the other sluices which drain from somewhere in the estate and pass under the academy.

Not a brilliant shot of a resting Common Plume moth (Emmelina monodactyla). All the moths in this group have very segmented wings which they close up at rest.

I am also not very proud of this photo of a Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria). It was a very long way up a tall lamp pole on a murky morning. It is my first of this winter season.

A winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis, the most-common species in this group.

This is more difficult and I have not got a positive identification for it. Note the dark, small and rounded head, well-separated from the brown thorax. The structure suggests a gnat, possibly from the Scatopsidae group, though I can find no illustrations of a species with a brown thorax.

Hiding against a knot-hole on the wooden fence alongside Teece Drive was a Common European Earwig (Forficula dentata).

A Common Shiny Woodlouse (Oniscus asellus). I do wonder whether I have been misidentifying those I have seen in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel though the walls are a dry environment and they may well have been Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber) as I thought.

A White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger).

Rather confusing with 'lots of legs' due to shadows from both my torch and the camera flash. On the body of this harvestman the white surrounds to the eyes on top of the abdomen can be seen identifying it as a harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli. Females are more easily separable from L. rotundum by the markings on their saddle, females of both species having a less-round body.

After all the rain it is not surprising there are many slugs and snails around. This is a Kentish Snail (Monacha cantiana). No more confined to Kent than Sandwich Terns are confined to the bay of that name in Kent.

Another. "It looks a long way down there".

A flower I have not previously identified amongst all the 'yellow hawk- things' is this Cat's-ear (Hypochaeris radicata).

The results of a fungus foray around the lake, all identities courtesy of Obsidentify and checked as best I can against the narrative and photos on the Naturespot we site. The largest here is Parrot Waxcap (Hygrocybe psittacina), the fruiting bodies starting with a green tinge which is what I assume the smaller ones are though I did not check their identities.

Now Snowy Waxcap (Hygrocybe virginea).

Cheating slightly as these were outside my self-declared recording area and growing on someone's front lawn in Pitchford Drive. How could I resist such a splendid collection of Brick Tuft (Hypholoma lateritium).

On the leaves are the black spots Sycamore Tarspot fungus (Rhytisma acerinum). Obsidentify gave the leaf as from a Poplar hybrid, most likely Populus x canadensis (P. deltoides x P. nigra). So there.

This Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum) which I am also certain I have recorded before. It is common on lying dead wood.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:35

(211th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Fewer Goosander again with another bird moulting in to drake plumage. Three were seen in flight as I was departing. I think they were too.
- When I arrived a Great Crested Grebe was flying around reasonably high overhead. Perhaps it was on its way in and was the sixth individual noted on the water later.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 3 Siskins

Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 35 (20♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- *44 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- *12 (3♂) Goosander
- 17 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: third winter?

Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): just three

Fungus:

All different groups from those recorded earlier
- *Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare)
- *The Deceiver (Laccaria laccata)
- *possible Spotted Toughshank (Rhodocollybia maculata)
- *possible Poplar Knight (Tricholoma populinum) and / or perhaps Yellowing Knight (T. scalpturatum)

Do you ever get the feeling someone is watching you? This duck Tufted Ducks seems to be looking carefully at me.

Flying birds on a dull morning are never going to give a sharp image especially when they are speedy species like Goosanders. This illustrates the need for caution. Here the white on the wing seems to go across the full width of the wing suggesting that these two brownheads will both moult or become drakes.

But from a slightly different perspective the front part is grey and not white and thus they are ducks.

Apart from the extent of dark on the bill this Lesser Black-backed Gull could pass as an adult winter bird.

Here in flight the black on the median coverts (on the leading edge just out from the bend of the wing) indicates it is not an adult but most likely a third winter bird.

Another root-about to find more fungus while the are in such profusion. These are Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare).

This trio come from a species called The Deceiver (Laccaria laccata). "Why is it called that?" I hear you ask. Mr. Google says it is because the cap changes colour with age and the weather and it can therefore be difficult to identify.

Several groups of fungus close together where not positively identified. This is likely Spotted Toughshank (Rhodocollybia maculata). The location amongst fallen leaves and the date of late October fits well with this species' known habitat.

These may be Poplar Knight (Tricholoma populinum). Certainly they were under Poplar (Populus sp.) trees

While these, very adjacent are probably Yellowing Knight (Tricholoma scalpturatum).

(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
Candles Landfill Site
2nd winter Caspian Gull
8 Yellow-legged Gulls
Great Black-backed Gull
c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Chiffchaff
Mistle Thrush
29 Fieldfares
32 Redwings
13 Siskins
3 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Shoveler
5 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

2005
Trench Pool
2 Goosander
10 Shoveler
(John Isherwood)

30 Oct 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 12.0°C: Early broken medium-level cloud soon replaced by the 'Telford Hat' of low cloud and light showery rain for a while. Patchy very low cloud for a while. Light south-easterly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:02 GMT

+ = 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: 05:45 – 08:50

(224th visit of the year)

Highlight today was a Little Egret flying high North. It seemed briefly interested in the lake but soon headed off high East.

Other bird notes:
- there were >100 Black-headed Gulls settled unusually quietly as a tight group on the water by 06:30. Despite this none of the early passing large gulls was inclined to visit for their wash and brush up. Later ever more Black-headed Gulls arrived with at least 200 present.
- a calling Cetti's Warbler was heard and then briefly seen working its way South in the vegetation at the bottom of the dam. One had earlier sang once from along the South side. Could these have been different birds?
- *at least a dozen Blackbirds, 25 Redwings and three Song Thrushes flushed out of the now less berry-laden West end bushes. The nervousness of the Blackbirds suggests that these might have been migrants from Scandinavia that arrived with the Redwings rather than our local birds more tolerant of humans.
- a Mistle Thrush was calling loudly and persistently from the south-east area. I could not see what was upsetting it.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 22 Greylag Geese: 11 South 06:35; eight South 08:40; one outbound; two inbound
- 3 Feral Pigeons: together
- 10 Stock Doves: single, duo and party of seven flew East
- 287 Wood Pigeons: of these 210 in eight migrant flocks heading South and one flock flying East.
- 3 Collared Doves: single and duo
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 73 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Cormorants: a trio and four singles all flying south-west
- 1 Little Egret: as highlighted
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 36 Jackdaws
- no Rooks
- 3 Skylark: together
- 3 Starlings: also 35 in two groups out of the reeds at dawn
- 16 Fieldfare: together
- 6 Redwings
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 7 Pied Wagtails
- 12 Siskins: together

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived and departed
- *2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Mallard
- 30 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 116 Coots: count taken during light rain
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- >200 Black-headed Gulls
- 14 Herring Gulls
- 30 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- 2 November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)

Other things:
- 1 Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 1 very small ichneumon sp.
- 1 Spotted-winged Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)
- *++1 fly with banded abdomen Protoclythia modesta.
- *1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- *1 winter cranefly sp.
- *+1 Potato Leafhopper (Eupteryx aurata)
- 1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- *++1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
- *1 'globular springtail' sp.
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- 2 spiders Clubiona sp.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 female spider Neriene montana
- *4 Nursery Web Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis), including a male
- 1 stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.

Noted later:
- *1 male cranefly Tipula pagana on the fence alongside Teece Drive.

Family flying time for the Mute Swans. The cygnets have yet to properly master turning and generally fly the length of the lake and crash down.

Two Blackbirds and two Song Thrushes (one escaping out of the bottom centre) at the berry-laden bushes.

Another Song Thrush.

And two Redwings.

A male Chaffinch joins the feast.

A new fly for me: a fly with banded abdomen Protoclythia modesta.

What seems to be a Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea). This, unlike one I photographed last week, does not seem to have dark marks between each segment of its abdomen. I do not know the significance of that.

A male cranefly Tipula pagana on the fence alongside Teece Drive. This is the species in which the female has only vestigial wings.

A winter cranefly sp. My app would not be drawn further.

A tiny leafhopper and not very sharp. From what I can see of the markings it is likely a Potato Leafhopper (Eupteryx aurata). This species is at home on other members of the potato family (Solanum), likely here to be Bittersweet [or Woody Nightshade] (S. dulcamara).

Yesterday it was a male spider Neriene montana with large 'boxing glove' palps. Today a female. Only when I looked at the photo did I notice two springtails. One in the bottom left corner is a Pogonognathellus longicornis-type: I don't think the antennae are long-enough for the specific type. The other is one of the very small globular springtails....

.... seen slightly better here having moved closer to the spider. Not perhaps a wise move.

This springtail seems to be Tomocerus vulgaris, a new species for me.

One of at least four Nursery Web Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis) this morning.

I have to take Obsidentify's word for it. Both of these are Nursery Web Spiders. There is a photo on the Naturespot web site of a male courting a female and there the male does look like the lower of these two: much smaller. Seems I normally only see females.

Plane of the day: we have "our" Air Ambulance back from servicing. It arrived back at its base at RAF Cosford on 16 October having left at the end of June for Gloucestershire Airport where the Babcock company services most of the Air Ambulances. They provided a 'spare' to cover the absence of G-RMAA.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 08:55 – 10:05

(210th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Fewer Goosander than recently though I am sure today's count was incomplete as they were once more continually diving and often beneath over-hanging vegetation.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Skylarks: together
- 4 Jackdaws
- 33 Fieldfares: together

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 31 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 1 (1♂) Common Teal
- 38 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- >17 brownhead Goosander
- 10 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 29 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gull: one (near?) adult; one first winter
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- +Missing Sector Orb-web Spider (Zygiella x-notata) [also known as Silver-sided Orb-web Spider]
- *+harvestman Opilio canestrinii.

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): plenty

Hoverflies:
- Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax)
- *Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)
- *Tiger Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus)
- *Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)

Flies:
- Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- also very many of the usual suspects not investigated

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Fungus:
- *+Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea) not Dark Honey Fungus (A. ostoyae)
- *Lumpy Bracket (Trametes gibbosa)
- *++Yellow Brain (Tremella mesenterica)
- *Sulphur Knight (Tricholoma sulphureum)
- *+Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon)

Yesterday's photos were of Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax). Here is a Common Dronefly (E. tenax).

And another.

And yet another.

A Tiger Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus).

This hoverfly is one of the species pair Syrphus. ribesii / S. vitripennis: I think. Obsidentify suggested Hairy-eyed Syrph (S. torvus). I can't see hairs on its eyes which is the only reliable separation feature!

My first harvestman Opilio canestrinii here this year.

Definitely fungus time of year. Obsidentify seems to have changed its mind about these and now suggests Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea) and not Dark Honey Fungus (A. ostoyae) as I recorded last Thursday.

Another view of yet more fungus. It suggests the tree – a Willow (Salix sp.) – is far from healthy and indeed it, unlike others nearby, has lost most of its leaves.

I have shown this before. I did more 'gardening' around it for a somewhat better view of Lumpy Bracket fungus (Trametes gibbosa).

 The delightfully-named Yellow Brain fungus (Tremella mesenterica). A new species for me.

And another new species of fungus for me: Sulphur Knight (Tricholoma sulphureum).

And Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon). Does anyone know how to snuff out candles these days?

(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

2010
Priorslee Lake
10 Swans
c.60 Golden Plover
c.200 Starlings left a roost in the reeds at the W end
763 Wood Pigeons
3 Sky Larks
7 Meadow Pipits
165 Fieldfare
9 Redwings
4 Siskins
3 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
8 Wigeon
20 Pochard
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Goosander
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
100 Jackdaw
130 Rooks
1 Buzzard
Kestrel
c.60 Golden Plover
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
450 to 500 Starlings left the roost
11 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
Pair of Ruddy Duck
200+ Coot
1 Dunlin
104 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
100 Black-headed Gulls
Kingfisher
A Buzzard was seen feeding on earthworms and possibly beetles
2000+ Wood Pigeon
62 Redwing
54 Fieldfare
3 Song Thrushes
(Martin Adlam)