1 Oct 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

17.0°C: A few early breaks with occasional drizzle. Low cloud and then rain after 09:00. Very mild. Light southerly breeze. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:11 BST

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

Worth highlighting:
- a party of 48 House Martins flew S over the football field at 07:30. I had heard what I thought was a group over the lake in the gloom at c.06:55 but could not see them. I dismissed the noise as being vibrating straps on a truck on the M54. Perhaps not.
- 16 brownhead Goosanders at The Flash (but only 19 Tufted Ducks for some reason)

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:35 – 09:05

(201st visit of the year)

One that got away. At 06:35 a largish (Herring Gull-sized) pale bird was flying up and down over the water but hugging the shoreline. It did not seem to be flying quite right for a gull and anyway early arrivals usually sit on buoys and / or call. The only other possibility that springs to mind is an owl, but why would that be over the water? Puzzling.

Bird notes:
- a Little Grebe scampered in to the reeds at the West end and was not seen again.
- as tabulated there were 39 Black-headed Gulls on the football field c.07:25. Unusually, probably because there are fewer people around on Sundays, there were 37 there again at 09:00.
- two Siskins were in trees along the North side briefly.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 44 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 1 Herring Gull
- 31 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 53 Jackdaws
- 141 Rooks
- 8 Pied Wagtails
- 5 Meadow Pipits

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

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 48 House Martins, at least: as highlighted

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 2 (0♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted: too dull to get meaningful count]
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls: 39 counted on the football field c.07:25. at least 35 more on the lake at that time.
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 51 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- none

Other things:
- *3 different ichneumon wasps.
- 1 plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
- *1 smaller plumed midge sp.
- *1 wood gnat sp.
- 2 Spotted-winged Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)
- *1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- *6 springtails Pogonognathellus longicornis
- *+1 springtail Tomocerus minor
- 4 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *+1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider (Zygiella x-notata) [aka Silver-sided Sector Spider]

Noted later:

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Spiders / harvestmen:
- harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

Fungus:
- *+Brown Rollrim (Paxillus involutus)

It was drizzling at the time so I did not expect to see the moon. Here it is, albeit somewhat obscured by thin cloud.

Neither did I expect this sudden burst of dawn colour.

A male ichneumon. Note on this species the wings extend beyond the abdomen.

And another male ichneumon, this one with the abdomen extending beyond the wings. With 2500 species in the UK most cannot be specifically identified.

Bottom left is a female ichneumon, species unknown but could be the same as either of the males. Top right a springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis.

A wood gnat I believe. My app suggested a crane-fly but I don't think the legs are long-enough.

Two springtails. The bottom one is certainly Pogonognathellus longicornis. The other, with shorter antennae, may well be Tomocerus minor.

A trio here. A Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea); another springtail with short antennae; and a small plumed midge, much smaller than the usual Chironomus plumosus.

My app. seemed confident this small spider was a Missing Sector Orb-web Spider (Zygiella x-notata) though it uses the vernacular name Silver-sided Sector Spider.

A harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis identified by the pale line down the abdomen. For a harvestman this species has rather short legs.

This fungus is Brown Rollrim (Paxillus involutus). As the scientific name implies it is poisonous.

Another view. Apologies for the lack of 'gardening' to remove twigs and grasses from the view.

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash: 09:10 – 10:10

(187th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Just a pair of Gadwall today.
- Each of the two immature Great Crested Grebes were close-by an adult – I assume their parent. No begging calls were heard.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Jackdaws
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Warblers noted:
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff

Hirundines etc., noted:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 36 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 19 (>6♂) Tufted Duck
- *16 brownhead Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 48 Coots
- 4 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 35 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
- *1 owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- *+1 flea beetle sp., perhaps Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala)

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Fungus:
- the fungus seen on the tree stump just two days ago has completely gone!

One of the five brownhead Goosanders that were actively fishing between Derwent Drive and the island. This one has the shaggy crest of a duck. There is a pale area between the eye and the bill, apparently shown by first-winter birds.

A different bird. The pale area between the eye and bill looks more pronounced. Also the crest does not look so shaggy: difficult to be sure with the posture as it paddles away. Perhaps a first-winter drake?

A challenge for the eye-sight. Here are the eleven brownhead Goosanders that were loafing at the top end of the water.

For a change a daylight-view of an owl midge Psychodidae sp.

A tiny beetle. It is one of the flea beetles, so-called because the swollen hind femur allow them to escape by jumping like a flea rather than flying from danger. It is perhaps a Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala).

(Ed Wilson)

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

Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- none

Other things:
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- 4 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- usual array of unidentified spiders

(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

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail
40 Mute Swan
(Mike Cooper)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Shoveler
Peregrine
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Redwing
90 Golden Plover
87 Greenfinches
3 Chiffchaffs
Blackcap
Kingfisher
2 Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)