10 Oct 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

12.0°C > 18.0°C: An area of medium level cloud between 06:15 and 07:20. Otherwise somewhat thickening initially thin high cloud. A calm start with a light south-westerly breeze later. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:26 BST

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

More highlights:
- a 'Falcon' day with a male Peregrine flying fast south-west over the football field at 07:30: and the a Kestrel flying East at 08:10. Both were third records of the species at the Balancing Lake this year.
- at c.08:30 my first Fieldfare of the Autumn with a party of 22 flying West. Also over 100 Redwings over and birds again in Hawthorns at the West end of the Balancing Lake/

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 09:35

(207th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- of the 117 Wood Pigeons ten of these were in a group flying South and likely migrating.
- Coot numbers steadily increasing as is typical at this time of year. Will probably top 200: I have recorded as many 400
- many of the Black-headed Gulls flushed from the football field when the Peregrine flew over. At least 70 flew off with 85 remaining in the area and settling back down.
- the early passage of large gulls was all overhead today with most of these passing at some distance to the East. Later reasonable numbers arrived from the north-east.
- the Cetti's Warbler sang from the West end only today.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Greylag Geese: inbound together
- 7 Feral Pigeon: single and septet
- 3 Stock Doves: single and duo
- 117 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 51 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Kestrel
- *1 Peregrine
- 184 Jackdaws
- 155 Rooks
- *22 Fieldfare: together
- 121 Redwings: in four groups
- 2 Skylarks
- 7 Pied Wagtails

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler

Counts from the lake area:
- *2 Canada Geese: throughout
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 5 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 149 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- >150 Black-headed Gulls
- 16 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- 79 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- 1 *+Rhomboid Tortrix (Acleris rhombana)
- 1 *+November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)

Other things: another big haul with several more small insects that were quite beyond me!
- 1 *female ichneumon sp.
- 2 Spotted-winged Drosophila flies (Drosophila suzukii)
- 1 +unidentified red-eyed fly with dark wings
- 1 cranefly Tipula confusa
- 1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- >8 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- *>3 springtail Tomocerus minor
- 1++* ground beetle Loricera pilicornis
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Noted later:

Butterflies:
- *Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Hoverflies:
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)

Other flies:
- *Muscid fly Phaonia pallida
- *unidentified small fly

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Bugs:
- *Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale)

Spiders/harvestmen:
- Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- *harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

Newly found fungus:
- *Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig (Coprinus comatus)

Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

The cloud in the distance moving away having prevented any colour in the sunrise. Two Canada Geese in the foreground. Many vapour trails today.

Next in the (long) series of photos in "this won't win prizes" category. A male Peregrine a long way away and rapidly getting further away.

A few from the group of 22 Fieldfare that flew over. The pale area on the 'armpits' is shared with the Mistle Thrush though more pronounced in Fieldfare.

My first record of this moth this year. It is a Rhomboid Tortrix (Acleris rhombana) with a 'crazy-paving' pattern.

A touch of dew on this November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.). The dew is not obscuring the markings: there aren't any.

A Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) of course.

Today's ichneumon is a female as evidenced by the ovipositor at the tip of the abdomen.

A Muscid fly Phaonia pallida busy cleaning its wings and showing all its abdomen.

A fly with startling red eyes and unmarked dark wings. I can't tell you any more, neither can I guess what it is feeding on.

Another unidentified fly. This one very small – note the dew spots it is sharing on the railing of the 'boxing ring'.

My app tells me this is the ground beetle Loricera pilicornis. The NatureSpot web site adds that this beetle specialises on feeding on springtails. It is in the right place.

A Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale).

Size comparison. A harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis alongside a springtail Tomocerus minor, the smaller springtail with the shorter antennae.

A daytime view of a harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus in typical pose.

More Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig fungus (Coprinus comatus) have appeared at another location near the football field.

Plane of the day. Not easy to see this is a US Air Force Lockheed U-2S, a high-level reconnaissance aircraft, setting out on today's mission from its temporary base at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Two of these aircraft are currently detached from Beale Air Force Base, north of Sacramento the capital city of California.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:40 – 10:50

(194th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- two presumed Common Teal were tucked up on the edge of the island and defied positive identification.
- Tufted Duck remain in lower than usual numbers for this time of year.
- 43 brownhead Goosanders: gulp. Strangely they were not noted fishing, just cruising around on the surface, mostly in a single group.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 6 Jackdaws
- 7 Skylarks: three groups
- 2 Meadow Pipits

Warblers noted:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 11 Canada Geese: of these five arrived
- *2 Greylag Geese: arrived together
- *2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 31 (20♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- *2 (0♂) presumed Common Teal
- 20 (>9♂) Tufted Duck
- *43 brownhead Goosander
- 6 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 5 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

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

Moths:
- *1 Lunar Underwing (Anchoscelis lunosa)

Other things:
- *1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Butterflies:
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

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

Hoverflies:
- *Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Other flies:
- *Muscid fly Phaonia rufiventris

Bugs:
- +*Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)

Newly found fungus:
- +*Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig (Coprinus comatus)

An imperious-looking Greylag Goose.

The pen Mute Swan flies the length of the water to join the cob and the cygnets.

Hmm. These two ducks were fast asleep and tucked up against the island.

From another angle about all I can say is that neither is a drake Gadwall. I suspect, on size, that they are both Common Teal. I remain somewhat puzzled by the extent of the white on their bellies.

Just a trio of the 43(!) brownhead Goosander present.

Not a moth I see very often though it is very common. It is a Lunar Underwing (Anchoscelis lunosa).

Today's busy Honey Bee (Apis mellifera), covered in pollen from Common Ivy (Hedera helix).

Another getting stuck in to one of the small flowers.

A Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris) that seemed content to take the sun and allowed close (gulp) approach.

And an equally dozy Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax).

This is the Muscid fly Phaonia rufiventris.

A Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) of probably the most usual form succinea. I have seen fewer of this species this year and this is my first at The Flash.

Just to show it is not just craneflies that lose legs. This harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus has lost half its legs.

 I found Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig fungus (Coprinus comatus) in two different locations here as well as at the Balancing Lake. Would you believe near a Horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)!

(Ed Wilson)

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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- none

Other things:
- *1 female plumed midge
- 1 cranefly Tipula confusa
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 1 Common House Spider (Eratigena atrica)
- also the usual array of unidentified spiders

I assume a female plumed midge though it seems somewhat larger and bulkier than most species I see. My 'Seek' app. confirmed it is likely a Chironomus 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
29 Redwing
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Curlew
1 Goldeneye
1 Goosander
1 Shoveler
4 Wigeon
1 Teal
1 Common Gull
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Lapwing
25+ Redwing
1 Siskin
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
130 Tufted Ducks
4 Buzzards
Kingfisher
Chiffchaff
Meadow Pipits
Sky Larks
Redwings
Redpoll
Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Ruddy Duck
50 Robins
1 Redwing
4 Chiffchaffs
11 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
37 Meadow Pipits
36 Pied Wagtails
1 Redwing
55 Tufted Ducks
2 Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)