22 Oct 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 9.0°C: A clear and calm start with slight frost on the grass in open areas. Mist over the water with a very light south-westerly breeze developing and chasing it away. Cloud from the South encroaching somewhat later. Excellent visibility other for the mist over the water.

Sunrise: 07:48 BST

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

No highlights just a typically very busy Autumn morning over the Balancing Lake.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:55 – 09:30

(217th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the first very large migrant party of Wood Pigeons was noted. It contained at least 350 birds. All the other 22 groups were smaller, some very much so.
- for some reason I could find no Rook groups on roost dispersal: just a few singles and a trio.
- another day with Jackdaws passing for a protracted period with 21 groups noted with 66 being the largest.
- the Cetti's Warbler was singing from the South side. I have discontinued the daily warbler tabulation and will specifically remark on any that I record, though I will only mention the Cetti if I note any unusual pattern to its behaviour.
- from a different vantage point I was able to get a better idea of the number and route of the Pied Wagtails on roost dispersal. They seem to be leaving the Motorway Service Area. Those over the lake are heading off between North and West.
- two Reed Buntings at the West end were my first here since their rather desultory breeding season faded away in June.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 11 Canada Geese: five South together; six North together
- 3 Greylag Geese: inbound together
- 14 Goosander: a trio flew south-west at 07:40; 11 flew West together at 08:05
- 6 Feral Pigeon: 1 flew East; 6 flew South together.
- 3 Stock Doves: two of these flying South with Wood Pigeons
- c.1205 Wood Pigeons: c.1150 in 23 migrant groups all flying South
- 1 Herring Gull
- 37 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants: together
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 227 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 5 Starlings
- 1 Blackbird
- 106 Fieldfare: in five groups
- 2 Redwings
- 1 Skylark
- 15 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Siskins

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Canada Goose
- 2 + 2 Mute Swan
- 2 (2♂) Mallard
- 7 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 135 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- c.60 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

On or around the street lamp poles at dawn: the (semi) nocturnal community was almost all dew-spattered and not easy to identify.

Moths:
- *8 November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)

Other things:
- 3 wood gnats Sylvicola sp.
- *1 female mosquito Culex pipiens
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- *1 possible Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- *1 spider, perhaps Philodromus sp.
- *1 male spider, possibly Agelena labyrinthica
- *1 spider, perhaps Zora (Zoropsis?) spinimana
- *2 stretch spiders Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 male harvestmen Leiobunum blackwalli
- *1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii

Noted later:
- *harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

As a follow up to yesterday's unknown sighting it is thanks to Martin Adlam that I now know it to have been a rove beetle. It requires more research to try to get a more detailed identification. There are many similar species to check.

The mist starting to lift from the water.

The distant cloud here gradually spread over to take the edge off the sun. There is not much sign of Autumn colours in the leaves.

It is only the proboscis that identifies this dew-covered insect as a female mosquito Culex pipiens.

Another 'two for the price of one'. The moth is one of the eight November Moth types (Epirrita dilutata agg.) I noted. Only when I looked at the photo did I see the spider. It looks a bit like a Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) but...

Unmistakeably a stretch spiders Tetragnatha sp. with its abdomen covered in dew.

Well now. The legs suggest this might be another stretch spider though the shape of the abdomen rules that out. The Obsidentify app suggests it might be one of the Philodromus species of spider, though it looks rather large.

The 'boxing gloves' identify this as a male spider with the app suggesting it could possibly be Agelena labyrinthica. I can see why it suggests that but I hesitate with some of these identities as they are of spiders I have not previously noted. Is the dew obscuring the markings of more common species?

Yet another query. This could be Zora (or Zoropsis) spinimana.

On a street lamp pole under trees and hence dew-free is a male harvestmen Leiobunum blackwalli.

This is the harvestman Opilio canestrinii, missing two of its legs.

The only insect I found after dawn was this harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis, also sporting only six legs. It should of course have eight because, like spiders, harvestmen are not strictly-speaking insects.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:35

(203rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- once again the Goosanders were mostly in one concentrated feeding group. At no time did they all appear on the surface at the same time. Possibly more were present than I was able to confirm.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 25 Wood Pigeons in a migrant party heading South
- 3 Redwings: together

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 30 (18♂) + 4 juvenile Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 35 (>14♂) Tufted Duck
- >41 brownhead Goosander: see notes
- *7 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 3 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: briefly
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

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

Moths:
- none

Other things:
- *3 female craneflies Tipula pagana

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): still very many around

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Molluscs:
- *Girdled Snail (Hygromia cinctella)

This first winter Moorhen is beginning to acquire the red shield on its bill and the grey-brown-black admixture to the plumage.

This shows the shield is almost full size, just lacking the bright red colour.

Must put my best foot forward.

This immature Herring Gull dropped in briefly.

It was only last Thursday that I noted my first-ever female cranefly Tipula pagana, sporting the vestigial wings unique amongst that genus of cranefly. Today there were three on the same street lamp pole. Here is one.

And another.

And, zoomed in on the easiest to access third individual, the detail of the reduced wing is clearly shown.

A Girdled Snail (Hygromia cinctella). The white at the top of the spiral is distinctive.

(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
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 adult Great Black-backed Gull
4 Gadwall
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
A Raven tussling with Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
389 Fieldfare
6 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
15 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
13 Moorhens
232 Coots
1 Redwing heard
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
A male Stonechat the west end
2 Gadwall
A drake Shoveler
14 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
Siskin
Redpoll
C.350 Starlings in the roost
20 Redwings
209 Coot
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)