12 Nov 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 4.0°C: Very light rain for a while as I arrived. Then very dull with a low overcast until more general rain after 08:20. Light south-easterly wind. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 07:26 GMT (did it really!)

+ = 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: 05:55 – 08:30

(236th visit of the year)

Very little seen in very dull conditions.

A further thought on the group of five mystery birds I noted flying over yesterday. The Belvide blog recorded a few Crossbills over and this seems an altogether more likely, though unconfirmed, identification.

Bird notes:
- despite the very low light levels gulls arrived very early with at least 120 Black-headed, four Herring and 45 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the water by 06:40.
- The male Cetti's Warbler confirmed its continued presence by singing around dawn.
- A few Fieldfare and Redwings were heard early. I did not see any of them. They were likely birds in the trees, possibly calling as they prepared to leave.
- Having positioned to check-out the early arriving gulls I was not in the right location to see any Starling roost dispersal. I did however note one group of just eleven birds leaving. I also noted three Reed Buntings leave the West end reeds together.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 30 Wood Pigeons: of these 17 in two groups may have been migrants
- 24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 21 Cormorants: groups of seven and 14(!)
- 7 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 6 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Siskins

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- 34 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 125 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebe
- c.120 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Herring Gulls
- 76 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
Not much again; Cold with heavy dew on the lamp poles

Moths:
- *Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria)

Otherwise:
- *1 cranefly Tipula sp., perhaps T. paludosa.
- *+1 globular springtail Dicyrtomina minuta.
- *++1 springtail, possibly Tomocerus minor.
- 1 spider Clubiona sp.
- *1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 Money spider sp. (Linyphiidae)

Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:
- *1 caddis fly sp., just possibly Limnephilus flavicornis.
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis.

Another 'senior moment' yesterday. My paper log was correct but I copied the wrong name in to my computer log: it should have read:
- 2 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus.
and not
- 2 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis.
I do have the right name today.

New fungus found:

None

Covered in dew but just about enough of the markings is visible to identify this moth as a Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria). I am afraid all today's photo are going to be so affected.

This large cranefly is a Tipula sp. Apart from a dark mark on the outer edge of the wing there are no distinguishing features visible. This mark is shared by several species which does not help. The date is no help either, as no flight periods extend into November according to the NatureSpot web site. T. paludosa is the most likely.

On the fence alongside Teece Drive I found this caddis fly. There are about 200 species known from the UK. Positive identification of many species requires the format of the spurs on each pair of legs to be assessed. Not here! Some do have patterning in the wings which can identify them to a specific genus. I failed to get a side-elevation photo – it flew away. Its size and the long, curved and forward-pointing antennae suggest it might just be Limnephilus flavicornis which flies in to November.

The red mark on the back of this globular springtail suggests it is Dicyrtomina minuta.

This is by far the smallest springtail of this type I have seen and I am suggesting it might therefore be Tomocerus minor.

A Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) lurking at the bottom of a street lamp pole and about to get electrocuted if it is not careful as it enters the control box area.

A Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. trying to camouflage itself as a piece of grass. At the very top left is a globular springtail about which I can say no more.

A species of money spider from the Linyphiidae family. Experts struggle to specifically identify the many money spiders that occur in the UK. What chance have I got?

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 08:35 – 09:15

(220th visit of the year)

A very quick walk around in the rain without the camera.

Bird notes:
- a pair of Gadwall new in. They did not join the drake that has been in solitary splendour for some days.
- I was correct yesterday in saying "the Goosanders do seem to have gone, at least for the moment". Only "for the moment" as four brownheads were back today.
- at least eight Redwings were in the trees near The Priorslee.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 29 (20♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 18 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (0♂) Goosander
- 14 Moorhens
- 45 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: third winter
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

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

Moths:
- 1 Sprawler (Asteroscopus sphinx): still in the same place for six days

Elsewhere around The Flash:

Nothing noted

New groups of fungus found:

None

(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 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
2 Teal
59 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
27 Moorhens
239 Coots
c.440 Wood Pigeons
8 Song Thrushes
567 Fieldfare
26 Redwings
270 Jackdaws
106 Rooks
c.310 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
103 Starlings
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
8 Goosander
139 Coots
52 Redwings
55 Fieldfares
571 Jackdaws
128 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
9 Cormorants
8 Pochard
117 Tufted Ducks
2000+ Wood Pigeons
400+ Fieldfare
125+ Redwings
33 Starlings
10+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Shoveler
2 Water Rails
c.50 Lapwings
c.150 Golden Plover
6 Redwings
3 Fieldfare
Chiffchaff
Several Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
65 Pochard
65 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
50 Coots
500+ Golden Plover
1 Woodcock
790+ Black-headed Gulls
1753+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
962 Wood Pigeons
130 Fieldfare
93 Redwings
393 Jackdaws
135 Rooks
174 Starlings
34 Greenfinches
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebe
9 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
5 Ruddy Duck
Water Rail
800 Black-headed Gull
Cormorant
10 Redwing
9 Reed Bunting
3 Redpoll
9 Siskin
(Martin Adlam)