13 Nov 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

11.0°C: Scattered / broken cloud after earlier rain. Fresh south-westerly wind after earlier gales. Good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:28 GMT]

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

I waited for the worst of the overnight rain and gales to subside before venturing out. I then visited The Flash first and the Balancing Lake from the dam-end only.

I always hope the winds will blow something interesting in. As usual it seems things got blown out.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:30 – 11:00

(237th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a first-winter Great Black-backed Gull was an exception to my "nothing blown in" comment.

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 16 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 142 Coots
- 39 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull: first winter
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

A third winter Herring Gull showing its features. The extent of the dark tail-band might suggest that it is a second winter. However it has a pale eye and the bill has too little black for a bird of that age.

This was a surprise: a first winter Great Black-backed Gull. Identification features are the very dark scaly appearance over all the wings and back; and the large unrelieved all-black bill. This species is an infrequent visitor here, most usually in mid-winter.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:25

(221st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- nothing of note to report

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 46 (29♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 25 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (0♂) Goosander
- 9 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gull: one first and one second winter
- 2 Cormorants

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

Moths:
- 1 Sprawler (Asteroscopus sphinx): moved very slightly (blown by the wind): here for its seventh day.

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): many
- *a possible species of ichneumon

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- *Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
Oddly it was the small hoverflies that were around despite the breezy conditions

Flies:
- among dozens of the usual suspects I identified:
*Dryomyza anilis
*Phaonia rufiventris

New groups of fungus found:
None

I cannot provide much information about this small insect. I think the long antennae suggest it is one of the many species of ichneumon.

This is a Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare). Recently I have recorded a number of Platycheirus species here: these can appear very similar. All of them have a swelling on their front legs and can be ruled out.

Another view – bright red eyes from this angle.

This is the fly Dryomyza anilis with startling red eyes alongside a red everything else.

A fly with a striped grey thorax and red abdomen.

Did I say red abdomen! It is Phaonia rufiventris. Seems an appropriate scientific name.

(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
67 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
25 Moorhens
230 Coots
290+ Black-headed Gulls
Female Peregrine
359 Wood Pigeons
308 Fieldfare
30 Redwings
517 Jackdaws
119 Rooks
22 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
40+ Fieldfare
34 Greylag Geese
46 Canada Geese
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
8 Tufted Ducks
148 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
294 Wood Pigeons
88 Redwings
149 Fieldfares
c.75 Starlings
c.779 Jackdaws
159 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
101 Canada Geese
8 Pochard
132 Tufted Ducks
124 Coots
31 Lapwings
Several Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
c.800 Fieldfare
c.425 Redwings
218 Jackdaws
146 Rooks
c.550 Starlings
c.10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
39 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
1 Great Black-backed Gull
251 Wood Pigeons
20 Robins
293 Fieldfares
105 Redwings
145 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Dabchick
11 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
Single female Ruddy Duck
400 Black-headed Gull
8 Redwing
1 Fieldfare
5 Reed Bunting
A few Redpoll
Siskin
1 Brambling
(Martin Adlam)