11 Dec 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 9.0°C: Broken medium-level cloud with several light passing showers. Light westerly wind. Very good visibility, moderate in showers.

Sunrise: 08:11 GMT

+ = 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: 06:20 – 09:30

(257th visit of the year)

Highlight this morning
- my fifth record of a Kestrel fly-over: my highest annual total for some years. All these records have been post-breeding season.

Other bird notes:
- After yesterday's absence of Pochard and Tufted Duck many had returned.
- The Little Grebe may well be a new arrival: it is hard to tell with this unobtrusive species.
- A dearth of gulls of all species. No more than 50 Black-headed Gulls arrived early with just 14 large gulls. A very few more large gulls arrived and an equally low number were noted flying over.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 18 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: together
- *2 Common Buzzards
- 1 Kestrel
- 69 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 2 Redwings
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Siskins

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 9 Starlings together
- Reed Buntings heard in roost only

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 55 (34♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 127 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- c.50 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- *5 male Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)

Otherwise:

Flies:
- *1 winter cranefly, possibly Trichocera regelationis
- 1 Drosophila fly [small red-eyed]
- *1 Spotted-winged Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)
- *1 Dryomyza anilis [red eyes; red-brown head / thorax]
- 1 small plumed midge sp.
- *1 other midge sp.

Bugs:
- *1 planthopper Eupteryx urticae

Other insects:
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis

Spiders and allies:
- 1 spider
- 1 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis

Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:
- *1 female Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)

One of two Common Buzzards that flew over.

One of the five male Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata) I found on the street lamp pole.

This one believes it is #1.

Apologies this is not sharp: this a female Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata). Of all the 'winter-flying' moths the females of this species have the smallest vestigial wings.

Obsidentify suggested this cranefly was one of the Limonia species, probably because the wings are held over the back at rest. I think not: the antennae are too long. Probably the winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis.

Two flies. The upper one looks like a female Spotted-winged Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii): females lack the dark wing-tips. The lower one with red eyes with red-brown head and thorax is probably a Dryomyza anilis.

A midge and one I cannot recall seeing before. It has a long, slim body and / or short wings. The antennae are long. Identity: no idea and neither has Obsidentify.

A planthopper Eupteryx urticae.

This springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis has lost part of one of its antennae.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:40

(242nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *A Common Buzzard sitting atop a roof in Westcroft Walk was unusual.
- Two Song Thrushes were heard, both singing rather quietly.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Sparrowhawk

Noted on / around the water:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 15 Greylag Geese: of these two departed together
- 2 mainly white feral geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 45 (33♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 46 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- *1 (0♂) Goosander
- 17 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near?) adults
- 5 Cormorants: two of these departed together
- 2 Grey Herons

Of note elsewhere.

Nothing

The only duck Goosander today. Note there is still a hint of white between the eye and the base of the bill suggesting this is a first winter bird.

One of two adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

This Common Buzzard sitting atop a roof in Westcroft Walk. The blotchy throat and the paleness of the yellow cere (the fleshy area at the base of the upper mandible) both indicate this is an immature.

(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
Scaup imm/fem
4 Yellow-legged Gull
(Gary Crowder)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow-legged Gull
8 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 duck Gadwall
3 Goosander
4 Teal
1 Wigeon
1 Redshank
8 Pochard.
55 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
172 Coots.
4 Great Black-backed Gulls .
36 Redwings
42 Fieldfares
453 Jackdaws
64 Rooks
(John Isherwood/Roger Clay/Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
35 Mute Swans
1 drake Wigeon
1 duck Goldeneye
2 drake Shoveler
40 Tufted Duck
1 Common Gull
6 Herring Gull
163 Lesser Black-backed Gull
128 Black-headed Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
165 Coot
Lesser Black-backed Gull with a Dark Blue ring with Orange [red] numbers 567. This bird bred in Germany.
(Martin Grant/Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Adult Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black necked Grebe
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Cormorants
18 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
27 Robins
23 Blackbirds
3 Fieldfares
2 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
750 Black-headed Gulls
1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Little Grebes
5 Great Crested Grebes
15 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
2 Redpolls
25 Siskins
15 Pied Wagtails
2 Redwings
32 Fieldfares
5 Reed Buntings
13 Robins
18 Blackbirds
11 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)