13 Dec 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

6.0°C: Overcast start with a light passing shower c.08:20. Thereafter cleared somewhat with a few sunny intervals. Moderate north-westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:13 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:20 – 09:20

(259th visit of the year)

Another quiet morning.

Bird notes:
- Another morning where there were gulls, presumably having roosted, on the water by 06:50. When the light was good-enough to identify them there were c.200 Black-headed Gulls, one Great Black-backed Gull, about five Herring Gulls, one Yellow-legged Gull, and c.50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Just a few large gulls arrived later.
- It is nearly a fortnight since I last heard the Cetti's Warbler. I don't think it is time to say it has gone. I have made rather fewer early visits during this period and the bird is likely to be mostly quiet.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 21 Greylag Geese: all inbound in five groups
- 2 feral mostly white geese: inbound with Greylags
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Siskin

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.

None, but:
- at least six Redwings calling from trees along the North side pre-dawn

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 56 (32♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 134 Coots
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls: see notes for all gull numbers
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull
- c.5 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- c.56 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

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

Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)

Otherwise:
- 1 fly Palloptera ustulata agg. (P. ustulata and P. anderssoni only separable by an expert)
- *1 tiny plumed midge
- *1 springtail, perhaps Dicyrtoma fusca.
- *1 springtail, perhaps Dicyrtomina minuta.
- *1 Common Pygmy Woodlouse (Trichoniscus pusillus agg.)
- 1 ground beetle Nebria brevicollis

Spiders and allies:
- *1 Running Crab Spider Philodromus sp.
- *1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

Later on the Teece Drive fence:

Nothing noted

Fungus
At the time I was passing yesterday's new fungus it was still too damp and dull to use the camera phone. another day.

All the photos from here were taken of creatures on the street lamp poles. This fly is of the Palloptera ustulata agg. (P. ustulata and P. anderssoni only separable by an expert).

This plumed midge is far smaller than any I can recall seeing previously. I can't find any identity for it.

Two different springtails today: this one with pale areas towards the rear of the tiny abdomen is perhaps Dicyrtoma fusca.

This one with a dark patch at the centre-rear of its abdomen is perhaps Dicyrtomina minuta. Both these species are about 0.1 inch (3mm) long!

A Common Pygmy Woodlouse (Trichoniscus pusillus type).

Obsidentify suggested this spider was Crab Spider Philodromus sp. I was sceptical as this does not look at all crab-like. Further investigation reveals that some in this genus are not especially crab-like and this may well be one of the Running Crab Spiders, But which...?

No mistaking this spider: a Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis).

This is a Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. I still think the old name of 'stretch spider' seems more apposite since it often lays in wait for its prey without spinning any web.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:10

(243rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The lower number of Moorhens was likely because they were hiding from the higher number of dogs being walked around during the time of my visit.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 14 Greylag Geese: of these two arrived and were possibly the same two that departed together.
- 2 mainly white feral geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- *3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 36 (23♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 41 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 19 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 3 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Elsewhere:

Nothing of note

A drake Gadwall with a strange head-shape

(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 ‘Nelson's Gull' but also colloquially ‘Viking Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Little Grebe
2 Siskins
4 Gadwall
2 Teal
4 Pochard
87 Tufted Duck
3 Goosander
236 Coots
1 Snipe
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
45 Redwings
(Ed Wilson/JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Ring-billed Gull hybrid
1800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
500 Black-headed Gulls
100 Herring Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gull
6 Greater Black-backed Gulls
1 Common Gull
1 Little Grebe
3 Redwings
1 Teal
9 Pochard.
40 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
c.170 Coots
3 Redwings
c.300 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson / Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Goldeneye
2 Sky Larks
c.25 Redwing
c.8 Fieldfare
12 Bullfinches
c.30 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
31 Swans
2 Greylag
33 Pochard
1 Willow Tit
c.35 Goldfinches
3 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
26 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
73 Coots
7 Lapwings
>1500 Black-headed Gulls
>1300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
38 Herring Gulls
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
24 Robins
13 Blackbirds
5 Fieldfares
11 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
132 Jackdaws
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Wigeon
Water Rail
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
2 Little Grebes
5 Great Crested Grebes
13 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
235 Coot
270 Jackdaws
154 Rooks
2 Redpoll
5 Siskins
12 Pied Wagtails
2 Redwings
10 Fieldfares
21 Reed Buntings
13 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)