14 Dec 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

2.0°C > 5.0°C: Overcast after earlier rain. Cleared somewhat after 08:45 with a few sunny intervals. Light southerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:14 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:25 – 09:15

(260th visit of the year)

An addendum for yesterday. I forgot to write in my paper log the calling Water Rail in the north-east area and hence failed to tabulate it.

Today's bird notes:
- A pair of Gadwall were new arrivals (the pair remain at The Flash though I did not see the other drake there).
- Unusually for these days two Lapwings were on the south-wet grass until flushed by a walker.
- For the third morning gulls, presumably having roosted, on the water by 07:00. I would judge c.200 Black-headed Gulls, five Herring Gulls and 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. By 07:30 the number of Black-headed Gulls had increased to at least 650 birds. Soon afterwards over 175 large gulls arrived from the North and stopped off. The majority of these were Lesser Black-backed Gulls, with at least 30 Herring Gulls among them. Later an adult Yellow-legged Gull was noted.
- Two Great Black-backed Gulls, one adult and one immature, lumbered over together.
- It is always the same: I write something and am immediately proven wrong! The Cetti's Warbler called loudly and then sang once along the North side. I assume the same bird.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 14 Greylag Geese: all outbound in five groups
- 2 feral mostly white geese: outbound with Greylags
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Great Black-backed Gulls
- 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.

None

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 64 (35♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 131 Coots
- *2 Lapwings: see notes
- c.650 Black-headed Gulls: see notes for all gull numbers
- c.50 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- c.190 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
In the cold weather with wet poles after very recent rain just....

Spiders and allies:
- *3 spiders Clubiona sp. (also known as Stout Sac Spider)
- *1 money spider sp. Neriene peltata
- *1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:

Nothing

The fungus first noted on Tuesday was:
- *Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum)

Record shot of the two Lapwings leaving.

The distinctive lump at the end of the abdomen identifies this a one of the Clubiona species of spider. Individual species of this group, sometimes known as Stout Sac Spiders, cannot be separated from photos. A male here with the enlarged palps.

And a different male.

The third option provided by Obsidentify for this spider seems the most likely after I did further research on the internet. It seems to be the money spider Neriene peltata.

The square front to the head of this spider identifies it as a Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) even when it is not sitting as normal with the front pairs of legs held together.

The harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

A small part of the fungus I first noted on Tuesday. It seems to be Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum). There is a similar-looking species which attaches itself to the dead wood by a 'foot'. Here the whole fungus is attached.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:25

(244th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- It is most odd that recently Greylag Geese have been in larger numbers than Canada Geese. Indeed since the July annual moult Canada Geese have been in historically low numbers, certainly at the times I visit. Strangely the white feral geese were not with the Greylags today: they had flown outbound over the Balancing Lake much earlier.
- A drake Common Teal was seen up against the island. Has it been here all the while and just been keeping out of the way of all the geese?
- Four different Great Crested Grebes today, one in more or less full breeding plumage with extensive head feathering.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk

Noted on / around the water:
- 9 Canada Geese
- 61 Greylag Geese: of these at least five departed.
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- *39 (27♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 1 (1♂) Common Teal
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 47 (39♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 18 Moorhens
- 38 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 32 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: one first winter; two third winters
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 3 Cormorants: of these one arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

Of note elsewhere.

Nothing

A trio of drake Mallard. Note the curled tail-feather. This seems to a strong genetic feature of drakes (only). Many drake mucky-ducks will show this feature indicating Mallard heritage.

Not a species I photograph very often but when a male House Sparrow poses like this it is worth expending a few pixels. Note the extensive dark 'beard' area...

...nowhere near so obvious when he turns his head.

(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
>550 Wood Pigeons
41 Magpies
1 Siskin
4 Gadwall
2 Teal
4 Pochard
64 Tufted Ducks
228 Coots
127 Black-headed Gulls
34 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
12 Great Black-backed Gull
10 Fieldfare
19 Redwings
78 Jackdaws
7 Rooks
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

The Flash
1st winter female Scaup
167 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

Horsehay Pool
A leucistic large species gull, probably Lesser Black-backed Gull
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Jim Almond)

2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
9 Pochard
27 Tufted Ducks
c.155 Coots
265 Black-headed Gulls
244 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
42 Herring Gulls
3 Greater Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Curlew
Mallard x Pintail
>25 Herring Gulls
>500 Wood Pigeons
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
Little Grebe
2 Gadwall
Goosander
c.50 Siskins
1 Redpoll
4 Great Crested Grebes
21 Swans
31 Pochard
92 Tufted Ducks
291 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
22 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
3 Buzzards
69 Coots
>1300 Black-headed Gulls
>2600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
23 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
5 Great Black-backed Gulls
25 Robins
16 Blackbirds
c.60 Fieldfare
c.162 Redwings
32 Magpies
230 Jackdaws
96 Rooks
22 Starlings
14 Greenfinches
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson/Kevin Pryce)

2005
Priorslee Lake
3 Ruddy Ducks
Water Rail
1500 Black-headed Gulls
700 Lesser Blacked Gulls
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
29 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
234 Coot
Sparrowhawk
176 Jackdaws
179 Rooks
11 Siskins
15 Pied Wagtails
2 Grey Wagtails
3 Redwings
1 Fieldfare seen.
164 Wood Pigeon
5 Reed Buntings
10 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)