16 Dec 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 10.0°C: Mostly fine and clear. Light south-westerly wind. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 08:16 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:20 – 09:30

(262nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I don't think any gulls roosted here last night. There were none of the water at 07:00. By 07:05 there were at least 500 Black-headed Gulls circling at medium height over the water and these could possibly have been flushed off earlier. They took over 30 minutes to fully settle on the water. Attempts by some them ended with them all in the air again. Additional birds joined them and eventually there were at least 750 present.
- While the gulls were trying to settle they likely flushed groups of seven and then 28 Tufted Duck. I have assumed these were only moved around the lake and were included in my later count.
- I noted no large gulls at this time. Smaller numbers than for the last few days dropped in later with almost as many Herring Gulls as Lesser Black-backs.
- Two single Ravens flew South to the East. Only my third record of this species here this year.
- A Fieldfare was heard calling (but not seen) in the north-east area well after sunrise.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 1 Canada Goose: flew South
- 7 Greylag Geese: a single and three duos all outbound
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 62 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 15 Jackdaws
- 11 Rooks
- 2 Ravens
- 19 Starlings: together
- 6 Redwings
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.

None

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 70 (42♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 122 Coots
- *c.750 Black-headed Gulls: again see notes for all gull numbers
- *39 Herring Gulls
- 41 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 mystery gull
- 3 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron

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

Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
- 1 Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria): same as yesterday

Bees, wasps etc.
- *1 Braconid sp.

Flies:
- *2 flies Palloptera ustulata / anderssoni
- 1 male plumed midge sp.
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Beetles:
- *1 10 Spot Ladybird (Adalia decempunctata)
- *1 unidentified soldier beetle (Cantharis sp.) larva

Bugs:
- *1 planthopper Eupteryx urticae

Spiders and allies:
- *1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 3 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis

Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:
- *1 Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica)
- *1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

A very early pre-dawn hand-held time-exposure of the red-sky.

As good as it got. There was no nearer cloud to spread the red further across the sky.

 Just a few of the c.750 Black-headed Gulls swirling around.

The bird on the left is yet another gull mystery. Very dark and scaly-looking mottling on the back was probably the reason Obsidentify suggested this was a Great Black-backed Gull. It most certainly is not that species as that would show a very much heavier bill and a whiter head. Indeed the bill looks rather thin for any of the usual 'large gulls' and almost recalling Common Gull (though it is not that species either). I have no further thoughts at the moment.

 This is a first winter Herring Gull showing a much heavier bill.

And another with an even heavier bill. This one shows a swollen crop and a somewhat distended stomach.

One of the three Cormorants arriving.

A Braconid species, part of the ichneumon group of wasps.

A fly Palloptera ustulata or P. anderssoni

My first 10 Spot Ladybird (Adalia decempunctata) of the year. NatureSpot suggests that this form is of individuals yet to develop the red background and the usual arrangement of its ten spots. It seems a bit late in the year for that.

Well now: what is this? Is it a caterpillar? Some other larva? Obsidentify was persistent in suggesting (c.75%) this was a Cantharis beetle and indeed reference to the web suggests it was spot on: the larva from one of this group of soldier beetles. I cannot determine which species. It is likely it would have to be hatched-out to confirm.

Somewhat dew-covered: still identifiable as a planthopper Eupteryx urticae.

A Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.

A small spider on the Teece Drive fence. The white zig-zag marks along the side of the black abdomen identifies it as a Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica).

I have not seen one of these for a few weeks: it is a harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus.

Plane of the day: a United Airlines Boeing 777-200 series on a long-haul.

The data from FlightRadar24 (FR24) showing it is not yet halfway on its route from Newark (EWR) in New Jersey (the locals would not like this being called New York) to Dubai.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:35

(246th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *A Common Buzzard was attempting to perch in trees alongside squirrel alley. The resident Carrion Crows had other ideas.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 8 Greylag Geese: of these two arrived.
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- *40 (38♂) Mallard
- *1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 40 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 13 Moorhens
- *42 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 29 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: one adult; two third winters
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- *1 Grey Heron

Noted on street lamp poles around the area:

Moths:
- 1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
- 1 Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria): same as yesterday

On the Ivy bank in the sun:
- *Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
A surprise! I had not seen any bees on the Ivy since September.

15 Coots battling for food. Four Mallard and the white feral ducks try to get a look in.

A Grey Heron was sitting beside of the footbridges. It looks to have less breeding plumes than the bird I photographed yesterday.

A very bright bill though.

A Common Buzzard fleeing from the Carrion Crows. The tail suggests that this species is perhaps not too far separated genetically from the Red-tailed Hawk of the New World.

Not as sharp as I would like. However the long antennae identify this as a bee rather than a fly. It is a Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) on a very strange date.

(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
5 Gadwall
3 Pochard
49 Tufted Ducks
238 Coots
6 Fieldfare
>256 Redwings
3 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Teal
2 Pochard
167 Tufted Ducks
1 Greater Scaup
2 Goosanders
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebe
35 Tufted Ducks
4 Gadwall
7 Pochard
149 Coot
1 Water Rail
25 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
23 Swans
34 Pochard
84 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
Snipe
273 Coots
25 Goldfinches
7 Linnets
50 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
4 Cormorants
9 Pochard
46 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
Woodcock
70 Coots
c.220 Black-headed Gulls
104 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
5 Buzzards
20 Pied Wagtails
1 Willow Tits
561 Jackdaws
149 Rooks
c.190 Fieldfare
c.120 Redwings
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson / Martin Adlam)