23 Dec 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 10.0°C: Broken cloud with early occasional light drizzle. Fresh westerly wind. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 08:20 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:25 – 09:35

(269th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- c.300 Black-headed Gulls arrived together c.07:35. There did not seem to be any more arrivals.
- No large gulls until almost 09:00 and then a steady arrival led by Herring Gulls. At least two Great Black-backed (one first year and one adult) and two Yellow-legged (adults) Gulls.
- Another reduction in the number of Coots. Or were some hiding from the wind?

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 23 Canada Geese: outbound in four groups
- 34 Greylag Geese: outbound in three groups
- 16 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 41 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Jackdaws
- 8 Fieldfare

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.
- 2 Redwings

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 46 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 96 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *c.300 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Great Black-backed Gulls
- 20 Herring Gulls
- *2 Yellow-legged Gulls
- *106 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Cormorant: arrive
- *1 Grey Heron

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

Moths:
- *1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata

Flies:
- *1 fly Dryomyza anilis
- 1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- *1 fungus gnat sp.
- *1 female Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
- 1 very small plumed midges

Other insects:
- *1 globular springtail

Spiders and allies:
- *1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.

On the Teece Drive fence:
Nothing found

The large scaly-backed gull at the back is a first winter Great Black-backed Gull. Note the massive bill somewhat accentuated by being black. The other two gulls are adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

The big very dark-backed gull at the left of this view is an adult winter Great Black-backed Gull. These never show any dark head streaking. This shows how 'black' it looks compared with any of the four adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gulls. All the other gulls are winter Black-headed Gulls. Apologies it was rather dull when I took this photo at long range.

In the middle of this trio is an adult winter Yellow-legged Gull looking very smart. The gentle expression and dark eye might suggest a Caspian Gull: however the mantle (back) of a Caspian Gulls are only slightly darker than Herring Gulls whereas this is significantly darker. Again the other two gulls are adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

This immature (some pale chest feathers) Cormorant seems to be amused.

"If I flap hard-enough perhaps I'll fly". Not enough light to freeze the action.

A stately Grey Heron surveying its surroundings.

"What's that over there?" The contrasting shapes of a Grey Heron and a Cormorant.

A Nuthatch working the tree trunks for food.

Not a bill to mess with.

A male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata is the main feature here but at the very top of the photo is one of the tiny globular springtails.

This is the fly Dryomyza anilis.

I think this has to be a fungus gnat though I cannot identify it further. It is the spurs and hairs on the legs that suggest it belong to this group. There is not much information about these on the internet.

With patterned wings, banded legs and a proboscis this is a female Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata. They are supposed to hibernate. I guess it is too warm at the moment.

Just one spider on the street lamp poles this morning: this Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:40 – 10:40

(251st visit of the year)

Bird notes:

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Common Buzzards

Noted on / around the water:
- 12 Canada Geese:
- 33 Greylag Geese also
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 38 (24♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 2 (2♂) Common Teal
- 5 (3♂) Pochard
- 66 (40♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 11 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 108 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Noted on the ivy bank sheltered from the wind and in the weak sun:
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

Yet another photo of a Long-tailed Tit.

Today's hoverfly on the bank of Ivy was a Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax.

There was no sun on the Ivy but it was obviously mild-enough to tempt at least one hoverfly to look for nectar.

(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
1st-winter female Great Scaup

Horsehay Pool
Kittiwake

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
14 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
178 Coots
2 Redwings
4 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
3 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
28 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
30 Mute Swans
40 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
161 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Black-necked Grebe
18 Swans
4 Gadwall
41 Pochard
75 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
311 Coots
600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
12 Goldfinches
10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Dawn Balmer/Peter Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
3 Cormorants
32 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
c.100 Black-headed Gulls
23 Redwing
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee lake
10 Pochard
15 Tufted Duck
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
c.100 Lesser Black-backs
1 Water Rail
20 Pied Wagtails
365 Rooks
325 Jackdaw
1 Kingfisher
51 Siskin
7 Redpoll
13 Greenfinch 13
12 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)
3 Redwing
c.50 Siskin
7 Redpoll
8 Reed Bunting
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Adlam)