29 Sep 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 11.0°C: A stunning sunrise as cloud encroached from the West ahead of forecast rain and gales. Dull for a while. Almost calm. Misty as I arrived, clearing quickly as the cloud cover increased.

Sunrise: 07:08 BST

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:30 – 09:15

(208th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- still 11 visiting Mute Swans to annoy the residents. The visitors stay close together. Some have taken to hiding in the reeds. At least one seems to be a cob up for a challenge and raises his wings and "stands his ground" when approached by the resident cob.
- many of the early arrivals of Lesser Black-backed Gulls came from the south-west rather than the north-west as they have been doing for the last two weeks.
- many groups of unidentified large gulls were flying south-east to the north-east and these groups were concurrent with the Jackdaws and Rooks passing by on roost dispersal. I can't count three things and take sunrise photos at the same time so these are 'best attempts' as the numbers.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 1 Canada Goose
- 19 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 22 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.175 large gulls: see notes
- 14 Cormorants: together
- c.250 Jackdaws: see notes
- c.55 Rooks: see notes
- 5 Pied Wagtails

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler: along the South side today
- 5 (0) Chiffchaff
''nominal' warbler:
- 1 (0) Goldcrest

Counts from the lake area:
- 36 Canada Goose: five departed; three stayed; 28 arrived
- 13 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 12 (9♂) Mallard
- 3 (0♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 163 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 66 Black-headed Gulls
- 11 Herring Gulls
- 162 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
- 1 Kingfisher

Football Field
Birds on the football field c. 07:10
- 102 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: both immatures
- 11 Wood Pigeons

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 Vapourer Orgyia antiqua

Flies:
- 2 Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
- 1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- 1 cranefly Tipula confusa
- 2 other flies of different species

Springtails:
- 2 springtails Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- 2 springtails Tomocerus vulgaris-type

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 as yet unidentified spider
- 3 male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli

Sailing Club

Around the outside of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:

Flies:
- 1 cranefly Tipula confusa

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 23 spiders: none specifically identified

Noted later:

Flies:
- cranefly Tipula confusa
- European Cranefly Tipula paludosa

Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis

Fungus:
- Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus
at least 9 fruiting bodies not noted yesterday

I was not best-positioned for the quickly developing sunrise. This, from the camera, shows the colour to good effect.

Whereas this what my smart phone made of it from the same position. The phone handles the contrast better though noticeable less crisp.

Without falling in to the water (unauthorised entry not permitted!) this was my best effort.

Centre is the resident cob Mute Swan trying to decide which of the 11 visitors. Several have hidden in the reeds. A visiting cob is also in threat mode on the right. Back centre is a Great Crested Grebe. Back left a Coot tries to avoid getting involved.

14 Cormorants. These came in from the East, circled as if they might come for some fish but decided against it and headed off South.

This is a Vapourer moth Orgyia antiqua. The white markings are likely part of its defence mechanism, either alarming predators or encouraging them to attack the 'eyes' which will cause little harm. Note the feathered antennae (or should that be antenna: it seems to only have one) indicating it is a male.

A close-up of a cranefly Tipula confusa.

An even closer-up of a female (with the ovipositor) European Cranefly Tipula paludosa. The head looks pre-historic to me.

These are current galls on the underside of an Oak leaf. They are made by one of Spangle Gall Wasps Neuroterus sp., likely N. quercusbaccarum. The gall species are not easy to separate; the adult wasps are rarely seen and impossible to identify from photos.

On the wall of the sailing club HQ I found this spider. The grey appearance suggests this is a Furrow Orbweaver Larinioides cornutus rather than the more usual darker and related Bridge Orb-web Spider L. sclopetarius that I see on the street lamp poles as well as here.

Probably one of the Metellina spiders with long and hairy legs. The Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii seems to be living dangerously (or about to become breakfast).

Yet another Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus. Very shaggy.

(Ed Wilson)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Flies:
- 2 plumed midges
- 1 Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly, Moth Fly or Owl Fly]

Centipedes & Millipedes:
- 11 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 4 spiders not specifically identified

This morning's Psychodidae sp. As previously noted there are (or were: probably more by now) 99 species of these small flies also known as Drain Flies, Moth Flies or Owl Flies. None can be identified from photos. Indeed I have never seen anything on how they are specifically identified.

This is one of the spiders in the Eratinga group that includes the Common House Spider E. atrica that falls in to baths at this time of year (drape a towel over the edge of the bath so the poor creature can escape). Not sure of the precise species shown here.

(Ed Wilson)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:20 – 10:25

(210th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- probably more Greylag Geese: when I check my photos I may be able to provide a more accurate total. I was too intent on checking for any wayward geese – the over-wintering wild geese are beginning to arrive.
- just one Chiffchaff noted and that singing intermittently.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
''nominal' warbler:
- no Goldcrests

Noted on / around the water:
- 31 Canada Geese
- 133+ Greylag Geese: arrived in several large groups
- 5 white/mainly white feral geese: arrived with the Greylags
- 6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 36 (25♂) Mallard
- 139 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (0♂) Goosander
- 6 + 6 (6? broods) Moorhens
- 131 adult and immature Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Flies:
- 1 European Cranefly Tipula paludosa: dead!

Beetles:
- 2 Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 3 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

Fungus: possible identities
- Dark Honey Fungus Armillaria ostoyae: masses

My provisional count for Greylag Geese was 88. My count of this photo shows 88! But there were others already present and this group contains four feral 'white geese'.

One of these feral geese.

And the other three between two Greylags.

This trio singled out.

Illustrating that the feral geese are about the same size as Greylags.

For a change two Greylags. The extent of the streaking on the flanks and spotting on the belly is highly variable. These two seem to be concentrating hard on finding some clear water for their splash-down, The lower bird seems to be squinting as if it needs glasses.

Was it something I said? A Grey Heron leaves.

The Dark Honey Fungus Armillaria ostoyae on the large and mainly dead Ash tree along the East side becomes more extensive by the day. Here from one side...

...and the other side.

A close up of some of the better specimens. The worry is that the various forms of honey fungus spread underground years before they begin to show fruiting bodies above ground and other trees in the area may be impacted. Healthy trees may not be affected though those with ash-dieback may not be so lucky.

Yes well! A female European Cranefly Tipula paludosa covered in dew. Is the 'hole' just the way the wings are held? I think I can just see the abdomen on this side of the hole. Would a live insect ever look like this?

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sightings from previous years

2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Pochard
2 Sparrowhawks
24 Swallows
Peregrine Falcon
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Redwing
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Siskin
105 Greenfinches
Swallow
House Martin
3 Chiffchaffs
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)