7 Oct 24

The Flash only

11.0°C > 13.0°C: Early cloud and rain beginning to clear. Light south-easterly wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:22 BST

Early rain kept me away from the Balancing Lake (what a wimp!). An appointment for my jabs prevented a later visit.

The Flash: 09:15 – 10:30

(213th visit of the year)

Bird notes
Today's highlight was a very upset Water Rail giving its 'pip-pip-pip' alarm calls from along the East side. Investigation, as expected, failed to locate the bird but I did flush a cat from the reedy/scrubby area, no doubt the cause of the Water Rail's concern. Bird species #77 for me here this year (the same as last year's final total). My last record of this species here was in January / February 2023.

Other bird notes:
- Greylag Goose numbers again 'best effort' as many were already inside the island when I arrived.
- yesterday's Gadwall were not found.
- several pairs of Mallard were noted mating.
- an over-flying Sparrowhawk was being pursued by 26 Goldfinches.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Sparrowhawk

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 Chiffchaff

Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese
- >62 Greylag Geese
- *6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *42 (28♂) Mallard
- 110 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail
- 16 Moorhens
- 145 Coots
- *3 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Moths:
- *1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris

Flies:
- *only unknown species

Bugs:
- *1 Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum
- *2 Common Green Shieldbug instars Palomena prasina

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

Slugs, snails etc.:
- *1 possible Tree Slug Lehmannia marginata

Fungus:
- Dark Honey Fungus Armillaria ostoyae: some now fading away

Two of this year's trio of Mute Swan cygnets go for a fly.

The back one looks about like be swimming - likes to keep its feet close to familiar territory. The third cygnet was some way behind and flying less strongly.

I must get better photos of this strange duck. Most of the back and curly tail feather are 'pure' drake Mallard. The flanks are very different, the feathers more like duck Gadwall or even Pintail as are the few feathers at the front of the back. The head has very little of a drake Mallard's green gloss but partially shows that species' pale neck ring. The orange edge to a dark bill is also reminiscent of a duck Gadwall.

The dark chestnut breast is another drake Mallard feature. The pale chestnut on the bird's cheek does not immediately recall any species. DNA anyone? Domestic Khaki Campbell drakes have the drake Mallard's curled tail feather: otherwise they show almost uniform plumage and either all yellow or all dark bills.

This may or may not be the Great Crested Grebe I thought was a first winter yesterday. If so I was mistaken. The dark areas on the face and chin here are the remnants of the breeding plumes that will be completely lost before the turn of the year. The bill colour is wrong for a first winter.

A Common Nettle-tap moth Anthophila fabriciana. This small species is not easy to spot at rest and most of those I find are individuals I see fly when I approach too closely and then settle still in view.

There are always unknown flies. Here is a small one.

And an even smaller one. The leaves were blowing around in the wind but the flies seemed untroubled and able to hang on.

 A Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum coming in to dark winter colours. In summer these are washed purple and green. The hairs seem to have worn off. I did wonder whether it was the very similar species Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Halyomorpha halys but that has only two white bands on its antennae.

One of two Common Green Shieldbug instars Palomena prasina.

And the other.

On one of the footbridge supports I noted what might be a Tree Slug Lehmannia marginata.

(Ed Wilson)

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

Sightings from previous years

2014
Wellington
Fieldfare
(Jenny Hood)

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Shoveler
Chiffchaff
Grey Wagtail
Reed Bunting
Siskin.
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
50 Mute Swan
(Mike Cooper)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Swallow circling with swirling Starlings
(Ed Wilson)