1 Dec 24

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

11.0°C > 12.0°C: Clearing after earlier rain. Some sunny intervals developing before a heavy shower. Light south-easterly wind. Very good visibility except in shower.

[Sunrise: 08:00 GMT]

* = a species photographed today

As usual after a rain-delayed start it was The Flash first and then the Balancing Lake from the Castle Farm Way end. A heavy shower drove me away before I could complete the counts there.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:20 – 11:25

(262nd visit of the year)

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Canada Goose
- 20 + 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- no Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- ?? Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
- 18 Herring Gulls
- 28 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 11:30 – 11:55

(265th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I did not find any Shoveler but a drake Common Teal was preening alongside the island.
- now twelve Pochard with nine adult drakes. [Those seen yesterday at the Balancing Lake were not found].
- my Coot counts can never be 100% accurate with no location from which it is possible to see all the birds. It is clear that numbers are gradually reducing from the record high counts in October.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 10 Canada Geese: two of these arrived
- 2 Greylag Goose: arrived
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *36 (24♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Common Teal
- 12 (9?♂) Pochard
- 66 (38?♂) Tufted Duck
- 19 Moorhens
- 102 Coots
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adult, briefly
- 1 Cormorant

Noted around The Flash:

Moths:
- *1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria : moth species #50 for me here this year

Flies:
- *1 winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *3 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris

Springtails:
- 3 globular springtails of different species

Barkfly:
- *1 barkfly, possibly Graphopsocus cruciatus

Beetles:
- *1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

Bugs:
- *1 plant bug probably Drymus brunneus

Well: that's not very polite. Mrs. Mallard does not care.

A Mottled Umber moth Erranis defoliaria This specimen has the decency to be both 'mottled' and 'umber'. It is moth species #50 for me here this year: it flies throughout winter but I did not see any here in the early part of this year.

A December-flying Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris.

A winter cranefly, probably Trichocera regelationis. It does not look very well. In fact it looks trussed up, dead.

My initial thought about this insect was a planthopper. The photo revealed it has long antennae so it cannot be one of this group. It is a barkfly and possibly Graphopsocus cruciatus. Not a species I can recall seeing previously.

Not a species I would expect to see in December: a 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata.

Another oddity from this morning. A new species of plant bug for me by the catchy name of Drymus brunneus. The 'brunneus' part seems apposite.

Plane of the day: it is a Eurocopter EC155 B1 owned by Multiflight Ltd. based at Leeds Bradford Airport – the name is on the tail. This twin-engined helicopter can accommodate up to 13 passengers. It was on its way from Cotswold Airport (RAF Kemble as was) and returning to base.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years without links are below

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
7 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye
1 Goosander
142 Coots
33 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
203 Jackdaws
50 Rooks
3 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1st-winter Mediterranean Gull
500 Black-headed Gulls
Yellow-legged Gull
800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
30 Herring Gulls
A drake hybrid Mallard x Pintail
(Tom Lowe)

Overdale
11 Waxwing
(Observer Unknown)

Granville Country Park
10 Waxwing
100+ Redwing
6 Bullfinch
20+ Redpoll
1 Tawny Owl
3 Sparrowhawk
1 hovering Buzzard
(Stuart Edmunds)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Yellow-legged Gull
(Richard Vernon)

The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Observer Unknown)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Great Crested Grebes
23 Pochard
58 Tufted Ducks
65 Coots
>450 Black-headed Gulls
1128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
30 Robins
29 Blackbirds
46 Fieldfares
6 Song Thrushes
19 Redwings
2 Mistle Thrushes
168 Jackdaws
122 Rooks
1 Siskin
15 Linnets
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
10 Reed Buntings
A duck Wigeon
3500 Black-headed Gulls
2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gulls
2 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck
228 Coot
496 Jackdaws
193 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)