15 Sep 25

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

14.0°C > 16.0°C: Broken cloud with light passing showers. Fresh / strong south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 06:44 BST]

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

With a forecast of heavy rain, gales, plagues of frogs and the like I decided to forgo the usual early visit. By the time I realised none of that was strictly accurate it was school run time. I body-swerved that and started later at The Flash.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:40 – 12:30

(223rd visit of the year)

As a result of the different timing not too much should be read in to the totals.

Bird notes:
- many Moorhens and Coots assumed to be sheltering unseen in the reeds.
- where were the expected gulls?

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Wood Pigeons only
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Jackdaws

Counts from the lake area:
- 16 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 11 (4♂) Mallard
- *1 (0♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Moorhens only
- 72 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes still
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted: minimum numbers
- 2 Sand Martins
- *c.10 Barn Swallows
- *c.6 House Martins

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs
- no Blackcaps

West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
Not visited today

Noted elsewhere:
A surprising numbers of things found in the more sheltered areas:

Butterflies:
- Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

Bees, wasps, etc.:
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
- European Hornet Vespa crabro
- *small ichneumon, possibly a Schizopyga sp.

Hoverflies:
- *Spotted Meliscaeva Meliscaeva auricollis [Spotted Thintail]

Damselflies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]: my first-ever September sighting!

Other flies:
- *long-legged flies Dolichopus sp.
- *unidentified Muscid fly
- *Yellow Cereal Fly Opomyza florum
- *European Cranefly Tipula paludosa

Bugs:
- *Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale

Beetles:
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea

Spiders:
- *White Crab Spider Misumena vatia [Flower Spider]

Fungus:
- *possible White Dapperling Leucoagaricus leucothites

Looking along the dam there is much weed under the surface that seems to have drifted there. Note also the water is green-toned with algae. This colour is across the whole water-body despite the recent rain having introduced fresh run-off through the sluices near the Teece Drive gate.

This duck Tufted Duck was a new arrival since yesterday morning.

Fewer hirundines today. Here is a juvenile Barn Swallow still showing a gape line and without any tail-streamers.

House Martins were going this way and...

... that.

A small ichneumon, possibly a Schizopyga species. Searching on the internet produced several different species all with banded legs as seen here. They were all photos from the New World so I am none the wiser.

A Spotted Meliscaeva hoverfly Meliscaeva auricollis. This species can be recorded throughout the year. In Autumn it feeds primarily on Ivy blossom – that is an Ivy leaf in the background.

One of two long-legged flies, probably one of the Dolichopus species.

And the other one. I am not sure whether it really has dark wings or whether that is due to the angle of the light.

I believe this grey-bodied fly to be one of the Muscid house-fly group. I cannot find a more detailed identity for it.

A Yellow Cereal Fly Opomyza florum. It has four black spots in the wings that do not show clearly from this angle.

Close-up and personal with a male European Cranefly Tipula paludosa.

A Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale. The species part of its scientific binomial name always makes me smile. A red rear-end produced by haemorrhoids? Those who name species often do so with a wry sense of humour.

A pale-looking Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis of the form succinea

Waiting to pounce is a White Crab Spider Misumena vatia. Also known as the Flower Spider it can apparently change colour to match its background. It has failed here on one of the last flowers of Knapweed Centaurea nigra.

This fungus is possibly White Dapperling Leucoagaricus leucothites. Obsidentify was not too sure: its next two suggestions were Common Toad and The Miller (a species of moth)! Reference to NatureSpot supports the best suggestion.

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Not visited today

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:30

(216th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- many geese already unseen in the island when I arrived.
- try as I might I could find only 10 Mute Swans.
- the duck Mallard with four almost full-grown off-spring seen again.
- a significant arrival of Tufted Duck since yesterday.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None

Noted on / around the water:
- >26 Canada Geese
- heard Greylag Geese only: from inside island
- 10 Mute Swans
- 32 (21?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 16 (4?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 84 Coots
- 4 + 5 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 7 Cormorants: none sitting in trees – they are not that clever perching in a strong breeze
- 2 Grey Herons

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff

Noted around the area:

Bees, wasps etc.
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
- *German Wasp Vespula germanica

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 Garden Spider Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
- *1 female harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli

Very few gulls around this morning this handsome adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was the only large gull on either water.

"Alright I'll take your photo. Now get out of my way!". A belligerent Wood Pigeon.

The shape of the yellow on the side of the thorax identifies this as a German Wasp Vespula germanica.

Yet another Garden Spider Araneus diadematus. This species is always abundant at this time of year. This one looks to have something in its jaws.

Another "top of the street lamp pole special". The shape of the dark marking on the saddle immediately identifies this as a female harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli. Seems it is almost unique in having all eight legs present and correct.


(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
9 Ravens
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Mallard x Pintail
Raven
2 Sand Martin
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
100+ hirundines
31 Pied Wagtails
Redwing
14 Chiffchaffs
7 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)