8.0°C > 11.0°C: Patchy medium level cloud with some good breaks. Light westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:49 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
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:50 – 09:35
(257th visit of the year)
Bird notes
*A large movement of Wood Pigeons moving South with >1200 birds in 22 groups. Some of these groups were too large to count. They were passing overhead as well as both to East and West of the lake and there were undoubtedly some groups I missed. Other than Wood Pigeons the only migrants I noted were a single Skylark and two Siskins
Other bird notes:
- As I am not Janus as was looking at Wood Pigeons at the time I was unable to see more than a disappearing group of c.70 geese passing westbound. Later small skeins totalling 20 Canada Geese and 18 Greylags were specifically identified and counted.
- a visiting Mute Swan was not allowed to stay for long.
- yesterday's Shoveler not seen.
- a single duck (Common) Teal was still present.
- a Little Grebe was by the bottom of the concrete ramp briefly and not seen again.
- the gulls behaved much as yesterday with fewer Black-headed Gulls noted.
- almost all the Jackdaws and Rooks passed over in a single wave of mixed species. I was surprised when I tallied my log to find how, relatively, few I had recorded. More fingers and ties needed.
- Reed Buntings were heard calling from their West end roost site together but not seen to leave.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 20 Canada Geese: westbound together
- 18 Greylag Geese: westbound in three groups
- >70 geese, probably mostly Greylags, westbound together
- *c.1266 Wood Pigeons: c.1200 of these in 22 migrant groups
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Skylark
- 187 Jackdaws
- 138 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Siskins
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 3 Mute Swans for a while only
- *21 (13♂) Mallard
- *1 (♂) (Common) Teal
- 3 (0♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 47 Coots again
- 1 Little Grebe
- *5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.350 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 Herring Gulls
- c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.350 early; c.50 later arrivals again
- 2 Grey Heron
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler again
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *18 November Moth types Epirrita sp.: where do they all come from!
- *18 November Moth types Epirrita sp.: where do they all come from!
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *1 unidentified ichneumon
- *1 unidentified ichneumon
Springtails:
- *1 $ springtail Orchesella cincta
- *1 $ springtail Orchesella cincta
Flies:
- 2 female and 1 male Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
- 2 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- 2 craneflies Tipula pagana
- *1 unidentified barkfly-type
- 2 female and 1 male Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
- 2 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- 2 craneflies Tipula pagana
- *1 unidentified barkfly-type
Earwigs:
- *1 Common European Earwig Forficula dentata
- *1 Common European Earwig Forficula dentata
Bugs:
- *1 Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius
- *1 Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 lace-weaver spider Amaurobius sp., possibly A. fenestralis
- 2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
- 1 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted on the walls of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:
- *1 lace-weaver spider Amaurobius sp., possibly A. fenestralis
- 2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
- 1 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted on the walls of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:
Flies:
- 1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
- 1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- not counted: nothing unusual seen
Noted later elsewhere:
- not counted: nothing unusual seen
Noted later elsewhere:
Nothing
[yesterday's Trooping Funnel fungus should have appeared under this heading. It was not on a street lamp pole pre-dawn! Oops.]
At the back a duck (Common) Teal: an all-dark bill and a white (pale yellow?) flash along the side of the tail. Much smaller than the two duck Mallard in front showing thin orange edging to their bills.
Count these then! Not much point really as this is only part of one of the 22 flocks of migrant Wood Pigeons.
This is another. Very hard to count in groups this large as the birds change relative positions all the while.
Hard to identify at the best of times. This isn't. An unidentified ichneumon seems a strange find at this date.
Yet another Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius found on the street lamp poles pre-dawn. I am seeing more here than I do on their natural vegetation during Summer.
This spider inhabits the shiny new street lamp pole and has evaded a decent photo for several weeks. This reveals it to be a lace-weaver spider Amaurobius sp., possibly A. fenestralis.
A two-fer: what I believe to be a species of barkfly is living dangerously close to a Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. As I recall when I walked back a few minutes later the barkfly was happily walking up the pole having passed the spider unscathed.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
You can either have the Common Plume moth Emmelina monodactyla or the street lamp vertical. I chose the latter – believe it or not! To my eyes it does not look vertical but the photo-editor indicates it is!
In weak sunshine a few insects were tempted to investigate the Ivy. Most were Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris. I saw just one hoverfly: this Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Do I need to say: 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata. Time it found somewhere to hide and hibernate.
These are not what I expected. Exactly where the Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea was noted for the last two days these fruiting bodies with a pleated cap (only when young apparently) have emerged. They seem to be Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 adult Great Black-backed Gull
4 Gadwall
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
A Raven tussling with Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
389 Fieldfare
6 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
15 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
13 Moorhens
232 Coots
1 Redwing heard
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
A male Stonechat the west end
2 Gadwall
A drake Shoveler
14 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
Siskin
Redpoll
C.350 Starlings in the roost
20 Redwings
209 Coot
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
[yesterday's Trooping Funnel fungus should have appeared under this heading. It was not on a street lamp pole pre-dawn! Oops.]
At last: a decent sunrise.
Always too far away... A Great Crested Grebe with a good-sized breakfast.
This caused me some head-scratching only to...
...open its wings and reveal itself as the eighteenth November Moth type Epirrita sp. on the street lamp poles here. I read that the larvae of all the three species involved feed on just about any tree or shrub species. Most of those on the street lamp poles are on poles that are close to trees.
A springtail which I believe is Orchesella cincta. Shorter antennae on this species. New for the year-list.
A shy Common European Earwig Forficula dentata hiding its pincers so I cannot tell which sex it is.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: same again
- 1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: same again
Flies:
- 1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
- 41 midges of various species
- 1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
- 41 midges of various species
Arthropods:
- 3 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
- 3 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 6 spiders: usual suspects apart from
1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. not usually seen here
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:40 – 10:50
- 6 spiders: usual suspects apart from
1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. not usually seen here
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:40 – 10:50
(253rd visit of the year)
It seemed strangely quiet this morning though in general the counts do not entirely support this. Best today was *a very noisy Chiffchaff initially calling from the island with presumably the same bird in trees at the bottom end later.
Bird notes:
- the Mute Swans were well scattered most of the time: I never counted more than nine.
- no drake Shoveler located.
- the Little Grebe was not seen: could it have been the one seen at the Balancing Lake today?
- passage of migrant Wood Pigeon parties ceased at the Balancing Lake c.08:30. I did not expect to see two small parties over here after 10:00.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 31 Wood Pigeons in two migrant groups
- 1 Skylark again
- 16 Jackdaws: together
- 2 Redwings: together
- 1 Siskin
Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 24 Greylag Geese at least
- 9 Mute Swans
- 23 (13♂) Mallard
- 10 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- *8 (1♂) Goosander
- 5 Moorhens only
- 88 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- *7 Herring Gulls: various ages
- *1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: first-winter
- 3 Cormorants only
- 1 Grey Heron
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 Chiffchaff
Noted around the area:
It seemed strangely quiet this morning though in general the counts do not entirely support this. Best today was *a very noisy Chiffchaff initially calling from the island with presumably the same bird in trees at the bottom end later.
Bird notes:
- the Mute Swans were well scattered most of the time: I never counted more than nine.
- no drake Shoveler located.
- the Little Grebe was not seen: could it have been the one seen at the Balancing Lake today?
- passage of migrant Wood Pigeon parties ceased at the Balancing Lake c.08:30. I did not expect to see two small parties over here after 10:00.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 31 Wood Pigeons in two migrant groups
- 1 Skylark again
- 16 Jackdaws: together
- 2 Redwings: together
- 1 Siskin
Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 24 Greylag Geese at least
- 9 Mute Swans
- 23 (13♂) Mallard
- 10 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- *8 (1♂) Goosander
- 5 Moorhens only
- 88 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- *7 Herring Gulls: various ages
- *1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: first-winter
- 3 Cormorants only
- 1 Grey Heron
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 Chiffchaff
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- *1 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla
- 2 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
one still in squirrel alley: the other on a different pole to any seen previously here
- 1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
same as yesterday: strange as this is below knee-height on a pole alongside a busy footpath. I should also note that yesterday this was moth species #74 for me at The Flash this year.
- *1 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla
- 2 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
one still in squirrel alley: the other on a different pole to any seen previously here
- 1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
same as yesterday: strange as this is below knee-height on a pole alongside a busy footpath. I should also note that yesterday this was moth species #74 for me at The Flash this year.
Bees, wasps etc.:
- >12 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
- >12 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- *1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Other flies:
- *several Common Blow Flies Calliphora vicina
- *several Common Blow Flies Calliphora vicina
Beetles:
- 1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- 1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
Fungus:
- *the Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea, had thrown up new fruiting bodies since yesterday
- * $ Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus
- *the Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea, had thrown up new fruiting bodies since yesterday
- * $ Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
A drake Goosander. At first glance I thought this was an obviously different bird to the one I photographed recently. Not so: the two dark feathers on its flank still to be moulted out are somehow less visible in today's lighting conditions.
An example of why I find identification of immature gulls easier when I see them in flight. Here a first-winter Herring Gull is chasing a first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull and the difference is stark. Were they sitting on the water it would be much more difficult especially if they were on their own.
The very noisy Chiffchaff was so noisy I was trying to convince myself it might be something more unusual. It did not help that it was through a tangle of branches. Here I can see that it has black legs which rules out many alternative. My latest at this site (though I am sure they over-winter silently in the area – perhaps visiting your garden?)
Persistence of using "electronic" zoom on the camera to try and isolate and focus on the bird reveals – a Chiffchaff!
- 1 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
A brownhead Goosander, the photo reminiscent of many of my Cormorant photos!
The Herring Gull does really want whatever the Lesser Black-back has in its bill.
There were a few flies. I think all of them were this species – Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina.
And there seems to be fresh Honey Fungus as well.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 adult Great Black-backed Gull
4 Gadwall
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
A Raven tussling with Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
389 Fieldfare
6 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
15 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
13 Moorhens
232 Coots
1 Redwing heard
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
A male Stonechat the west end
2 Gadwall
A drake Shoveler
14 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
Siskin
Redpoll
C.350 Starlings in the roost
20 Redwings
209 Coot
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)