1 Nov 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 11.0°C: Clear early with cloud patches later and a light shower. Fresh south-westerly breeze. Vert good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:07 GMT

* = 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: 05:55 – 09:10

(267th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- fewer westbound Greylag Geese with many of these well to the South of the area.
- now a pair and a drake Gadwall.
- the migrant groups of Wood Pigeons were slow to start with several single-figured groups before a huge party of at least 400 flew over. Passage then became sporadic and sparse again.
- a Lapwing was on the dam-face for a short while.
- more Lesser Black-backed Gulls today: at least 400 before 07:00 and then c.175 after 08:00. No corresponding increase in Herring Gull numbers.
- a Great White Egret seen briefly. Where was it hiding?
- Starlings seen to have decreed it is Winter. Two large (>100 birds each) and one small (three) groups were seen leaving a roost site in the south-east part of the lake c.06:45: the first such sighting of the second-winter period. Later 67 flew over in seven parties all heading south-west.
- small numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing also noted passing overhead. At least two Redwings had roosted.
- over 50 Goldfinches were in trees alongside Castle Farm Way.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 12 Canada Geese: all westbound in three groups
- 83 Greylag Geese: all westbound in two main groups and several stragglers
- c.750 Wood Pigeons: of these c.725 in 11 migrant groups: see notes
- 65 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 574 Jackdaws
- 98 Rooks
- *67 Starlings: seven groups
- 17 Fieldfare: three groups
- 16 Redwings: four groups
- 2 Pied Wagtails: singles
- 5 Chaffinches
- 2 Siskins: singles

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- 2 Redwings
- >200 Starlings: see notes

Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: arrived
- *2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 19 (12♂) Mallard
- 35 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens again
- 49 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lapwing: briefly
- c.450 Black-headed Gulls
- 25 Herring Gulls
- c.575 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 2 Grey Herons
- *1 Great White Egret

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Not much: breezy after overnight rain

Moths:
- 1 November Moth type Epirrita sp.

Flies:
- *1 Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 unidentified spider

Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:

Nothing

Also noted:

Fungus:
- *probably not Weeping Widow Lacrymaria lacrymabunda!!

A dramatic sky during a brief sunny spell.

Autumn colours alongside Teece Drive. When I arrived the whole road was covered in leaves. Cars arriving with pupils for football have made lines in the road.

The Great (White) Egret trying to hide beside the two Mute Swans. This was the only time I saw this bird. How could such a large white bird be so elusive? Or is a trip to Specsavers needed (other opticians....)?

Part of one of the seven groups of Starling passing (just) overhead.

A long way up a street lamp pole but just about identifiable as a Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria.

I am not happy with the results from any of my apps and I am logging this spider as "unidentified". It was the only spider on the street lamp poles this morning.

Several days ago I noted fungus growing on the fenced off football field. These have multiplied....

 ...and some are now growing outside the fence, as here. Identified as Weeping Widow Lacrymaria lacrymabunda by Obsidentify. Google Lens gave several different suggestions. None of these looked like their equivalents in NatureSpot so I am unsure what they are.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Flies:
- *1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
- 9 midges only of various species

Arthropods:
- *1 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger: deceased?

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 13 spiders: usual species

Perhaps the same cranefly Tipula lateralis as yesterday though it was in a different location in the tunnel

A Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber

A White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger caught up in a web and probably deceased. Since this species clearly could not fly in to a web a spider must have pounced on it and wrapped it up. I cannot identify what is on its belly.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15

(262nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- continued decline in the number of Mute Swans.
- both the pair of (Common) Teal seen.
- *the Little Grebe seen hiding under over-hanging vegetation.
- *the Little Egret noted again.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- *>44 Canada Geese: more inside the island?
- >6 Greylag Geese: more inside the island?
- 2 mainly white feral geese
- 5 Mute Swans only
- 31 (23♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) (Common) Teal
- *4 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- *43 (6♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens again
- 85 Coots
- *1 Little Grebe
- *6 Great Crested Grebes
- 32 Black-headed Gulls
- 17 Herring Gulls: all ages
- 3 Cormorants only
- 1 Grey Heron
- *1 Little Egret
- 1 Kingfisher: heard only

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- none

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *1 Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- >15 wasps: only Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris specifically identified

Hoverflies:
- *1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

Beetles:
- *1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

Fungus:
- *Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus: now very, very sad

From left to right: a sleeping Great Crested Grebe; a Little Grebe; a drake Tufted Duck, all with a resting Canada Goose on the island. I am sure the Little Grebe has been around on days I have not logged it. It can be tricky to find.

The Little Egret was as elusive here as the Great (White) Egret was at the Balancing Lake. This was my only sighting of it. A brownhead Goosander paddles serenely by.

I experimented, not entirely successfully, of using my (elderly) smartphone to take a few insect photos. Here is a Honey Bee Apis mellifera. It is several weeks since I last noted this species.

Also not entirely successful was this smartphone shot of a Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax. Perhaps I will revert back to my "real" camera.

An Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni. Two years ago I was seeing these everywhere throughout the Winter. Last winter they were scarce. There were plenty of larvae chewing alder leaves this summer. So far this Winter this is my only record.

A seven-legged harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus. The only harvestman I saw today.

Day three and the Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus is now very, very sad.

(Ed Wilson)

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2010
Priorslee Lake
Brambling
3 Fieldfares
12 Redwings
5 Siskins
2 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Cormorant
14 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
Female Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Goldcrest
Willow Tits with the Long-tailed Tits
Kingfisher
Jays
Skylark
Siskin
Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)