27 Nov 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

11.0°C > 13.0°C: Mostly cloudy. Moderate southerly wind. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 07:53 GMT

photos to be added later
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:20 – 09:45

(289th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a male Pheasant walked past me along the South side c.07:20.
- the early arriving gulls had already begun to move off before it was light-enough to give accurate estimates of their number.
- after 08:00 there was again a mass arrival from the North of Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The percentage of Herring Gulls in this later arrival was far greater, suggesting that these are all likely to be separate birds.
- estimated numbers of gulls noted on these two occasions are expressed as <total_1> || <total_2>
- another disappointing count of Jackdaws and Rooks passing over from their roost(s). There were no large groups, just a meagre passage of mixed groups.
- two Fieldfare were the only non-regular species seen flying over.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Greylag Goose: heard passing over c.06:30
- 17 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 36 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 78 Jackdaws
- 84 Rooks
- 2 Fieldfare

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Canada Goose: probably arrived and departed
- 14 (8♂) Mallard
- 5 (2♂) Pochard
- 47 (22?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 48 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.50 || 44 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 || 53 Herring Gulls
- c.500 || c.200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 2 Grey Herons

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
An amazing collection of insects etc. considering how few are seen elsewhere or on the poles later.

Moths:
- 7 Winter Moths Operophtera brumata

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 possible unidentified sawfly larva

Flies:
- 1 barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi agg.
- 1 $$ fly Peplomyza litura
- 2 female Yellow Dung Flies Scathophaga stercoraria
- 1 probable dark-winged fungus gnat Sciara sp.
- 2 wood gnats Sylvicola sp.
- >7 winter craneflies Trichocera regelationis
- 2 other unidentified flies, different species

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 $ Common Mesh-weaver Dictyna arundinacea
- 2 Nursery Web Spiders Pisaura mirabilis
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Don't believe the weather forecast. "Rain" it said. Pah!

When I reviewed this photo of a male Pheasant I took c.07:20 on the camera it looked essentially black. A bit of editing and can at least see what it is. I am certain Darwin was correct. When I see extravagant plumage such as this I do wonder what evolutionary pressure can have led to its development.

From the left three duck (female) and a drake Pochard. But what is that standing in the vegetation between Pochard #2 and #3? And are they its pink feet or trapped leaves? A duck Mallard perhaps. I really have no idea.

A bumper morning for Winter Moths Operophtera brumata. I noted seven on the street lamp poles pre-dawn and then found another five (of which this is one) on the Teece Drive fence c.09:30.

Strange. I am sure this Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria was not on this street lamp pole when I checked the poles pre-dawn. A bonus!

A caterpillar? I am not sure. My vote would be for a sawfly larva.

This is a barkfly from the Ectopsocus briggsi group.

A new fly for me and a distinctive one at that. It has no vernacular name so we call it Peplomyza litura. It doesn't show from this angle but photos on the internet show it has banded eyes.

One of two female Yellow Dung Flies Scathophaga stercoraria noted. This fly can be seen in any month.

I believe this to be one of the dark-winged fungus gnat Sciara sp. No way of identifying which from photographs.

The marks in the wing identify this as one of the wood gnats Sylvicola sp.

One of at least seven winter craneflies Trichocera regelationis I noted on and flying around the lamp poles.

One of two flies, of different species, that remain unidentified.

 And the other one.

I am not very confident identifying spiders (among many other things!). I will agree with Obsidentify that this small spider is a Common Mesh-weaver Dictyna arundinacea.

I could not get both these Nursery Web Spiders Pisaura mirabilis in focus. I think it is the male at the top: slightly smaller and with larger palps. Note that these were likely "on the move" as all the legs are separated.

One of the two now at rest with the front pair of legs held together. I do not know much about how spiders use their (usually) eight eyes. Here it seems that only one is giving eye-shine – caused by the camera flash. Does that mean the other eyes were pointing elsewhere and spiders can move each eye individually. That would be a good idea!

This harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus confused me. Normally these sit with legs tightly bunched and held at right-angles to the body with their long, forked pedipalps pointing straight ahead. It was the abdomen pattern, especially the white area that suggested to me that I ought to look more closely.

Also on the Teece Drive fence were two harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis this being a rare example with all eight legs.

(Ed Wilson)

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On the Teece Drive fence and elsewhere:

Noted later 

Moths:
- 5 Winter Moths Operophtera brumata: on the Teece Drive fence!
- 1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: on a street lamp pole where it had not been earlier

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Flies:
- 1 midge only
- 2 winter craneflies

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 3 spiders: all Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

Obsidentify told me this spider is a Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica. I doubt it. It looks like a Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata to me. Note the water-droplets on the wall behind the spider. The sudden change of temperature meant the walls and ceiling of the tunnel were dripping with condensation.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:50 – 11:05

(282nd visit of the year)

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday almost iced-over. Not a trace of ice remains in balmy temperatures.

Bird notes:
- the trio of (Common) Teal not seen in the ice conditions yesterday were back beside the island today.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 25 (16♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) (Common) Teal
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 25 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (0♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 54 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls: all immatures
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted around the area:
A few things on the bank of Ivy despite the cloudy conditions. Warm-enough for them.

Moths:
- 1 Winter Moth Operophtera brumata

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >3 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

Other flies:
- >2 Common Blow Flies Calliphora vicina

What have we here? Centre stage are the two drake and one duck (Common) Teal. On the left an adult winter Black-headed Gull. On the right a first-winter Herring Gull. In the foreground an out-of-focus drake Tufted Duck. And? Who can spot anything else? Behind the middle duck is a Moorhen at the edge of the island. The red and yellow of the bill is reasonably easy to see. It is walking right and the white flank line and white under-tail are also just about recognisable.

A third-winter Herring Gull. The bill pattern can lead to confusion with the vagrant Ring-billed Gull from America. That species is smaller and in winter would have an almost unmarked white head with an obvious collar of grey spotting (not streaks).

Compare and contrast. On the right the same third-winter Herring Gull. On the left a second-winter with pale only at the base of the bill. (A first winter would show pale grey only just behind the nape and browner wings).

"Ships that pass in the night" The same two birds.

A very different-looking Winter Moth Operophtera brumata from those at the Balancing Lake. No idea why. This one was on a street lamp pole in squirrel alley.

Proof that at least one Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris was out and about.

Plane of the day: circling overhead under the low cloud-base was this 1981-build Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II owned by the obscurely named UP (EGBO) Ltd. of Droitwich. EGBO is the airport code for Halfpenny Green Airfield near Wolverhampton where this aircraft is based. Quite why the tailplane is painted in an approximation of the British Airways (BA) "Chatham Dockyard" tail livery is unclear. On the BA livery the middle area is blue and not, as here, red. It is apparently a stylised version of the Union Flag for which I am sure consultants were paid a vast amount of money.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls
930+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
95 Herring Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Goldeneye
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
22 Tufted Ducks
146 Coots
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
8 Redwings
151 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

2005
Priorslee Lake
50+ Golden Plover
4 Pochard
39 Tufted Duck
1 duck Wigeon
2 Ruddy Duck
2 Little Grebes
200+ Coot
1 Water Rail
1 Kingfisher
12 Redwing
5 Fieldfare
8 Siskin
5 Reed Bunting
(Martin R Adlam)