8 Nov 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 12.0°C: Early cloud began to break with some sunny spells. Light south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:20 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

I am taking a break for a few days. Back soon.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:05 – 09:20

(274th visit of the year)

Bird notes
Highlight today was a single *Egyptian Goose initially spotted by one of the fishermen (thanks Daz) and then noted hiding in plain site amongst gulls on one of the sailing club pontoons. It become bird species #105 for me here this year. There has been a small breeding population of this species in the area for at least 30 year. They remain uncommon and seem to be most frequently seen to the East at Belvide Reservoir (permit only access). My only previous sightings here were on 01 December 2017; 08 March 2021 and 16 October 2023.

Other bird notes:
- a male Pheasant was heard calling from the Ricoh grounds.
- what I have assumed was the same lone Mute Swan made two attempts to visit. The residents quickly chased it away on both occasions.
- only one pair of Gadwall noted. They were lurking under over-hanging vegetation and there could have been more.
- five drake Pochard were new arrivals.
- several large parties (and a few small groups) of migrant Wood Pigeon. The larger parties were very high and not easy to see. I probably missed many.
- *a first-winter Common Gull was found among the Herring and Lesser Black-backs that arrived after 08:00. My second sighting of this species this year. I did not see it here at all in 2024.
- fewer Jackdaws and Rooks for no obvious reason.
- no Starling roost noted
- the only Redwings seen were four in the West end hedge.
- three Reed Buntings flew out of the reeds at the West end.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose: westbound
- 57 Greylag Geese: westbound more or less together
- *c.1281 Wood Pigeons: of these c.1250 noted in seven migrant groups
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 77 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 173 Jackdaws
- 58 Rooks

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- 3 Reed Buntings

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: arrived
- 3 Mute Swans: see notes
- *1 Egyptian Goose
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 12 (7♂) Mallard
- 5 (5♂) Pochard
- *22 (14?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens again
- 48 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls again
- *1 Common Gull
- *23 Herring Gulls
- *c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.150 by 06:50; c.100 arrived after 08:00
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 November Moth type Epirrita sp.
- *1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
- *1 caterpillar / larvae of?

Springtails:
- 3 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- 1 globular springtail Dicyrtomina-type

Flies:
- 2 winter craneflies. perhaps Trichocera annulata
- *5 winter craneflies other Trichocera sp.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Later on the Teece Drive fence:

Nothing noted

Otherwise:

Fungus:
- *Trooping Funnel Infundibulicybe geotropa

It was clear when I departed from my Newport home. It was, of course, cloudy at Priorslee and it took some while for any sun to appear. Tufted Duck in the foreground.

Later!

The Egyptian Goose hiding in plain sight. In the middle of the picture between the Lesser Black-backed Gull and Herring Gull but on the pontoon in front of the gulls.

They are truly bizarre even more so when they show a huge white wing panel as they fly.

A Great Crested Grebe with breakfast. I believe it has caught a Perch Perca fluviatilis.

Like all good fishermen – boast about your catch!

Show it to the folk over there as well.

Head-first down the hatch.

Just the tail to go.

Do you ever get that "stuck in your throat" feeling?

A first-winter Common Gull. Identify by the rounded head-shape and dark eye.

A quartet of smart-looking first-winter Herring Gulls. The two nearest the camera look dark: the tertials (the feathers in front of the all-black folded wing-tips) are notched white which eliminates any possibility of them being Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

And one in flight.

(Most of) a migrant group of Wood Pigeons. At the time I estimated 160 birds. A quick check of the photos show there were many more. Probably applies to all my estimates.

Munching blackberries is a female Greenfinch. The bill and the flammulations on the breast identify if...

...it is not showing the green in its wing.

A dew bespattered Mottled Umber moth Erranis defoliaria

An unidentified caterpillar / larvae of?

Two winter craneflies Trichocera sp. Strangely it was one with dew on its wings that had just flown in.

It is almost a "troop" of Trooping Funnel fungus Infundibulicybe geotropa now.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Flies:
- 8 midges

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

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 11 spiders: usual species apart from...
*1 money spider Eratinga sp.

A small spider from the money spider Eratinga group.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:35

(268th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- three drake Pochard new in here (as well as the five at the Balancing Lake)
- one Little Grebe seen.
- the Little Egret still here.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 23 Canada Geese: more inside the island?
- 13 Greylag Geese: more inside the island?
- no mainly white feral geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 28 (20♂) Mallard
- no (Common) Teal
- 3 (3♂) Pochard
- 9 (4♂) Tufted Duck again
- *63 (9♂) Goosander: maybe more
- 10 Moorhens again
- 84 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes still
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants again
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 1 Little Egret still

Noted around the area:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >20 wasps: as usual only Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris specifically identified

Hoverflies:
- >1 Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- *>3 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *1 Syrphus sp., perhaps Humming Syrphus S. ribesii also known as Common Flower Fly

Beetles:
- *2 7 Spot Ladybirds Coccinella 7-punctata

Slugs, snails etc.:
- *1 possible Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella

Goosanders have very bright feet. I am surprised the fish don't see them coming. Two drakes here.

One stretching its wings. Note on the left wing you can see that on drakes the white panel reaches the leading edge.

Always perky: a Long-tailed Tit.

The mostly dark front legs separate this Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax from Tapered Dronefly E. pertinax. As a female the abdomen shape would not be easy to use for identification.

Another: the abdomen pattern can vary.

A Syrphus hoverfly. Obsidentify was sure it is a Humming Syrphus S. ribesii also known as Common Flower Fly. I thought that only females could be positively identified (this is a female) and then only if you see the hind femur – which I cannot.

A sunny 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata.

A possible Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella. I am not sure anyone is at home.

Plane of the day: this is a Jodel DR1050 Ambassadeur. Jodel aircraft are French designed and built and all models have distinctive canted wings. The private owner was making a flight from Tatenhill Airport (not far from Burton-on-Trent) to Welshpool (or Mid-Wales) Airport no doubt for breakfast in their Fuel Stop Cafe. Open to all Wednesdays to Sundays.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Teal
1 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
75 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
226 Coots
720+ large gulls over and c.50 on the lake
1 Yellow Legged Gull
c.3100 Wood Pigeons
159 Fieldfare
31 Redwings
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
c.170 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
146 Coots
c.700 Black-headed Gulls logged
c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
41 Redwings
10 Fieldfares
634 Jackdaws
198 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Grant)

2008
Priorslee Lake
300+ Wood Pigeons
326 Redwings
652 Fieldfare
269 Jackdaw
136 Rooks
c.75 Starlings seen leaving roost
6 Pochard
78 Tufted Ducks
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
4 Goosander
47 Greylag
95 Canada Geese
42 Tufted Duck
6 Redwings
1 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Shoveler
21 Starlings in the roost
12 Pochard
57 Tufted Ducks
c.80 Lapwing
192 Coot
500+ Black-headed Gulls
800+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Chiffchaff
26 lb Carp landed by one of the fishermen
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
20 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
19 Lapwings
1700+ Black-headed Gulls
518+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
334 Wood Pigeons
14 Pied Wagtails
24 Robins
27 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
8 Song Thrushes
12 Redwings
52 Jackdaws
142 Rooks
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)