Friends of Priorslee Lake Wildlife Site: 12 Jan 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 8.0°C: Mostly cloudy at medium level. A light shower c.10:30. Light mainly southerly wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:17 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 07:10 – 09:40

(9th visit of the year)

Much damage to trees and bushes all around the area with the North side path, as previously noted, almost impassable. Many reeds and other vegetation have been flattened but should recover OK.

A very small amount of ice remained.

New Bird Species
Two Ravens overhead were new for the year bring my 2026 bird species count for here to 50.

Bird notes:
- six Canada Geese were present throughout, initially on the water and then feeding on grass on the dam-top. Another on the water was joined by one from The East before they flew off East together. A different duo flew West at the same time.
- eight Pochard (seven drakes) were new arrivals.
- many fewer Tufted Duck: where have they all gone?
- yesterday I noted a fourth Great Crested Grebe: it seemed to be back to the three again today.
- there were c.250 Black-headed and c.50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the water by 07:40. Something spooked them and only the Black-headed Gulls returned. The Lesser Black-backs circled around and around for ages before heading off South.
- two groups of Fieldfare and two small parties of Redwings flew over.
- four Song Thrushes were motivated to sing by the milder conditions but none of them was "belting it out".

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 Herring Gull
- 39 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- 2 Ravens
- 44 Jackdaws
- 36 Rooks
- 53 Fieldfare
- 12 Redwings

Counts from the lake area:
- 8 Canada Geese: see notes
- 21 (13♂) Mallard
- 8 (7♂) Pochard
- 33 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.250 Black-headed Gulls
- c.50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret

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

Moths:
- *1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata

Flies:
- 1 barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi agg.
- *5 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- 2 unidentified midges
- *2 unidentified fly sps.

Leafhoppers etc.;
- *1 Acericerus sp., probably A. heydenii

Spiders / harvestmen etc.:
- *1 Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:

Nothing noted

A male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata but what is that lurking at the bottom of the photo?

This. Which is not a moth species as suggested by the apps. I don't what it is! It was just a number of insects that appeared on the street lamp poles, triggered by slightly warmer temperatures.

The best-posed of five winter craneflies Trichocera sp.

Unidentified fly #1. Obsidentify's best suggestion was the House Windowfly Scenopinus fenestralis but that species does not have a slightly swollen hind femur.

Unidentified fly #2. I tried both Obsidentify and Google Lens for this. I am sure it is neither an Asian Hornet or an Oriental Cockroach! The swollen legs might suggest an easy identification but apparently not.

This is a leafhopper Acericerus sp., probably A. heydenii. It is the most common of three species in the genus, all associated with Acers (Sycamores) [and not street lamp poles]. None of them is supposed to be active in January and separation from photos is not possible.

One of the easiest species of spider to identify is Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis . The markings are very consistent as is its habit of sitting with the front two pairs of legs held together.

A harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis. Of all the harvestman species this is the one I see most often still active after the turn of the year.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:45 – 10:45

(5th visit of the year)

>80% ice.

New Bird Species
Another additions to my 2026 bird list from here:
- eight Goosanders (three drakes) were good to see
My 2026 bird species total for here is now 38. Otherwise a return to more normal numbers

Bird notes:
- only one Great Crested Grebe noted.
- no Grey Heron or Great (White) Egret; and still no Greylag Geese or Cormorants seen this year.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 32 (21♂) Mallard
- 30 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- *8 (3♂) Goosander
- 10 Moorhens
- 50 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 18 Black-headed Gulls
- no large gulls
- no Grey Herons

Noted around the area:

Springtails:
- *2 springtails Orchesella cincta

The first of many Goosander photos. The limited amount of open water mean these often shy and elusive birds could not escape the camera. The overcast weather provided flat lighting conditions that allowed the plumage to be shown to good effect. Here are two drakes and two ducks. I think all "brownheads" at this date can be considered to be ducks.

A duck on her own.

Another duck.

And another.

A happy duck! This species belongs to a family of ducks known as saw-bills for the serrations along the inside of their bills to help them grip slippery fish. You can see the serrations in this photo.

In profile this duck clearly illustrates the difference between Goosander and Red-breasted Merganser, though this latter species is unlikely to be seen here as it prefers salt or brackish water. It has a much spikier crest and the brown of the head and upper-neck graduates in to the pale of the breast rather than changing abruptly as on this Goosander.

A splendid drake. Drakes show a very different head profile, especially when excited and / or displaying, the fore-crown often, as here, held vertical. The head plumes are usually less obvious than on ducks, held slicked-back here.