9 Sep 26

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

14.0°C > 16.0°C: A few sunny intervals and a few passing showers. Moderate north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 06:33 BST]

* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area

Another late start to avoid the forecast earlier rain that did not materialise. Doh!

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:50 – 12:35

(203rd visit of the year)

The model boat club were using, mainly, the West end with sailing models though a couple of noisy battery-powered craft were exploring further. Some Mallard were probably hiding in the reeds. Any Tufted Duck had most likely departed.

Bird notes:
- a single Mute Swan was befriending the model boat club members. No sign of a partner.
- still at least two Swifts hawking over the trees on the East side of Castle Farm Way.
- again at least 100 Barn Swallows were over the water when I arrived. There were still c.30 present 90 minutes later.
- two of at least 13 Chiffchaffs were heard singing and, as yesterday, one of two Blackcaps was singing quietly.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Mute Swan: see notes
- 17 (?♂) Mallard
- no Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 37 Coot
- 19 Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls stopping briefly
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Cormorant, very briefly

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 *Swifts
- >100 Barn Swallows

Warblers noted:
- 13 Chiffchaffs: of these two in song
- 2 Blackcaps: of these one in quiet song

Also noted:
I lucked upon a small clump of flowers during one of the brief sunny interludes:

Butterflies:
- 3 *Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus [Tiger Marsh Fly; Sun Fly]
- *Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens [Pied Plumehorn; Great Pied Hoverfly]

True Flies:
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- flesh fly Sarcophaga sp.

Fungus:
- [I could not relocate them]

On the West end street lamp poles:
Nothing noted other than the odd unidentified fly.

 Record shot: my latest Swift in Shropshire.

During a sunny spell this pristine Speckled Wood butterfly Pararge aegeria posed well.

A not-so-pristine example lying on its side. Look carefully: the outer part of the left forewing is missing allowing the "eye" and other marks on the right forewing upper to be seen.

A female (the eyes are well-separated) Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax. It is feeding on Water Mint Mentha aquatica.

Perhaps the same individual.

A female Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus also known as a Tiger Marsh Fly or Sun Fly or even "The Footballer".

A Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens: one of our largest species of hoverfly.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

A detour from The Flash c.10:15. Most things hiding in the daylight and with a breeze blowing straight through.

Moths:
none

True flies:
- 8 *midges

Arthropods:
- 1 *Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none

A male midge with the plumed antennae. Note his slim body.

A presumed female midge with simple antennae. Note her fatter body (quiet at the back there). Are these the same species?

A Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:40

(200th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- still six Mute Swans.
- two duck Tufted Duck at the top end: a drake at the bottom end; and then I saw two in flight that might have been two more arriving from the Balancing Lake, leaving there when the model boat club arrived.
- just four brownhead Goosander seen briefly.
- all the expected Great Crested Grebe seen. Again just one of the adults was with the juveniles, today at the top end; the other adult was asleep off Derwent Drive; the immature was elsewhere at the bottom end.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 21 Canada Geese: of these 14 arrived together; later eight departed together
- no Greylag Geese
- 6 *Mute Swans again
- 25 (16?♂) *Mallard
- 3 (1♂) or 5? Tufted Duck: see notes
- 4 (0♂) Goosander: departed?
- 10 *Moorhens
- 21 Coot
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe
- 18 *Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Warblers noted:
None

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- 4 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

True flies:
- a few miscellaneous flies not identified

Bugs:
- 1 *late instar Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

Beetles:
- 1 *7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

Fungus:
- * Blushing Bracket Daedaleopsis confragosa
- *! Pale Brittlestem Psathyrella candolleana

For much of the time the six Mute Swans were arranged as trios. They then joined up. One of the three that flew is wearing a blue Darvic ring. Try as I might I cannot make out the characters: it should start '7...' but turning the photo this way and that does not seem to help.

A moulting drake Mallard. The bill of drakes is always greeny-yellow apart from a black tip (nail). Here the crown is showing some green and the breast is brown. The flanks consist mostly of brown feathers from the "eclipse" post-breeding plumage when drakes closely resemble ducks.

Here he is again showing the black nail to the bill.

Two different drakes showing different variations as they moult back in to breeding plumage.

On this drake all the brown flank feathers have been replaced. Note the patch of green appearing behind the eye. The curled tail-feather is always a sign of drake Mallard genes.

An adult Moorhen with the back speckled with water droplets from light drizzle.

A juvenile Moorhen with food. I hope it knows how to uncross its legs!

A different juvenile Moorhen. Note the very strong legs. This species is adept at climbing bushes (it usually nests well off the ground) and will walk long distances. I am not sure when the red bill and shield develop (a search of the internet drew a blank): certainly before the end of Winter. The white under-tail and white streaks on the flanks separated these juveniles from juvenile Coots.

Oops! A first-winter Black-headed Gull losing its footing.

A different first-winter Black-headed Gull with a particularly pale base to the bill and pale legs.

A late instar Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina.

Do I need to say... a 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata?

"Another chance to see..." Blushing Bracket Daedaleopsis confragosa fungus growing on a fallen branch. "Blushing" because it stains red if damaged.

The underside. I lay on the ground so you don't have to. (Actually I positioned the camera on the ground at arm's-length).

According to Obsidentify this fungus is Pale Brittlestem Psathyrella candolleana. I have no reason to question that. I find identification of fungus a particular challenge.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Shovelers
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
Possible Yellow-legged Gull
Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Teal
4 Swifts
1 Sedge Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)