9 Oct 26

The Flash only

16.0°C > 17.0°C: Cloudy. Fresh westerly wind. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:23 4ST]

Only time for a visit to The Flash today.

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


The Flash: 09:20 – 10:40

(225th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- another high number of Greylag Geese, again with possibly more inside the island.
- no all-white feral geese today.
- the six Mute Swans remain.
- what looked to be one of the recently added immature Mallard noted dead in the water.
- many of yesterday's Tufted Duck gone again.
- I think fewer Goosander though they were being particularly difficult to count. Many were fishing around the very edges below overhanging vegetation. Another group was being hounded by Black-headed Gulls who were after any food. These birds were submerged much of the time and surfacing at random points. A few other birds were hauled out on the island.
- I could not find any Little Grebes.
- one full adult Great Crested Grebe was with two of the juveniles. The other juvenile seemed to be on its own with no second adult evident.
- only(!) four Grey Herons found.
- a Great (White) Egret did a disappearing act, flying from trees on the island, apparently to circle the island not to be seen again.
- three Little Egrets for certain. They were very mobile today.
- at least 20 Goldfinches were in trees on the island.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 10 Canada Geese
- 61+ Greylag Geese
- no all-white feral geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- 26 (19♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂) *Tufted Duck
- 50+ (1♂) *Goosander: see notes
- 4 Moorhens
- 20 Coot
- no Little Grebe
- 1 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe
- 43 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 *Herring Gull: first-winter arrived
- 5 Cormorants
- 4 Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 3 *Little Egrets

Warblers noted:

None

Noted around the area:
Cloudy but mild so a few things evident:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >10 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- 1 *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- 1 *Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]

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

Just three Tufted Duck today, the drake on the right.

"Where are all the fish?" A brownhead Goosander investigates.

Not there apparently.

This species is usually shy. They move away when they think they are being watched. This individual was on its own which perhaps explains why it let me get some close-ups.

Again.

Very close.

This first-winter Herring Gull arrived. Note the pale tip to the otherwise dark bill and the light showing through the inner primaries.

The same bird from above. The extent of the pale on the primaries and the neatness of the tail-band are both exaggerated with the light at this angle.

It looks different here. The tail-band has a fuzzy inner edge and the upper-tail is lightly spotted as I would expect. It does seem to show paler outer secondaries than normal.

One of three Little Egrets. This one briefly sat in a tree on the island.

The camera was on "sports mode" and "continuous shooting" when I took this photo of a female Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus.

By the very next frame the hoverfly had snapped its wings closed.

A male Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea on the Ivy. I assume the tongue rolls up inside the mouth? The wings look decidedly worn.

A head-on view. This is the first example of this hoverfly species I have seen at The Flash his year.

A 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata not actively looking for an over-wintering site.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2013
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
1 Pochard
60 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
235 Coots
7 Song Thrushes
118 Fieldfare
30 Redwings
466 Jackdaws
139 Rooks
c.450 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
c.100 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
18 Tufted Ducks
153 Coots
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
10 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
118 Wood Pigeons
103 Redwings
154 Fieldfares
809 Jackdaws
201 Rooks
7 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Pink-footed Goose
c.100 Greylag Geese
41 Canada Geese
41 Tufted Duck
12 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Yellow legged Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
28 Pochard
65 Tufted Duck
46 Greenfinches
5 Fieldfares
11 Redwings
12 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Goosanders
1 Pochard
45 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Great Black-backed Gull
1 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
2 Wigeon
Peregrine Falcon
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
23 Pochard
75 Tufted Ducks
950+ Black-headed Gulls
1204+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
499 Wood Pigeons
11 Meadow Pipits
23 Robins
23 Blackbirds
13 Fieldfares
4 Song Thrushes
18 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
321 Jackdaws
241 Rooks
22 Greenfinches
9 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)