29 Oct 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 10.0°C: Some thin high, otherwise clear start. Patchy very low cloud for a while. Light south-south-easterly breeze. Mostly good visibility but poor for a short while when cloud descended.

Sunrise: 07:01 GMT

+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 08:50

(223rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The Mute Swan cygnets took themselves for a flight down the length of the lake.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- *2 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 1 Greylag Goose: outbound
- c.955 Wood Pigeons: of these c.880 in 15 migrant flocks heading South
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 79 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 63 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
- 1 Skylark
- 5 Starlings: two singles and a trio
- 8 Fieldfare: together
- 1 Redwing
- 5 Pied Wagtails
- 5 Siskins: together

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 10 (7♂) Mallard
- 18 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 127 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.130 Black-headed Gulls
- *8 Herring Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *2 Cormorants: arrived together; one departed

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- 3 November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)

Other things:
- 1 Girdled Snail (Hygromia cinctella)
- 2 spiders Clubiona sp.
- *1 male spider Neriene montana
- 1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 1 stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.

Noted later:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni) on the fence alongside Teece Drive.
- *Hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) in flower

Just about 10 hours after the Hunter Moon was full. At such time there is no cross-lighting to pick out the craters but anyway the moon was partially obscured by thin high cloud preventing details being seen.

Low cloud, often rather thin, rolled in later. Low over the trees, more or less in the centre of the photo the setting full moon is just about visible.

It is only a few days ago I remarked how little sign there was of Autumn colour. Things have changed in just a few days.

For many years anything up to 150 Canada Geese used to go outbound past the lake pre- or around dawn. They would return after c.08:30 in large groups. Recently there has been no early passage and numbers have been in single figures. These two outbound well after dawn typify the current state.

This a second winter Herring Gull with the black of the wing tips extending along the front of the wing. Note the darkish bill with a pale tip.

The same bird. Apart from the bill the age is harder to judge from this view, the head-streaking could just as well be seen on a full adult in winter plumage. Just about discernable are dark smudges on the second tail-feather from each end. Another sure sign of immaturity.

Four Cormorants appeared overhead together. Two carried on South while two dropped in to the lake. This is one – an immature with pale markings on the belly.

And this is the other, also an immature but an older bird with only a hint of pale.

Jays are busy flying to and fro collecting acorns. This shows the distinctive rounded wings of the species.

The bushes at the West end were full of thrushes and finches feeding on the berries. The only bird that popped out 'my side' of the bushes was this Robin. So I took its photo.

Take note. Not that the male Pied Wagtail is likely to eat any fish.

A male spider Neriene montana.

Hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) coming in to flower. Not something I expected to see on the cusp of November.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 08:55 – 10:05

(209th visit of the year)

Martin Adlam has reminded me that a trio of mostly white geese were present for several days here in October 2022. The current group seem very likely to be the same birds. But where have they been meantime? And where did they go today? They were on the island when I started out but later neither they, nor their accompanying Greylag Geese, were to be seen. I did not hear them leave.

Bird notes:
- Probably more Goosander than I managed to count. They were all actively fishing and hence being harried by the Black-headed Gulls trying to steal their catch and thus were spending much of the time submerged..

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- c.150 Wood Pigeons in single migrant group flying South
- 4 Skylarks: singles
- 7 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 9 Canada Geese
- 12 Greylag Geese: departed?
- 3 mostly-white feral geese: departed?
- *2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 33 (23♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 1 (1♂) Common Teal
- *35 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- *>33 (2♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 48 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- *29 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: third winter
- *1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: third winter
- 1 Grey Heron

On / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:

Nothing noted

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Butterflies:
- *Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): >100!

Hoverflies:
- *Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax)
- Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)

Flies:
- very many of the usual suspects not investigated

The Mute Swan cygnets went for a fly. One here.

And two here. They are looking very white now.

Not to be left out the pen Mute Swan follows. A duck and two drake Tufted Ducks together with a Coot look on.

A drake Tufted Duck powers by.

As does a duck Tufted Duck.

Tufted Duck touch-down time.

My what big feet you have.

Seems to be a dispute between these two brownhead Goosanders.

The Black-headed Gulls were harassing the Tufted Ducks and Goosanders, trying to steal any food they brought to the surface. One of the guilty party flies by.

An alert-looking Herring Gull. An immature bird showing rather more extensive markings on the folded wings than I would expect of a third winter bird. However the pale eye and pale tip to the bill that do not fit with a second winter bird. Probably therefore a third winter bird.

A grumpy-looking Lesser Black-backed Gull flies by. I am not sure of its age either. The pale eye suggests a third winter. The extensive dark on the bill suggests a second winter.

This helps slightly in that there seems to be no remnant dark tail band. Like the Herring Gull it is probably therefore a third winter.

A Red Admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) is always worth a photo, especially at this late date.

I've spared you more photos of hairy Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris) and mainly unidentified flies. Here is a Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax) feeding on the Ivy (Helix) nectar.

And another.

And yet another. Note how the angle of light causes the compound eyes to change tone.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2013
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
1 Teal
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
Location
1 Pochard
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow legged Gull
2 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
1 Wigeon
Chiffchaff
10+ Fieldfare
Siskin
Willow Tit
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
Location
3 Pochard
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
34 Pochard a high count
500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
432 Jackdaws
228 Rooks
171 Fieldfare
5 Redwings
2 Siskins
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
115 Canada Geese
9 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
c.200 Golden Plover
23 Pied Wagtails
17 Robins
18 Blackbirds
12 Song Thrushes
70 Redwing
1 Mistle Thrush
9 Fieldfare
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Tit
195 Jackdaws
206 Rooks
31 Greenfinches
4 Redpoll
10 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Buzzard feeding on earthworms, mobbed by Black-headed Gulls
1 Raven
7 Pied Wagtails
3 Grey Wagtail
11 Meadow Pipits
Kingfisher
1700+ Wood Pigeon
192 Redwing
111 Fieldfare
(Martin Adlam)

28 Oct 23

No sightings today

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2010
Priorslee Lake
c.75 Starlings left roost at W end
118 Wood Pigeons
2 Skylarks
7 Meadow Pipits
478 Fieldfare
76 Redwings
9 Siskins
13 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
2 Cormorants
26 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
35 Fieldfares
3 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
4 Mistle Thrushes
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
Wigeon
Cormorant
300 Black-headed Gulls
40 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.75 Lapwings
2 Fieldfares
1 duck Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
200 Coot
(Ed Wilson)

27 Oct 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

9.0°C: Low cloud again sometimes descending to mist. Began to lift and brighten (a relative term) after 10:00. Light south-easterly breeze. Mostly poor visibility at the lake: better at The Flash.

Sunrise: 07:57 BST

+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:10 – 09:10

(222nd visit of the year)

Many things 'lost in the mist'.

Bird notes:
- 10 Goosanders circling low over in the mist at 08:00 may or may not have paused on the water. I have assumed not.
- No Wood Pigeons seen flying over. Only three seen in trees later!
- Three Starlings flew out of a roost in reeds alongside the dam.
- A Mistle Thrush sang lustily, albeit briefly, from along the South side.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 10 (?♂) Goosander
- 19 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 8 Redwings
- 10 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
- 8 Siskins: together

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 15 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- no count of Coots made
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
- 15 Herring Gulls
- 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- *6 November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)

Other things:
- *1 unidentified caterpillar / larva
- *1 winter midge
- *++1 fly with spotted wings Opomyza florum.
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis.
- 1 springtail Tomocerus minor.
- *1 presumed Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala).
- *2 Tawny Soil Slugs (Arion owenii)
- *1 spider Clubiona sp.
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 spider Metellina sp.
- 1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 1 stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *4 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis.

Noted later:
- *2 November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.) on the fence alongside Teece Drive.
- 5 male craneflies Tipula pagana on the walls of sailing club HQ.
- *1 female and three male craneflies Tipula pagana on the fence alongside Teece Drive.
- 1 (Great) Black Slug (Arion agg.) on the fence alongside Teece Drive.
- *fruits of Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea).

One of the many November Moth types (Epirrita dilutata agg.), this one for a change not twenty feet above the ground.

This one, on the Teece Drive fence, is an unusually well-marked example, almost tempting me to identity it as a real November Moth (E. dilutata). All the literature advises against separation without microscopic examination.

A caterpillar or a larva of what? There is a definite if rather indistinct pattern. Not one that Obsidentify could recognise.

This red-brown fly with spotted wings is, Obsidentify says, Opomyza florum. Checking with photos on NatureSpot it is indeed. A newly identified species for me.

Also on the Teece Drive fence was this female cranefly Tipula pagana. There were three males to keep her company.

It is not just craneflies and spiders that lose bits: this springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis has lost most of one antenna.

A slightly better photo of a presumed Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala). I have subsequently worked out how to get Obsidentify to take a flash photo so perhaps I can get an even better picture and more definitive identification next time.

Another Tawny Soil Slug (Arion owenii).

It does not look very 'great' but it seems to be what the NatureSpot web site defines as a (Great) Black Slug (Arion agg.). The taxonomy of slugs is a not yet fully worked out and the number of species open to debate.

The abdomen shape identifies this as a spider of the Clubiona group. Which species requires genitalia examination.

Also requiring genitalia examination to specifically identify are spiders from the Metellina group.

A harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis at the bottom. One of the winter midges with it.

Missed from the 'fruits' gallery I showed a few days ago was Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:20

(208th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A trio of mostly-white geese again arrived with Greylag Geese.
- The Mute Swan cygnets spend much time away from their parents. They are often seen as two twos in different parts of the water.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- *19 Greylag Geese: arrived
- *3 mostly-white feral geese: arrived
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 41 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 1 (1♂) Common Teal
- 25 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- *45 (2♂) Goosander
- 8 Moorhens
- 38 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Herring Gulls: first and third winters
- 2 Grey Herons

Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:

Moths:
- 2 November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)

Other things:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): many

Fungus:
- *Dark Honey Fungus (Armillaria ostoyae)
- *possible Southern Bracket (Ganoderma australe)
- *possible Bark Bonnet (Mycena speirea)

Plant/Fruit:
- *Guelder-rose (Viburnum opulus)

The mainly white feral geese are getting closer. They will be taking bread next. Comparison of their bills with that of the attendant Greylag Goose suggests a common lineage at some stage.

A brownhead Goosander in need of a handkerchief.

A top view of a first winter Herring Gull.

And the underside.

Around the base of a large Willow (Salix sp.) there were dozens of Dark Honey Fungus (Armillaria ostoyae). The internet suggests that this fungus does not always kill its host. It would be a shame to lose the old tree where I found these.

I found two very different fungus issuing from a different large Willow (Salix sp.). This is possibly a Southern Bracket (Ganoderma australe), the most frequently occurring example of this genus.

I will try better next time (if I remember and if the fungus is still present). Obsidentify gave me two choices from the large Mycena group neither of which are referenced in NatureSpot. From that site I have selected Bark Bonnet (M. speirea) as a strong possibility.

These fruits are from a Guelder-rose (Viburnum opulus).

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Adult Great Black-backed Gull
1000+ large gulls
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Great Black-backed Gull
11 Golden Plover
2 Kingfishers
16 Reed Buntings
5 Skylarks
8 Meadow Pipits
71 Redwings
457 Fieldfare
31 Siskins
1 Linnet
4 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
40 Tufted Duck
16 Pochard
2 Ruddy Duck
Common Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
c.2500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Kingfisher
2 Goldcrest
42 Fieldfare
Willow Tit
14 Long-tailed Tits
(Martin Adlam)