2 Sep 26

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

14.0°C: Cloudy with spells of rain and drizzle. Light south-easterly breeze. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 06:19 BST

Unsuccessfully avoiding the rain. As usual with a late start I visited The Flash first.

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 11:20 – 12:20

(197th visit of the year)

Only viewing from the dam-top area. The model boat club were using the West end.

Bird notes:
- only one Mute Swan seen.
- when the weather briefly cleared two Swifts appeared over the North side and after a few minutes seemed to leave to the East.
- well over 50 Barn Swallows were over the water in rain at 11:20. During the brief clear spell many of them left, some at least seen heading East. Several aerial food passes seen suggesting some juveniles.
- four House Martins were high overhead during the clearance.

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

Counts from the lake area:
All counts affected by poor light-levels and limited access
- 1 Mute Swan: see notes
- >25 (?♂) Mallard
- no Tufted Duck
- no Moorhens
- >32 Coot
- 17? Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- no Grey Herons

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 *Swifts: see notes
- >>50 Barn *Swallows
- >4 House Martins

Warblers noted:

None

Nothing else noted:

One of the two Swifts noted at a strange angle with tail-feathers spread.

That is more like what you expect a Swift to look like.

A few just-about-passable photos of Barn Swallows in the melee of more than fifty individuals.

A juvenile with the gape line still visible.

Could be sharper(!!) this swallow has just plucked an insect from the water surface.

The best of the bunch.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:20 – 11:10

(195th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- some geese were inside the island and hard to see. Likely more than my totals show, particularly for the Canada Geese.
- now only six Mute Swans.
- I did my best to sex the Mallard from the bill colour – not all the drakes are easily identified from plumage as yet. A few birds were too distant to check.
- nine Tufted Duck were new in.
- *a single brownhead Goosander seen.
- *one adult Great Crested Grebes was on the open water with four juveniles. Another full adult was well-apart at the South end. A third bird was at the top end but diving continually and I could not see whether it was a full adult or the recently seen sub-adult.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- >56 Canada Geese
- >44 *Greylag Geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- 28 (16+♂) Mallard
- 9 (3?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 2 Moorhens yet again
- 15 Coot
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) *Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 26 *Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants
- no Grey Herons

Warblers noted:

None

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 Chevron Grass-moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]
Most moths likely hiding from the rain.

Flowers:
- *Sowbread Cyclamen hederifolium

One of the adult Great Crested Grebes with the four juveniles.

Today's brownhead Goosander threatened to be another "now you see me, now you don't" but I did eventually relocate it. It is in the middle of the view, climbing on to the island. Greylag Geese and winter-plumage Black-headed Gulls for company.

Usual caveat: I am not a botanist (or a gardener). Growing alongside the path in squirrel alley I found what I believe to be Sowbread Cyclamen hederifolium.

(Ed Wilson)

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2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
c.65 House Martins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
Swifts
(Ed Wilson)

1 Sep 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

11.0°C > 18.0°C: Fine with well-scattered high cloud. Light breeze. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 06:19 BST

I will be avoiding the school-run from tomorrow meaning that on weekdays I will be remaining at the Balancing Lake until c.09:00 and then visiting The Flash.

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:50 – 06:40 // 07:40 – 09:55

(196th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a Mute Swan flew East overhead as I walked down Teece Drive back from The Flash: perhaps a bird from there? When I could see the lake there were two additional birds being chased by the residents. One of these was eventually put to flight. The other was attacked and forced on to the south-west grass.
- at least two Tufted Duck were seen departing c.05:30.
- *a new second-brood of three Great Crested Grebes was noted.
- the first 23 Black-headed Gulls had arrived by 05:30. c.65 were present by 06:00. 22 were on the football field c.06:30 along with a single Lesser Black-backed Gull.
- 36 Lesser Black-backed Gulls visited early with two after 08:30.
- two Swifts were over the North side wooded area by 06:20. These or another two were present between 08:30 and 09:00. Only one was noted c.09:15.
- the first three Barn Swallows were noted at 06:20. Many more later with at least 25 seen. There did not seem to me much, if any, suggestion that birds were passing through.
- a group of at least six House Martins were high overhead c.08:45 with juveniles heard calling [the local birds around my Newport home seem to have departed. This is several weeks earlier than usual].
- no fewer than six of at least 18 Chiffchaffs were noted singing. Almost like Spring with three songsters audible at one time. No other warbler species was noted.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 20 Canada Geese: flew West together
- 10 Greylag Geese: flew West together
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 41 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Starlings
- 148 Jackdaws
- 169 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 8 Canada Geese: arrived in two groups
- 4 *Mute Swans: see notes
- 51 (?♂) Mallard
- 2 (♂?) Tufted Duck departed
- 5 Moorhens again
- 49 Coot
- 18 *Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- c.65 Black-headed Gulls
- 38 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2+ Swifts: see notes
- >25 Barn Swallows
- >6 House Martins

Warblers noted:
- 18 *Chiffchaffs: of these six in song
- no Blackcaps

Also noted:
Strong sun but not too much noted

Butterflies:
- 1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

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

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- *Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]

Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
- *Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum

True flies:
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
very few other unidentified flies seen.

Bugs:
none

Beetles:
none

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:

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

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

Flies:
none

Arthropods:
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- 1 *unidentified male spider

An even more lopsided Sturgeon Moon.

A pellucid sky to start the morning.

Now some colour. The clarity this morning was such that on checking a distant contrail inbound from the East it turned out to be a Qatar Airlines flight from Doha to Dublin that was approaching Skegness! I could clearly see the dot of the aircraft at the front of the trail in binoculars.

The back bird is the resident cob Mute Swan. It may be the pen chasing an interloper or the two interlopers.

One decides to depart.

The other one probably wishes it had before in became pinned down by the resident cob.

It managed to break free and escape in to the south-west grass.

Another new brood of Great Crested Grebes has appeared: a trio of juveniles. It is a second brood for this pair with three young successfully raised from their first brood.

A fluffy Chiffchaff appears to be dozing.

A more alert Chiffchaff, still slightly fluffy. New feathers from the post-breeding moult I guess.

What is this ball of feathers having a good preen?

A clue here: a thin yellow line on the crown.

Big eyes in an otherwise unmarked face. Note the pale area in the wing.

Almost all is revealed here. A juvenile Goldcrest.

A juvenile Grey Wagtail.

This convolvulus was just about the only flower still extant and was home to a trio of Chequered Hoverflies Melanostoma scalare.

One of two puzzling Common Carder Bees Bombus pascuorum. This one does not look rotund-enough and at the time I was suspecting a mining bee Andrena sp. even though most species in this group have long since ceased activity for the year.

This one is well-rotund but why does it have a ginger band near the tip of its tail? Obsidentify was 100% sure it is a Tree Bumblebee B. hypnorum and I am 100% sure it isn't. That species has an all-black body, usually with a striking white tail.

On safer ground with this Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris on the Butterfly-bush Buddleja davidii.

A female Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum...

 ...in close-up.

This spider looks distinctive. Obsidentify and Google Lens disagreed and neither of their suggestions was supported by photos in NatureSpot. Clearly a male spider with the "boxing gloves".

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

An early visit again c.05:00

Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 Yellow Shell Camptogramma bilineata
- 1 ! *Green Carpet Colostygia pectinataria
- 1 *Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 *Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Flies:
- 7 midges
- 1 ! *cranefly, probably Euphylidorea lineola
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]

Arthropods:
- 2 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *Large House Spider-type from the Eratigena group
- 7 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii

A Green Carpet moth Colostygia pectinataria. Very distinctive when fleshly-emerged but as with all green moths the colour soon fades and they are more of a puzzle.

Square-spot Rustic moths Xestia xanthographa are appearing everywhere. My first here this year.

A Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris against the backdrop of one of the lit strip lights in the tunnel.

This brown-toned cranefly is probably Euphylidorea lineola

A Large House Spider-type from the Eratigena group

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:45 – 07:35

(194th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
A surprise was an apparently very brief visit by six *Goosander – all brownheads at this date. I looked through a gap in the vegetation and there they were. I looked again from the next gap and there they weren't. My previous earliest "second-winter" sighting of this species was 10 September in 2024.

Other bird notes:
- a single Greylag Goose present when I arrived flew off. Then a party of 27 flew in.
- eight Mute Swans: but did (at least) one leave later for the Balancing Lake?
- one adult Great Crested Grebes was on the open water. The other adult was on the nest with feathers fluffed and two of the juveniles visible.
- a trio of Cormorants arrived and went directly to the task of finding breakfast.
- a Kingfisher was heard and then seen.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese
- 28 Greylag Geese: see notes
- 8 Mute Swans: perhaps one of these departed later
- 25 (?♂) Mallard
- 6 (?♂) *Goosander, briefly
- 3 Moorhens yet again
- 19 Coot: where have the others gone? There were more at the Balancing Lake today
- 2 + 2? (1 brood) *Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Kingfisher

Warblers noted:
- no Chiffchaffs
- 1 Blackcap

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 3 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 3 Chevron Grass-moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]
- 1 ! *Flounced Rustic Luperina testacea
- 1 *Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

There they were and there they weren't. The six brownhead Goosanders that appeared briefly without me noticing them arriving or leaving. The question arises: have I previously seen Goosander and Swift (at the Balancing Lake) on the same day? Unlikely.

The Great Crested Grebe on the nest with one juvenile visible on her back and one in the water. I expect the other two juveniles are tucked up under the fluffed up feathers of the adult.

A posing adult-winter Black-headed Gull. Note the adults retain the bright red colour to their legs.

This worn moth (note the bald head) is my first Flounced Rustic Luperina testacea of the year. I found it on one of the street lamp poles in squirrel alley which has been a poor location for moths this year. Obsidentify was 95% sure it is a True Lover's Knot Lycophotia porphyrea and I have no idea why as that is a very strongly patterned species.

There was also a Square-spot Rustic moths Xestia xanthographa on the same pole in squirrel alley. This one has the decency to look "rusty" if not exactly "rustic".

(Ed Wilson)

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2012
Nedge Hill
1 Hobby
1 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl
5 Swifts
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
2 Swifts
(Ed Wilson)

31 Aug 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

12.0°C > 16.0°C: Some early cloud clearing to good sunny intervals for a while. Cloud building again with a shower starting as I departed. Another almost calm start with a light north-westerly breeze developing. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:18 BST

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:55 – 07:05 // 08:10 – 09:30

(195th visit of the year)

All the muddy margins around the lake have now gone and the exit sluice is running freely. The Wesley Brook alongside Teece Drive is damp but not flowing. All the water seems to have come via the sluices near the Teece Drive gate.

Bird notes:
- again more geese passed below tree-level from wherever I happened to be.
- seven Tufted Duck noted.
- as yesterday Black-headed Gulls were the only gulls seen on the water. The first two arrivals at 05:35 soon departed. c.30 present by 06:00. None was seen on the football field.
- as yesterday 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were noted flying over at various times.
- more than 40 hirundines were very high overhead after 06:30, so high that I was unable to hear them over the noise of the M54. I suspect most were Barn Swallows with a few House Martins among them. Most unexpected was a Swift with them at 06:50. By 09:00 there were at least 20 Barn Swallows low over the water and from time-to-time small groups seemed to be heading off South. A few House Martins heard at that time included calling juvenile(s).
- three Chiffchaffs were noted singing with at least 15 in total seen and heard..

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- Canada Geese: heard only.
- 36 Greylag Geese flew West in three groups; others heard
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- 22 Feral Pigeons flew South over the dam area in a tight group. Not from the estate?
- 1 Stock Dove
- 76 Wood Pigeons
- 129 Jackdaws
- 95 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 40 (?♂) Mallard
- 7 (>3♂?) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 37 Coot still
- 14 Great Crested Grebes still
- c.30 Black-headed Gulls
- no Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 *Swift
- >30 *Barn Swallows: see notes
- >10 House Martins: see notes

Warblers noted:
- 15 Chiffchaffs: three in song
- 4 Blackcaps again

Also noted:
The sun had mostly gone behind cloud by the time the insects would have been on the wing

Butterflies:
none

Moths:
none

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
including a nest site!

Hoverflies:
none

Damsel / Dragon-flies:
none

True flies:
- *long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *clusterfly Pollenia sp.
- *flesh fly Sarcophaga sp.
a few other unidentified flies seen.

Bugs:
none

Beetles:
none

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none

On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:

Moths:
- 1 *Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla
- 4 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 *Chevron Grass-moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]

Flies:
- 1 *long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >3 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

Arthropods:
- 1 *$ millipede Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Common House Spider Eratigena atrica
- 1 *Furrow Orbweaver Larinioides cornutus [Furrow Spider]
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

The Sturgeon Moon is even more lopsided after another day's waning.

Cloud clearing away to the East and mist over the water. Not much colour.

This Common Buzzard had been sitting on a street lamp pole outside the academy until I started walking up Teece Drive. It reluctantly flew in to the Ricoh copse pursued by a posse of Magpies. The tail of one can be seen hanging down above the buzzards head. What a hooked beak.

Still with the Magpie's tail hanging down it turned to look at me...

...and decided it was time to go [the blue patch is a small area of sky visible through the copse]

I know, I know... Well it was only 06:50. Record shot of the Common Swift. I only have "last dates" for the previous ten years: last year's record on 03 September was my only later date.

If you take enough photos of the flying Barn Swallows one ends up almost acceptable.

A Common Plume moth Emmelina monodactyla

The Chevron Grass-moth Agriphila geniculea on the left was climbing up the street lamp pole and about to meet one of our smallest harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis

A Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum at the remnant flowers on the Butterfly-bush Buddleja davidii. The bush has not been used by many butterflies of late.

I have not seen a long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar for several weeks. One was on a street lamp pole pre-dawn and this may or may not be the same individual seen later.

A clusterfly from the Pollenia genus.

Another flesh fly from the Sarcophaga genus. Unlike yesterday's example it does not have a tapered abdomen.

A different flesh fly. Looks to be even hairier. Mr. Google's AI tells me "Flies are hairy because their tiny body hairs act as crucial sensory tools for tasting, smelling, feeling, and navigating the world around them". Mankind seems to have lost this capability somewhere along the long evolutionary path though I suppose we occasionally experience our hairs standing on end as a sensory response.

Perhaps a new species for me. This millipede seems to be Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus with an overall brown tone and a pale area behind the head. Perhaps I have assumed this was just a White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger previously.

I think this spider is a Furrow Orbweaver Larinioides cornutus.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

An early visit again c.05:00

Moths:
- 1 ! *Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis
- 3 Chevron Grass-moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]
- 1 *Yellow Shell Camptogramma bilineata

Flies:
- 1 midge
- 7 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 cranefly Tipula confusa

Arthropods:
- 3 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 4 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

This is my first Rusty-dot Pearl moth Udea ferrugalis for almost exactly 11 years – 01 September 2015 was my previous sighting. This is a migrant moth and therefore appears in variable numbers depending upon the weather. No doubt the hot weather helped. The ground colour of individuals is variable: some are grey, some rusty with many in-between.

One of three Chevron Grass-moths Agriphila geniculea I noted on the ceiling of the tunnel.

Yet another Yellow Shell moth Camptogramma bilineata.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:10 – 08:05

(193rd visit of the year)

Still quiet.

Bird notes:
- 17 Canada Geese flew in together.
- a group of 13 Greylag Geese by the island was unusual these days. Also unusual was that they were completely silent.
- eight Mute Swans with one chased away.
- one adult and two juvenile Great Crested Grebes were at the nest. I did not see any others.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 21 Canada Geese: of these 17 arrived together
- 13 Greylag Goose
- 8 Mute Swans: one of these departed
- 16 (?♂) *Mallard only
- 3 Moorhens again
- 25 Coot
- 1 + 2 (1 brood) *Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 10 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Warblers noted:
- 2 Chiffchaffs: one in song
- 1 Blackcap: in quiet song

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 4 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 3 Chevron Grass-moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 *Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

For its third year (at least) the "what sex is it Mallard?". Some of the green head colour, the white neck ring, the brown chest and the curled tail feather say it is a drake. The bill colour and the flank markings say it is a duck. I assume it is an aberrant drake.

A Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris was today's duty officer at the Neighbourhood Watch sign by the academy.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
Possible Little Ringed Plover
Raven
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Nedge Hill
Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Little Grebe
Shoveler
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
58 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)