13 Nov 26

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

4.0°C > 6.0°C: Clear skies. Light north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:25 GMT]

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

I waited until after what my mother called "the streets are aired". It was another day starting at The Flash after the school-run mayhem.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:45 – 11:45

(254th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- no Mute Swans again.
- I am certain there were no Pochard lurking among the Tufted Duck.
- two Great Crested Grebes today.
- the gull numbers again given as two values: the first taken at 10:45 as I arrived; and the second as I was about to leave at 11:45.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
Very little flying over!
- 1 Feral Pigeons: mostly white bird
- 1 Wood Pigeon

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- no Mute Swans
- 7 (3♂) Mallard
- 75 (35?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 14 Coots only again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 || 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 || 7 Herring Gulls
- 17 || 46 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

West end street lamp poles:

Just the odd unidentified fly

One of the local Common Buzzards takes to the air.

I am pleased I am not a Rabbit about to be pounced upon. Note that there is no yellow above the base of the bill (the cere) which indicates this is an immature bird. I would expect an adult to have an orange iris

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:35

(252nd visit of the year)

After the overnight temperature of -3.0°C I had expected to see some ice. It seems there must have been just enough wind to keep the water moving and prevent any ice forming.

Bird notes:
- the number of geese here remains unusually low. Today small parties of both Canada and Greylag Geese flew over without pausing.
- no Mute Swan again.
- only one drake Shoveler located.
- seven brownhead Goosanders were new arrivals.
- a Grey Wagtail was noted flying around on several occasions.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 13 Canada Geese: flew North together
- 12 Greylag Geese flew North together before turning West

Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese
- no Mute Swan
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 34 (22♂) Mallard
- 19 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 (0♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens yet again
- 21 Coot
- 66 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Noted around the area:
Sunny but cold again. The Ivy sheltered from the wind. Perhaps not quite so busy as yesterday.

Butterflies:
- 1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1+ German Wasp Vespula germanica
- 1+ Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- >20 other wasps Vespula sp.

Hoverflies:
- 2 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- 3 Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- 1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- 1 Syrphus sp.

True flies:
as yesterday: perm dozens from these and other species
- Blow Fly Calliphora sp.
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Flesh fly Sarcophaga sp.

Record shot: the seven newly-arrived brownhead Goosanders.

A very fresh-looking Red Admiral butterfly Vanessa atalanta. It not uncommon to see these tempted to bask in the sun on sunny days in Winter. This will likely hibernate, on and off, until it becomes more generally active in Spring.

This is a Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris with the parallel-sided yellow stripe on the side of the thorax. Although not a definitive feature on the abdomen the black spots tend to merge with the black horizontal markings whereas with a German Wasp V. germanica these spots are often isolated.

To prove the point this is also a Common Wasp even though the black spots are separate from the black horizontal markings.

A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus showing what long legs this species has.

What looks to be a different individual. This usually abundant species has been.

An apology for misidentification yesterday, spotted by eagle-eyed Martin Adlam. I had this labelled as "another [Tapered Dronefly] with different markings on the abdomen". It is fact a female Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.

As is this from today.

This most certainly is a Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax.

As, I hope(!), is this female.

Four species of hoverfly at this date is a good haul. This is one of the Syrphus sp. It looks to be a male (the eyes look as if they meet to me) and therefore cannot be specifically identified from a photo.

Plane of the day. This year-old Airbus A330-941 (an A330neo) flies for ITA Airways (Alitalia as was and now majority-owned as part of the German Lufthansa group).

I hit the wrong button to get the full details from FlightRadar24 but here is its identity. Unusually it has an Italian registration (I-xxxx). The Italian Authorities require aircraft to be registered in the country of ownership. Most of the ITA Airways fleet is leased with the aircraft registered in Ireland (EI-xxx). I can tell you that it was an hour late flying to Rome's Fiumicino Airport from New York's Newark Airport (which is actually across the Hudson River in New Jersey State).

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
2 Teal
67 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
25 Moorhens
230 Coots
290+ Black-headed Gulls
Female Peregrine
359 Wood Pigeons
308 Fieldfare
30 Redwings
517 Jackdaws
119 Rooks
22 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
40+ Fieldfare
34 Greylag Geese
46 Canada Geese
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
8 Tufted Ducks
148 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
294 Wood Pigeons
88 Redwings
149 Fieldfares
c.75 Starlings
c.779 Jackdaws
159 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
101 Canada Geese
8 Pochard
132 Tufted Ducks
124 Coots
31 Lapwings
Several Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
c.800 Fieldfare
c.425 Redwings
218 Jackdaws
146 Rooks
c.550 Starlings
c.10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
39 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
1 Great Black-backed Gull
251 Wood Pigeons
20 Robins
293 Fieldfares
105 Redwings
145 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
11 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
Single female Ruddy Duck
400 Black-headed Gull
8 Redwing
1 Fieldfare
5 Reed Bunting
A few Redpoll
Siskin
1 Brambling
(Martin Adlam)

12 Nov 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

2.0°C > 5.0°C: Clear start; clouded for a while from the North; then clear again. Light / moderate northerly breeze sufficient to keep the frost away. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:27 GMT

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

More or less back to normal though I did not check the Priorslee Avenue tunnel..

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:05 – 09:05

(253rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
A postscript to yesterday's skein of 80 Pink-footed Geese. The daily Belvide blog had a report of "55 Pink-footed Geese flying north-north-west over Codsall in the morning". This was likely the same flock. I had an advantage in being able to specifically count them from a photo. I surmise the Codsall sighting could have been "a Mk.1 eye-ball".

The "what is it if it is not a Cetti's Warbler?" was heard yet again but just twice before sunrise. One of the calls was more sustained and I am not happy that it is indeed a Cetti's Warbler..

Other bird notes:
- a male Pheasant was calling from the south-west copse but did not apparently venture on to the adjacent grassy area.
- a Greylag Goose visited briefly.
- no Mute Swans today.
- even more Tufted Duck than yesterday. I could not find any Pochard. Unlike yesterday birds were spread out all across the water and continually diving. The low sun did not help.
- a Little Grebe noted: only one Great Crested Grebe seen.
- at least 600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present by 06:40. Black-headed Gulls were later arriving and I was not well-positioned to see them. I only noted c.50.
- later I noted eight Herring Gulls and 64 Lesser Black-backs arrive.
- five Cormorants arrived singly.
- a Peregrine flew over at 07:25. None of the birds seemed to take any notice of it.
- there was no Wood Pigeon passage.
- the low count of Jackdaws and Rooks is not entirely explained by the northerly wind. This causes them to fly higher than usual and does make them harder to see. There should have been more.
- Winter thrushes remain scarce. A lone Fieldfare flew East: and two Redwings were seen leaving roosts around the water. My Merlin app failed to record the calling Fieldfare but heard both the Redwings. I did not hear those and only saw them. I guess in part it depends upon the sensitivity and frequency range of the phone's microphone.
- two parties each of >50 Starlings departed from South-side reeds concurrently. A lone bird left from the North side later.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Greylag Geese: a duo and a quarter flew East
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Peregrine
- 1 Stock Dove
- 15 Wood Pigeons
- 82 Jackdaws
- 85 Rooks
- 1 Fieldfare
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
- 2 Siskins

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: throughout
- 1 Greylag Goose: visited briefly
- no Mute Swans
- 21 (13♂) Mallard
- no Pochard
- 84 (>36♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 18 *Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- >50 *Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Herring Gulls
- >650 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons: one chased away

Birds seen leaving roosts around the water:
- >100 Starlings
- 2 Redwings

On the West end street lamp poles:
Dew covered but not frosted. Not much and mostly unidentified!

Flies:
- 1 *winter cranefly sp.
- 1 *unidentified fly

Leafhoppers:
- 1 *unidentified leafhopper

Springtails:
- 1 globular springtail sp.

Aphid:
- 1 full-winged black aphid sp.

Beetles:
- 1 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala

The clear sky did not seem likely to produce an interesting sunrise. Note the few wisps of clouds that were the advance party of more general cloud...

...giving an unexpectedly colourful sunrise.

Max. colour!

Talking of colour: a Poplar tree (perhaps, you know botany is not my strong subject)

The Coot has found some food and the Black-headed Gulls want it.

5:1 is not fair.

Somewhere under there is a Coot.

I probably should not have done this. This photo of the Blue Tit was taken with camera-flash. It didn't seem to mind.

This fly was the most interesting inhabitant of the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn. An unusual fawn colour with prominent markings on the abdomen and relatively long antennae. Neither of my apps gave any reasonable identity. Google Lens was perhaps did better with a horsefly. The species suggested had patterned wings and not patterned abdomen. I suspect it is too late in the year for horseflies to be active.

A winter cranefly that looks as if it has been drawn through a hedge backward. Probably through a spider's web sideways.

A leafhopper. There are many species that are mostly green as here.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:25

(251st visit of the year)

Note
A postscript here as well. Yesterday unidentified moth is confirmed as White Birch Tortrix Acleris logiana [was Grey Birch Button]. Thanks to Martin Adlam for pointing me in the right direction and to the Shropshire recorder for confirming its identity. Checking my logs I find I saw one here on 26 October 2024 – my only other record of this moth. Doh! The West Midlands Moths web site notes "An uncommon but increasing migrant and now resident in the region". This species is double-brooded with the second brood over-wintering as an adult. It was still present today. Moth species #55 here this year for me.

Bird notes:
- no sign of the Mute Swan (that I note I have failed to tabulate it for several days)
- still two drake Shoveler and no (Common) Teal seen.
- a large gathering of Mallard appeared when food (corn I think) was proffered. It was just about possible to count them but they were too mobile to sex them accurately.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 1 Canada Goose
- 2 Greylag Geese
- no Mute Swan
- 2 (2♂) Shoveler
- 37 (>21♂) *Mallard
- no (Common) Teal
- 18 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens again
- 17 Coot
- 53 Black-headed Gulls
- no Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted around the area:
Sunny but cold. The Ivy sheltered from the wind and very busy with more, mostly unidentified, flies than everything else.

Moths:
- 1 White Birch Tortrix Acleris logiana

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1+ *German Wasp Vespula germanica
- 1+ Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- >25 other wasps Vespula sp.

Hoverflies:
- >5 *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax [Tapered Drone Fly]
- >1 *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

True flies:
perm many dozen from these species
- *Blow Fly Calliphora sp.
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *Awkward Clusterfly Pollenia rudis
- Flesh fly Sarcophaga sp.

Food was available so in come the Mallard. A drake...

......under-carriage down...

 ...looking to see a landing spot.

A Great Tit of course. Most of the time I seem to photograph males: this looks to be a female without the very broad black belly "zip" of the male.

And a Blue Tit. Not so easy to sex this species. I am sure they manage.

Let's complete the set. A Long-tailed Tit looking for its next meal.

Long-tailed indeed.

Probably the same Robin I photographed yesterday when it was in the close-by bushes.

Different Robin. This one at the top end.

What I believe is a German Wasp Vespula germanica mainly because the yellow on the side of the thorax is not parallel-sided.

A male Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax.

And another with different markings on the abdomen.

A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

A Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina at ease.

On the right with the golden hairs on its thorax is probably an Awkward Clusterfly Pollenia rudis. There are eight Pollenia species in the UK which require microscopic examination to specifically identify. This is by far the most common species. On the likely another Blow Fly Calliphora sp.

Not as impressive as the Autumn colour at the lake. This is a Horse-chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum (even I can recognise one of those).

Plane of the day. This is a Cirrus Design Cirrus SR22. The Wilmslow owner flies it out of Liverpool's John Lennon Airport (what's wrong with Speke?). He was on a day-trip to Blackbushe Airport in Hampshire.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
2 Teal
59 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
27 Moorhens
239 Coots
c.440 Wood Pigeons
8 Song Thrushes
567 Fieldfare
26 Redwings
270 Jackdaws
106 Rooks
c.310 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
103 Starlings
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
8 Goosander
139 Coots
52 Redwings
55 Fieldfares
571 Jackdaws
128 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
9 Cormorants
8 Pochard
117 Tufted Ducks
2000+ Wood Pigeons
400+ Fieldfare
125+ Redwings
33 Starlings
10+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Shoveler
2 Water Rails
c.50 Lapwings
c.150 Golden Plover
6 Redwings
3 Fieldfare
Chiffchaff
Several Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
65 Pochard
65 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
50 Coots
500+ Golden Plover
1 Woodcock
790+ Black-headed Gulls
1753+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
962 Wood Pigeons
130 Fieldfare
93 Redwings
393 Jackdaws
135 Rooks
174 Starlings
34 Greenfinches
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebe
9 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
5 Ruddy Duck
Water Rail
800 Black-headed Gull
Cormorant
10 Redwing
9 Reed Bunting
3 Redpoll
9 Siskin
(Martin Adlam)

11 Nov 26

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

7.0°C > 7.0°C: Medium overcast lifting and breaking from the North. Light north-easterly breeze picking up slightly. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:25 GMT]

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

I avoided the early rain so it was another day starting at The Flash after the school-run mayhem.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:30 – 11:40

(252nd visit of the year)

Bird notes
Highlight today was a distant large skein of Pink-footed Geese flying north-west far to the North at c.11:30. A new species for the year here and one I do not see very often hereabouts. More often single lost birds with the geese at The Flash. Bird species #99.

The "what is it if it is not a Cetti's Warbler?" was heard giving the abbreviated version of its alarm call. It refused to call again after I had fired up the Merlin app. Nothing was seen. It does seem to be hanging around so perhaps tomorrow I will nail it – so as to speak.

Other bird notes:
The Model Boat Club were using the West part of the water and that may have affected some of the numbers.
- a pair of Mute Swans, including Blue '7JXV' flew off East at 11:35.
- among an increased number of Tufted Duck there were two Pochard, at first sight both ducks. In most sightings of this species drakes significantly outnumber ducks. My photos suggest both these might be immatures and I am uncertain as to their sex.
- three Great Crested Grebes today.
- the gull numbers are given as two values: the first taken at 10:30 as I arrived; and the second as I was about to leave at 11:40. There was a constant arrival and departure of gulls while I was walking around. The individuals almost certainly changed and there were more no accounted for.
- eight Cormorants were managing to cope with the disturbance.
- a small party of seven Fieldfare flew over – flying East again.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 80 *Pink-footed Geese
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Wood Pigeon
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Skylark
- 7 Fieldfare
- 1 Redwing

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: throughout
- 2 *Mute Swans: departed
- 13 (9♂) Mallard
- 2 (?♂) *Pochard
- 70 (38♂) *Tufted Duck
- 2 Moorhens
- 14 Coots only
- 3 *Great Crested Grebes
- 5 || 23 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 || 17 *Herring Gulls
- 61 || 81 *Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 8 Cormorants
- no Grey Herons

On the West end street lamp poles:

Flies:
- 1 *Muscid fly Phaonia subventa

Bugs:
thankfully the confusing shieldbug(s) were not visible!

Here are 80 geese in a sort-of skein. A long way away. What species?

The camera and the photo-editor did well to pull this amount of detail out. Clearly not Canada or Greylag Geese. They look small-headed with a small bill which fits the most likely species to be see in any number inland in this part of the country - Pink-footed Geese. Also this species often flies in rather ragged 'V's as here. Too far away to hear any calls.

The pair(?) of Mute Swans. The back one has a blue Darvic ring...

...this ring '7JXV'.

And away they go.

Some gulls to puzzle me of course. This one looked darker than a Herring Gull on its back and I wondered about Yellow-legged or Caspian Gull. The best way to separate these species is by the pattern of black on the wing-tip. Luckily the bird was bathing and then flapped its wings to dry off. It confirms that it is "just" a Herring Gull, the other two species having more of the primary feathers with black near the tips. It is noteworthy how the tone of the wing and back varies with the lighting.

Another clinching view. It would be most unusual for either Yellow-legged or Caspian Gull to ever show the extent of the head-streaking shown here, typical of many Herring Gulls in adult-winter plumage.

The three gulls on the right deserved a second look. Superficially Herring Gulls but looking "small". Herring Gulls are typically larger than Lesser Black-backed Gulls, though males of both species are larger than females. The bird back right looks spatially small and slightly darker. I wondered about Common Gull. In this edited photo I can see that the bill is too thick, yellow and not greenish, and the head is not sufficiently "rounded". None of these features could be seen with binoculars.

On the left is, what at first sight, looks like a duck Pochard along with three drake and one duck/immature Tufted Duck. The Pochard looks to have a pale area between the bill and the eye suggesting it might be an immature. But of which sex?

Here is the other, similarly marked. Again: which sex?

A Great Crested Grebe pattering across the surface. This an immature still a hint of streaking on the head and neck.

Certainly in a hurry to get somewhere.

In flight the extent of the white in the upper-wing is unexpected.

Lift-off eventually achieved. Note how far back the feet are set. Landing is achieved chest-first. This species cannot walk on land, only shuffle about.

The only daytime resident on the West end street lamp poles was this Muscid fly Phaonia subventa. Thankfully the confusing shieldbug(s) seen over the past week were not around.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:20

(250th visit of the year)

It remains very quiet here.

Bird notes:
- two drake Shoveler found. Only visible briefly: both moulting and neither looked like the bird seen yesterday.
- no (Common) Teal seen.
- a migrant party of 27 Wood Pigeons flew South overhead.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 27 Wood Pigeons

Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 2 (2♂) Shoveler
- 27 (17♂) Mallard
- no (Common) Teal
- 15 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 12 Coot only
- 19 Black-headed Gulls: of these 17 arrived together
- 1 Cormorant
- no Grey Heron

Noted around the area:
still dull; slightly less cold than yesterday but wet vegetation

Moths:
- 1 *unidentified micro moth?

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 4 wasps Vespula sp. on the Ivy

Nothing else

How could I resist?

Not sure what to make of this. Found at the very top of a street lamp pole: less than ideal for a clear photo. The shape looks similar to many Tortrix moths. However the asymmetric markings make it difficult to match. It might be a Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana. This is a very variably-marked species that can be seen at any time of the year and is the top micromoth on the West Midlands Moths "flying tonight" tab. I have never seen one this pale. Obsidentify suggested hedgehog, beaver or badger!

(Ed Wilson)

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2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Andy Latham)

2008
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
10 Cormorants
8 Pochard
107 Tufted Ducks
c.1600 Wood Pigeons
c.1700 Fieldfare
c.460 Redwings
359 Jackdaws
124 Rooks
105 Starlings
c.12 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
140 Lapwings
150+ Golden Plover
1 Snipe
1 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
15 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
6 Meadow Pipits
21 Redwings
20 Fieldfare over
3 Goldcrests
c.400 Starlings
1 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
28 Pochard
58 Tufted Ducks
15 Lapwings
670+ Black-headed Gulls
2008+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1207 Wood Pigeons
88 Fieldfare
24 Redwings
254 Jackdaws
229 Rooks
795 Starlings
10 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)