4 Nov 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 10.0°C: Medium-level overcast with a few brighter moments developing. Light north-easterly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:12 GMT

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:10

(245th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
I have just seen a photo taken here midday yesterday of what look to be three Whooper Swans. It is at least 20 years (pre-my fully computerised logs) since I saw a lone individual on just one day consorting with a group of at least 20 Mute Swans that spent much of that Winter, whatever it was, here. Well done to "JG".

A strangely quiet day apart from the number of gulls at dawn.

Other bird notes:
- the two Canada Geese throughout again.
- a pair of Mute Swans asleep at the West end at dawn. Again not visible by 08:00. Perhaps they roost here and fly out to feed in fields nearby (leaving while I am around the football field?). Does this indicate a lack of food for them here and is this why there are so few Coots? But then the Tufted Duck seem to be finding enough to eat. Perhaps they can dive deeper?
- a drake *Shoveler was a new arrival.
- the two Pochard again. It took several sweeps of all the continually diving Tufted Duck to find them.
- *a huge gathering of gulls well before first light carpeting about one-third of the water. There were some already leaving. A very rough estimate of c.1000 Black-headed Gulls and c.400 large gulls.
- at 07:10 I counted 285, all Black-headed Gulls, on the football field.
- subsequently 12 Herring and 56 Lesser Black-backed Gulls visited.
- two *Grey Herons again.
- of the 106 fly-over Wood Pigeons 100 exactly were in six small groups unusually heading West (one with a Stock Dove for company).
- two small groups of Fieldfare were strangely flying East. There are no berries for them to eat in this area. Last year the bushes to the East of Castle Farm Way were laden and both Fieldfares and Redwings were in large numbers feasting on them.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 47 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Stock Dove
- 109 Wood Pigeons: of these 100 in six groups flying West.
- 298 Jackdaws
- 89 Rooks
- 18 Fieldfare flew East in two groups
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans: departed
- 15 (8♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) *Shoveler
- 2 (1♂) Pochard again
- 64 (>29♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 *Moorhens
- 21 Coots only
- 4 Great Crested Grebes again
- c.1000(!?) Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Herring Gulls
- >450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants
- 2 *Grey Herons
- 1 Kingfisher

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:

None- I was not well-positioned to see any birds leaving roosts around the lake.

Later on the Teece Drive fence:

Nothing found

On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:

Moths:
- 4 November Moth type Epirrita sp. again: all on the same pole today

Four-winged flies:
- 1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea

True flies:
- 1 *small, male plumed midge
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 *wood gnat, probably Sylvicola cinctus
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Springtails:
- 1 $ *springtail Allacma fusca
- 1 *springtail Orchesella cincta
- 1 *very small and unidentified springtail

Beetles:
- 4 *Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica

A new arrival today was this smart drake Shoveler. The two drakes were still at The Flash.

Something you do not see too often: a Moorhen in flight. Their large feet enables them to walk very easily and they can sometimes be found miles away from any water bodies.

A volunteer to count them.... This was taken on my Samsung Galaxy's Night setting. 100s of gulls well pre-dawn and after some had departed.

I walked along the North side toward the Wesley Brook bridge and came face to face with this Grey Heron.

We looked at each other for a few minutes and the heron wandered off along the bank.

The two Magpies were getting very upset at the presence of the Common Buzzard who remained unfazed until someone else walked too close to the tree it was sitting in.

One of the smallest midges I see and a male with the plumed antennae.

This is the size and shape of the wood gnats in the genus Sylvicola. However all those have spotting on otherwise clear wings. Unidentified!

This is a wood gnat and probably Sylvicola cinctus, a species in which the shading at the wing tip is weaker than on the wing edges. NatureSpot cautions that genitalia examination is the only way to get a 100% identification.

At the time I expected this to be a small beetle, different from the flea-beetles as it did not appear to have the swollen hind legs for jumping. Enlarging the photo shows that the shape more resembles that of the globular springtails. Thanks to Obsidentify, confirmed on the NatureSpot web site, I now know it is the springtail Allacma fusca. A new species for me.

The springtail Orchesella cincta.

A flea-beetle that I identify as a Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala. This species seems to like to sit on the identification labels attached to the street lamp poles – or is it just that they are easier to see there? The beetle is only about 3mm: just behind it is a very tiny insect. I think a springtail but...

This seems to be a Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica sitting in its web alongside one of the street lamp poles. Apparently this species, which hides away during the day, constructs a new nest every evening.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
none

True flies:
- 4 unidentified midges
- 1 male Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata

Arthropods:
- 1 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
- 2 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *crab spider, probably Xysticus cristatus
- 7 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

The only different inhabitant I noted in the tunnel was this crab spider, probably Xysticus cristatus, though NatureSpot gives this species as active March to August and mainly Spring.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:35

(243rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I was told today that the recent lone Mute Swan was taken in to care after becoming entangled in fishing line.
- still the two drake Shovelers and pair of (Common) Teal found: one drake
- no Goosanders seen.
- a *Little Egret was present: I think it departed.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
- 23 Fieldfare: flew East together
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Greenfinch

Noted on / around the water:
- 26 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 (2♂) Shoveler
- 38 (23♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) (Common) Teal
- 15 (6♂) *Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 15 Coot again
- 13 Black-headed Gulls only
- 2 Cormorants
- no Grey Heron
- 1 *Little Egret: departed?

Noted around the area:
Cool and cloudy with a slight breeze on the fast-fading Ivy flowers.

Moths:
- 1 !*Juniper Carpet Thera juniperata
- 2 November Moth type Epirrita sp.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 30+ wasps Vespula sp. More than I expected to see.

True flies:
- 1 *Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
- 1 *unidentified root-maggot fly
no other flies seen

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

 A duck Tufted Duck. It is usually well in to the New Year before the Tufties are brave-enough to join the throng of Mallard at the bread feasts.

Don't look at me in that tone of voice!

A couple of shots of this morning's Little Egret.

Very smart.

Butter wouldn't...

It makes a change. A new moth for the year: it is a Juniper Carpet Thera juniperata. My previous two sightings here were 26 October 2025 and 31 October 2024 so a very typical date. Moth species #53 for me here this year.

Another November Moth type Epirrita sp. On a different street lamp pole to any I have seen over the last week or so.

This Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina seems to have a bit of a problem. Destined to fly in circles or, probably, not at all.

At the other end of the size scale is this root-maggot fly not specifically identified.

(Ed Wilson)

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2011
Priorslee Lake
Yellow legged Gull
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
43 Tufted Duck
Yellow-legged Gull
Kingfisher
400+ Jackdaws
17 Fieldfare
7 Redwings
Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
24 Pochard
81 Tufted Ducks
c.180 large gulls
5 Redwings here
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Grant)

2009
Priorslee Lake
17 Pochard
4 Wigeon
8 Tufted
42 Mute Swan
400+ Lesser Black-backed Gull
Yellow Legged Gull
(Mike Cooper)

Wrekin
Firecrest
2 Brambling
(Dave Barrow / Andy Latham)

2006
Priorslee Lake
23 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
650+ Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
134 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
450 Wood Pigeons
15 Pied Wagtails
18 Wrens
13 Dunnocks
25 Robins
18 Blackbirds
155 Fieldfares
5 Song Thrushes
85 Redwings
1 Mistle Thrush
14 Greenfinches
2 Siskins
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

3 Nov 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 10.0°C: Another mixed morning. Unexpected heavy drizzle just ending as I arrived. Then clearing for a while. Mist descended briefly. Finally sunny intervals ahead of increasing cloud. Light wind initially, with north-easterly breeze later. Mostly good visibility if somewhat hazy.

Sunrise: 07:10 GMT

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 09:05

(245th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
A good range of species seen. No significant numbers.

Other bird notes:
- the two Canada Geese throughout again. A pair flew East later.
- a pair of Mute Swans asleep at the West end at dawn. Not visible by 08:00. Did they hide or fly-off? I would have thought this species' heavy wing-beats would have altered me to their departure. But where can they hide?
- just two Pochard today: a drake and an immature/duck.
- a *brownhead Goosander flew in: first of the Winter on the water here.
- a Little Grebe was calling in the north-west area around dawn.
- four Great Crested Grebes today. An extra bird in the north-west area where two birds were heard giving display calls while it was too dark to see them.
- a group of 37 Lapwings flew West in to the mist at 08:00. Most unusually they were more or less flying in a straight line. Flocks of this species are usually very hard to count with birds constantly changing position.
- only c.130 Black-headed Gulls were noted arriving. At 07:05 I noted 111 on / around the football field (66 on the field; 29 on the academy's internal field; 16 flying off).
- five Cormorants arrived today.
- two Grey Herons at peace.
- *a hitherto unnoticed Great (White) Egret flew off North at 07:45.
- three egrets, species not determined, were seen flying East far to the north-east at 07:00.
- a Reed Bunting was calling from the West reeds c.06:45 and then seen to fly off East

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: flew East together
- 37 Lapwings
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 unidentified egrets: see notes
- 99 Wood Pigeons: of these 57 flew South in just two groups
- 333 Jackdaws
- 141 Rooks
- 18 Starlings flew West together
- 6 Fieldfare flew West together
- 2 Redwings
- 2 Pied Wagtails

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans: departed?
- 13 (7♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 50 (36?♂) Tufted Duck: partial count? the mist descended
- 1 (0♂) *Goosander: arrived
- 4 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe: heard only
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- c.130 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 *Herring Gulls
- c.320 *Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants
- 1 *Great White Egret: departed
- 2 *Grey Herons

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 1 Starling
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Reed Bunting

Later on the Teece Drive fence:
Nothing found, too breezy.

On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:

Moths:
- 2 November Moth type Epirrita sp. again: all on the same pole today

True flies:
- 5 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 2 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- *male and female Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
- 1 *unidentified cranefly/gnat?
- 1 unidentified fly

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Just ten minutes after the drenching drizzle had stopped.

And here comes the sun.

Set off against the darker clouds the Autumn colours show well.

Slightly later from a different angle. The mist about to roll in from the West.

Record shot of the brownhead Goosander. Historically this was a very much "drop in, look around and go" species here until the last Winter period when up to eight birds were present for several weeks.

A second-winter Herring Gull with a smudgy tail band, slightly dark secondaries and a slight brown tone to the inner wing. Smart new primary feathers.

A brutish-looking adult-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. No black on the bill.

I think a third-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull with black on both mandibles. It is still in wing-moult: look at the right wing and the outer primary with the white "mirror" is still to grow in to position.

There was a Cormorant standing on this Grey Heron's preferred buoy. The heron made two attempts to take over the perch...

 ...and veered away when the Cormorant showed no sign of relinquishing his perch.

Snapped just in time. The Great (White) Egret flies off. It does not have a black wing-tip. That is shadow from the low sun.

This is a male Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii. Only males have the dark tips to their wings.

I cannot get an identity for this. I don't think it is a cranefly as the left hind legs looks to have two spurs (unless they are marks on the street lamp pole). Craneflies do not have spurs and it would likely make it a wood gnat or similar.

(Ed Wilson)

- - - - - - - - - - - 

Also noted at Priorslee Lake midday:

Three Whooper Swans..................

..........courtesy of JG @wolvobirder.bsky.social

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
none

True flies:
- 2 female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
- 2 other unidentified midges
- 1 *male Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
- 2 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Arthropods:
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 5 *Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 *harvestman Phalangium opilio

A male Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata. Not a species I expected to see at this date but it does not look too well. Males do not bite.

One of the five Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata has already depleted my cranefly count by one.

A harvestman Phalangium opilio. This species seems to like the tunnel. Another species where the legs change width part-way along.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:40

(242nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- no Mute Swan or Great Crested Grebe: the only Cormorant was leaving as I arrived.
- still *two drake Shovelers.
- *two (Common) Teal found: one drake
- four Goosanders were new arrivals with *one moulting in to adult drake plumage.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Jackdaws
- 4 Fieldfare: flew North together

Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- no Mute Swan
- 2 (2♂) *Shoveler
- 36 (26♂) *Mallard
- 2 (1♂) *(Common) Teal
- 15 (7♂) *Tufted Duck
- 4 (1♂) *Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 15 Coot
- 33 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: departed
- 1 *Grey Heron

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 1 November Moth type Epirrita sp. One of Sunday's four still in its same locations.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1+ *Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- 100++ wasps Vespula sp. Very, very busy around the sheltered Ivy bank.

Hoverflies:
tricky to find among the masses of wasps and flies. Probably more
- 4 *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax [Tapered Drone Fly]
- 2 *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax [Common Drone Fly]
- 2 *Humming Syrphus Syrphus ribesii [Common Flower Fly]
- 2 *undetermined Syrphus sp.

True flies:
- 1 *Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- also very many flies not specifically identified including bluebottles, greenbottles etc...

Beetles:
- 6 *7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

 I had difficulty with ducks sitting beneath the overhanging branches. On the left a duck Tufted Duck. A Coot in the middle. The bird on the right is a drake Mallard – the white neck ring is just visible to the right of the vertical twig.

My initial thought here was two duck (Common) Teal with a duck Tufted Duck behind (note the eye colour).

This view confirms the bird on the right as a duck (Common) Teal showing the black bill and just visible the green speculum. Looking closely at the left hand bird it has a pale edge to its bill and the speculum is blue. It is a duck Mallard. There is a difference in the feather shapes as well. A tribute to the camera: there is no way I could have figured this out otherwise.

A drake (Common) Teal preening and showing the green speculum in his wing.

Here is a puzzle. A drake Shoveler is preening in front of the now sleeping drake (Common) Teal. So why does it show green and not blue in the wing? Well you live and learn. The speculum is green and it is the forewing, more usually exposed, that is blue.

Now where is the other drake Shoveler? Hiding dead-centre!

Yes well. He was a long way away and rapidly pedalling further away. The Goosander coming in to drake plumage.

The strong light has blown out the detail. I cannot recall seeing a Grey Heron standing "waist-deep" in water before.

A  Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris photo today.

A female Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax. The abdomen is more tapered than I would expect for a female. It is a female as the eyes do not meet.

A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.

There is a species called Stripe-faced Dronefly E. nemorum. This isn't on. It is the same Common Dronefly.

Some species of hoverfly can only be separated by whether they have hairy eyes or not. "Good luck with that" you might thinks. But get the light at the right angle and here are hairy eyes on this Common Dronefly.

A female with all-yellow hind leg so this is a Humming Syrphus Syrphus ribesii.

I've puzzled over this. It looks to be a more slender species and I thought at the time one of the Field Syrphs Eupeodes sp. However the way the yellow bands wrap around the side of the abdomen means it has to be a Syrphus. As I cannot see which sex it is from this angle it remains an undetermined Syrphus sp.

A female Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria also attacking the Ivy blossom.

I have no idea why this 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata was investigating dead flowers of Common or Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Shifnal, Lizard Wood
2 Hawfinch
(Arthur Harper)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Several Herons
>3800 Wood Pigeons
11 Skylarks
2 Meadow Pipits
199 Fieldfare
32 Redwings
9 Siskins
1 Linnet
Brambling
(Ed Wilson)

Wrekin
Location
1 Crossbill
Several Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
21 Pochard
58 Tufted Ducks
2 Buzzards
>900 Black-headed Gulls
176 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
807 Wood Pigeons
16 Pied Wagtails
26 Wrens
14 Dunnocks
34 Robins
24 Blackbirds
213 Fieldfares
6 Song Thrushes
150 Redwings
5 Mistle Thrushes
1 Blackcap
447 Starlings
2 Siskins
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)