11 Sep 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

14.0°C > 17.0°C: Clear early. More cloud after c.08:15 still with sunny intervals. Light westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:36 BST

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:10 – 09:10

(205th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a small arrival of Canada Geese.
- still just a single Mute Swan.
- a Common Sandpiper flushed off the concrete ramp c.06:10 and then what I assume was the same bird, flushed off the North side c.07:30.
- c.80 Black-headed Gulls flew in on a more traditional flightpath – low from the West – at c.05:55. Eventually c.150 were present which was the number I noted on the football field c.06:45 when something spooked them and only 49 returned.
- it appears that as soon as any Lesser Black-backed Gull is prepared to settle on the water all the erstwhile flying over birds decide it is safe for them to visit as well. I estimated 180 arrived by 06:15, also from the West.
- a single Grey Heron flew West at 08:00. Another, in addition the bird at the lakeside, flushed off the football field c.09:05.
- a single Swift was very briefly over the North wood at 06:30. Later two were over the Castle Farm Way area after c.08:00.
- the first hirundines were seen high over at 06:20 but could not be identified – too high to hear any calls. Later I noted at least two Sand Martins (an unusually late date), >30 Barn Swallows and at least five House Martins over the water after 08:00.
- another high count of Chiffchaffs with six of the 15 singing.
- a single calling Blackcap.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 17 Canada Geese: a duo flew East; 15 flew south-west together
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 11 Wood Pigeons only
- 197 Jackdaws
- 128 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: arrived as a quintet and two singles
- 1 Mute Swan again
- 39 (?♂) Mallard
- 6 (1♂?) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 55 Coot
- 19 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 *Common Sandpiper
- >150 Black-headed Gulls
- >5 Herring Gulls
- >180 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 *Swifts
- >2 Sand Martins
- >30 *Barn Swallows
- >5 House Martins

Warblers noted:
- 15 Chiffchaffs: of these six in song
- 1 Blackcap

Also noted:
Very little in now cloudy conditions.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Flies:
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Flesh fly Sarcophaga sp.
several other unidentified flies.

Thanks to Martin Adlam I now have a satisfactory identification of yesterday's moth. It was a very plain-looking example of a Sallow Cirrhia icteritia.

On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:

Moths:
- 1 ! *Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana

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

Flies:
- 1 female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus

Springtails:
- 1 *springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type

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

Mammals:
- a single pipistrelle-type bat was flying above the south-west grass c.05:55.
- one Noctule-type bat was flying high over c.06:00.

Terrible photo as I flushed a Common Sandpiper – the leading bird here. I saw two birds out of the corner of my eye and assumed they were both sandpipers. The photo tells me otherwise, the second bird being a Barn Swallow.

I remain surprised to still be seeing Swifts at this date.

Micromoths at the top of street lamp poles are usually difficult to ID. This mainly black and white species is an exception. It is the very common Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana: moth species #68 here this year for me. I remain well down on the number of moth species seen here this year.

A springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type.

This Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius is eating its breakfast. No idea what though.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
none

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

True flies:
- 8 midges
- 1 cranefly Limonia nubeculosa
- 1 ! *midge Psectrotanypus varius
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]

Arthropods:
- 1 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 7 *Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

A distinctive midge that goes by the name Psectrotanypus varius. After much searching on the internet I discovered that "the genus name refers to the comb-like structures on the larval mentum". So now we know! I also discovered that positive identification to the species-level "requires examination of male genitalia and larval mouthpart structures" [thanks to bugswithmike.com].

One of the many Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata showing how it got the alternative name of Silver-sided Sector Spider. The "missing sector" is because the usual orb-web has one section without cross-strands. In the tunnel the spiders do not seem to make proper webs and it is difficult to illustrate this. It is also difficult to photograph them as they are usually close to the wall or ceiling and the camera has difficulty distinguishing between the real thing and the shadow cast by my torch.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15

(202nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- six Mute Swans again.
- yesterday's Tufted Duck apparently all departed.
- eleven brownhead Goosander today.
- two adult and all four juvenile Great Crested Grebe present with one of the adults at the opposite end of the water and one of the juveniles frequently some distance apart from its siblings. The immature bird seen again, hiding in an inaccessible cut-off behind one of the out-of-bounds bridges.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 67 Canada Geese: of these 38 arrived in four groups
- no Greylag Geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- 29 (20?♂) Mallard
- no Tufted Duck
- 11 (0♂) Goosander
- 9 Moorhens
- 24 Coot
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Cormorants: of these two arrived
- 3 Grey Herons

Warblers noted:
- 2 Chiffchaffs: no song

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 1 Chevron Grass Moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 4 *Honey Bees Apis mellifera
- 2 Buff-tailed Bumblebees Bombus terrestris
- >5 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- 1 *Syrphus sp.

True flies:
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Flesh fly Sarcophaga sp.
various other unidentified flies of at least four species

Beetles:
- 1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

A Honey Bee Apis mellifera tucks in.

A Syrphus species of hoverfly. A female but as the hind legs are not visible to check the pattern of dark and light I cannot determine the species.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Snipe
Wheatear
3 Raven
(John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Hobby
1 Sedge Warbler
3 Swift
2 Teal
1 Meadow Pipit
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Black Tern
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

10 Sep 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 14.0°C: Early broken high cloud giving a great sunrise. Cloud increasing and lowering. No sun. A very light southerly breeze increasing moderate. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:36 BST

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:10 – 09:05

(204th visit of the year)

New bird species:
An unexpected addition to my 2026 bird list for here. One (or more?) Snipe heard departing at 05:55. Not seen but scanning for them revealed two medium-sized bats over the water, probably too high for Daubenton's Bats but different in flight characteristics from the pipistrelle over the south-west grass and two presumed Noctule-type bats with a much faster and more direct flight higher up. Bird species #96 here this year.

Bird notes:
- just a single Mute Swan.
- at various times I noted a trio of duck/immature Tufted Duck; a quartet of ducks/immatures; and the a quintet including at least one drake. I am inclined to think these were all the same birds moving around.
- 25 Black-headed Gulls had arrived by 06:00 at the West end. By 06:15 there were c.35 at the East end – some of the same? To confuse matters more I counted 107 on the football field at c.06:50.
- only three Lesser Black-backed Gulls visited early with a steady passage of 61 birds passing south-east overhead. Two visited later. A few more flew over.
- a single Herring Gull flew over.
- a trio of Grey Herons flew West together at 06:45.
- a (Common) Kestrel was hovering close to Castle Farm Way at 06:10 but not seen thereafter.
- Barn Swallows started to appear low over the water after c.08:00 with at least 30 much of the time. Then c.08:30 they all flew high in to the sky revealing c.100 birds before some of them dropped back down again.
- a Kingfisher was heard in flight.
- a bumper number of Chiffchaffs such that it was difficult to separate individuals at times. I reckon 17 with six of them singing.
- two Blackcaps calling only

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Canada Geese: three flew East; a duo flew North and a single flew West
- 1 Herring Gull
- 65 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Grey Herons: together
- 21Wood Pigeons
- 168 Jackdaws
- 170 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Mute Swan only
- 59 (?♂) Mallard
- 5 (1♂?) *Tufted Duck: see notes
- 3 Moorhens
- 51 Coot
- 1+ Snipe: see notes
- 17 Great Crested Grebes
- >110 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 *Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

Hirundines etc. noted:
- >100 Barn Swallows

Warblers noted:
- 17 Chiffchaffs: of these six in song
- 2 Blackcaps

Also noted:
Very little in now cloudy conditions.

Moths:
- 1 *unidentified macro-moth

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:

Moths:
none

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

Flies:
- 2 *female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus

Beetles:
- 1 *ground beetle probably Paradromius linearis

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 spider Clubiona sp.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]

Mammals:
- a single pipistrelle-type bat was flying above the south-west grass c.05:55.
- two Noctule-type bats were flying high over c.05:55.
- two other bats were over the water at the same time.

The early sunrise, a bit wobbly as I was using a time exposure. Must take more water with it.

Now coloured up.

With the sun about to rise the colour has faded leaving an interesting cloud formation. A group of Mallard on the water bottom right.

A quartet of Tufted Duck. Looking closely I think it likely that the outer two are immature / moulting drakes.

A juvenile / first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. The feathers are more patterned than you think when examined in detail.

Here in flight. Would have better had the ripples on the water not been present but...

Most odd. I did not notice it at the time but this Common Buzzard seems to have lost much of the outer part of its right wing.

Long-tailed Tits are always worth a few photos.

So here is another.

And another.

For a change an adult Grey Wagtail. At this time of year the sexes are very similar with the male's black throat only developing in Spring.

It looks so easy... I found this moth sitting in full view on a leaf. Neither Obsidentify nor Google Lens gave me an identity that I am happy with (both suggested species not flying at this time of year). A search through the "flying tonight" tab on the West Midlands Moths web site has failed to help as has a trawl through my field guide. Yet it looks to be so clear!

About the only species of midge I can identify: this is a female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus and being a female she lacks the plumed antennae. Also like many species of midge she has wings that do not reach the tip of her abdomen.

This ground beetle is probably Paradromius linearis. It was, for a change, running about. Usually when I shine my torch on beetles on the street lamp poles they immediately drop to the ground and run away. I saw this species here back in January.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- 1 *unidentified macro-moth

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

True flies:
- 6 midges
- 1 *crane fly Ilisia maculata aka Ocelot Twist-tail
- 3 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]

Arthropods:
- 1 *Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber

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

I cannot get an identity for this moth either. The closest I can get is Small Rufous Coenobia rufa, a species that is uncommon in our area and associated with fens, marshes and bogs.

A Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea. It was only last week I noted my first here.

An unusual cranefly Ilisia maculata aka Ocelot Twist-tail. There is a very similarly-marked species though this has pale centres to the marks (they are solid on I. occoecata)

With antennae unusually pointing forward a Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:15

(201st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- six Mute Swans eventually located: two persisted in walking along Derwent Drive.
- 15 Tufted Duck in three groups.
- 13 brownhead Goosander noted, keeping together.
- two adult and all four juvenile Great Crested Grebe more or less together. I did not see the immature bird.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese: arrived together from the North
- 6 *Mute Swans
- 31 (19?♂) Mallard
- 15 (9?♂) *Tufted Duck
- 13 (0♂) *Goosander
- 8 Moorhens
- 19 Coot
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 21 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants: of these one departed
- 2 Grey Herons

Warblers noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff: no song

Noted around the area:
Cloud kept most things hiding.

Moths:
- 4 Chevron Grass Moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]: on four different street lamp poles.

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

I now understand why I could not read this ring on the flying Mute Swan yesterday. I can't read it here either! It seems to be a bit battered and from a sequence I do not know. I'll see whether Martin Grant can shed any light on it.

A mixed grouping of four Tufted Duck and seven Goosander.

There is no two ways about it: Wood Pigeons have strange eyes.

Yes: I am looking at you! A Carrion Crows wants to know what I am doing.

Trying again to show they are not really all-black.

(Ed Wilson)

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2011
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
2 Yellow Wagtail
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2010
The Flash
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Pochard
Common Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
A juvenile Arctic Tern
(Ed Wilson)

9 Sep 26

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

14.0°C > 16.0°C: A few sunny intervals and a few passing showers. Moderate north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 06:33 BST]

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

Another late start to avoid the forecast earlier rain that did not materialise. Doh!

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:50 – 12:35

(203rd visit of the year)

The model boat club were using, mainly, the West end with sailing models though a couple of noisy battery-powered craft were exploring further. Some Mallard were probably hiding in the reeds. Any Tufted Duck had most likely departed.

Bird notes:
- a single Mute Swan was befriending the model boat club members. No sign of a partner.
- still at least two Swifts hawking over the trees on the East side of Castle Farm Way.
- again at least 100 Barn Swallows were over the water when I arrived. There were still c.30 present 90 minutes later.
- two of at least 13 Chiffchaffs were heard singing and, as yesterday, one of two Blackcaps was singing quietly.

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

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Mute Swan: see notes
- 17 (?♂) Mallard
- no Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 37 Coot
- 19 Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls stopping briefly
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Cormorant, very briefly

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 *Swifts
- >100 Barn Swallows

Warblers noted:
- 13 Chiffchaffs: of these two in song
- 2 Blackcaps: of these one in quiet song

Also noted:
I lucked upon a small clump of flowers during one of the brief sunny interludes:

Butterflies:
- 3 *Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus [Tiger Marsh Fly; Sun Fly]
- *Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens [Pied Plumehorn; Great Pied Hoverfly]

True Flies:
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- flesh fly Sarcophaga sp.

Fungus:
- [I could not relocate them]

On the West end street lamp poles:
Nothing noted other than the odd unidentified fly.

 Record shot: my latest Swift in Shropshire.

During a sunny spell this pristine Speckled Wood butterfly Pararge aegeria posed well.

A not-so-pristine example lying on its side. Look carefully: the outer part of the left forewing is missing allowing the "eye" and other marks on the right forewing upper to be seen.

A female (the eyes are well-separated) Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax. It is feeding on Water Mint Mentha aquatica.

Perhaps the same individual.

A female Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus also known as a Tiger Marsh Fly or Sun Fly or even "The Footballer".

A Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens: one of our largest species of hoverfly.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

A detour from The Flash c.10:15. Most things hiding in the daylight and with a breeze blowing straight through.

Moths:
none

True flies:
- 8 *midges

Arthropods:
- 1 *Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none

A male midge with the plumed antennae. Note his slim body.

A presumed female midge with simple antennae. Note her fatter body (quiet at the back there). Are these the same species?

A Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:40

(200th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- still six Mute Swans.
- two duck Tufted Duck at the top end: a drake at the bottom end; and then I saw two in flight that might have been two more arriving from the Balancing Lake, leaving there when the model boat club arrived.
- just four brownhead Goosander seen briefly.
- all the expected Great Crested Grebe seen. Again just one of the adults was with the juveniles, today at the top end; the other adult was asleep off Derwent Drive; the immature was elsewhere at the bottom end.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 21 Canada Geese: of these 14 arrived together; later eight departed together
- no Greylag Geese
- 6 *Mute Swans again
- 25 (16?♂) *Mallard
- 3 (1♂) or 5? Tufted Duck: see notes
- 4 (0♂) Goosander: departed?
- 10 *Moorhens
- 21 Coot
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe
- 18 *Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Warblers noted:
None

Noted around the area:

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

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- 4 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

True flies:
- a few miscellaneous flies not identified

Bugs:
- 1 *late instar Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

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

Fungus:
- * Blushing Bracket Daedaleopsis confragosa
- *! Pale Brittlestem Psathyrella candolleana

For much of the time the six Mute Swans were arranged as trios. They then joined up. One of the three that flew is wearing a blue Darvic ring. Try as I might I cannot make out the characters: it should start '7...' but turning the photo this way and that does not seem to help.

A moulting drake Mallard. The bill of drakes is always greeny-yellow apart from a black tip (nail). Here the crown is showing some green and the breast is brown. The flanks consist mostly of brown feathers from the "eclipse" post-breeding plumage when drakes closely resemble ducks.

Here he is again showing the black nail to the bill.

Two different drakes showing different variations as they moult back in to breeding plumage.

On this drake all the brown flank feathers have been replaced. Note the patch of green appearing behind the eye. The curled tail-feather is always a sign of drake Mallard genes.

An adult Moorhen with the back speckled with water droplets from light drizzle.

A juvenile Moorhen with food. I hope it knows how to uncross its legs!

A different juvenile Moorhen. Note the very strong legs. This species is adept at climbing bushes (it usually nests well off the ground) and will walk long distances. I am not sure when the red bill and shield develop (a search of the internet drew a blank): certainly before the end of Winter. The white under-tail and white streaks on the flanks separated these juveniles from juvenile Coots.

Oops! A first-winter Black-headed Gull losing its footing.

A different first-winter Black-headed Gull with a particularly pale base to the bill and pale legs.

A late instar Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina.

Do I need to say... a 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata?

"Another chance to see..." Blushing Bracket Daedaleopsis confragosa fungus growing on a fallen branch. "Blushing" because it stains red if damaged.

The underside. I lay on the ground so you don't have to. (Actually I positioned the camera on the ground at arm's-length).

According to Obsidentify this fungus is Pale Brittlestem Psathyrella candolleana. I have no reason to question that. I find identification of fungus a particular challenge.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Shovelers
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
Possible Yellow-legged Gull
Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Teal
4 Swifts
1 Sedge Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)