10 Oct 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

10.0°C > 13.0°C: Scattered clouds. Fresh westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:26 BST

Family activities will keep me away, at least early, for a few days.

* = 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 – 09:15

(229th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- yesterday's Mute Swans gone again. No information yet on the ring: "the man" tells me he is otherwise occupied for a few days.
- a duck Shoveler dropped in briefly c.08:30.
- at least 350 Black-headed Gulls had arrived by c.07:00.
- many of the early Lesser Black-backed Gulls passed over and only c.50 were also present at this time.
- at 07:20 the football field held 211 Black-headed Gulls: no other gulls were present.
- later I logged just five Herring and 46 Lesser Black-backed Gulls as new arrivals. A small passage overhead.
- of the 83 Wood Pigeons noted overhead 56 were in a single group heading South.
- as I walked up Teece Drive to visit the football field a Great (White) Egret flew low East. I did not see it at the lake when I retuned there ten minutes later.
- no Chiffchaff seen or heard.
- the first Redwings of the season for me were seen: three small groups heading West.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Canada Geese: flew West together
- 17 Greylag Geese: flew West in four small groups
- 1 Great (White) Egret: see notes
- 146 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 83 Wood Pigeons
- 317 Jackdaws
- 178 Rooks
- 14 Redwings

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 (0♂) Shoveler: see notes
- 12 (7♂) Mallard
- 8 (5?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 39 Coots
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- c.350 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 96 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: departed

Warblers noted:

None

Also noted:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris many annoying me pre-dawn; also one later

True flies:
- 1 $ Muscid fly Helina impuncta
- 1 Flesh fly Sarcophaga sp.
- at least three other unidentified species of fly.

On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:

Moths:
- 1 November Moth type Epirrita sp.: moth species #77 for me here in 2026

True flies:
- 1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- 1 unidentified fruit fly from the Tephritidae family
- 1 male mosquito sp.
- 1 other unidentified fly

Springtails:
- 1 springtail Orchesella cincta

Beetles:
- 2 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- 3 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Record shot! This was my distant "safety shot" as the duck Shoveler splashed down. By the time I had moved to a better position I could no longer see her.

My first November Moth type Epirrita sp. at this site in 2026. It is always in the first half of October I record my first here.

A new fly species for me. It is the Muscid fly Helina impuncta with a grey thorax and tricoloured legs – red, grey and black.

I don't know which species but this is a Flesh fly from the Sarcophaga family.

An unidentified fly up early on a street lamp pole before dawn.

This is my find of the day but, frustratingly, I cannot identify it. I am almost certain it is one of the fruit fly species in the Tephritidae family but I cannot find a match using any of the photo galleries I know about on the internet. Strangely neither of my apps suggested this family.

The Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp. I found this morning about to hide in the crevice of the street lamp pole. On the right of the photo there is a leaf-mine on a bramble. This is likely the work of the larva of a Golden Pigmy moth Stigmella aurella. Leaf mines are a specialisation and challenging. I will let it pass.

An unusually dark Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius with a Sycamore or Maple seed alongside for handy size comparison.

Nature can recover. This is a Spindle-tree Euonymus europaea. By the end of the drought the fruits were all shrivelled and there was not a leaf to be seen. I thought this shrub was dead. But no. Most of the fruits show signs of ripening and there are new green leaves.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
none

True flies:
- 8 midges of several species
- no moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]

Arthropods:
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

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

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 11:00

(226th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
It was chaos this morning with birds everywhere arriving and moving around. Many species likely to be under-recorded
- two very different-looking feral-type geese arrived with one of the groups of Greylags.
- still six Mute Swans.
- a trio of Tufted Duck.
- a drake Goosander and at least 62 brownheads.
- I only noted one full adult Great Crested Grebe with only two dependent juveniles.
- only(!) four Little Egrets.
- a Chiffchaff seen (and photographed). Probably the bird heard singing a few minutes later.
- at least two Nuthatches were making a lot of noise at the bottom end of squirrel alley. I could not see what was upsetting them and a large party of passing tits were taking no notice.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 38 Canada Geese
- >100 Greylag Geese
- 2 different-looking feral geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- 36 (20♂) Mallard
- 3 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 63+ (1♂) Goosander
- 3 Moorhens only
- 21 Coot
- no Little Grebe
- 1 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: first winters, both briefly
- 7 Cormorants
- 4 Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 4 Little Egrets

Warblers noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff: calls and song

Noted around the area:

Butterflies and moths:
- 2 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- many Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- 2 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax [Common Drone Fly]
- 1 female Stripe-faced Dronefly Eristalis nemorum [Stripe-faced Drone Fly]
- 1 Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
- 1 Humming Syrphus Syrphus ribesii [Common Flower Fly]

Other true flies:
- 1 Common Housefly Musca domestica
- 1 Tachinid fly Tachina fera
several species of fly not identified

Bugs:
- 1 Dock Bug Coreus marginatus

Beetles:
- 2 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

Among the Greylag Geese is one all-white feral goose and another feral goose that I do not recall seeing before: greyer plumage and with streaking on the neck. That streaking is present, though not so obvious against the darker plumage, on Greylag Geese. This one seems to be a "washed-out" Greylag x feral goose.

One of two first-winter Herring Gulls that visited. There is very little pale on the back of this bird. The bill looks too heavy for a Lesser Black-backed Gull.

In flight the pale inner primary feathers confirm its identity.

An hour later what I take to be a different bird visited.

The Great (White) Egret trying to hide.

Look hard. There are four Little Egrets lurking on the island. The most difficult to spot is the bird behind the second Greylag Goose from the right.

Goldcrests are hyperactive, needing to feed all day to get enough energy for their small body. One showing it bright feet!

And here the big eye that allows them to make use of all the available light during short Winter days.

The Goldcrest was travelling in with a big party of tits, including this Long-tailed Tit...

 ...and this Chiffchaff which was probably the bird I heard singing a few minutes later.

If I take the camera out of "sports mode" then Red Admiral butterflies Vanessa atalanta look almost the correct colour red.

A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.

Obsidentify said this was a Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax and I can sort of see why. But it is a female (the eyes do not meet) and only the male of that species has a tapered abdomen. The clue is the overall dark tone and in particular the white hairs separating the body segments (tergites). It is a female Stripe-faced Dronefly E. nemorum. Males of this species are never as dark and have more extensive brown markings on the abdomen.

Don't you stick your tongue out at me!

A Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea. It is only from this angle that the alternative name of Common Batman Fly seems relevant (and would be more so if this were in focus!)

I believe this to be a Humming Syrphus Syrphus ribesii. It is a female and should show yellow on the hind tibia. It looks orange here but so do the other legs which are yellow on both this species and the confusion species Glass-winged Syrphus S. vitripennis (also known as Black-thighed Flower Fly). This most certainly does not have black thighs!

This is the Common Housefly Musca domestica

An easy(?) fly: this is the Tachinid fly Tachina fera with the dark central stripe down the hairy orange abdomen.

My what a handsome creature you are?

A Dock Bug Coreus marginatus in (almost?) exactly the same place as I last saw one about ten days ago.

(Ed Wilson)

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2011
Priorslee Lake
29 Redwing
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Curlew
1 Goldeneye
1 Goosander
1 Shoveler
4 Wigeon
1 Teal
1 Common Gull
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Lapwing
25+ Redwing
1 Siskin
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
130 Tufted Ducks
4 Buzzards
Kingfisher
Chiffchaff
Meadow Pipits
Skylarks
Redwings
Redpoll
Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Ruddy Duck
50 Robins
1 Redwing
4 Chiffchaffs
11 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
37 Meadow Pipits
36 Pied Wagtails
1 Redwing
55 Tufted Ducks
2 Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)

9 Oct 26

The Flash only

16.0°C > 17.0°C: Cloudy. Fresh westerly wind. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:23 4ST]

Only time for a visit to The Flash today.

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


The Flash: 09:20 – 10:40

(225th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- another high number of Greylag Geese, again with possibly more inside the island.
- no all-white feral geese today.
- the six Mute Swans remain.
- what looked to be one of the recently added immature Mallard noted dead in the water.
- many of yesterday's Tufted Duck gone again.
- I think fewer Goosander though they were being particularly difficult to count. Many were fishing around the very edges below overhanging vegetation. Another group was being hounded by Black-headed Gulls who were after any food. These birds were submerged much of the time and surfacing at random points. A few other birds were hauled out on the island.
- I could not find any Little Grebes.
- one full adult Great Crested Grebe was with two of the juveniles. The other juvenile seemed to be on its own with no second adult evident.
- only(!) four Grey Herons found.
- a Great (White) Egret did a disappearing act, flying from trees on the island, apparently to circle the island not to be seen again.
- three Little Egrets for certain. They were very mobile today.
- at least 20 Goldfinches were in trees on the island.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 10 Canada Geese
- 61+ Greylag Geese
- no all-white feral geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- 26 (19♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂) *Tufted Duck
- 50+ (1♂) *Goosander: see notes
- 4 Moorhens
- 20 Coot
- no Little Grebe
- 1 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe
- 43 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 *Herring Gull: first-winter arrived
- 5 Cormorants
- 4 Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 3 *Little Egrets

Warblers noted:

None

Noted around the area:
Cloudy but mild so a few things evident:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >10 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- 1 *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- 1 *Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]

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

Just three Tufted Duck today, the drake on the right.

"Where are all the fish?" A brownhead Goosander investigates.

Not there apparently.

This species is usually shy. They move away when they think they are being watched. This individual was on its own which perhaps explains why it let me get some close-ups.

Again.

Very close.

This first-winter Herring Gull arrived. Note the pale tip to the otherwise dark bill and the light showing through the inner primaries.

The same bird from above. The extent of the pale on the primaries and the neatness of the tail-band are both exaggerated with the light at this angle.

It looks different here. The tail-band has a fuzzy inner edge and the upper-tail is lightly spotted as I would expect. It does seem to show paler outer secondaries than normal.

One of three Little Egrets. This one briefly sat in a tree on the island.

The camera was on "sports mode" and "continuous shooting" when I took this photo of a female Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus.

By the very next frame the hoverfly had snapped its wings closed.

A male Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea on the Ivy. I assume the tongue rolls up inside the mouth? The wings look decidedly worn.

A head-on view. This is the first example of this hoverfly species I have seen at The Flash his year.

A 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata not actively looking for an over-wintering site.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
1 Pochard
60 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
235 Coots
7 Song Thrushes
118 Fieldfare
30 Redwings
466 Jackdaws
139 Rooks
c.450 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
c.100 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
18 Tufted Ducks
153 Coots
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
10 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
118 Wood Pigeons
103 Redwings
154 Fieldfares
809 Jackdaws
201 Rooks
7 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Pink-footed Goose
c.100 Greylag Geese
41 Canada Geese
41 Tufted Duck
12 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Yellow legged Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
28 Pochard
65 Tufted Duck
46 Greenfinches
5 Fieldfares
11 Redwings
12 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Goosanders
1 Pochard
45 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Great Black-backed Gull
1 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
2 Wigeon
Peregrine Falcon
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
23 Pochard
75 Tufted Ducks
950+ Black-headed Gulls
1204+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
499 Wood Pigeons
11 Meadow Pipits
23 Robins
23 Blackbirds
13 Fieldfares
4 Song Thrushes
18 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
321 Jackdaws
241 Rooks
22 Greenfinches
9 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

8 Oct 26

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

9.0°C > 12.0°C: Sunny intervals. Moderate westerly wind. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:23 BST]

Another "bad weather circuit" due to slightly adverse reactions to yesterday's flu and Covid jabs.

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:45 – 12:00

(229th visit of the year)

A complete circuit with very little reward. As quiet as I can recall.

Bird notes:
- a pair of Mute Swans new in.- a Chiffchaff calling
- the first Siskin of the season heard overhead.

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

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 *Mute Swans
- 11 (6♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 29 Coot
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Black-headed Gulls: of these 15 flew in
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, briefly
- 2 Cormorants
- no Grey Heron

Of note:

Nothing else - the wasps' nest alongside the West end path appeared inactive.

Two Mute Swans here today. One was happy to show me its blue Darvic ring '7JXV'.

Not only that but I was able to read the BTO metal ring as well - 'XY4641'. Details to follow when I hear from Martin Grant who knows about such things.

From the wooded area across Castle Farm Way a Common Buzzard checks on the traffic.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:35

(224th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- bumper number of *Greylag Geese with possibly more inside the island.
- now *two all-white feral geese with them.
- the six Mute Swans remain.
- a small arrival of Tufted Duck.
- at least two drake Goosander and at least 72 brownheads. Possibly another drake and as many as 77 brownheads.
- *two Little Grebes were seen lurking under overhanging vegetation at the North end of the island. When I was apart to depart I noted three together at the bottom end despite the close proximity of a fisherman. Could there really be five?
- two full adults Great Crested Grebes were with three juveniles.
- six Grey Herons noted.
- one Great (White) Egret seen departing to the North.
- four Little Egrets noted with only two on the island, the others fishing along the East side.
- a Chiffchaff was heard calling again.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Jackdaws: singles

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 59 *Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 *all-white feral geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- 29 (18♂) Mallard
- 6 (2♂?) Tufted Duck
- 74+ (2♂) *Goosander: see notes
- 3 Moorhens again
- 18 Coot
- 3 (5?) *Little Grebe: see notes
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe
- 27 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants
- 6 Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret: departed
- 4 *Little Egrets

Warblers noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff calling

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 1 *! Epirrita sp. [from Autumnal, November, Pale November Moths]

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >20 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- 4 *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- 1 Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax [Tapered Drone Fly]
- 2 *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax [Common Drone Fly]
- 1 *Lunuled Broadtail Eupeodes luniger [Common Spotted Field Syrph; Lunuled Aphideater]
- 1 *Humming Syrphus Syrphus ribesii [Common Flower Fly]

There were two all-white feral geese among the eleven Greylag Geese at the edge of the island. On the far left is one of the four Little Egrets. A Magpie has got in on the action as well.

A brownhead Goosander takes off. Some field guides suggest that immature drakes - that have a brownhead - have the white panel in the wing extending the full width though not necessarily as pale all way across. That means this is a duck. With some pale between the base of her bill and they eye it would indicate an immature.

Two Little Grebes lurking beneath overhanging vegetation at the North end of the island.

And, later, a trio of Little Grebes at the bottom end.

A naff photo of a moth from the Epirrita group, comprising Autumnal, November and Pale November Moths. This group requires genitalia examination to ascribe to species. Some books suggest flight-period may be a guide. I investigated the West Midlands Moths web site and their "flying tonight" tab [this tabulates records over the years for seven days each side of today]. The result was 1044 records not ascribed to species-level, 252 November Moths, 25 Autumnal Moths; and 13 Pale November Moths. Make what you will of that! Whatever species it is it is #52 for me here this year.

One of four Marmalade Hoverflies Episyrphus balteatus I logged today.

A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.

A slim hoverfly with split yellow "bands" that wrap around the side of the abdomen. Thus it is what Steven Falk calls Lunuled Broadtail Eupeodes luniger and Obsidentify names Lunuled Aphideater.

Syrphus sp. are altogether more robust with the yellow bands not divided. On this individual the hind leg shows as mostly yellow so this is a Humming Syrphus Syrphus ribesii or, as Obsidentify calls it, Common Flower Fly.

Not too much exciting bird-wise so a not very exciting plane of the day. This is a 47 year-old Cessna A152 Aerobat which is a recent addition to the fleet of Tatenhill Aviation that unsurprisingly flies out of Tatenhill Airfield near Burton-on-Trent. The Aerobat model of the basic Cessna 152 is designed for aerobatic training and strengthened to withstand +6g and -3g forces. I am unaware of any flying clubs that use this capability.

And another! This Piper PA-28-181 Archer II is only 46 years old. It is currently owned by a group of individuals from the Sunderland area. It was on a day trip from Fishburn Airfield near Sedgefield in County Durham to Wolverhampton's Halfpenny Green Airfield at Bobbington [excellent cafe!]. Flying time: about 90 minutes.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
2 Kingfisher
5 Redwing (Celestica Site)
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
51 Golden Plover
2 Siskins
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
45 Golden Plover
42 Lapwings
2 Wigeon
7 Pochard
6 Song Thrush
6 Redwings
3 Chiffchaffs
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)