30 Jun 16

The Flash: 07:00 – 07:20
Location

Sunrise: yet again 04:49 BST – the mornings getting darker now

11°C – 15°C. Started with medium overcast, this cleared away to the E later. Light / moderate SW wind. Very good visibility

(67th visit of the year)

Notes
- only 4 cygnets noted: one of these seems to think it is a goose and was amongst a large and tight group of Greylags: possible there were others lurking in the group
- a new-to-me brood of 2 Mallard ducklings: these reasonably well-grown and I would have thought out of danger of predation
- one of the Great Crested Grebes was sitting on a recently constructed nest
- neither of the broods of Coot were that new
- a single sequence of calls from a Willow Warbler at the top of squirrel alley

Birds noted flying over
- 6 Starlings

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 3 Common Swifts
- 6 House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Willow Warblers
- 3 (2) Blackcap

The counts from the water
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 113 Greylag Geese
- 126 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral-goose
- 23 (19?) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 (1?) Tufted Duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 21 + 3 (2 broods) Coots

A record shot only of the two Mallard ducklings present this morning.

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake: 07:25 – 09:25

Location

(102nd visit of the year)

Notes
- any of the older Mallard duckling not really separable, but a new brood of 3 ducklings
- 3 pairs of Great Crested Grebes each with juveniles: 3 juveniles in the water and being only sporadically fed by adults in the NE area; 1 juvenile with a pair of adults in the middle of the N side; and at least 1 juvenile emerging every time one of the adults brought a fish to the NW area – may have been more than one juvenile involved here
- Sparrowhawk seen carrying prey off to the SE
- a new brood of one juvenile Coot this morning. All the other 4 Coot juveniles now well-grown
- first returning Common Sandpiper – likely a non- / failed breeder at this early a date
- first returning adult Black-headed Gull made sporadic appearances
- 2 Stock Doves on the academy playing field was rather unusual
- one of the two Long-tailed Tit parties noted contained at least 20 individuals: likely two or more families travelling together
- one of the two Common Whitethroats was a quite recently fledged juvenile – 2nd brood?
and
rather few insects, not helped by all the flowers having been strimmed from the dam-face
- a Mottled Beauty moth in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel
- Scoparia ambigualis (aka Common Grey), Light Emerald and Uncertain moths identified on the lamps
- a single Speckled Wood butterfly
- my first Ringlet butterflies of the year, and on a remarkably consistent date – over the last 3 years first noted by me here on 30th, 29th and now 30th June again
- usual Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies seen in small numbers
- only Volucella pellucens hoverflies noted today
- first flowers of Greater Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum) noted

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 3 Wood Pigeon only
- 9 Jackdaws
- 14 Rooks
- 4 Goldfinches

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 10 Swift again
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 4 House Martin

Warblers seen / heard around the lake: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 4 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 8 (5) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Common Whitethroats
- 7 (5) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 25 (??) + 3 new duckling Mallard
- 1 Grey Heron
- 6 + 5? (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 + 1 Moorhens
- 37 + 5 juveniles (5 broods) Coots
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 1 Black-headed Gull

Mrs. Mallard with her three charges.

The three juvenile Great Crested Grebes wait to be fed. Unusual to see these well away from the adult(s) for long periods like these were.

One of the parents has caught a fish ....

 ... the attention of the juveniles is immediate with one flailing its leg in an attempt to be first ...

 The fish is presented ....

... and first come first served.

One of the other juveniles hopes for morsels left on the bill.

The first returning Common Sandpiper.

A ‘grab-shot’ with no time to alter the exposure: a Sparrowhawk flies off with prey.

The two Stock Doves on the grass of the academy sports field. Although juvenile Wood Pigeons lack the white patch on the neck shown by adults they always show white on the bend of the wing so these birds are clearly not Wood Pigeons. Smaller and darker.

A male Blackbird of course, but here caught ‘sunning’ and exposing the preen gland. There seems to be no identified scientific reason for this behaviour – indeed to see the gland exposed like this is rather unusual.

A rather belligerent-looking Robin!

A less belligerent Robin!

I assumed this moth on the roof of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel was a Willow Beauty moth but upon checking, the absence of dark lines on the inner edge of the upper wings indicates it is not (the outer corner of the underwing would have clinched it but that is not available here). Few other ‘beauty’ moths have feathered antenna and thus this is a Mottled Beauty.

This moth is a Light Emerald with the unique reddish hooked tip to the forewing. My first here for several years though a common moth.

This is likely the micro moth Scoparia ambigualis (aka Common Grey) though there are several very similar species that are hard to separate without more detailed examination than is possible 15 feet up a lamp post.

A moth whose name says it all: Uncertain! Separation from Rustic, Mottled Rustic and Vine’s Rustic can be difficult when at rest and the underwing cannot be seen.

Rather safer ground with butterflies: my first Ringlet of the year.

A Speckled Wood in a rather unusual pose with wings half-open.

And these will not fly away – yet anyway: flowers of Greater Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum) just opening.

Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) alongside Teece Drive 

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2010
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 drake Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)

29 Jun 16

No sightings in so far today..............

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day in ...........

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
15 Cormorants
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Juvenile Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 drake Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

28 Jun 16

Priorslee Lake
Location

An evening visit produced a pair of Great Crested Grebe feeding 2 recently hatched young on the back of one adult. Also 3 other Adult Great Crested Grebe, Mute Swan pair with just 1 cygnet, female Mallard with 4 recently hatched ducklings and 10 Swifts over the lake.

(Martin Grant)

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On this day in ...........

2009
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

27 Jun 16

No sightings in today.

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On this day in ...........

2012
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Redshank
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)

26 Jun 16

No sightings in today.

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On this day in ...........

2013
Priorslee Lake
Grasshopper Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Special this morning was rather bizarre: an all-white, apparently albino, Budgerigar(!) sheltering in the copse between the football field and the playground!
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
Another slight puzzle this morning. It sounded like a 'Blackcap with a difference' with an extended song with lots more variety than usual and many notes recalling Garden Warbler, Song Thrush and Blackbird. It was clearly NOT the bird from earlier but I was curious. It was always singing well above head-height (Acros tend to be below head-height) and never had the rhythm of an Acro but the long and flowing song was very strange (and very loud). In the end the bird gave itself up and proved to be what I thought - a 'Blackcap with a difference' - lots of testosterone? It proved my 'rule of thumb' - if you are not sure whether it is a Blackcap or a Garden Warbler it is a Blackcap.
(Ed Wilson)

25 Jun 16

No sightings in today.

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On this day in ...........

2015
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Probable Grasshopper Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
Peregrine Falcon
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
The water level was the highest I have seen it for many years and the rows of marker buoys just off the southbank had all disappeared under the water. The full effect of Wesley Brook downstream has been devastating for Shifnal, with so much water in the reservoir it was no surprise to hear that many premises alongside the brook were under 2 to 3 feet of water for the second time this month.
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)

24 Jun 16

Priorslee Flash
Location

All seems well with Mute Swans. More on Readers Corner Here

(Ann Dewhurst)

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On this day in ...........

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper - First returning
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper - First returning
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Snipe
1 Common Sandpiper - First returning
At least 38 Swifts
(Ed Wilson)

23 Jun 16

Priorslee Flash
Location

Sadly it appears the Mute swans have lost two cygnets. More on Readers Corner Here

(Ann Dewhurst)

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On this day in ...........

2012
Priorslee Lake
Plover sp.
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Unlikely as it seems I am pretty convinced about this on the basis of the song alone
I was walking along the W end path at c.06:15 when a strange song caught my attention: there had been young Reed Warblers flitting about the area away from the reeds and it sound 'Acro-like'. But it was far too fast and I then assumed it was a Sedge Warbler (especially after my bird in the town centre last week). But the sound was all wrong with what seemed more like Garden Warbler tones, though with the characteristic Acro dynamics.
The bird was singing from a small patch of bushes growing in the fence at the W end of the yacht compound and I had the choice of a close view directly in to the bright sun; or going the 'other side' and trying to see between the yachts at some distance. I decided to stay where I was and in response to gentle pishing I got a good-enough glimpse to confirm it was a  Reed / Marsh and not Sedge Warbler and certainly an Acro.
The song continued to puzzle and included all manner of oddities, sounding at times like juvenile Great Tit begging, all while singing at full volume.
I decided that the best thing would be to try and record the bird so I dashed back to the car for my digital tape recorder. When I returned the bird was not singing and pishing produced only a Wren and a pair of Bullfinches!
Revisited the area twice more for some 15 minutes on each occasion without success: was not too surprised as it was a small and rather unlikely spot for the bird to stay in.
Worth rechecking - but I went all around the lake twice without hearing anything untoward.
Only my second-ever UK Marsh Warbler - the last was as long ago as when they bred in Worcestershire! But familiar with the birds abroad as recently as May in Poland where I heard maybe 20.
I really cannot see what else it might have been: I am not that confident to say it WAS a Marsh Warbler song, only that I have no idea what else it could have been and it fits the general pattern of song.(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Village
A pair of Siskins
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

22 Jun 16

No sightings in today.

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On this day in ...........

2012
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Pochard
Nuthatch
Swarm of bees
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Drake Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)

21 Jun 16

No sightings in today.

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On this day in ...........

2013
Priorslee Lake
Possible Black-necked Grebe seen by locals yesterday evening.
(Ed Wilson)

20 Jun 16

No sightings in today.

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On this day in ...........

2009
Priorslee Lake
A pair of Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
A drake Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)

19 Jun 16

No sightings in so far today but at Venus Pool there is a drake Common Scoter. Via BirdGuides Here

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On this day in ...........

2008
Telford Town Centre
A singing Sedge Warbler by the entrance to the Blue Willow car park.
(Ed Wilson)

18 Jun 16

The Flash: 07:00 – 07:20
Location

Sunrise: yet again 04:44 BST – and then the mornings start to get darker!

13°C – 14°C again: Scattered low cloud under high overcast. Light NNW wind. Very good visibility

(66th visit of the year)

Notes
- the Greylag Geese seem to be still mobile with birds seen flying in and out. The Canada Geese seem to be here to moult, though not sure whether they are flightless at the moment
- the extra Tufted Duck perhaps birds from the lake (where there were none this morning)
- no Moorhens here but a bird seen at the lower pond alongside the path between The Flash and the lake
- only 1 of yesterday’s new brood of 3 Coot noted
- family party of Nuthatches along the path below squirrel alley

Birds noted flying over
- 1 Jackdaw(!)

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 5 Common Swifts
- 3 House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap

The counts from the water
- 2 + 6 Mute Swans
- 43 Greylag Geese
- 168 Canada Geese
- 10 (8♂) Mallard
- 8 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- no Moorhens
- 14 +1 (1 brood) Coots

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake: 07:25 – 09:25
Location

(101st visit of the year)

Notes
- the 2 Mallard ducklings flew quite strongly when flushed – not fully fledged but close
- Great Crested Grebes, as usual, confuse. No sign of the juveniles and I do not think I saw their parents but what were the two birds doing building a nest in the SW area? All the other five were in their normal N / NE area
- a new brood of two juvenile Coots this morning. 12 adults were seen congregating on the SW grass and this suggests that for these, at least, the breeding (and fighting) season is over
- a Blackcap, Garden Warbler and Common Whitethroat were singing within a few feet of each other – confusing!
- a Coal Tit singing – my first noted singing here since 28 May. Unlike most tit species Coal Tits sometimes have a second brood and this is likely what has provoked it to sing again
and
- no moths on the lamps
- a single micro moth flushed from the vegetation this morning but has so far eluded identification
- no damselflies seen
- very many Mystacides longicornis (caddis flies) dancing over the waterside as usual
- 2 7-spot Ladybirds noted
- a sawfly and a caddis-fly both apparently new for me: neither fully identified

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 4 Cormorants (single + 3 together)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 3 Feral Pigeons (1 group)
- 2 Stock Doves (singles)
- 1 Wood Pigeon only
- 8 Jackdaws
- 65 Rooks

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 10 Swift
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 2 House Martin

Warblers seen / heard around the lake: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 12 (10) Blackcaps again
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers again
- 2 (1) Common Whitethroat
- 6 (3) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 10 (7♂) + 2 duckling Mallard
- 1 Grey Heron
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 39 + 7 juveniles (5 broods) Coots

This small moth is proving troublesome: provisionally ID-ed as Elachista canapennella (aka Little Dwarf), but it also looks a bit like an Argyresthia sp. Will have to pend it unless anyone can help.

It is interesting to see how spiders seem capable of snipping the wings and legs from damselflies and presumably eating just the bodies.

This seems to be a sawfly sp. probably of genus Macrophya. But I cannot find an exact match on the web.

Quite alarming from this viewpoint! A crane-fly.

From another angle: probably Tipula lunata.

A bonus: I took the photo of the Meadow Vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis) and had not noticed the small weevil. The weevil is likely Apion pomonae which is typically associated with vetches.

Another Common Spotted Orchid (Orchis (Dactylorhiza) fuchsii), showing just how pale the ground-colour is on some of the specimens.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........

2010
Trench Lock Pool 
4 drake Pochard
(Ed Wilson)

17 Jun 16

The Flash: 07:00 – 07:20
Location

Sunrise: remains 04:44 BST

13°C – 14°C Initially some breaks, especially to E, but soon clouded. Light N wind again. Good visibility

(65th visit of the year)

Notes
- the geese were all around and inside the island: true numbers likely to be higher
- Coots included another new brood: no sign of any juveniles from the earlier broods
- two days since the Willow Warbler’s re-appearance: or was it just passing?
- 1 Grey Wagtail again – seemed to be a juvenile, but rather distant

Birds noted flying over
None

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 3 Common Swifts
- 1 House Martin (heard only)

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff again
- 3 (3) Blackcaps

The counts from the water
- 2 + 6 Mute Swans
- 24 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 167 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral-goose
- 13 (13♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Great Crested Grebe remains
- 2 Moorhens
- 16 +3 (1 brood) Coots

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake: 07:25 – 09:25
Location

(100th visit of the year!!!!)
Notes
- the over flying Lesser Black-backed Gull was stretching the definition somewhat: it was seen circling at extreme range
- no sign of either of the Great Crested Grebe adults with juveniles this morning – staying tucked up in the reeds?
- my first juvenile Moorhens of the year here
- the number of Rooks swelled by a loose group of 53 birds
- again small numbers of Swifts, Swallows and House Martins put in only fleeting and / or distant appearances
- a juvenile Blackcap seen
and
- better moth catch on the lamps: 3 moths all on the same lamp – Common Marbled Carpet, Riband Wave and the micro moth Udea olivalis (aka Olive Pearl): all new for the year
- another moth in the Priorslee Avenue foot-tunnel – a Grey Pug
- 5 Common Marble (Celypha lacunana) micro moths flushed
- 1 Anthophila fabriciana (Common Nettle-tap) at rest
- both Blue-tailed and Common Blue Damselflies seen in small numbers
- Scorpion Fly (Panorpa communis) seen
- new plants identified included Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica), and what seems to be White Mignonette (Reseda alba)

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Feral Pigeon again
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Jackdaws
- 83 Rooks
- 2 Starlings
- 1 Goldfinch

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 5 Swift
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 5 House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the lake: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 6 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 12 (10) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers
- 6 (5) Reed Warblers again

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 14 (11♂) + 2 duckling Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck again
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 + 2 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 37 + 4 juveniles (3 broods) Coots

A Mistle Thrush: the extent of the pale edging on the wing coverts suggests this is a juvenile (the adults share the pale edges to the primaries)

Pug moths are always hard and this made more difficult both by location – on the roof of the foot-tunnel; and by its general scruffy and worn appearance. But I am pretty certain this is a Grey Pug.

This is easier: a Common Marbled Carpet of the typical brown form.

This is the first of this year’s Riband Wave moths: the leading cross-line is not usually so prominent and on most specimens it appears there are only two lines. On some specimens the area between these two lines is dark brown but in Shropshire this form is in the minority.

Rather over-flashed I am afraid: this is classified as a micro moth and is Udea olivalis (aka Olive Pearl).

Probably by best effort to date with the micro moth Celypha lacunana (Common Marble). The green blob in front of it seems to be an unrelated secretion.

Cannot really identify bees: its relatively small size (for a bumble bee) and the slightly different tone between the collar and the 2nd abdominal segment suggests Bombus pratorum though the collar looks rather too wide. Sadly we cannot see the ‘tail’ colour so I will pass. The specimen was apparently ‘at rest’ in the cool and cloudy conditions.

A fox-coloured bee: probably Bombus pascuorum. Often slightly scruffy-looking with rather thin and long hairs.

This stretch spider caught my attention as it seemed more brightly coloured than the specimens I am used to seeing. But it seems it is ‘just’ the regular Common stretch-spider (Tetragnatha extensa) [also known as Long-jawed Orb-web Spider] with the females in particular being very variable in appearance.

The Ragwort is not yet quite in flower, yet ...

 ... the ants are already busy ‘cultivating’ the aphids – they ‘milk’ these for their sweet secretions.

A male Scorpion Fly (Panorpa communis).

When I took the photo I was sure this was Red Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) but no: it is Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) – at least I was in the right family.

A different clump of plants in the open and here we see the hairy square stem.

Why are flowers so hard? There are too many! This clump was growing alongside Teece Drive where the disturbance was during the reconstruction of the road to access the Academy. It appeared to be White Mignonette (Reseda alba), a plant which I cannot recall ever knowing about much less having forgotten where I saw it!

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........

2006
Priorslee Lake
Just a single cygnet left
(Martin Adlam)

16 Jun 16

The Flash: 07:00 – 07:15
Location

Sunrise: 04:44 BST once more – the solstice approaches!

13°C – 14°C Low cloud dull again; occasional mainly light rain. Light N wind. Moderate visibility

(64th visit of the year)

Notes
- the Mute Swans and cygnets tucked up inside island: accurate count of cygnets not possible
- the only Moorhen in the area was one on the grass by the upper pool between The Flash and the lake and outside my count area

Birds noted flying over
None

Hirundines etc. seen here today
None
Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff

The counts from the water
- 2 + ? Mute Swans
- 11 Greylag Geese
- 174 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral-goose
- 12 (11♂) Mallard
- 6 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Great Crested Grebe still
- no Moorhens
- 14 Coots again

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake: 07:20 – 09:30
Location

(99th visit of the year)
The vegetation is sodden making finding any insects very hard. The birds are generally quietening down

Notes
- only the larger of the two Mute Swan cygnets logged this morning. Fishermen who were present earlier than me told me that both cygnets had been present earlier
- small numbers of Swifts, a single Swallow and a party of House Martin put in only fleeting appearances
- the overflight Starlings seemed to be attending nests in the Priorslee estate: normally Starlings do not have a 2nd brood so these are likely to be replacement broods
and
- disappointing moth catch on the lamps – overcast damp weather is reckoned to be best: all I could find was a single Metzneria metzneriella (aka Meadow Neb)
- 2 Silver-ground Carpet macro moths and 2 Common Marble (Celypha lacunana) micro moths flushed from the grass despite the wet conditions
- single Anthophila fabriciana (Common Nettle-tap) resting on, wait for it: nettles
- single Blue-tailed Damselfly seen at rest on another cool overcast morning
- >10 small Common Toads (Bufo bufo) flushed from a narrow track through large grassy area – may have been dozens in the area

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 9 Jackdaws
- 26 Rooks
- 3 Starlings

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 4 Swift
- 1 Barn Swallow yet again
- 5 House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the lake: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs yet again
- 13 (10) Blackcaps
- 6 (5) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 (2) Mute Swans: see notes
- 14 (10♂) + 2 duckling Mallard
- 9 (6♂) Tufted Duck again
- 7 + 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 3 Moorhens again
- 37 + 5 juveniles (4 broods) Coots

Another micro moth many feet up on one of the lamps. Seems to be Metzneria metzneriella (aka Meadow Neb).

Good to get a shot of this caddis fly Mystacides longicornis ‘in the flesh’: normally they are either dead in a spider’s web or dancing around the vegetation.

Stilt fly seems an apposite name for this small insect. However I am unsure: it has some characteristics of a crane-fly in the very small head; however the body seems more like a midge.

One of the many small Common Toads (Bufo bufo) seen this morning.

 “What’s eating you?”. This dock (Rumex sp.) leaf is obviously on the menu for something.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)

15 Jun 16

The Flash: 07:00 – 07:20
Location

Sunrise: 04:44 BST yet again

13°C – 15°C Low cloud and very dull start; some brighter spells developed; more rain in the area later. Light NE wind. Moderate visibility

(63rd visit of the year)

Notes
- the Mute Swans back and present OK: I gather that the cob left the lake and became trapped by the wiring erected to dissuade the geese from exiting the water and fouling the grass: but all ended happily and the whole family was mixing happily with the geese today
- influx of drake Tufted Ducks: not shared with the main lake
- the fly-over Cormorant may just have been leaving the water – my view was blocked at the time
- the last remaining juvenile Coot seems to have been lost: both its parents were seen around the nest site without any juvenile in tow
- a Willow Warbler was singing on the island today: I last heard a bird here on 28 May when it had been singing at the top end of so-called squirrel alley for some weeks. Same bird between broods?

Birds noted flying over
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Jackdaws

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 1 House Martin

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

The counts from the water
- 2 + 6 Mute Swans
- 44 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 175 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral-goose
- 14 (13♂) Mallard again
- 9 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Great Crested Grebe yet again
- 2 Moorhens
- 14 Coots

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake: 07:25 – 09:25
Location

(98th visit of the year)

More beaten-down vegetation indicates another deluge here yesterday: at Newport we had only a little light rain even though the thunder rumbled around for a few hours. There were flooded roads about 2 miles away. How this will affect the breeding season remains to be seen – heavy rain washes insects and their eggs off the vegetation making food harder to glean; and juveniles that have yet to get full waterproofing can die of hyperthermia

Notes
- positively confirmed the presence of a brood of at least two Great Crested Grebes juveniles this morning
- just 1 Swift raced through
- Goldcrests have been singing and calling for several weeks now: today I saw my first confirmed juveniles
- the lone Barn Swallow was not apparently one of the usual visitors from the village but flew off E towards the farms there
- neither Garden Warbler nor Common Whitethroat seen or heard on a rather quiet morning
and
- single Muslin Moth, Common Swift and Map-winged Swift moths on the lamps: the last being a new species for me
- 1 Silver-ground Carpet macro moths and 2 Common Marble (Celypha lacunana) micro moths flushed from the grass
- my first Pandemis cerasana (aka Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix) micro moth this year on the lamps
- my first ‘grass moth’ of the year – a Chrysoteuchia culmella (Garden Grass-veneer) also on the lamps
- single Blue-tailed and Common Blue damselflies on a cool overcast morning
- another Harlequin Ladybird
- the Giant Hogweed has just started to flower

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Jackdaws
- 55 Rooks
- 2 Starlings

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 1 Swift
- 1 Barn Swallow again

Warblers seen / heard around the lake: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs again
- 10 (8) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 12 (10♂) + 2 duckling Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Tufted Duck again
- 1 Grey Heron
- 7 + 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 33 + 4 juveniles (3 broods) Coots

There is a real difference in the size of the two cygnets here.

Not a very good shot at some distance and against the light but this was the only time that two (at least) juvenile Great Crested Grebes were visible on their parent’s back.

When the bird was closer and the light better the feathers were all fluffed up preventing more than a small head and beak being visible.

Ugh: with my (dirty) size 9 Wellington boot for scale the remains of a bird I found on the dam this morning. Hard to be sure but my money is on an adult Black-headed Gull: mainly from the leg colour and the black in the wings. With all the feathering gone the bill shape is I think rather misleading. It is definitely not the first-year bird that looked rather unwell last week – I found a wing only of that on Monday: and the red, rather than orange, leg indicates this is an adult.

This is the micro moth Pandemis cerasana (aka Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix) – one of the easier to identify.

My first ‘grass moth’ of the year: this is Chrysoteuchia culmella (Garden Grass-veneer).

This is a White Ermine moth: a female Muslin Moth is confusingly similar but with feathered antenna this has to be a male (male Muslin Moths are grey).

Yesterday a Common Swift moth was upside down in the foot-tunnel. Today there was a much less well-marked specimen on one of the lamps. Females are typically less marked but the ‘tail’ sticking out between the wings makes this a male.

A very similar-looking moth but note the wavy marking towards the rear of the wing: this identifies it as a Map-winged Swift moth – many specimens have a very complex wing pattern this one being of the form gallicus. The chequered fringe of the wings is unique amongst map moths. This is a new species for me.

This flower is I think Creeping Cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans), or something similar, sprawling across part of the dam (cinquefoils freely hybridise with tormentils). Here we see a flower and a seed head.

And here trailing across the dam-face showing the feathery leaves – ignore the brambles!

On the N side some new orchid spikes have shot up since yesterday. Very pale and slightly differently marked but these too seem to be Common Spotted Orchid (Orchis (Dactylorhiza) fuchsii).

Certainly the leaves are ‘spotted’.

The first umbel of Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) are just opening. A plant to be careful of – the ‘sap’ can cause a very painful burning sensation. The dead stem of one of last year’s Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) plants in the foreground.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........

2010
Priorslee Lake
 5+ Willow Tits in the trees alongside the M54 slip-road
(J W Reeves)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Just 2 Mute Swan cygnets remaining, possible Mink in the area
(Martin Adlam)