31 May 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 10.0°C: Low cloud. Moderate SE breeze. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 04:53 BST

* = a photo today

Where did the sunshine go?

Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 05:45 // 06:55 – 08:00

(108th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- More quiet roads allowed me to hear the distant Pheasant again.
- The Canada Geese have lost two of their goslings since yesterday. No obvious reason as they all looked healthy-enough yesterday.
- A lone Greylag Goose on the water at 04:30 was getting some grief from the Mute Swans and when five others flew inbound it decided to join them. Some 10 minutes later six flew outbound – the same?
- The pair of Tufted Duck had to run the gauntlet of several territorial Coots before they found somewhere quiet to rest.
- Now six Great Crested Grebes. I give up trying to keep track of them (there was also one back at The Flash today)
- Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were heard at 04:40 and were presumably the two adults seen on the academy playing field at 05:10. Just one other bird over later.
- The volume and frequency of bird song is diminishing by the day and the lower count of warbler species is not an indication there are fewer birds present – in fact the opposite is likely with juveniles lurking largely unseen.

Overhead:
- 11 Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 Stock Dove
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult
- 52 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks only

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 4 Swifts arrived 07:45
- 2 Barn Swallows briefly at 07:15
- 6 House Martins: four arrived at 07:35 and were soon joined by two more. All gone by 07:50

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 9 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers
- 14 (14) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers
- 2 (1) Common Whitethroats

Count from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose: departed
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 (2♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck: arrived
- 3 Moorhen
- 17 Coots only
- *6 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes

On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides cornutus) again

Noted later:

Flies
- *plumed midge sp.

Snails:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

Spiders:
- *stretch spiders (Tetragnatha sp.)
- *Larinoides cornutus

Flowers: first sightings of the year
- *White Clover (Trifolium repens)

An update on the small spider seen on 29th. I can do no better than reproduce the Shropshire Spiders Recorder's comments: "I’m pretty sure it’s of the Gnaphosid family from the eyes that have caught the flash and the widespread spinnerets at the rear but can’t go further than that. It is a mature male but you need a close up of the left side of the left palp and I defy anyone to get such a shot from a fast moving spider"! So I will leave it as unidentified.

Also a few additional species from yesterday after spending more time on the photos.
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum): male and female.
- Tipula varipennis: a cranefly I have not noted previously
- A sawfly of the genus Tenthredo.

This pair of Great Crested Grebes looked like they may give a display so it was 'on with the video'.

But there is not a lot of interest being shown so I stopped the short clip.

Then almost as soon as I stopped the video one bird picked up some weed and it was 'on with the video' again.

Still not very interested!

A species of plumed midge that I cannot recall seeing before. Rather short wings (or long, thin body) and the 'plumes' a mere blur.

This illustrates why they are called stretch spiders.

A distinctively-marked spider. The Shropshire Recorder to the rescue once more. It is Larinoides cornutus.

My first White Clover (Trifolium repens) flower of the year. I noted on the 11 May when I photographed my first Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) that these were usually about three weeks ahead of the white – 20 days this year.

"And now a few left-overs from yesterday"

This pug moth on a lamp at The Flash is most likely a Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata). There are several similar but less common species and I am none too familiar with this difficult group.

I showed the head of this singing Reed Warbler yesterday. Here is most of it.

Another view of the scruffy (moulting?) adult Long-tailed Tit.

I've managed to sort out this damselfly – a female Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum). My first of the year. Females come in two forms – blue and green, though this is an immature and yet to acquire its adult colour.

And this is an immature male. These only ever turn blue (never green like some females). Here tucking in to some Hawthorn nectar.

This cranefly with the two dark marks along the leading edge of the wings is Tipula varipennis. A female with the pointed abdomen. A not uncommon species but my first record here.

This a sawfly of the genus Tenthredo. There are four species that cannot be separated from photos. In a buttercup of course.

The flower of the Dog Rose (Rosa canina agg.) that I fouled up when I tried for a photo on Saturday.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- Three drake Mallards on the upper pool
- One adult Moorhen heard at the upper pool.
- Two adults and one well-grown juvenile Moorhen at the lower pool
- No warblers seen or heard

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 05:50 – 06:50

(93rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The cob Mute Swan seems not to like Greylag Geese and chased them away.
- Mallard numbers returned to form. So where had they been?
- I think that Swifts are not breeding in St Georges this year. I have diligently searched the skies for the last few visits without seeing any. They have been back over Newport for more than 10 days now.

Birds noted flying over here:

- 2 Jackdaws

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Blackcaps

On /around the water:
- 29 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese: departed
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 23 (18♂) Mallard
- 7 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 2 juvenile Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe

Also noted:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

And an update on the spider I photographed here on the 29th again from the Shropshire Spiders Recorder: "[it] is Metellina merianae and is the even less common colour form M. merianae var. chelata. Thanks as ever to Nigel - the recorder. Better photos of the nominate form can be found Here 

And an update on the pug moth on one of the lamps yesterday – most likely a Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata).

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2020

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2018

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2017

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2016

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2015

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2014

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2013

Long Lane, Wellington

13 Ringed Plover

2 Dunlin

(JW Reeves)

30 May 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 14.0°C: Clear and sunny. Almost calm. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:54 BST

* = a photo today

A bit pushed for time to complete this report. There may be corrections and additional pictures to come!

Priorslee Lake: 04:10 – 05:55 // 06:45 – 08:45

(107th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The very quiet roads allowed me to hear a distant Pheasant calling. All the birds that were in the wooded areas around the lake in March have long-since departed.
- Two juvenile Coots from what seemed to be a new brood - #10? I thought I heard begging calls from where I saw brood #9 a few days ago but could see nothing.
- Two Great Crested Grebes flew in from the W at 05:05. Much later two pairs seemed to be quite happy in he same general area. Then things turned nasty with birds fighting and after a short fly-around two birds departed at 07:45.
- Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls started making a lot of noise at 04:30 as they set off, apparently having roosted in the Ricoh area, chasing a local Common Buzzard. They soon returned and some 10 minutes later 11 birds appeared and headed off SE with three veering off to return to the area. These three were assumed the birds that appeared from time to time at the lake
- I think I will have to discount the Sedge Warbler records for the 27th and 28th. I was standing close to a singing Reed Warbler and very occasionally it was giving a short burst of typical Sedge Warbler song.
- Perhaps also due to the lack of traffic early today I was able to hear a Common Whitethroat singing from remnant scrubby area around the new housing estate. I heard one just once in the same area when the birds first arrived but had not heard anything from this location since.

Overhead:
- 2 Canada Geese: duo outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: duo outbound
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 3 Wood Pigeons only
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Cormorant
- 34 Jackdaws
- 23 Rooks

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 2 Swifts through at 04:40
- 2 House Martins over the estate area.

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 16 (14) Chiffchaffs
- *10 (8) Reed Warblers
- 16 (14) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers again
- 4 (3) Common Whitethroats

Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 7 (6♂) Mallard again
- 4 Moorhen
- 20 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron

On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides cornutus)
- to be identified fly.

Noted later:

Moths:
- Green Long-horn (Adela reaumurella)
- *Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)

Bees / Wasps.
- *Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
- *Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)

Hoverflies:
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- *Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)
- Syrphus sp.

Damselflies:
- *Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)

Other Flies
- Tipula crane-fly
- unidentified fly sp.

Bugs:
- Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)
- Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)

Mammals
- 1 unidentified vole shot out of the undergrowth and back in.

Snails:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

Spiders:
- stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)

A close-up of a singing Reed Warbler.

A juvenile Long-tailed Tit. These look remarkably different from ...

.......a rather scruffy adult.

A pretty little moth – a Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana). It would not allow me to get a 'top down' view.

A Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum). The rather scruffy appearance and lack of a midriff band means I do not have to try and separate White- tailed from Buff-tailed Bumblebee which can be quite tricky.

An Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum). The red on the tail is not extensive-enough for a Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius).

Not a bee – it has short antennae. It is a Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris) - a species of hoverfly.

A freshly-emerged Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans). I saw many this morning only one of which was a blue colour.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- A drake Mallard on the upper pool and presumed the same later on the lower pool.
- One adult Moorhen seen and another heard at the upper pool.
- One adult and one well-grown juvenile Moorhen at the lower pool. The vegetation has now grown to obscure the nest.
- 1 Chiffchaff singing by the lower pool.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 05:50 – 06:40

(92nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- All three (two drakes) Tufted Duck were hauled out on the island.
- The Stock Doves overhead seemed to have no connection with the bird calling from trees beside one of the bridges.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 3 (3♂) Mallard
- 3 Stock Doves
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Starling

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs again
- 3 (3) Blackcaps again

On /around the water:
- 49 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 15 (12♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens again
- 1 juvenile Coot only

Also noted:
- A to-be-identified pug moth on a street lamp.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2020

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2018

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2017

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2015

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2014

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2013

Long Lane, Wellington

13 Ringed Plover

2 Dunlin

(JW Reeves)

29 May 21

Priorslee Lake only

12.0°C > 14.0°C: Medium-high overcast with the odd very light rain shower; later some lower clouds. Almost calm. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:55 BST

No photos today

Priorslee Lake: 04:10 – 08:45

(106th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Bumper number of Greylag Geese over but how many individuals? in time order duo inbound; octet inbound; sextet outbound; duo outbound.
- Also confused about how many Tufted Ducks there were. I first noted two pairs at the W end while I was at the E end. These were then see flying around and then flying off E. A few minutes later there appeared to be two drakes and a duck (still?) at the W end and then again two pairs flew off E – the same? Soon afterwards a pair flew in from the E and stayed at the E end of the lake. Some of the others?
- Both juvenile Coots from brood #1 again.
- Two 'pairs' of Great Crested Grebes seen displaying but I could only ever find three birds. Was one bird part of both 'pairs'?
- Three different single immature Herring Gulls flew over.
- Four Lesser Black-backed Gulls from the Ricoh area after 04:30 with an adult and first year briefly on the water and two adults on the academy playing field. Another adult stopped for a drink and four more (near) adults flew over.
- 10 Cormorants were seen rising from c.3 or 4 miles to the E and forming up in to a skein of nine heading SW with one returning to the E. A few more over later.
- A single Starling and then a post-breeding group of 12 flew over. For the first day in some months none was seen on the academy playing fields.
- House Sparrows still turning up in different locations around the lake: one on the S side; one on the N side; at least one in the academy hedges.

Overhead:
- 4 Canada Geese: quartet outbound
- 18? Greylag Geese: see notes
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 18 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls: all immatures
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults
- 15 Cormorants: two singles, a trio and a group of ten
- 39 Jackdaws
- 15 Rooks
- 13 Starlings

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 5 Swifts: one to S 05:25; two pairs to W 07:40
- 1 Barn Swallow: W 08:45
- 2 House Martins: over estate 08:40 – my first over the estate this year
Another very low number.

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 15 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 13 (11) Reed Warblers
- 14 (10) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers again
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat only

Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck at least: see notes
- 1 Moorhen again
- 23 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
- 3? Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes

On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides cornutus)

Noted later: I was surprised to see anything in the overcast and damp conditions.

Flies:
- Scorpion Fly (Panorpa sp.)

Bugs:
- Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)

Snails:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

Spiders:
- Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)

Flowers noted:
- My first Dog Rose flower (Rosa canina agg.) of the year.

(Ed Wilson)

Note:

On 26 May 21, Ed visited the RSPB Reserve at Burton Mere. Photos from Ed's visit can be found Here

A Bittern being chased by a Black-headed Gull at Burton Mere. In the background a Canada Goose looks on. (Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2018

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2017

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2015

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2014

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2013

Priorslee Lake

1 Sedge Warbler

5 Reed Warbler

(John Isherwood)

Long Lane, Wellington

2 Dunlin

1 Sanderling

(Andy Latham)

2009

Priorslee Lake

4 Tufted Ducks

Ed Wilson

2007

Priorslee Lake

Swifts

Kestrel

Great Black-backed Gull

(Martin Adlam)

28 May 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

10.0°C > 14.0°C: Scattered below mostly thin medium-high overcast with the odd very light rain shower. Almost calm. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:56 BST

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 05:40 // 06:30 – 09:40

(105th visit of the year)

Best today was my third record of Oystercatcher here this year. I first noticed the bird fly on to the SW grass at 04:35 though as it was uncharacteristically silent in doing so I suspect it had only repositioned from close-by. It spent the entire time in the area, mainly between the SW grass and the dam-face, moved around by dog-walkers. At one point it went to sleep on the dam-face. At 08:40 it flushed off the SW grass and headed off high W but returned within a few minutes.

Other bird notes:
- Both juvenile Coots from brood #1 were seen. I could find no other juveniles. They are having a bad year.
- Eight Lesser Black-backed Gulls were in the area coming and going between 04:20 and when I departed. Three of them came to drink, the other five stayed flying around.
- After yesterday's bumper Rook count it was back to a more normal number.
- Two Linnets flew over the SW grass. I suspect they had come from scrubby areas behind the sailing club shelter. They bred there is 2019 but not last year.

Overhead:
- 2 Canada Geese: duo inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: duo inbound
- 1 Stock Dove
- 28 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 10 Cormorants: three singles, a duo and a quintet
- 48 Jackdaws
- 8 Rooks

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 3 Swifts: two to N 07:55; one to S 08:20
- 2 Barn Swallows: tow flew W 09:05
Rather strange that there should be so few on a cloudy, if bright, day.

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 10 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler again
- 12 (12) Reed Warblers
- 16 (15) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers
- 6 (2) Common Whitethroats

Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (3♂) Mallard
- 1 Moorhen only
- 25 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Oystercatcher
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes

On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides cornutus)

Noted later:

Moths:
- *Common Roller (Ancylis badiana)
- *unidentified probable species of 'carpet moth'

Bees / Wasps:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies:
- Blotch-winged Hoverfly (Leucozona lucorum)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)

Other Flies
- *Alder Fly (Sialis lutaria)
- Scorpion Fly (Panorpa sp.)
- *unidentified fly sp.

Bugs:
- Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)
- *Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)

Beetles:
- *A soldier beetle possibly Cantharis pallida
- *A click beetle sp.

Mammals
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Snails:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *unidentified snail sp.

Spiders:
- *many stretch spiders (Tetragnatha sp.)

Flowers noted:
- Shepherd's-purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
- Prickly Sow-thistle (Sonchus asper)
- presumed Common Hawkweed (Hieracium vulgatum)
- Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)

There was a very brief red sky despite it being mainly cloudy.

Not bad by the camera at 05:00 on a cloudy morning. The Oystercatcher on the SW grass.

Later it went to sleep on the dam face.

Now awake and alert, back on the grass. It has even cleaned its bill.

Sometimes things do not go well. No moths on the lamps pre-dawn yet again. Walking through the grass I flushed this moth. I only managed an underside view and it was off never to be seen again. Sadly from this view I cannot ID it! Grrr.

A moth I can identify. It is a Common Roller (Ancylis badiana). Moth species #14 for me this year (it was species #15 on 24 May last year and also species #14 in 2019).

This tiny caterpillar was descending in front of me. Here displayed on a small part of my glove for scale. ID uncertain.

Two for the price of one. The larger darker fly with the well-marked veins is an Alder Fly (Sialis lutaria). The other isn't!

I managed to find another specimen of the brown beetle that was hiding its head yesterday. It is a soldier beetle and I think Cantharis pallida.

The shape of the elytra and the contrast between that and the grey thorax suggests this is a click beetle (Elateridae). I cannot find an exact match but there are many species, not all illustrated on the web. I manfully tried to extract it from the stinging nettle for a better view but it fell off.

A Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) on a dock leaf. Were that they all were so easy!

Well: a snail!

And a smart-looking snail. I cannot match it on the web. I had thought Brown-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis) but it has too many spirals for that species.

There were many stretch spiders (Tetragnatha sp.) this morning. I am sure I read that the species can be determined from the pattern on the underside of the abdomen so here it is ... Not so apparently.

This one lacks the longitudinal white line down the centre of the abdomen.

This very small spider was running up and down the blade of grass – gives it some scale. Hard to get a decent photo.

I double-checked this flower. It looked like Shepherd's-purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) but this specimen is just flowering. Some months ago I saw a plant with the 'purses' (seed heads). Checking the literature this plant flowers almost all year round.

There are not too many yellow-flowered 'thistles'. I am used to seeing Smooth Sow-thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) but this is spiny and I think it is therefore Prickly Sow-thistle (Sonchus asper). I have a slight hesitancy in that most illustrations show flowers on branched stems, not evident here.

In contrast there are very many of these 'hawk-things' - hawkweeds, hawk's beards and hawk-bits. My vote here is for Common Hawkweed (Hieracium vulgatum) on the basis of the unopened flowers in tight clusters. But ...

Safer ground here: my first Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) of the year. Only three days later than in the warm spring of 2020.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- One adult Moorhen seen and another calling at the upper pool.
- Just one adult Moorhen on the lower pool nest again
- 1 Chiffchaff singing again by the lower pool.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 05:45 – 06:25

(91st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I have noticed that the flying geese are starting to moult their flight feathers. They will soon become flightless and there will probably be an increase in their numbers here. They seem to regard The Flash with its island as a safe place to moult and regrow their wings. At the moment they are still mainly in 'pairs' though they are no longer territorial and the noise-level is lower.
- Four pairs and two additional drake Tufted Duck, still including the drake with only the drake Mallard today.
- The same two juvenile Coots as yesterday.
- The Lesser Black-backed Gulls were likely birds from the Ricoh / lake area having a wander.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adults
- 1 Jackdaw yet again

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps

On /around the water:
- 51 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese: departed
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 19 (14♂) Mallard
- 10 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 2 juvenile Coots again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only

Also noted:
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- A to-be-identified spider on a street lamp.

I had to use flash to get any detail on this spider at the top of a street light pole. It did not like the flash and I did not get a second chance ... Unidentified at the moment.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2020

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2018

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2016

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2015

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2014

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2012

Nedge Hill

2 Ravens mobbing Kestrel.

(John Isherwood)

2010

Priorslee Lake

Ringed Plover

(Ed Wilson)

2009

Priorslee Lake

Red Kite

(Ed Wilson)

27 May 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 14.0°C: Almost cloudless with a few puffy clouds appearing as I was about to depart. Light S wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:57 BST

* = a photo today (Unfortunately Blogger.com wont allow images to upload at the moment)

Priorslee Lake: 04:10 – 05:55 // 06:50 – 09:50

(104th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Only one juvenile Coot from brood #1 was seen; two other juveniles from a brood I have not noted previously though they are several days old – brood #9.
- A very strange date to see two (near?) adult Mute Swans fly over.
- A lone Swift at 05:05. No more until 07:15 and then eventually six birds.
- Eight Lesser Black-backed Gulls appeared overhead a 04:25 having come from the Ricoh area – perhaps they roosted there? Today they did not call as they departed, four of them stopping briefly to drink at the lake. Five more flew over later.
- Many more Rooks than recently. These are flying back and forth sometimes carrying food, I assume to their nest-sites. Several small groups may have been family parties.
- Juvenile Chiffchaffs noted.
- The Sedge Warbler is still here – he gave one very short burst of song. Perhaps busy nesting?
- House Sparrows again seen along the N side. Also in the hedge next to the academy.
- A lone Linnet appeared briefly in the brambles behind the sailing club shelter.

Overhead:
- 3 Canada Geese: duo outbound; single inbound
- 2 Mute Swans: (near) adults
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 14 Wood Pigeons
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: seven (near) adults and two first years
- 6 Cormorants: single, duo and trio
- 66 Jackdaws
- 35 Rooks

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 7 Swifts
Clear skies = no hirundines over the lake

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- * 14 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 13 (11) Reed Warblers
- 11 (10) Blackcaps
- 5 (3) Garden Warblers
- * 6 (3) Common Whitethroats

Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 24 + 3 (2 broods) Coots
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adults
- 4 Great Crested Grebes

On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides cornutus)
One day I will be rewarded for my very early start by some moths!

Noted later:

Butterflies:
- * Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- * Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)

Moths:
- Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)

Bees / Wasps.
- Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies:
- Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
- Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)
- Blotch-winged Hoverfly (Leucozona lucorum)
- * Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)

Dragon/damsel-flies
- * Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas)

Other Flies
- Alder Fly (Sialis lutaria)
- Scorpion Fly (Panorpa sp.)
- * possible Tenthredo temula sawfly
- * two more unidentified flies!

Bugs:
- Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)

Beetles:
- * Swollen-thighed beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
-7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata)
- * an unidentified beetle sp,

Snails:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

Spiders:

- * A Cucumber Green Orb Spider probably Araniella cucurbitina; just possibly A. opisthographa

- * either Phylonetta sysiphia or perhaps more likely P. impressa

It's youngster feeding time. A Chiffchaff with wiggly things.

A male Common Whitethroat brings the goodies.

Perhaps someone can ID the caterpillars?

"Dad: we told Mum we wanted a change from green caterpillars". The black on the head of this male Reed Bunting is fading somewhat.

A Green-veined White butterfly (Pieris napi) with its tongue in the flowers of Cow Parsley. The underside of the wing on this fresh specimen shows how it got its vernacular name. The pale yellow-green scales on the underwing soon wear off.

Not so easy this way up. From above separation of 'whites' (Small, Large and Green-veined) is most reliably done from the extent and shape of the black around the wing-tip. I can never remember which is which!

A female Holly Blue butterfly (Celastrina argiolus). Only females have the black margin to the wings.

This species of hoverfly was abundant this morning. This was the only specimen that allowed me to see through the folded wings and ID it as a Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare) from the yellow marks on the abdomen. For some reason the other very common small hoverfly – the Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) - has been totally absent so far as it has been in my garden.

I am about two weeks late seeing my first damselfly this year. I had not expected the first to be this least common of those I see regularly. It is a female Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas).

I have drawn a blank with this fly on a buttercup. It resembles a dagger fly without a significant dagger. Stumped.

Another fly that looks as if it ought to be easy. Ought. One for more research I fear.

Another puzzle. This fly flew in, perched briefly with its wings open allowing the abdomen marks to be seen and then closed its wings. Luckily the abdomen could be seen through the closed wings. I assumed at the time it was a species of nomad bee. I now realise it has no 'wasp waist' so that rules out the bees and also ichneumon wasps. I suspect it is a sawfly and the closest I can get to an ID might be Tenthredo temula.

Well this is odd: where is the rest of this beetle? When I took the photo I assumed that it was a strange-shaped beetle but I know see there are legs missing as well as thorax and head. It has rather chunky-looking femurs and what seems to be a long antenna folded back down the left side of its body. Not enough to get an ID though.

Did I mention chunky-looking femur? The male of this Swollen-thighed beetle (Oedemera nobilis) is well-named. Strangely I almost never see females that lack the swelling but they must be around as this species is plentiful every year. Other names for this insect are False Oil Beetle and Thick-legged Flower Beetle.

A spider that is most likely Araniella cucurbitina. As ever there is a confusion species A. opisthographa though that is far less common. Both are sometimes called Cucumber Green Orb Spider.

The Shropshire Spider Recorder has helped me with this. Another one that cannot be specifically identified being either Phylonetta sysiphia or perhaps more likely P. impressa. He tells me the former is sometimes called the mothering spider or similar because she actually feeds her spiderlings from her mouth much in the same ways as birds do

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- A drake Mallard on the lower pool
- Just one adult Moorhen seen at the upper pool.
- Also just one adult Moorhen on the lower pool nest
- No warblers seen or heard again.
- An adult and fledged juvenile Starling on a roof of a house backing on to the path.

Horrible light and the birds flew off before I could reposition. On top of the rook is a male adult Starling – blue base to its bill. Below it is its unspotted off-spring - they can be very confusing to ID being plain brown. However until they start getting some adult features they are normally with adults which helps.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:00 – 06:44

(90th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Four pairs and three additional drake Tufted Duck including the drake with the pair of Mallard.
- The very well-grown juvenile Coot by the bridge. Another well-grown juvenile with a pair of adults by the island.
- The two Great Crested Grebes seen displaying.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adults
- 1 Jackdaw again

Hirundines etc. noted:

Still none

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap

On /around the water:
- 42 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 21 (15♂) Mallard
- 11 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens again
- 2 juvenile Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2020

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2018

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2017

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2016

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2015

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2014

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2009

Priorslee Lake

3 Little Egrets

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

Little Ringed Plover

(John Isherwood)