13.0°C > 15.0°C: Started very dull with very low cloud and light drizzle. After c.08:00 cloud began to lift somewhat with a few bright, but not sunny, spells. Very light NE breeze. Moderate visibility, even poor at times.
Sunrise: 04:49 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:10 – 05:30 // 06:25 – 09:15
(133rd visit of the year)
I met the contractors who have made a start on removing the Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum). The kit they have to don makes PPE look like swimwear. Contact with sap from this plant causes nasty skin blisters. I queried why last year the contractors spread all the cut plants on a blue plastic sheet and then left it in the undergrowth. Apparently there is no other way of disposing of this plant. The plant is sprayed with glycophosphate (a weed killer of very debatable safety) and has to be wrapped in plastic and remain in situ. I have very mixed feelings about this. Sure: it is an introduced plant but so are lots of plants found in the wild - and Grey Squirrels and Muntjac Deer are introductions. Sure: contact with it has to be avoided but stinging nettles and brambles can be none too friendly. Should we remove all risks from the countryside? The plant itself has magnificent umbels that are a magnet for our declining insect population. Seems the contractors will have a task for many years yet as this plant was uncontrolled for ages: there must be many seeds yet to germinate still in the ground.
Bird notes:
- Just one duck Mallard with her three ducklings found.
- I think the party of eight pigeons were Feral Pigeons rather than Racing Pigeons as they all seemed very pale. Groups of Racing Pigeons usually contain blue morphs.
- Three adult Black-headed Gulls were flying up and down the lake at 04:30 but had gone by 04:45.
- One of the local Common Buzzards can usually be found sitting on a goal post on the academy playing field around sunrise.
- One (or more) Swift was noted over the N side in the gloom at 05:10 but none was seen afterwards.
- Three Mistle Thrushes were on the football field at 05:20 – a family party I assume.
- For the first time for some months there were no Chaffinches singing this morning. At the height of the breeding season four or five were normally to be heard.
Overhead:
- 8 Feral Pigeons: one group
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: ages not determined
- 2 Jackdaws
- no Rooks again
- 2 Starlings
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 1? Swift
- 1 House Martin
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 14 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Sedge Warbler
- 10 (7) Reed Warblers
- 12 (12) Blackcaps
- 3 (2) Garden Warblers
- 2 (2) Common Whitethroats again
Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 8 (7♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 34 + 16 (7 broods) Coots
- 3 Black-headed Gulls: adults, departed: see also notes
- 8 Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Grey Heron: departed early yet again
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- 1 Garden Grass-veneer moth (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 Mayfly sp.
- 1 Plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
An update on yesterday's dead rat. One of my regular readers told me they had passed the spot between my two transits and had seen the rat writhing in the grass. They were of the opinion that it had been poisoned. There are certainly traps with rat bait around The Flash though I am not aware of any in this area.
Also an update on recent spiders, courtesy of the Shropshire Recorder – thanks Nigel.
- On 11th June I showed two spiders entangled as if they were fighting. Not so: a pair of stretch spiders Tetragnatha sp. mating which they do, apparently unusually for spiders, face to face. Some fascinating(?) detail "In [the] photo you can see one of the male's palps held out in front of its head. It will use each palp in turn to transfer sperm into the female’s epigyne. The male has even longer jaws than the female and has a number of robust “spines” that will allow him to lock the female’s jaws open so that she won’t bite him". My lips are sealed. Better photos on a French web site of these 'accouplement' Here.
- On 13th June I showed what might have been a spider with an egg sac. It was. A Pardosa species of Wolf Spider – probably P. saltans.
- On 21st June I showed a crab spider which I opined was a Philodromus sp. It was but the photo does not have enough detail to specifically ID it.
- On 25th June I showed a small black spider with red legs and postulated Walckenaeria acuminata. It is a Money Spider but again it needs a camera with better macro capabilities to get the fine detail to resolve it to species level. I could well have been correct but in France there are 31 species in the genus.
Noted later today: still mainly dull.
Moths:
- Timothy Tortrix (Zelotherses paleana) again
- Common Marble (Celypha lacunana) again
Bees/Wasps etc.:
- *Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- *Bramble Sawfly (Arge cyanocrocea)
- *Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- *Bramble Sawfly (Arge cyanocrocea)
Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Flies:
- *Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- *possible Phaonia pallida
Beetles:
- *two unidentified species
- *Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- *possible Phaonia pallida
Beetles:
- *two unidentified species
Bugs:
- *Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius)
- *Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius)
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *possible Shiny Glass Snail (Zonitoides nitidus)
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *possible Shiny Glass Snail (Zonitoides nitidus)
Amphibians:
- Common Frog (Rana temporaria)
- Common Frog (Rana temporaria)
Flowers noted in bloom for the first time in 2021
- *Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris)
- *Pineappleweed or Wild Chamomile (Matricaria discoidea)
- *Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris)
- *Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris)
- *Pineappleweed or Wild Chamomile (Matricaria discoidea)
- *Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris)
Looking a bit frayed around the edges but singing away is this male Reed Bunting.
The antennae are too long for a fly. This is a Bramble Sawfly (Arge cyanocrocea).
And another fly that is not just black and boring. It may be Phaonia pallida. If not it ought to be.
I think this may be a Shiny Glass Snail (Zonitoides nitidus). It looks rather splendid anyway.
A rather strange 'flower'. It is Pineappleweed or Wild Chamomile (Matricaria discoidea).
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash:
- The Chiffchaff sang initially alongside the lower pool. Perhaps the same just above the upper pool a few minutes later. It seemed to have moved across Priorslee Avenue later.
- *1 Riband Wave moth (Idaea aversata) on a lamp pole
On the roof of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- *1 Silver-ground Carpet moth (Xanthorhoe montanata)
- *1 male plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
- The Chiffchaff sang initially alongside the lower pool. Perhaps the same just above the upper pool a few minutes later. It seemed to have moved across Priorslee Avenue later.
- *1 Riband Wave moth (Idaea aversata) on a lamp pole
On the roof of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- *1 Silver-ground Carpet moth (Xanthorhoe montanata)
- *1 male plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
This is a Riband Wave moth (Idaea aversata), This specimen of a very common moth is of what seems to be the less common form locally which has a solid band across the wing. The form remutata shows only the outline cross-lines. I nearly overlooked this. The lamp pole has a blemish on it which is moth-shaped and has frequently caught me out. I have never previously seen a moth on it - it is one of the more exposed lamps in the area.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 05:35 – 06:20
(118th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- 'Best effort' counting the geese as they were jumping on and off the grass and roadway and generally moving about. Certainly more Greylag Geese today – seems these are not flightless at the moment.
- A single duckling seen with a duck Mallard.
- Stock Doves calling from two different locations.
- A juvenile Coot calling alongside Derwent Drive; the well-grown juvenile by the nest next one of the bridges as usual.
- A Jay seen flying over and then presumed the same calling from alongside squirrel alley was my first sighting for a while though they have been calling from the top end on occasions.
Birds noted flying over here:
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 05:35 – 06:20
(118th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- 'Best effort' counting the geese as they were jumping on and off the grass and roadway and generally moving about. Certainly more Greylag Geese today – seems these are not flightless at the moment.
- A single duckling seen with a duck Mallard.
- Stock Doves calling from two different locations.
- A juvenile Coot calling alongside Derwent Drive; the well-grown juvenile by the nest next one of the bridges as usual.
- A Jay seen flying over and then presumed the same calling from alongside squirrel alley was my first sighting for a while though they have been calling from the top end on occasions.
Birds noted flying over here:
None
Hirundines etc., noted:
None
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap only
On /around the water:
- 127 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 41 Greylag Geese
- [Greylag x Canada Goose not located]
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 33 (23♂) + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 20 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 2 juvenile Coots: see notes
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Also noted:
- *1 Small Fan-footed Wave moth (Idaea biselata) on a street lamp pole
- *1 Silver-ground Carpet moth (Xanthorhoe montanata) on the pole.
- 1 plumed midge on another street lamp pole
- *A St John's Wort (Hypericum sp.) in squirrel alley. Not sure which species though.
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap only
On /around the water:
- 127 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 41 Greylag Geese
- [Greylag x Canada Goose not located]
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 33 (23♂) + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 20 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 2 juvenile Coots: see notes
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Also noted:
- *1 Small Fan-footed Wave moth (Idaea biselata) on a street lamp pole
- *1 Silver-ground Carpet moth (Xanthorhoe montanata) on the pole.
- 1 plumed midge on another street lamp pole
- *A St John's Wort (Hypericum sp.) in squirrel alley. Not sure which species though.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2020
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
(Ed Wilson)
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sighting 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)