28 Jul 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

15.0°C: Mostly cloudy again with occasional slight rain showers. Light SW winds. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:22 BST

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 05:40 // 06:45 – 09:10

(160th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I did not get close-enough to most of the Mallard to sex / age them. With 13 seen then it is possible the two ducklings were part of the total, now indistinguishable in size from adults.
- In addition to the 78 Wood Pigeons logged as flying over at least 70 more were put up from fields to the far NE.
- One of the recent broods of Coots has three juveniles: by the time these juveniles were beginning to lose their nasty red head one of them (presumably the same one) was always paddling off on its own and well away from its parents and siblings. Its siblings are still being fed by the adults: the adventurous juvenile seems none the worse for looking after itself.
- I can confirm that the second pair of Great Crested Grebes have at least one juvenile.
- Another Peregrine sighting: one overhead at 07:50.
- I note that at Belvide Reservoir, 12 miles to the E, the West Midlands Bird Club (WMBC) has commenced ringing birds as the autumn passage of warblers through that site has begun. I am sure some of our Blackcaps have started to move out. Two different groups of juvenile Common Whitethroats were almost certainly birds born here: and the two Sedge Warblers were likely also 'our' birds.

Overhead:
- >49 Canada Geese: 41 outbound in seven groups; eight inbound together; more heard
- >31 Greylag Geese; 29 outbound in three groups; duo outbound; more heard
- 2 Feral Pigeons: together
- 1 Stock Dove
- 78 Wood Pigeons: see notes
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Peregrine
- no Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 3 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 4 House Martins

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 7 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Sedge Warblers
- 5 (1) Reed Warblers
- 2 (0) Blackcaps only
- *6 (0) Common Whitethroats

Count from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 13 (?♂) Mallard: see notes
- 3 Moorhens still
- 41 + 9 (6 broods) Coots
- 7 + 3? (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 61 Black-headed Gulls: 3 juveniles
- *1 Cormorant: arrived and later departed
- 1 Grey Heron: departed

On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 Orange Crest (Helcystogramma rufescens)
- 1 Pale Straw Pearl (Udea lutealis)
- *1 Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla)
- *1 Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria)
- *1 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)

and
- *1 Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax): trussed up in web
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)

In the sailing club shelter pre-dawn:

Spiders:
- >3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 unidentified spider
- *1 Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestman

Other things seen later again in dull conditions:

Moths:
- Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- *unidentified larva

Bees / Wasps:
- Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)

Beetles:
- *Rough-haired Lagria Beetle (Lagria hirta)

Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

An adult Cormorant dropped in for some fish. A full adult and rather surprisingly still with the bare skin below the bill with the orange tone that indicates a breeding condition bird.

The second pair of Great Crested Grebes to produce young were still at extreme range. Just a single juvenile is visible on the parents back but other(s) could yet be hiding under the fluffed up back feathers.

Just silhouette shots of the Peregrine I am afraid. Here manoeuvring with tail spread. Note the chunky body and the broad wings.

Looking a lot more like a falcon is supposed to look here as it heads away. Lone birds not always easy to sex: I think a larger, thicker-set female.

A juvenile Common Whitethroat surveys the big wide world. Needs to get used to it as it will be off to sub-Saharan Africa.

It wants feeding! Not quite sure what the camera focussed on here as none of the twigs is in focus either.

This moth was new for me last year on 13th July: here we are again. An Orange Crest (Helcystogramma rufescens). The orange palps are held curving over the head, both of which contrast with the more rufous back. The long antennae are often held over the back: not here, probably because I had just flushed the moth out in to the open. Although I have a couple of moths for which I awaiting confirmation as to species this should be moth #78 here this year.

Hard to get the exposure and colour balance right when using an LED torch on a small subject – as here: a Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella). It is the angled-line cross-line close to the wing-tip that separates this rather plain moth from other grass moths. That line is just about visible.

No angled line on this grass moth's wings, just a white streak splitting in to 'fingers'. A Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella).

Also with a slight cast is this Common Plume moth (Emmelina monodactyla). Identified by not being a White Plume – which is shining white – and not having any conspicuous markings that distinguish other 'plumes' apart from the much smaller Hemp-agrimony Plume.

The best example to date of a Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria). The 'points' of the swallow-tail usually quickly break off and the dark brown spots at the base of the tail cannot always be seen.

Also the best example to date of a Snout moth (Hypena proboscidalis).

A larva of I know not what. Note the pairs of small white hairs on the otherwise all-black body. I was intrigued by the orangey marking until I looked more closely and it became obvious it was detritus. Here it is walking on a blade of grass. You get to see part of one of my fingers: I avoided including any embarrassing dirty finger nails.

Another insect feeding on the nectar of Knapweed flowers. It is a Rough-haired Lagria Beetle (Lagria hirta).

Spider 1 Common Drone-fly 0. The hoverfly seemed to still be alive at 04:20 which is strange as I am not aware that they fly at night. Could it have been struggling since yesterday?

 Two more for the spider man when he returns. Spider #1 with its shadow.

And upside-down spider #2 showing its two rows of eyes. This may be the underside of a Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius).

My initial thought here was a pair of harvestmen mating- the torchlight made it difficult to tell how many legs there were. The photo clearly shows only eight so it is just one Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestman. With a black saddle it is a female. But what is she doing?

Well I am not sure. I assume she has prey? Even increasing the light on the picture does not really help identify what is in her jaws.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

Nothing of note

(Ed Wilson)

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On the roof of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel

- 1 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- *1 Many-plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla)

Spiders

Not recorded

Today I managed to get a photo of the Many-plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla) that is more or less in focus. It is also known as Twenty-plume Moth. Quite why the scientific name is 'hexadactyla' which might imply 'six' of something is unclear. The same scientific moniker is applied to an Indian Five-fingered Frog and to the Northern Mole Cricket of North America which seems not to have six of anything apart from legs, as do all insects.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 05:45 – 06:40

(145th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- All four Tufted Ducklings present and correct.
- Two Grey Herons present until one spotted the other when, after a skirmish, both departed.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 13 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 7 House Martins: flew SW; included at least one juvenile heard calling

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 1 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap very briefly heard

On /around the water:
- 60 Canada Geese: 11 of these departed
- 15 Greylag Geese
- no Greylag x Canada Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 40 (?♂) Mallard
- 33 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Tufted Duck
- 5 + 4 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 9 juvenile Coots (6 broods)
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- no Black-headed Gulls: strangely
- 2 Grey Herons

On various lamp poles:
- 1 Grouse Wing (Mystacides longicornis) [caddis fly]
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus agg. [harvestmen]

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2020

Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017

Priorslee Lake

Today's Report Here

2012

Priorslee Lake

Grasshopper Warbler

(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill

17 Mistle Thrush including several juveniles 

(John Isherwood)

2006

Priorslee Lake

2 Common Terns

(Ed Wilson)