28 Sep 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 12.0°C: Broken cloud at multiple levels with light rain c.08:10 and again after 09:30. Moderate S wind increasing somewhat. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:05 BST

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:30 – 09:10

(214th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- All the recent fly-over Collared Doves seem to be commuting between Stafford Park and the Priorslee Estate.
- Two Barn Swallows flew SE 08:50.
- The fly-over Mistle Thrush was unusual since at this time of the year they often gather in quite large groups in open country – as many as 30 together is not uncommon.

Overhead:
- 2 Canada Geese: inbound at 07:05
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 2 Stock Doves: singles
- 286 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Collared Doves: singles
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.15 large gulls
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 81 Jackdaws
- 174 Rooks
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 4 Starlings: together
- 1 Mistle Thrush
- 6 Pied Wagtails again
- >44 Meadow Pipits
- 1 Linnet

Warblers noted:
- 4 Chiffchaffs: no song

Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 5 (3♂) Mallard only
- 7 Moorhens
- 59 Coots
- 7 Great Crested Grebes: all adults
- c.350 Black-headed Gulls
- 9 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- *42 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.75 'large gulls'
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- no Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata)

Other things:
- 1 cranefly sp.
- *1 sawfly larvae
- *1 Tephritid or Fruit fly Anomoia purmunda
- *1 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina): winter colours
- 1 Common or European Earwig (Forficula dentata)
- 1 Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus)
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- *2 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen
- *3 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestmen

Otherwise noted: no insects in the rain.
- 1 Grey Squirrel
I again failed to find any bats – seems rather early in the Autumn for them to disappear?

Although it was mainly cloudy(and rained later) there was some colour in the sunrise.

Just as the sun rose and almost immediately disappeared for the rest of the morning.

A first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull showing how it is possible to walk on water.

Here we go...

A three-point landing.

Unusual plumage on this immature Lesser Black-backed Gull. First and second-winter birds show an all-dark tail band. Normally third winter birds show faint dark marks on the central tail feathers. This looks to be a third-winter bird with second-year outer tail-feathers yet to be replaced.

Yes: I know its not sharp (but then neither is the bird). This adult Lesser Black-backed Gull is really scruffy as it moults. The tail is a mess. Only the three old outer-primaries remain with the inner primaries clearly regrowing. And some of the greater coverts are missing showing the pale bases to the inner secondaries.

Very much a moth of Autumn this is a Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata), covered in dew. The adult moth feeds on over-ripe berries and Ivy blossom. I last recorded this moth in both 2016 and 2017.

I see many small flies on and around the lamp poles pre-dawn. As I have no way of identifying most of them I tend to ignore them. This however showed distinctive markings on the wings. I think it is the Tephritid or Fruit fly Anomoia purmunda.

I am almost certain this is a sawfly larvae but I have no idea which species.

I can't find any reason to think this is anything other than a Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) in its brown winter colours. It seemed somewhat small and I saw a still green summer individual only three days ago. No other species seems to match the shape.

Compare and contrast time: two species of harvestman. At the top a Paroligolophus agrestis with the rather short legs thicker toward the base. Below it a Dicranopalpus sp. with the long, forked pedipalps.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Moths:

None

With:
- 1 cranefly, possibly Tipula fulvipennis
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- no Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus)
- 1 Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- plus various midges and the usual other unidentified spiders

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 09:55

(194th visit of the year)

*Not much to note other than the unveiling of 'Percy the Priorslee Snake' now preserved for posterity (see pics).

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Feral Pigeons: together
- 4 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 4 Jackdaws: together

Warblers noted:

None

On /around the water:
- 76 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese again
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 44 (30♂) Mallard
- 17 (4+♂) Tufted Duck again
- 6 Moorhens
- 24 Coots again
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
- 1 Grey Heron again

On a different lamp pole:
- 1 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestman

Nothing noted elsewhere in light rain.

There was a late update to the identity of the mystery insect on a lamp pole yesterday morning. The original text suggested it might be a midge. Following a suggestion from Martin Adlam and after an email to the Shropshire Bug Recorder it was re-identified as a planthopper and most likely Agallia consobrina.

During lockdown #1 in Spring 2020 children from Priorslee painted stones and laid them on the grass round The Flash as 'Percy the Priorslee Snake" with "Thank You NHS" messages. Over time the painting faded and the line of stones was disrupted by walkers. Inspired by that action a team of locals, with planning permission from the local council, has produced a display of those stones and more.

The complete array of gaily-coloured stones, all lacquered to prevent fading and set in concrete. Good work guys.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Skylarks
3 Meadow Pipits
26 Pied Wagtails
7 Siskins
2 Redpolls
142 Greylag Geese
320 Canada Geese
Common Sandpiper
45 Robins
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Cormorant
A pair of Wigeon
220 Coots
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

2007
RAF Cosford
Juvenile Gannet flew over RAF Cosford at about 100ft
(Martin R Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
3 Redpoll
Siskin
5 Chiffchaffs
Blackcap
Kingfisher
Buzzard
2 Kestrel
Meadow Pipit
(Ed Wilson)