17 Sep 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 10.0°C: Clear start with patchy cloud later. Light NW breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:46 BST

* = a photo from today

Priorslee Lake: 05:30 – 08:45

(199th visit of the year)

Highlight today was two Eurasian Wigeon amongst the Coots in the north-east area. One was certainly a drake: I was less sure about the other; I think a first year drake. This is a species I failed to see on what was a disappointing Spring movement of ducks through the area. They are bird species #95 for me here in 2022.

Other bird notes:
- Two of the outbound Jackdaws were separately buried within groups of Rooks.
- One Barn Swallow flew low West over the lake at 06:50; another lone bird flew West over the football field 08:40. [there are still birds around the breeding sites in rural Shropshire].

Birds noted flying over here:
- 12 Canada Geese: two sextets outbound
- 10 Feral Pigeons: single, duo and septet
- 4 Stock Doves: two duos
- 52 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Collared Doves: single and two duos
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 22 unidentified large gulls
- 7 Jackdaws
- 71 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Meadow Pipit

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Barn Swallows

Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler in song at the West end
- 8 Chiffchaffs: two in song again
- no Blackcaps

Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: arrived
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (1) Gadwall
- *2 (2?♂) (Eurasian) Wigeon
- 10 (6♂) Mallard
- 12 Moorhens
- 159 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes again
- *10 + 10 (5 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- c.120 Black-headed Gulls: none seen on the football field
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Herons: arrived; not seen later

Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
Still none

but
- *several small midges / flies
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman

Noted later in the cloudy conditions:
- *plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- Grey Squirrel
- *a groups of fungus

Just about half Moon then. It is the Moon that is at an angle and not me. Honest.

A clear start today.

Just a few patches of cloud at this time.

 There was a brief period of colour.

A view 'the other way' as the cloud rolled in from the West soon to hide the sun.

The two Eurasian Wigeon (at some distance). The left hand bird is clearly a drake. With a dark-tipped grey bill I think the right hand bird is a first winter drake coming in to breeding plumage and also too orange-toned for a duck. My first of this species here this year and unusually I did not hear them call.

A keen-looking juvenile Great Crested Grebe.

An unusual day-time view of a male plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus). I found this on the sluice exit control box. The feathered antennae appear more 'solid' here than when taken with the camera flash in the dark.

I have shown this orange-bodied fly with dark wing tips previously. Doing some more hunting on the internet it looks somewhat like a fruit fly in the Tephritidae family and specifically Xyphosia miliaria. However that species has dark markings in other areas of the wings apart from the tips. I cannot find a better match.

I am now (more) confused. This snipe fly-type does seem to show banding though I cannot work out whether the wings are banded or whether the wings are clear and the abdomen is banded.

A rather better view of one of the midges with long legs. Previously I have been under the impression that it is only the front legs that are 'long'. This one seems to suggest that when held at certain angles all the legs are long. Another species with a banded abdomen.

I have not had time to research this fungus growing on one the felled decayed trees along the North side.

I should have done some 'gardening' to move the intrusive dead leaf.

Plane of the day. Would you believe Delta Air Lines? I think I may done this one before. A 2020-build Airbus A330 900 series en route from Salt Lake City to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport. Both Ryanair and British Airways have a livery with a blue belly but both of these have the blue extending from front to back. Neither of these companies show a Billboard name on the belly though only the newest of Delta Air Lines fleet have this feature.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 08:50 – 09:40

(195th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The Cormorant seen may have been leaving but was perhaps rather too high so I have recorded it as an overflight. None seen on he water or on the island: too many fishermen?
- A party of c.25 Linnets flew in to trees at the top end. They departed before I could organise the camera.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Cormorant
- 5 Jackdaws

Warblers noted:
None

Noted on / around the water
- 54 Canada Geese: 19 of these arrived in three groups
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 21 (13♂) Mallard
- 10 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 15 Moorhens
- 28 Coots again
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- no Cormorants
- no Grey Heron

Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- 1 owl midge Psychodidae sp.

Noted later:
- *Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner moth (Cameraria ohridella)
- Grey Squirrel
- Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

Can you have too many photos of Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner moths (Cameraria ohridella)? One day one will stand still and I'll get a really sharp photo.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

- 2 owl midges Psychodidae sp.
- 13 other midges of various sizes again
- 3 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum harvestman

(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

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Ravens
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
6 Raven
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Snipe
3 Common Sandpipers
149 Greenfinch roost
89 Pied Wagtails
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Pintail
(Ed Wilson)