31 May 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

10.0°C:  Overcast. Moderate, chilly East wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise:  04:54 BST

* = a photo of this species taken today

Very quiet in the dull and chilly conditions.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:05 – 06:15 // 07:10 – 09:00

(114th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- A second and perhaps a third Sedge Warbler have (re)appeared. On 6 May, my first visit after my US trip, I noted a record four singing birds. Three of these went quiet within three days and I assumed they had moved on. The remained bird sang at the West end. It was unusually secretive, never sitting on the vegetation and moving between the centre of small trees. Over the last few days the song has become much more intermittent. This morning there was one singing somewhat intermittently along the South side and another very vocal bird was singing and performing display flights in the scrub in the south-east area, behind the sailing club's platforms. Are these the original birds that stopped singing to raise their first brood and are now between broods? Or new arrivals, perhaps having failed to breed elsewhere? I am not sure whether I heard the bird at the West end very first thing. I did not later.

Birds noted flying over here:

- 4 Canada Geese: outbound together

- 2 Wood Pigeons only

- 1 Herring Gull

- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

- 1 Jackdaw

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):

- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler

- 1 (1) Willow Warblers

- 13 (11) Chiffchaffs

- 2 (2) Sedge Warbler

- 9 (9) Reed Warblers

- 15 (12) Blackcaps

- 2 (1) Garden Warbler

- 1 (0) Common Whitethroat

Hirundines etc., noted:

- c.25 Swifts

- 8 Barn Swallows

- 4 House Martins

Counts from the lake area: it remains very quiet

- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans

- 4 (4♂) Mallard: also a pair on a roof in Teece Drive

- no Moorhens

- 21 + 6 (3 broods) Coots

- 7 Great Crested Grebes

- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: briefly

- 1 Grey Heron: departed

+ = my first sighting of this species this year.

++ =  new species for me.

On the street lamp poles at dawn:

Nothing noted

Noted later: chilly wind kept numbers low.

Butterflies:

-        none

Moths:

-        +Timothy Tortrix (Zelotherses paleana)

Bees / wasps etc.:

-        Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)

-        Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Dragon-/damsel-flies:

-        none: too cold / windy

Hoverflies:

-        none: too cold / windy

Other flies:

-        *+two species of midge

-        Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)

-        Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

Beetles:

-        Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

-        *presumed Raspberry Beetle (Byturus tomentosus)

-       *unidentified beetle sp.

Bugs:

-        *Common Green Capsid (Lygocoris pabulinus)

-        +* planthopper Eupteryx aurata

Also

-       White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

-        +*tiny snail, possibly Wrinkled Snail (Xeroplexa intersecta)

-        stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.

+Flowers first noted this year:

-        *Spindle-tree (Euonymus europaea)

-       *Common Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)

There are hundreds of these tiny insects around at present. I assume they are a species of midge. I cannot track down any identity.

Another midge. I have not seen one with banded legs previously. Again unidentified.

I was checking the beetle on the left-most buttercup to confirm it was what I have been calling Raspberry Beetles (Byturus tomentosus). Only when I looked at the photo did I notice the smaller, unidentified beetle in the right-most buttercup.

Probably an Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni) though not on an Alder leaf. It is the right size and shape for this species.

This is a Common Green Capsid (Lygocoris pabulinus). It is indeed a very 'common' plant bug.

This tiny planthopper is Eupteryx aurata sometime called the Potato Planthopper though it is found on a wide range of plants including, as here, nettles (Urtica sp.).

Q: What is this lurking in a buttercup?

A: A tiny snail. Possibly a Wrinkled Snail (Xeroplexa intersecta) which is less than half an inch across (10mm if you prefer: I don't).

The inconspicuous flowers of the Spindle-tree (Euonymus europaea).

A flower I seem to have overlooked for several days is this Common Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:20 – 07:05

(105th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- *Now only five Mute Swan cygnets.

- I have no idea why the number of Tufted Duck is so variable. Certainly some day I can see birds sitting inside the island. Perhaps there are sometimes more out of sight?

- Some juvenile Coots are now venturing away from their nest sites and it is becoming more difficult to ascribe them all to their 'home brood'.

- Seven House Martins appeared together briefly. A food-pass was notes suggesting the first brood is on the wing and being fed.

Birds noted flying over here:

None

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):

- 5 (3) Chiffchaffs

- 4 (3) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:

- 7 House Martins

Noted on / around the water

- 32 Canada Geese

- 2 Greylag Geese

- *3 + 5 Mute Swans

- 22 (20♂) Mallard

- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)

- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck

- 5 Moorhens

- 23+ 3 (? broods) Coots

- 3 Great Crested Grebes

- 1 Cormorant

On / around the street lamp poles:

Nothing noted

Noted elsewhere:

- Alder Leaf Beetles (Agelastica alni)

At The Flash the then five extant Mute Swan cygnets looking perky-enough.

Mr. House Sparrow looking very serious and intent on the business in hand.

(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

2007
Wrekin
3 Tree Pipit
2 Wood Warbler
1 Pied Flycatcher
2 Spotted Flycatcher
(Martin Adlam)

30 May 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 11.0°C: Mainly cloudy, the sun failing to make much headway in breaking the clouds. Moderate and chilly ENE wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:55 BST

* = a photo of this species today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:30 // 07:35 – 09:45

(113th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A pair of Tufted Ducks flew in from the West at 05:20. I assume these stayed throughout, hiding it the reeds at times.
- I mentioned a while ago that Wood Pigeons seemed reluctant to use the now fenced-off football field. There were about seven there this morning but it seems it is the availability of food and not the fence that is the problem. The other fenced area, apparently destined to become a five-a-side football pitch, has recently been somewhat levelled and vegetation removed from much of it. There were at least thirty Wood Pigeons feeding there, unconcerned about the fenced.
- Nine Great Crested Grebes was a surprise though as usual most of the time fewer were obvious.
- Two Grey Herons were seen flying high over the football field at c.06:15. It is possible that one was chasing the other off its territory though I had seen none during my earlier walk around the lake. Then c.08:30 one flew high East: there was one at the lake at this time.
- Very few Coots out and about. One of only three broods of juveniles I noted was a new brood of five.
- Only one of the long-term Willow Warblers was singing this morning. The Sedge Warbler was singing more intermittently than usual.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Greylag Geese: trio outbound; duo inbound
- 3 Stock Doves
- 5 Wood Pigeons only
- 2 Cormorants: singles
- 3 Grey Herons: see notes
- 1 Jackdaw
- 2 Rooks

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 1 (1) Willow Warblers only
- 8 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 10 (10) Reed Warblers
- 11 (11) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- 1 (0) Common Whitethroat

Hirundines etc., noted:
- >30 Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 4 House Martins

Counts from the lake area: it remains very quiet
- 2 Canada Geese: flew in c.09:30
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck: arrived
- 3 Moorhens
- 18 + 10 (3 broods) Coots
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Grey Heron

+ = my first sighting of this species this year.
++ = new species for me.

Noted on the street lamp poles at dawn:
- +*1 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)
- *plumed midge sp.
- +*mayfly sp.

Noted later: chilly wind kept numbers low.

Butterflies:
- none

Moths:
- +*Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)
- +*caterpillar thought to be of Drinker (Euthrix potatoria)

Bees / wasps etc.:
- *Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Dragon-/damsel-flies:

- none: too cold / windy

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Other flies:
- Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- *unidentified fly species!

Beetles:
- *Common [or Red-headed] Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis)

Bugs:
- Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)
- +*presumed nymph of a plant bug

Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *White Crab [or White Flower] Spider Misumena vatia
- *Zebra Spider (Salticus scenicus)
- stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
+Flowers first noted this year:
- *Common Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii)
- *possible Druce's Crane's-bill (Geranium endressii x versicolor)
- *Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
- *Snowberry (Symphoricarpos sp. probably S. albus)
- *White Clover (Trifolium repens)
- *Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus)

This pair of Tufted Duck flew in and then proceeded to confuse me by frequently hiding in the reeds only to reappear when I assumed they had gone.

An adult Long-tailed Tit. Compare the area around the eye with...

 ...this juvenile with the dark area extending under the eye.

A Common Marble moth (Celypha lacunana). As the name implies it is common and often flushed from vegetation during the day. Its small size means it is easy to overlook.

I think this caterpillar is of the moth known as Drinker (Euthrix potatoria) because its caterpillar is often seen drinking water droplets from leaves.

A smart moth on the street lamp poles at dawn. It is a White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda). Lurking behind it is a female midge. The banded abdomen suggest it is most likely the plumed midge Chironomus plumosus.

Not what I expected. I held the buttercup to photograph the resting Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum). When I looked at the photo I realised it probably was resting but dead. Dead at the claws of a White Crab [or White Flower] Spider Misumena vatia that had been lying in wait.

Also on one of the street lamp pole at dawn was this mayfly. I cannot be more specific though as it has two 'tails' that does limit the possibilities somewhat.

There has to be one unidentified fly each day.

I don't think I have seen so many Common [or Red-headed] Cardinal Beetles (Pyrochroa serraticornis) as I have this year.

Very smart but what is it? I assume it is a nymph of a plant bug. Beyond that I cannot go. Perhaps the white band across the antennae(?) provides a clue?

On the wall of the sailing club HQ was a jumping spider, most likely a Zebra Spider (Salticus scenicus).

The leaves on this orchid are spotted so I assume that makes it a Common Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii).

Only a possible identity of what is most likely a garden escape. It may be Druce's Crane's-bill (Geranium endressii x versicolor). I found this near where the Wesley Brook meets the sluices by the Teece Drive gate.

A few Ox-eye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) are beginning to appear. The spiral in what I think is the pappus (the yellow bit in the middle) is amazing.

The flowers of Snowberry (Symphoricarpos sp. probably S. albus). These were proving a magnet for bumblebees

My first White Clover (Trifolium repens) flowers of the year. As usual about three weeks after the first Red Clover (Trifolium pratense).

A flower of the Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus). The outer flowers are sterile, the inner florets are the fertile parts.

Plane(?) of the day. This is an Everett Gyroplane. Homebuilt in 1998 the design pre-dates modern and often enclosed gyrocopters. Its owner has a Wolverhampton address. I am not sure he flies it from.

Another plane of the day. This helicopter is a McDonnell Douglas MD-900 Explorer with its owner / operator hiding behind a trustee address in Wilmington, Delaware in the US. This helicopter is unusual in having no tail rotor. The tail rotor is used to stop the helicopter's tendency rotating around the main rotor. On this model there is a jet of air doing the same job. It was en route to Hawarden Airport near Chester.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:35 – 07:30

(104th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A Stock Dove was noted doing a display flight over the south-east wooded area.

Birds noted flying over here:
- *1 Common Buzzard

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

Hirundines etc., noted:
- >12 Swifts
- 1 House Martins

Noted on / around the water
- 22 Canada Geese
- *3 Greylag Geese: arrived together; two departed
- 3 + ? Mute Swans: cygnets being brooded
- 21 (20♂) Mallard
- [the all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck) not found again]
- 8 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 22+ 8 (4 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Cormorant

On / around the street lamp poles:

Nothing noted

Noted elsewhere:
- *possible Dock Aphids (Aphis rumicis)
- Alder Leaf Beetles (Agelastica alni)
- *Cucumber Green Orb Spider (Araniella cucurbitina)
- *unidentified mushroom / toadstool.

Two Greylag Geese fly in. The left wing of the nearer bird had ragged outer primary feathers. These look to be damaged rather than being moulted: wing moult starts with the inner primaries and outer secondaries.

Talking of ragged! What on earth...

Two Carrion Crows showing displeasure at the presence of a Common Buzzard.

You've said that before.

Where did you get those eyes? A scary-looking fly.

From a distance this cluster of aphids looked to be a single insect. Given the leaf is from a dock perhaps it is safe to assume these are Dock Aphids (Aphis rumicis). The lower one is the winged form.

This is a male Cucumber Green Orb Spider (Araniella cucurbitina). Females of the two species of Araniella are hard to distinguish but the male only of A. cucurbitina has the red spot on the underside tip of its abdomen. The red is often easy to see, as here. The spider spins its web across a leaf and then waits upside down for prey to walk on to the leaf.

I am no good at identifying mushrooms and toadstools. Looks good-enough to eat.

(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
Long Lane, Wellington
13 Ringed Plover
2 Dunlin
(JW Reeves)

29 May 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 12.0°C: Clear start: area of low cloud spread from East c.07:00: clear again by 07:30 then puffy clouds after 08:15. Moderate northerly wind making it feel distinctly chilly. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:56 BST

* = a photo of this species today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:35 // 07:40 – 09:30

(112th visit of the year)

Highlight this morning was a Hobby that flew fast and low carrying prey East at 06:10. It takes my 2023 bird species total for here to 91.

Other bird notes:
- No Common Whitethroats seen or heard.
- A Mistle Thrush was singing from the south-east wooded area at 06:20. What was surely a different bird was singing from the Ricoh copse alongside Teece Drive at 06:35

Birds noted flying over here:
- 10 Canada Geese: octet outbound; duo inbound
- 1 Stock Dove
- 6 Wood Pigeons only
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- *1 Sparrowhawk
- *1 Hobby
- 4 Jackdaws

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 11 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 9 (7) Reed Warblers
- 13 (11) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- no Common Whitethroats

Hirundines etc., noted:
- *>20 Swifts
- *3 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins

Counts from the lake area: it remains very quiet
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 Moorhen only
- 30 + 19 (7 broods) Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: briefly

+ = my first sighting of this species this year.
++ = new species for me.

Noted on the street lamp poles at dawn:
- ++*1 Seraphim (Lobophora halterata)

Noted later: chilly wind kept numbers low.

Butterflies:
- none

Moths:
- Plain Gold (Micropterix calthella)
- *Common Roller (Ancylis badiana)
- +*Small Purple & Gold (Pyrausta aurata)

Bees / wasps etc.:
- *Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)

Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- *Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- *Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)
- +*Common Twist-tail (Sphaerophoria scripta) [was Long Hoverfly]

Other flies:
- *Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- *several unidentified fly species!

Beetles:
- Raspberry Beetle (Byturus tomentosus)
- Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)

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

Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *Clubiona spider species
- stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.

Fighting Coots had disturbed the early calm waters. A brisk wind soon did the same.

A photo reveals something I can rarely see 'in the flesh': Swifts have white on their throats and part of the face.

Again here. Note too how deep the fork of the tail can be when the angle is right.

But never so forked as on a Barn Swallow!

 Bad photos of raptors this morning. A Sparrowhawk carrying prey.

Even worse: the rapidly departing Hobby! They are so fast that my the time I realised what it was, turned the camera on and zoomed in the bird was well away. I am amazed the camera managed to 'see' it at all.

Another Common Roller (Ancylis badiana) to compare with the one I photographed yesterday.

A Small Purple & Gold moth (Pyrausta aurata). I see this species most years, always in the same general area along the south-side close to the water. The caterpillars feed on various species of mint which I have always found to be more prevalent along the north-side.

I found this moth at the top of one of the street lamp poles around dawn. It had gone later. It is my first-ever Seraphim (Lobophora halterata) in Shropshire.

Splott! An Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) dives in to its food. This is a male.

And a different individual. The red tail is not apparent from this angle, but...

 ..a slight change of angle reveals that tail.

A close-up of a male Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) showing how hairy they are. I did not notice any Azure Damselflies (Coenagrion puella) today but there were many hundreds of damselflies that I did not specifically identify.

Despite looking somewhat tapered from this angle this is a Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) because the hind leg is all dark and the tibia swollen. Also it has faint lines down the thorax that Tapered Dronefly (E. pertinax) never shows.

This is my first Common Twist-tail hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta) this year. This species was called Long Hoverfly. This is a female – the males are 'longer'. Note the size – it is sitting across a blade of grass.

I am going to have to do some more research on this. I am sure it is a hoverfly but I cannot say what species. Note how the rear legs are being used to clean its wings.

A better photos of a Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus) than the one I took at The Flash yesterday. This is now a very common species. Note the tapering abdomen, the dark mark in the wing and the very obvious halteres.

A great-looking fly, whatever it is!

And a different fly with its tongue out.

I found this Clubiona spider on the wall of the sailing club HQ.

Another find on a street lamp poles around dawn was this critter. I have no idea! Long antennae and no obvious wings.

Several of the Hawthorns (Crataegus monogyna) have slightly pink-tinged flowers.

Also pink-tinged was this Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) though these seem to be the unopened umbels only. This umbellifer can be recognised by the large petals on the outside of the umbels.

Plane of the day. An ASL Airlines Belgium Boeing 747 Jumbo freighter

Here is the FlightRadar24 data. Liege is a major freight airport with no night-time curfew. The Boeing customer code '09' indicates this aircraft was delivered new to China Airlines of Taiwan and the aircraft is leased from them. The registration (or what the US calls the tail number) starts OE- which means the aircraft is registered in Austria even though it has a Belgian operator. The airline was formerly known as TNT Airlines which only partly explains why the flight code remained TAY!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:40 – 07:35

(103rd visit of the year)

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Collared Dove: apparently not one of the regular singing local birds
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Starling

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 7 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:
- c.15 Swifts: hard to count!
- 3 House Martins

Noted on / around the water
- 25 Canada Geese
- 10 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 7 Mute Swans
- 22 (19♂) Mallard
- [the all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck) not found]
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 23+ 5 (3 broods) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes

On / around the street lamp poles:

Nothing noted

Noted elsewhere:
- Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- Alder Leaf Beetles (Agelastica alni)

The Wren is still here but not singing for me!

(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
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)