31 Aug 23

Priorslee Lake

10.0°C > 12.0°C: Clear to the far East. Increasing cloud from the West. Light drizzle after 06:15. Almost calm. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:18 BST

+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 07:25

(177th visit of the year)

An abbreviated visit ahead of other commitments for the day.

Best bird today was a Little Egret that I flushed off the North Shore. It was not present earlier and I had not seen it arrive.

Bird notes:
- I assume that with the bright super blue moon last evening the geese were able to spend the night feeding in the fields and this is why I did not see any flying outbound.
- Just an adult Great Crested Grebe was seen and no begging juvenile was heard. I forgot to mention yesterday that the adult and the begging juvenile were seen early. Later there was a brief skirmish after which one bird was seen in flight while an adult was noted on the water. I could positively age the flying bird: my impression was of an adult. A begging juvenile was heard only later. This was not in the area occupied by the adult.

Counts of birds noted flying over here:
- no geese
- 1 (?♂) Mallard
- 55 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 unidentified large gulls

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 13 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (0) Reed Warblers
- 6 (0) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:
None

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 4 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 81 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe: adult only
- 118 Black-headed Gulls: these all on the football field c.06:30; 13 at the lake later
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults, one of which was on the football field c.06:30
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
- *1 Little Egret: briefly

On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- 1 Common Roller (Ancylis badiana)
- 2 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- *1 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)
- +*1 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)

Other things
- 1 Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- 1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)

Noted around the sailing club HQ.
- 4 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)

Noted in the sailing club shelter.
- *1 Grouse Wing caddis fly (Mystacides longicornis)
- +*1 Walnut Orb Weaver spider (Nuctenea umbratica)
- many Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)

Noted later: very little before I left

Beetles:
- adult and larva of Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

The clear skies rapidly disappearing to the East as the red dawn suggests that rain is on the way.

Another 'winner'! A record shot of the Little Egret flying off!

Another Snout moth (Hypena proboscidalis). This is from the second brood which is smaller and more strongly-marked that the brood that flies in May and June. I assume this is due to the difference in food plants utilised by the caterpillars.

My first Square-spot Rustic moth (Xestia xanthographa) of the year. The second commonest macro moth currently flying according to the West Midlands Moths web site here. [Snout is rated the 30th]

A Grouse Wing caddis fly (Mystacides longicornis) in the sailing club shelter.

Also a first for me here this year: a Walnut Orb Weaver spider (Nuctenea umbratica) also in the sailing club shelter.

(Ed Wilson)

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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- none

Other things
- 56(1!) White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- several unidentified spiders

(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
Possible Little Ringed Plover
Raven
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Nedge Hill
Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Little Grebe
Shoveler
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
58 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

30 Aug 23

No sightings in so far today

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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

2012
Priorslee Lake
Black Tern
(Arthur Harper)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

29 Aug 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

13.0°C > 16.0°C: Mostly medium-level cloud. Light west-north-west breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:15 BST

+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today

Highlight today was Common Tern(s) seen at both the Balancing Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:25 – 06:40 // 08:05 – 09:35

(176th visit of the year)

I did not see the Common Tern here: it was reported by a reliable observer and likely to have been the adult I glimpsed at The Flash.

Bird notes:
- A Collared Dove flew in to the trees of the Ricoh copse. I usually see this species on roof-tops not lurking inside woods.
- There was no early arrival of Lesser Black-backed Gulls: the single bird present when I arrived departed to join the 26 flying over, some of which circled reasonably low before carrying on.
- By 08:15 at least 175 Lesser Black-backed Gulls had arrived while I was away at The Flash. There were just two Herring Gulls amongst them. Most left when a noisy car back-fired. Another group of 15 arrived later.

Counts of birds noted flying over here:
- 52 Canada Geese: 26 outbound in two groups; 26 inbound in three groups
- 23 Greylag Geese: 16 outbound in three groups; seven inbound in three groups
- 5 Feral Pigeons: singles and quartet
- 127 Wood Pigeons
- 16 Black-headed Gulls
- 52 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 8 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (0) Reed Warblers
- 4 (0) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:
- House Martins heard only again

Counts from the lake area:
- 28 Canada Geese: arrived together
- 1 Greylag Goose: flew in with Canadas
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (?♂) Mallard
- 6 Moorhens
- 90 Coots
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes: but see notes
- 133 Black-headed Gulls: on the football field at 06:30; just eight at the lake later
- *2 Herring Gulls: one third year and one juvenile / first winter
- *>190 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes

On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- 3 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- *1 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)

Other things
- *1 unidentified beetle sp.
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 2 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestman
- 1 Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum harvestman

Noted around the sailing club HQ.
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)

Noted in the sailing club shelter.
- *1 caddis fly Molanna angustata
- many Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)

Noted later: very little in cloudy conditions

Butterflies:
- none

Moths:
- none

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies:
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)

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

Other flies:
- greenbottles
- Tipula cranefly

Beetles:
- adult and larva of Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Bugs:
- none

Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

Just a small part of the c.175 large gulls present c.08:30. Behind the adult Lesser Black-backed Gull in the lower centre is a paler-backed Herring Gull. It looks like an adult but....

...in flight a small amount of dark can be seen on the tail and the black on the leading edge of the wing is too extensive. I suspect a third (or even a fourth) summer bird.

A car back-fired and off they went. All Lesser Black-backed Gulls of various ages.

A very typical juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull.

A very worn (near?) adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. One leg seems to be broken or deformed and this bird may be having trouble feeding and be in poor condition.

 A Snout moth (Hypena proboscidalis).

Well the head of this male Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) is in focus.

 An unidentified beetle sp.

In the sailing club shelter I found this caddis fly Molanna angustata.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:45 – 08:00

(162nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- For some reason many Mallard appeared today including one duck with four small ducklings.
- A party of four Barn Swallows appeared briefly with the House Martins.
- *Juvenile Bullfinches seen

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 3 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcap

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 4 Barn Swallows
- c.10 House Martins

Noted on / around the water: number affected by distraction of the Common Tern
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 31 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- *43 (>?♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- *26 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Common Terns: adult briefly; juvenile for a longer period
- *2 Cormorants: one of these arrived
- 2 Grey Herons

Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:

Moths:
- none

Other things
- 1 Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- 3 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestmen

Elsewhere around The Flash:
Nothing of note

A quartet of Tufted Ducks fly by. They are hard to sex at this time of year, especially any juveniles. I think one, two and four are drake and the third is a duck: she looks browner.

Two more Tufties. I think a duck leading a drake.

A juvenile / first-winter Black-headed Gull. This individual shows the strongest brown juvenile markings I have seen this year.

Certainly two Common Terns when I first saw them.

This one with a black cap and black-tipped orangy bill is obviously an adult. I did not see it again and it was probably the bird seen at the lake some minutes later by one of my regular informants.

This juvenile Common Tern does not have a complete black cap, has an almost all-dark bill and dark along the leading edge of the wings.

Another view as it looks for fish. Here it is apparent the base of the bill is orange.

I don't see this species, especially juveniles, too often so no apologies for another view.

The tern has caught a fish: the juvenile / first-winter Black-headed Gull wants to steal it.

No a brilliant photo but unusual behaviour. Here the tern is just emerging from the water having had a wash. Usually terns spend all their while in flight other than when they perch on buoys to rest.

An adult Cormorant arriving.

Juvenile Bullfinches look rather odd with their brown breast and no black on the head.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash on / around street lamp poles:

Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)

Also
- *1 ant myrmica sp.
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestman
- 1 Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum harvestman

I found this rather large specimen of ant on one of the street lamp poles: myrmica sp. is the best I can do.

(Ed Wilson)

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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- *1 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)
- *1 Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata)
- *1 Silver Y (Autographa gamma)

Other things
- 2 caddisflies
- 13 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- four unidentified spiders

A Green Carpet moth (Colostygia pectinataria)

A Flame Carpet moth (Xanthorhoe designata)

Perhaps the same Silver Y moth as seen here on Monday (Autographa gamma). It was in a slightly different position.

(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
Whinchat
(John Isherwood)

2011
Nedge Hill
Peregrine
(John Isherwood)

28 Aug 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

12.0°C > 14.0°C: Another winning weather forecast: not. Started with low overcast and drizzly rain. Lifted and cleared c.08:30 only to cloud up again after 08:00 with more showers threatening. Moderate west-north-west breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:13 BST

+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today

Note morning lift from the Telford Balloon Festival: cloud too low; wind too strong

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 07:30 // 08:30 – 10:10

(174th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- One adult with a begging well-grown juvenile Great Crested Grebes again. Where is the other parent? Could it be sitting on eggs of a second brood.
- By 07:00 there were no Black-headed Gulls (or anything else) on the football field. The question arises: what do they find to eat first thing?
- Unlike yesterday there was no early arrivals of a significant number of Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Counts of birds noted flying over here:
- 15 Canada Geese: outbound as five small groups
- 1 (?♂) Mallard
- 2 Feral Pigeons: singles
- 211 Wood Pigeons
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: most adults but not all ages determined
- 4 Jackdaws
- 4 Pied Wagtails

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 12 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (0) Reed Warblers
- 3 (0) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:
- House Martins heard only

Counts from the lake area:
- 25 Canada Geese: arrived together
- 1 Greylag Goose: flew in with Canadas
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 8 (?♂) Mallard
- 6 Moorhens
- 88 Coots
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls: two juveniles / first winters
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: four adults; two juveniles / first winters

On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- *1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- +*1 Narrow-winged Grey (Eudonia angustea)
- +*1 Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata)
- +*1 possible Small Square Spot (Diarsia rubi)

Other things
- *1 midge sp.
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- *2 Common Candy-striped Spiders (Enoplognatha ovata)
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestman
- 1 Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum harvestman
- *1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman: not first of year but first of Autumn

Around the sailing club HQ on in their shelter pre-dawn:
Nothing noted

Noted later:

Butterflies:
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Moths:
- none

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies:
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- *Orange-belted Leafwalker (Xylota segnis)

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

Other flies:
- greenbottles
- *'long-legged fly', perhaps Dolichopus festivus
- several unidentified species
- *perhaps a Grouse Wing caddis fly (Mystacides longicornis)

Beetles:
- adult and larva of Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Bugs:
- Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
- *a tiny plant bug

Also
- *stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *fruits of Lords & Ladies / Cuckoo Pint (Arum maculatum)

A Common Grass-veneer moth (Agriphila tristella). For some reason my current camera does not render the iris blue.

This moth is a Narrow-winged Grey (Eudonia angustea). An unidentified midge is crashing the photo.

A Flame Carpet moth (Xanthorhoe designata) on a street lamp pole pre-dawn.

I cannot positively identify this dew-covered moth but my best suggestion from the moths currently flying is Small Square Spot (Diarsia rubi).

I found just one Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum): this immature female.

 I do not often see this species of hoverfly. It is an Orange-belted Leafwalker (Xylota segnis).

A caddis fly. I suspect it is a rather battered Grouse Wing caddis fly (Mystacides longicornis) as I am unaware of any other caddis flies with such strong markings on the wings. The antennae look rather short: broken? Strangely only the right antennae looks banded.

A 'long-legged fly', perhaps Dolichopus festivus.

A tiny plant bug that I hope to get identified by the Shropshire Recorder. My fingers on the right give some idea of scale.

My clearest photo of what is probably a Common Candy-striped Spider (Enoplognatha ovata). There are similar species which cannot be separated from photos, though these are less likely.

And here is its, perhaps, partner. Not all individuals of these species have the 'candy stripes'.

I noted several stretch spiders Tetragnatha sp. today. These were abundant in late Winter and Spring and unseen by me until today. I guess these are a new brood I will see through the Winter.

Here is another in its web.

This is a Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman: not my first of year but my first this Autumn. Look closely and at the top of the photo is a tiny springtail of the Pogonognathellus longicornis-type.

 I noted the fruits of Lords & Ladies / Cuckoo Pint (Arum maculatum) for the first time this year. Don't even think about eating them!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:35 – 08:25

(161st visit of the year)

Bird notes:

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 5 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap

Hirundines etc., noted:
- c.15 House Martins

Noted on / around the water
- >29 Canada Geese: all but one arrived
- >69 Greylag Geese: all but one arrived
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 9 (?♂) Mallard only again
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 51 (>12♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 51 Coots: the geese were in the way when I tried to count them
- *3 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Black-headed Gulls: two juveniles / first winters
- 2 Cormorants: one of these arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:

Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-veneers (Agriphila tristella)
- *1 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer (Agriphila geniculea)

Other things
- adult and larva of Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- 3 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestmen

Elsewhere around The Flash:
Nothing of note

The Flame Carpet moth at the lake was taken by camera flash pre-dawn. This one was taken by natural light.

A rather contrasting shot of the two stripey-headed juvenile Great Crested Grebes with one of their parents. Today was the first time I have seen them leave the safety of the island's environs.

I was unable to get a 'side-on' photo of this moth. Nevertheless the markings can be seen well-enough to identify it as an Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer (Agriphila geniculea)

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash on / around street lamp poles:

Moths:
- *1 micro-moth, very provisionally perhaps a Hawthorn Midget (Phyllonorycter corylifoliella)
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- *1 Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata)

Also
- larva of Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- *planthopper
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestman

A tiny micro-moth, which I have very provisionally identified as a Hawthorn Midget (Phyllonorycter corylifoliella).

A planthopper. Many species look like this: green with no obvious markings.

(Ed Wilson)

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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- *1 Silver Y (Autographa gamma)

Other things
- 34 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 3 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- three unidentified spiders

On the ceiling of the tunnel I found this Silver Y moth (Autographa gamma). It makes a change from futile attempts to photograph them as they hide in long grass.

(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 Teal
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Turtle Dove
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Pair Ruddy Duck
(Malcolm Thompson)
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