11.0°C > 14.0°C: Mostly cloudy at low level early. A very few brighter intervals later. Moderate south-easterly breeze. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:16 BST
* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:20 // 07:15 – 09:35
* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:20 // 07:15 – 09:35
(105th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the resident Canada Geese still have six goslings.
- the resident Greylag Geese now have only two goslings.
- two pairs of Tufted Duck present at 05:15 but apparently gone by 05:45. But were they just hiding as two pairs were present again at 08:00. One duck flew off West c.08:25.
- no Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroats or Common Whitethroat seen or heard.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 3 Canada Geese: a pair outbound; a single inbound
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
- c.15 Swifts
- 4 Barn Swallows
- 6, at least, House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 13 (12) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (6) Reed Warblers
- 16 (14) Blackcaps
'nominal' warbler:
- 3 (3) Goldcrests
Counts from the lake area:
Low numbers of some species likely due to the rather brisk wind blowing across the water.
- 4 + 6 (1 brood) Canada Geese: one additional pair flew in and stayed
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 4 (2) Tufted Duck
- 1 Moorhen
- 16 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Seen on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
- 1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris-type
Noted later:
Moths:
- leaf mines possibly of Mottled Grey Tortrix Gypsonoma oppressana
- leaf mines possibly of Mottled Grey Tortrix Gypsonoma oppressana
Hoverflies:
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Other flies:
- Long-legged fly from the Dolichopodidae family: perhaps Argyra diaphana or similar
- Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
- Long-legged fly from the Dolichopodidae family: perhaps Argyra diaphana or similar
- Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
Bugs:
- Red-and-Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata
- Red-and-Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata
Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- leaf beetle Donacia sp., perhaps D. marginata
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- leaf beetle Donacia sp., perhaps D. marginata
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
Molluscs:
- unidentified slug
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
- unidentified slug
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
Spiders:
- Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Flowers photographed:
- Charlock Sinapis arvensis
- Charlock Sinapis arvensis
The sun about to loose its battle with the dawn low cloud.
I think this a leaf-mine made by the larva of a Mottled Grey Tortrix moth Gypsonoma oppressana. This identity is suggested from the appropriate section on the eakringbirds.com photogallery. I have asked the Shropshire recorder for his thoughts. Leaf mines are the speciality of very few people!
Not a great photo I am afraid. A small fly with red eyes and a shiny green body. My research among all the suggestions given my Obsidentify leads me to think it is one of the Long-legged flies from the Dolichopodidae family: perhaps Argyra diaphana or similar.
A Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
While this is a Tomocerus vulgaris-type.
A well-marked owl midge Psychodidae sp.
This differently-marked specimen I found in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.
A splash of colour on a mostly dull morning: a Red-and-Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata.
A leaf beetle Donacia sp., perhaps D. marginata.
Even slugs like buttercups! No idea as to species.
I gave Obsidentify this plant to identify: I am no botanist. The result: Charlock Sinapis arvensis. I had assumed it would be an escape from the fields to the East and likely to have been Oil-seed Rape Brassica napus but that species has greyer leaves that clasp the stem.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(Ed Wilson)
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Flies:
- owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- plus the usual midges of several species
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:25 – 07:10
- owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- plus the usual midges of several species
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:25 – 07:10
(107th visit of the year)
New Bird Species
Two new bird species for my year list from here:
- two House Martins were flying around overhead, presumably birds nesting in the estates.
- a Skylark flew over calling (not singing). A strange date because I usually only log this species passing over on Autumn migration. Most birds have been 'on territory' for many weeks now.
My bird species total for 2024 here is now #68.
Other bird notes:
- One pair of Mallard were asleep inside the island. It is possible they were the pair with the ducklings, likely obscured from my position.
- A Nuthatch can usually be heard calling loudly from somewhere near the Coop store. There does not seem to be a bird closer than this. The traditional nest hole near the academy was cleaned out by the Nuthatch early last year but apparently not used. A Great Tit was noted exploring it earlier this year. It seems no-one is using it this year with Ivy leaves growing over the entrance.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Skylark
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 Swifts
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 5 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (6) Blackcaps
'nominal' warbler:
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
Noted on / around the water:
- 18 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 7 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans: see notes
- 18 (14♂) Mallard
- 6 Moorhens
- 22 + 11 (4 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
cranefly:
- cranefly Tipula varipennis
- cranefly Tipula varipennis
fungus:
- Rust Fungus Puccinia urticata
- Rust Fungus Puccinia urticata
flower:
- Columbine cultivar: Aquilegia sp.
- Columbine cultivar: Aquilegia sp.
Handily showing its wing markings to enable me to identify this cranefly as Tipula varipennis.
These are a Columbine cultivar: Aquilegia sp. Probably a garden escape.
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2009
Priorslee Lake
Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)