13.0°C > 15.0°C: Early light rain from low clouds. The clouds lifted and broke somewhat with a few sunny spells but also a light passing shower. Light easterly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:13 BST
* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:05 – 06:15 // 07:15 – 09:55
* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:05 – 06:15 // 07:15 – 09:55
(106th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the resident Canada Geese still have six goslings.
- the resident Greylag Geese now have just one goslings. I may have accused the cob Mute Swan falsely: one Canada Goose parent looked to be closing in for the kill until I intervened.
- did I or did I not hear a single scold from a Common Whitethroat? The noise came from the traditional breeding area. I was a long way away and saw and heard nothing more.
- *at least 13 adult Starlings were collecting food from the football field at c.06:10. By 09:45 my first fledged juveniles of the year were seen in the same area.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair inbound
- *2 Mute Swans: together
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 8 Swifts
- 1 Sand Martin
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 1 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 14 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (7) Reed Warblers
- 16 (14) Blackcaps
- 1 (0) Whitethroat?: see notes
'nominal' warbler:
- 4 (4) Goldcrests
Counts from the lake area:
Low numbers of some species likely due to the rather brisk wind blowing across the water.
- *6 + 6 (1 brood) Canada Geese: two additional pairs throughout
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 2 (1) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 25 + 4 (2 broods) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Common Sandpipers
Seen on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *1 White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda
- *1 White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda
Spiders:
- 1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
Noted later:
- 1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
Noted later:
Butterflies:
- Green-veined White Pieris napi
- Green-veined White Pieris napi
Moths:
- *!Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata
- *!Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata
Bees:
- **where are all the bees?
- **where are all the bees?
Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *Tooth-thighed Hoverfly Tropidia scita [Swamp Thickleg]
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *Tooth-thighed Hoverfly Tropidia scita [Swamp Thickleg]
Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- *!Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella
- *Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum
- *Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans
- *!Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella
- *Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum
- *Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans
Other flies:
- *dagger fly Empis tessellata
- *!cranefly Epiphragma ocellare
- *Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- *Downlooker Snipefly Rhagio scolopaceus
- *Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
- *!!Tachinid fly Thelaira nigripes
- *dagger fly Empis tessellata
- *!cranefly Epiphragma ocellare
- *Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- *Downlooker Snipefly Rhagio scolopaceus
- *Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
- *!!Tachinid fly Thelaira nigripes
Bugs:
- *! mirid bug, perhaps Calocoris alpestris
- Red-and-Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata
- *! mirid bug, perhaps Calocoris alpestris
- Red-and-Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata
Beetles:
- *Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- *!click beetle Athous haemorrhoidalis
- Raspberry Beetle Byturus tomentosus
- *!soldier beetle Cantharis pellucida
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- *False blister Beetle: Oedemera lurida/virescens
- *Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- *!click beetle Athous haemorrhoidalis
- Raspberry Beetle Byturus tomentosus
- *!soldier beetle Cantharis pellucida
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- *False blister Beetle: Oedemera lurida/virescens
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
Flowers photographed:
- *marsh orchid-type Dactylorhiza sp.
- *Elder Sambucus nigra
- *Red Valerian Centranthus ruber
- *marsh orchid-type Dactylorhiza sp.
- *Elder Sambucus nigra
- *Red Valerian Centranthus ruber
The two Mute Swan that flew over. They are clearly first year birds with brown in their wings.
A male Starling: you can tell it is a male by the blue at the base of the bill – blue for a boy; and pink for a girl. Strange but true.
Very different-looking at this age. A juvenile, just fledged, Starling.
I will try again but none of the three Silver-ground Carpet moths Xanthorhoe montanata I found this morning would stop close to me.
Checking out the route of the Coronation Walk was my second White Ermine moth Spilosoma lubricipeda of the year.
A male Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella, my first of this year. Note the marking on the second (from the top) segment of the abdomen.
This is a female of the same species
The other species of damselfly I noted today: it is a Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans.
This is an exuvia of a damselfly. The larvae crawl out of the water when they are ready to emerge. They can be seen in some number on the boxing ring, as here. No idea as to the species, or indeed whether the damselfly has emerged as yet.
A close-up of a dagger fly Empis tessellata showing just how hairy flies can be.
An unusual species: it is the cranefly Epiphragma ocellare, most easily recognised by the banded abdomen.
A Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp. This is a female as she lacks the 'sting' (actually the genitalia) of the male.
I wonder why this is called a Downlooker Snipefly Rhagio scolopaceus?
Yes: another Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria.
I think this is a splendid insect: it is one of the Tachinid flies, specifically Thelaira nigripes. Not a species I have identified previously.
This is the click beetle Athous haemorrhoidalis.
The soldier beetle Cantharis pellucida.
One from the species pair False blister Beetle Oedemera lurida or O. virescens.
This Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea shows rather faded spots.
This is one of the many mainly green mirid bugs. It is perhaps Calocoris alpestris.
Obsidentify did not help much here other than confirming it was one of the marsh orchid species Dactylorhiza sp. If it couldn't identify it I am certain I cannot.
The flowers of Elder Sambucus nigra. Despite the abundance of flowers they are used by very few insects. I read in an edition of British Wildlife magazine that the whole plant contains many toxins which deter most insects.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Flies:
- owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- *5 craneflies
- plus the usual midges of several species
- owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- *5 craneflies
- plus the usual midges of several species
This is the cranefly Tipula varipennis. It seems to have a mite on its thorax.
A missing cranefly! Wings and legs only.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:20 – 07:10
(108th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a morning when many of the warblers did not want to sing.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 1 House Martin
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
'nominal' warbler:
- 2 (2) Goldcrests
Noted on / around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 7 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *20 (15♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 5 Moorhens
- 25 + 7 (3 broods) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 1 House Martin
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
'nominal' warbler:
- 2 (2) Goldcrests
Noted on / around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 7 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *20 (15♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 5 Moorhens
- 25 + 7 (3 broods) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Bees:
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Flies:
- owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- owl midge Psychodidae sp.
Arthropods:
- *(Common) Striped Woodlouse Philoscia muscorum
- *(Common) Striped Woodlouse Philoscia muscorum
Molluscs:
- *unidentified species of slug.
- *unidentified species of slug.
The trio of Mallard ducklings seem to be thriving. It is unusual for early broods to survive. These are at least a week old.
Everybody likes buttercups. Two (Common) Striped Woodlouse Philoscia muscorum. I have no idea what the detritus comes from.
Did I say everybody likes buttercups? An unidentified species of slug tucks in.
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Wrekin
Wood Warbler
3 Spotted Flycatchers
(Andy Latham)