10.0°C > 13.0°C: Wall-to-wall blue for about 15 minutes. Low cloud spread from north-west. Even a few spots of light drizzle. Moderate north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 04:46 BST: as early as it gets
* = a photo in today's blog.
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:00 // 07:10 – 09:50
* = a photo in today's blog.
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:00 // 07:10 – 09:50
(132nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- as I arrived at 05:00 two noisy Oystercatchers were flying high West to the North.
- at least three juvenile Reed Warblers from two different broods were noted.
- strange behaviour from the Starlings on the football field c.05.50. At least 25 were feeding in a right group when they suddenly all took off and flew off West. None of the Wood Pigeons feeding in the area so much as raised a wing and I could see no predator overhead. After a few minutes the drifted back, seemingly reluctant to settle on the ground, stopping on the fence a nearby trees.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 27 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Oystercatchers: together
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 10 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted:
- *c.25 Swifts: throughout
- 4 Barn Swallows
- *6 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 11 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 14 (11) Reed Warblers
- 10 (19) Blackcaps
- no Common Whitethroats
'nominal' warbler:
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Canada Goose: chased away
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- 1 Moorhen
- 27 + 7 (4 broods) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: flew off the football field 05:45
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Flies:
- *1 probable Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum
Noted later:
A struggle to find much in the cloudy conditions
- *1 probable Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum
Noted later:
A struggle to find much in the cloudy conditions
Butterflies:
- Large Skipper Ochlodes sylvanus
- Large Skipper Ochlodes sylvanus
Moths:
- Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- unidentified grass moths flew away
- *as yet unidentified Tortrix moth
- *Blood-vein Timandra comae
- Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- unidentified grass moths flew away
- *as yet unidentified Tortrix moth
- *Blood-vein Timandra comae
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris: asleep
- *Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris: asleep
Hoverflies:
The first name is according to Stephen Falk. The name in square brackets is that given by Obsidentify. The scientific names are common. The species are presented in alphabetic order of those scientific names.
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax: just one
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax: just one
Damsel-/dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum: just two
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum: just two
Other flies:
- *!long-legged fly Botanophila fugax
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: many hundred males noted; no females seen
- *long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi
- *!!root-maggot fly Hylema sp.
- Grouse Wing caddis fly Mystacides longicornis
- Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- *!!Tachinid fly Phasia hemiptera
- semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
- *!long-legged fly Botanophila fugax
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: many hundred males noted; no females seen
- *long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi
- *!!root-maggot fly Hylema sp.
- Grouse Wing caddis fly Mystacides longicornis
- Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- *!!Tachinid fly Phasia hemiptera
- semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
Bugs etc.:
- none
- none
Planthoppers, lacehoppers etc.
- Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius
- Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius
Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- *False Blister Beetle: Oedemera lurida or O. virescens
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- *False Blister Beetle: Oedemera lurida or O. virescens
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
Spiders:
- Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
New flowers noted
- *Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris; now open – just
- *Water Forget-me-not Myositis palustris
- *Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca
- *Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris; now open – just
- *Water Forget-me-not Myositis palustris
- *Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca
Fifteen minutes in and the cloud is already streaming from the north-west.
More Swifts!
Even as it turns away the bulging throat, full of insects for its brood, is obvious.
Another.
Not all Swifts. Here is about the best I could manage in the dull conditions of a passing House Martin.
A House Martin that seems to have a deformed bill. This must hamper its ability to catch on the wing.
A moth that escaped the camera yesterday but not today. A Blood-vein Timandra comae. I flush this species from the long grass every year.
Apparently fast asleep on a swaying grass stem is a Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris.
This is a probable Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum. Obsidentify wasn't too helpful: "Signal Crayfish" was its determination.
I have managed to get a probable identity for this long-legged fly I have seen for some day. It is likely Botanophila fugax.
My best example of the long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi showing that the swelling on the mid-tarsus is feather-like.
This is a root-maggot fly of the Hylema genus. All of them are characterised by the white stripe on the side of the thorax. Species determination is 'hard'. I have no previously identified a fly from this group.
This is Water Forget-me-not Myositis palustris. It has been in flower for a while but I have only just realised it was 'different' from the other forget-me-not species already noted.
Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca as photographed at The Flash yesterday.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Only noted
Flies:
- *1 cranefly Nephrotoma quadrifaria
- *1 cranefly Nephrotoma quadrifaria
The cranefly Nephrotoma quadrifaria was the only occupant I noted today.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:05 – 07:05
(135th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Four additional (sub)adult Mute Swans today being chased out of the water by the resident cob.
- the trio of Canada Goose goslings seen: they are well-developed enough to be easily overlooked. I will not record them separately in future.
- at least four Mallard ducklings noted. Their mother took them in to cover before I could get a good look.
- four Great Crested Grebes. A pair seem to inhabit area with the overhanging trees at the top end and can be hard to see. The cob swan on the warpath was forcing them in to the open..
- I did not hear the Reed Warbler today.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
Bird notes:
- Four additional (sub)adult Mute Swans today being chased out of the water by the resident cob.
- the trio of Canada Goose goslings seen: they are well-developed enough to be easily overlooked. I will not record them separately in future.
- at least four Mallard ducklings noted. Their mother took them in to cover before I could get a good look.
- four Great Crested Grebes. A pair seem to inhabit area with the overhanging trees at the top end and can be hard to see. The cob swan on the warpath was forcing them in to the open..
- I did not hear the Reed Warbler today.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- no Reed Warbler
- 1 (1) Blackcap
'nominal' warbler:
- no Goldcrests
Noted on / around the water:
- 224 + 3 (1 brood) Canada Geese: see notes
- 23 Greylag Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *23 + 4? (1 brood) Mallard: sexes of adults not determined: see notes
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 17 + 1 (1 brood) Coots: where were they hiding?
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- no Reed Warbler
- 1 (1) Blackcap
'nominal' warbler:
- no Goldcrests
Noted on / around the water:
- 224 + 3 (1 brood) Canada Geese: see notes
- 23 Greylag Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *23 + 4? (1 brood) Mallard: sexes of adults not determined: see notes
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 17 + 1 (1 brood) Coots: where were they hiding?
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Moths:
- *1 Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata
- *1 Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata
Flies:
- *1 long-legged fly, perhaps Sciapus platypterus
- *1 long-legged fly, perhaps Sciapus platypterus
Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Spiders:
- *Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
An illustration of why I have temporarily given up sexing Mallards. This looks like a duck until you examine the bill. It is pale. So the bird must be a drake. It is moulting in to what is called "eclipse" plumage so that it is better camouflaged when it moults all its flight feathers at the same time and becomes flightless. It will then moult again in to breeding finery come late August. Sexing now is possible when the bill is out of the water but as they are often feeding it would take too long to identify each one.
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2010
Trench Lock Pool
4 drake Pochard
(Ed Wilson)