9 Jun 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 12.0°C: A clear start. Cloud from the North with a few spots as I was leaving. Brisk north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:48 BST

* = 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 – 06:25 // 07:25 – 09:55

(124th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a few (two?) Sand Martins were among the throng of Swifts and hirundines. An unusually late date to see them here. By now they are usually all at their nesting locations (holes in banks of rivers, gravel pits etc.).
- about 50 Starlings were on the football field c.06:15. Most of them were juveniles.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 4 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- *1 Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Jackdaws

Hirundines etc. noted:
- >50 Swifts
- 2 Sand Martins
- 4 Barn Swallows
- >15 House Martins

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 11 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers
- 12 (11) Blackcaps
'nominal' warbler:
- 4 (4) Goldcrest

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (3♂) Mallard
- 2 Moorhens
- 27 + 3 (2 broods) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda

Spiders:
- 2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp.

Noted later:
Dull and cool conditions

Butterflies:
- none

Moths:
- Common Marble Celypha lacunana

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *small ichneumons

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

Damsel-/dragon-flies:
- none

Other flies:
- *long-legged fly, probably Argyra diaphana
- *!Long-horned Black Legionnaire Beris geniculata
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: males only noted
- *!long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi or similar with swollen mid-tarsi
- *dagger fly Empis tessellata
- *!dance fly, probably Hybos culiciformis
- owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- *!midge with banded abdomen, perhaps Trichocera annulata
- *many other midges and flies, species unknown

Bugs etc.:
- *!Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum
- *Mirid bug Calocoris alpestris

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- *Raspberry Beetle Byturus tomentosus

Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis

New plants noted
- *Cleavers Galium aparine : now in flower
- *Rough Meadow-grass Poa trivalis

As good as it got. The cloud to the North soon rolled in.

Free advert for the Residents Association (what no apostrophe?). I will not be there.

This Great Crested Grebe was seen flying off East at 05:10. I have logged it as an overflight but it is possible it had taken off from the water and circled around gaining height before I noted it. Perhaps the extra individual seen at The Flash?

Rather handsome. A Stock Dove.

A White Ermine moth Spilosoma lubricipeda.

One of two small ichneumons.

And the other. Obsidentify calls these braconids. I am not sure whether that terms is used for small ichneumons or whether there is some other distinction.

The large numbers of Swifts and hirundines feeding over the water were likely hunting a hatch of midges etc. Probably these midges, just a few of a hundred or so on the side of a fisherman's van.

This is an odd-looking midge. Does it really have a waisted abdomen or is it an effect of the folded wings? I cannot provide an identity.

This is a 'typical' male plumed midge.

There were plenty of these brown midges with much longer abdomen and wings.

This midge with banded abdomen is perhaps Trichocera annulata.

And a midge with a green abdomen.

A long-legged fly, probably Argyra diaphana with banded abdomen.

I think this is a Long-horned Black Legionnaire Beris geniculata.

Another long-legged fly, Dolichopus wahlbergi or similar with swollen mid-tarsi.

A dagger fly Empis tessellata.

This is a dance fly, probably Hybos culiciformis. Note the swollen hind femur.

As well as unknown midges there were unknown flies. Here is one.

And another very hairy fly – even its face is hairy.

This a very small fly: that is a single petal of a buttercup it is resting on.

 A tiny Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum.

As usual there are other 'similar species'. This seems a good candidate for the Mirid bug Calocoris alpestris.

 I looked in 100s of buttercups this morning, as usual. The Raspberry Beetle Byturus tomentosus was the only inhabitant.

Now in flower is Cleavers Galium aparine. You have to look hard to find these small flowers.

Apparently this is Rough Meadow-grass Poa trivalis.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Once again only midges of several species apart from:

Moths:
- *!1 Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

This Common Swift moth Korscheltellus lupulina was on the roof of the tunnel. I did try and invert the image for better viewing but it still looked odd. I see this species most years and nearly always in the tunnel.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:35 – 07:25

(127th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A duck Mallard was seen in the distance with at least two ducklings. I could not relocate them.
- One of the very pale 'feral' Mallard reappeared.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 House Martin

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (2) Blackcap
'nominal' warbler:
- 2 (2) Goldcrest

Noted on / around the water:
- 80 + 3 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 9 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 21 (16♂) + 2? (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) feral Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 23+ 2 (2 broods) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Beetles:
- many Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni

Insect:
- *1 unknown species!

Spiders:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

New plants:
- *!Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris

The Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris is just starting to flower here. It will be several days before it happens at the Balancing Lake. Slightly different micro climates.

Last time I photographed this I was not entirely convinced it was, as Obsidentify suggested, a spider. I am now convinced it is NOT a spider but what is it? The "fourth pair of legs" seem not to be legs but spines sticking out of the rear of its abdomen. I have no idea what.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2009
Priorslee Lake
7 Reed Warblers
2 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 House Martin
2 Swallow
Reed Warbler
1 Sedge Warbler
3 Blackcap
1 Garden Warbler
2 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
4 Bullfinch
2 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorants
2 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
3 Stock Dove
3 Swift
4 Swallow
11 House Martin
6 Reed Warblers
1 Lesser Whitethroat
9 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaff
7 Greenfinch
3 Bullfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)