11.0°C > 15.0°C: Early cloud cleared by 06:30. Fine for a while. Mostly cloudy again by 08:00, lowering later. Light and variable breeze becoming moderate south-westerly. Excellent visibility.
Sunrise: 04:51 BST
Out of time again to get the photos edited and annotated. Watch this space....
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:55 – 06:05 // 07:15 – 09:25
Out of time again to get the photos edited and annotated. Watch this space....
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:55 – 06:05 // 07:15 – 09:25
(142nd visit of the year)
New Bird Species
Highlight today was a Yellow Wagtail that flew on to the dam-top at 08:30, staying less than 30 seconds. My first record here this year on an atypical date: normally I see, or more often only hear, bird passing on Spring passage in April. Bird species #96 for me here this year.
Also worth special note are the first returning waders of the year: two Common Sandpipers were present at 05:30 with at least one, presumably of these, still present at 09:00. [26 June in 2023 for the first returning bird]
Other bird notes:
- the Mallard brood, assuming it is the same brood, now down to two ducklings.
- a Garden Warbler still singing from the south-west copse.
- six Pied Wagtails were on the football field at 09:15. At least two were adult males so not just a family party.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 61 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 32 Jackdaws
- 11 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted:
- c.20 Swifts
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
**during the sunny period more birds than yesterday were emptied to sing.
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 15 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (5) Reed Warblers
- 10 (9) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
'nominal' warbler:
- 3 (3) Goldcrests
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (5♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 5 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 22 + 8 (5 broods) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- *2 Common Sandpipers
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 Tawny Grey Eudonia lacustrata
- *1 Clouded Border Lomaspilis marginata
- *1 unidentified moth
- 1 Tawny Grey Eudonia lacustrata
- *1 Clouded Border Lomaspilis marginata
- *1 unidentified moth
Harvestman:
- *1 Leiobunum sp.
Noted later:
- *1 Leiobunum sp.
Noted later:
Butterflies:
- none
- none
Moths:
- Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
- Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
Bees, wasps etc.:
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *female parasite wasp from the Campopleginae family
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *female parasite wasp from the Campopleginae family
Hoverflies:
The first name is that used by Stephen Falk. The name in square brackets is that given by Obsidentify or other sources if different. Scientific names are normally common. The species are presented in alphabetic order of those scientific names.
- *Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata [Bumblebee Blacklet]
- *Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *boxer hoverfly Platycheirus sp.
- *Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata [Bumblebee Blacklet]
- *Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *boxer hoverfly Platycheirus sp.
Damsel-/dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum
- *Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum
- *Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans
Other flies:
- *Common Orange Legionnaire Beris vallata
- *Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus
- *dance fly Hybos sp.
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
- *possible blackfly Simulium angustitarse
- more unidentified flies
- *Common Orange Legionnaire Beris vallata
- *Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus
- *dance fly Hybos sp.
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
- *possible blackfly Simulium angustitarse
- more unidentified flies
Bugs etc.:
- *Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius
- *unidentified flower bug
- *Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius
- *unidentified flower bug
Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni : adult and larva
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis larva
- *False Blister Beetle Oedemera lurida or O. virescens
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni : adult and larva
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis larva
- *False Blister Beetle Oedemera lurida or O. virescens
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
Spiders:
- none
- none
New flowers noted
- *!!Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense
- *!!Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense
The two Common Sandpipers present at 05:30.
The bird present at 09:00. One of the same? The feathering indicates this is a breeding condition adult.
A smart bird.
Always a delight to see. A Clouded Border moth Lomaspilis marginata.
This seems to be a female parasite wasp from the Campopleginae family. I read there are 350 species in the UK! They are all small – note the size compared with the grass seed-head it is resting on.
Not many hoverflies on the wing this morning. This is a Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata.
And a female Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare.
This is one of the boxer group of hoverflies of the Platycheirus genus. They are difficult to separate unless the abdomen pattern is visible.
A Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans with the black-and-white pterostigma on the leading edge of the wing.
A Common Orange Legionnaire Beris vallata. One of these small flies that is relatively easy to identify.
This dance fly from the Hybos family seems to have even larger swollen hind tibia than usual.
Another chance to see a male Semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus.
I am not at all confident about the identity of this unusual-looking fly. It may be the blackfly Simulium angustitarse. The blackfly family of here is distinct from the "blackflies" of the Aphid family.
A Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius. This species is very variable in markings.
This is a flower bug but too battered and faded to get an identity.
This is the larva of a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis.
Just one of these False Blister Beetles Oedemera lurida or O. virescens found today.
A Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense. A species I have not previously identified from here.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Nothing seen!
The Flash: 06:10 – 07:10
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:10 – 07:10
(145th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- just two Mute Swans seen. One at the top end and presumably the erstwhile third white bird. And one presumed resident adult sitting among the Coots on the edge of the island. The other resident and the cygnets presumed to be inside the island.
- even more Coots with 51 counted standing together along the East side of the island. They were so jammed together that an accurate count would have required a telescope. I did my best counting the white shields!
- the first returning Black-headed Gulls overhead and then later one on the edge of the island. The same date as in 2023.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 3 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 6 Swifts
- 1 House Martin
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
'nominal' warbler:
- 2 (2) Goldcrests
Noted on / around the water:
- 228 Canada Geese
- 66 Greylag Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 2 Mute Swan
- 37 Mallard: no ducklings seen
- 8 (6♂) Tufted Duck: of these four drakes flew off together
- 7 + 5 (3 broods) Moorhens
- *61 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Black-headed Gull
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Bird notes:
- just two Mute Swans seen. One at the top end and presumably the erstwhile third white bird. And one presumed resident adult sitting among the Coots on the edge of the island. The other resident and the cygnets presumed to be inside the island.
- even more Coots with 51 counted standing together along the East side of the island. They were so jammed together that an accurate count would have required a telescope. I did my best counting the white shields!
- the first returning Black-headed Gulls overhead and then later one on the edge of the island. The same date as in 2023.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 3 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 6 Swifts
- 1 House Martin
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
'nominal' warbler:
- 2 (2) Goldcrests
Noted on / around the water:
- 228 Canada Geese
- 66 Greylag Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 2 Mute Swan
- 37 Mallard: no ducklings seen
- 8 (6♂) Tufted Duck: of these four drakes flew off together
- 7 + 5 (3 broods) Moorhens
- *61 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Black-headed Gull
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Moths:
- 1 Tawny Grey Eudonia lacustrata
- *1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata form remutata
- 1 Tawny Grey Eudonia lacustrata
- *1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata form remutata
Flies:
- *1 micro-caddisfly, just perhaps Agraylea multipunctata
- *1 micro-caddisfly, just perhaps Agraylea multipunctata
I am doing well with unidentified or partially identified creatures today. This is one of the micro-caddisflies, just perhaps Agraylea multipunctata.
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2013
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Drake Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)