11.0°C > 14.0°C: Mostly cloudy. Light breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:01 BST
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
A busy day mostly doing other things so just the numbers and a few notes. *A trio of 'highlight' pix: others to follow. Probably the same tomorrow.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:05 // 07:05 – 08:50
(151st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a duck Mallard seen with a single small duckling and another with two well-grown ducklings.
- 25 Black-headed Gulls (no juveniles) and 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (various ages) were on the football field c.06:00.
- a Common Sandpiper.
- the pair of Great Crested Grebes do seem to have just one juvenile.
- a single Swift was over the North wood as I arrived. I saw no others.
- a / the Cetti's Warbler sang once from the north-west area.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Stock Dove: pair
- 110 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 9 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 2 Starlings
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Swift: see notes
- 1 Barn Swallow
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 13 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 8 (6) Reed Warblers
- 3 (2) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroats
'nominal' warbler:
- 2 (2) Goldcrests
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 13 (?♂) + 3 (2 broods) Mallard
- 5 + 6 (3 broods) Moorhens
- 24 + 4 (3 broods) Coots
- 4+ 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 4 Black-headed Gulls: also 25 on the football field
- no Lesser Black-backed Gulls: but 5 on the football field
- 1 Grey Heron
On the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Nothing noted
Noted later:
Very wet vegetation after yesterday's rain and dull conditions
Noted later:
Very wet vegetation after yesterday's rain and dull conditions
Butterflies:
- Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
- Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
Moths:
- Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- Common Marble Celypha lacunana
Bees, wasps etc.:
- !male ichneumon Ichneumon sarcitorius
- !male ichneumon Ichneumon sarcitorius
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.
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Damsel-/dragon-flies:
- none
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Damsel-/dragon-flies:
- none
Other flies:
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus
- long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi or similar
- dagger fly Empis livida
- other unidentified flies
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus
- long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi or similar
- dagger fly Empis livida
- other unidentified flies
Bugs etc.:
- !plant bug Grypocoris stysi
- !plant bug Grypocoris stysi
Beetles:
- none
- none
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
Spiders etc.:
- Cucumber Green Orb Spider Araniella sp. either A. cucurbitina or A. opisthographa
- White Crab Spider Misumena vatia [Flower Spider]
- Cucumber Green Orb Spider Araniella sp. either A. cucurbitina or A. opisthographa
- White Crab Spider Misumena vatia [Flower Spider]
Plants:
- none
- none
A male ichneumon Ichneumon sarcitorius.
A new Mirid plant bug for the year: Grypocoris stysi. It does not have a vernacular name.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Nothing seen
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:10 – 07:00
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:10 – 07:00
(154th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- all the geese were well arranged on the water allowing possibly the most accurate count of the moulting flock. They will soon be able to fly again.
- two and just perhaps three Cormorants were in the water as I arrived but flew away almost immediately.
- no Swifts or House Martins this morning but unusually a single Barn Swallow. Some 10 years ago this species was regular here when it bred on a small holding just across the A5. These days I only usually see them on migration. Could one be leaving already?
- a Reed Warbler was singing intermittently along the East side toward the top end. A second record of a bird here this year.
- Nuthatch records have been few and far between here this year. A bird was heard calling here and one was at the Balancing Lake both before and after my visit here.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: loosely together
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 6 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Reed Warbler
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
'nominal' warbler:
- no Goldcrests
Noted on / around the water:
- 263 Canada Geese
- 63 Greylag Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 16 Mallard: sexes not determined
- 12 Tufted Duck: sexes not determined
- 4 + 3 (3 broods) Moorhens
- 40 + 3 (3 broods) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 (3?) Cormorants: departed
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Moths:
- 2 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
- 1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- 1 Tawny Grey Eudonia lacustrata
- 1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata f. remutata
- 2 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
- 1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- 1 Tawny Grey Eudonia lacustrata
- 1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata f. remutata
Lacewings:
- 1 !!Dustywings or Waxwinged Lacewing Coniopteryx sp.
- 1 !!Dustywings or Waxwinged Lacewing Coniopteryx sp.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sightings from previous years
2011
Priorslee Lake
Ruddy Duck
Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)