12.0°C > 16.0°C: *A good sunrise after which cloud increased as lowered leaving it dull again. Moderate south-easterly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:52 BST
* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:10 – 06:20 // 07:25 – 09:40
(177th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- it used to be so easy: the geese flew outbound soon after dawn and flew inbound some two hours later. Any that visited the lake were soon chased away by the cob Mute Swan. Now a few birds stop off on the way out (rarely staying). But many stop off on the way back and stay unmolested by the swans. Some of these geese arrive from the North rather than inbound from the East. Today to add to the confusion a group of c.75 geese (both Canadas and Greylags) was disturbed from somewhere and circled over the lake c.06:10 without apparently visiting.
- eight Pied Wagtails were noted flying North c.06:00. None was seen on the football field later, perhaps because of work going on (drainage?).
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 22 Canada Geese: 11 outbound in five groups; 11 inbound in three groups
- 43 Greylag Geese: outbound in five groups
- c.75 miscellaneous geese: see notes
- 3 Stock Doves: together
- 155 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 57 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 83 Jackdaws
- 12 Rooks
- 8 Pied Wagtails
Hirundines etc. noted:
- c.15 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 9 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (0) Reed Warblers
- 3 (0) Blackcaps
- no Common Whitethroats
'nominal' warbler:
- 2 (0) Goldcrests
Counts from the lake area:
- 52 Canada Geese: arrived together
- 2 Mute Swans
- 11 (?♂) Mallard
- 7 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 62 adult and juvenile Coots
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 36 Black-headed Gulls on the lake c.05:35: 17, probably of these, on the football field c.06:10
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
And number two. The front of the white streak is boldly-edged and the streak splits in to, usually, four 'fingers'.
This moth is a Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis. Most of the specimens that I have flushed from the grass recently, some of which I have photographed, have all appeared much whiter than this which seems more like the 'pale straw' of its name. Obsidentify thought it a Rusty-dot Pearl U. ferrugalis but that species has just a single dot in each wing and none of the lines seen here.
A poor photo of a Straw Dot moth Rivula sericealis. I took this through a gap in the foliage but it was too close for the camera to focus. I could not see it from any other angle.
A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus comes in to land on a flower that I forgot to note. It looks a bit like Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra though that has mainly finished flowering.
Not much to show today with the dull and breezy conditions causing the insects to hide away. Here are a few unidentified flies that were sitting out the conditions. Number one.
A (Great) Black Slug Arion agg. crossing Teece Drive. As with my last photo of this species it seems to have some undergrowth attached to the rear of its abdomen. Note it is leaving a trail.
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(180th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- for several mornings a single Canada Goose has been alongside a single Greylag Goose feeding on the East side grass. A mixed species pair has been around for several years, perhaps these two?
- no sign of yesterday's Common Teal
- perhaps the Coot totals are more reliable today. I engaged brain and realised that I could use the viewfinder of the camera on high zoom to see the birds huddled at the edge of the island more clearly. Added to that several of the recent broods of juveniles were more adventurous as they grow older and revealed there to me more young than I though in two of the broods.
- my third singing Willow Warbler of the Autumn passage this morning. It is strange that for some reason this site seems more attractive that the Balancing Lake to this species on both Spring and Autumn passage. I wonder why?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 6 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 7 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap
'nominal' warbler:
- 1 (0) Goldcrests
Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 41 (?♂) Mallard
- 20 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 80 + 12 (5 broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
One of the pesky 'grey' moths. Easier at this date as many of the species involved are no longer flying. This is a Garden Grey Eudonia mercurella.
(Ed Wilson)
Sightings from previous years
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Egret
Common Sandpiper
Common Gull
Hobby
Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:10 – 06:20 // 07:25 – 09:40
(177th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- it used to be so easy: the geese flew outbound soon after dawn and flew inbound some two hours later. Any that visited the lake were soon chased away by the cob Mute Swan. Now a few birds stop off on the way out (rarely staying). But many stop off on the way back and stay unmolested by the swans. Some of these geese arrive from the North rather than inbound from the East. Today to add to the confusion a group of c.75 geese (both Canadas and Greylags) was disturbed from somewhere and circled over the lake c.06:10 without apparently visiting.
- eight Pied Wagtails were noted flying North c.06:00. None was seen on the football field later, perhaps because of work going on (drainage?).
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 22 Canada Geese: 11 outbound in five groups; 11 inbound in three groups
- 43 Greylag Geese: outbound in five groups
- c.75 miscellaneous geese: see notes
- 3 Stock Doves: together
- 155 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 57 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 83 Jackdaws
- 12 Rooks
- 8 Pied Wagtails
Hirundines etc. noted:
- c.15 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 9 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (0) Reed Warblers
- 3 (0) Blackcaps
- no Common Whitethroats
'nominal' warbler:
- 2 (0) Goldcrests
Counts from the lake area:
- 52 Canada Geese: arrived together
- 2 Mute Swans
- 11 (?♂) Mallard
- 7 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 62 adult and juvenile Coots
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 36 Black-headed Gulls on the lake c.05:35: 17, probably of these, on the football field c.06:10
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *3 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- *1 Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis
- *3 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- *1 Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis
Flies:
- 1 owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- 1 owl midge Psychodidae sp.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- 2 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 harvestman Opilio saxatilis
Noted later:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- 2 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 harvestman Opilio saxatilis
Noted later:
Butterflies:
- none
- none
Moths:
- *Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
- Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- *Straw Dot Rivula sericealis
- *Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
- Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- *Straw Dot Rivula sericealis
Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- wasp sp.: either German Wasp Vespula germanica or Common Wasp V. vulgaris
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- wasp sp.: either German Wasp Vespula germanica or Common Wasp V. vulgaris
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]
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Damsel-/dragon-flies:
- none
- none
Other flies:
- *only unidentified flies noted
- *only unidentified flies noted
Bugs etc.:
- none
- none
Beetles:
- none
- none
Molluscs:
- *(Great) Black Slug Arion agg.
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
- *(Great) Black Slug Arion agg.
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- none
- none
New flowers:
- none
- none
By far the most interesting part of my visit this morning was the sunrise. Starting here (with the resident Mute Swans bottom right).
Colouring up.
Spreading across the sky.
The most dramatic part isolated.
This was as good as the weather got with cloud soon spreading over.
I only noted four grass moths as I was walking in the areas of long grass. All looked rather washed out, like this one. I suspect they were all Straw Grass-moths Agriphila straminella, a species more or less at the end of its flight season.
The street lamp poles pre-dawn produced three Common Grass-moths Agriphila tristella. Here is one.
Number three.
Number two.
Number three.
And number four. I can get as far as this being one of the Sarcophagidae or flesh flies. But which...?
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- 2 Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata: both in a different location to the two seen yesterday
- 2 Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata: both in a different location to the two seen yesterday
Flies:
- 1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
- 1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
Other things:
- 18 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
- 18 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 7 spiders; at least two of these Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
The Flash: 06:25 – 07:20
- 7 spiders; at least two of these Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:25 – 07:20
(180th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- for several mornings a single Canada Goose has been alongside a single Greylag Goose feeding on the East side grass. A mixed species pair has been around for several years, perhaps these two?
- no sign of yesterday's Common Teal
- perhaps the Coot totals are more reliable today. I engaged brain and realised that I could use the viewfinder of the camera on high zoom to see the birds huddled at the edge of the island more clearly. Added to that several of the recent broods of juveniles were more adventurous as they grow older and revealed there to me more young than I though in two of the broods.
- my third singing Willow Warbler of the Autumn passage this morning. It is strange that for some reason this site seems more attractive that the Balancing Lake to this species on both Spring and Autumn passage. I wonder why?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 6 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 7 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap
'nominal' warbler:
- 1 (0) Goldcrests
Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 41 (?♂) Mallard
- 20 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 80 + 12 (5 broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Moths:
- *1 Garden Grey Eudonia mercurella [was Small Grey]
- *1 Garden Grey Eudonia mercurella [was Small Grey]
Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: larva
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: larva
Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *7 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *7 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
A Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
One of seven harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus in typical resting position.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sightings from previous years
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Egret
Common Sandpiper
Common Gull
Hobby
Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)