24 Aug 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

12.0°C > 14.0°C: Overcast, often at low level. Light rain after 07:00. Soaking drizzle for a while c.08:45. Clearer to the North. Light south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility except moderate in drizzle.

Sunrise: 06:08 BST

* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:05 – 06:40 // 07:35 – 09:15

(183rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- my first Tufted Ducks of the season noted.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 40 Canada Geese: 36 outbound in six groups; four inbound as a single and trio
- 86 Greylag Geese: 16 outbound in two groups; 70 inbound in seven groups
- 2 (?♂) Mallard
- 6 Feral Pigeons: together
- 64 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 63 Jackdaws
- 37 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 10 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Reed Warbler
- 1 (0) Blackcap
- 1 (0) Common Whitethroat
'nominal' warbler:
- 2 (0) Goldcrests

Counts from the lake area:
- 9 Canada Geese: stopped off outbound briefly; none noted later
- 2 Mute Swans
- 20 (?♂) Mallard
- 2 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 82 adult and juvenile Coots
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls on the lake by 05:45 but none later: 57 on the football field c.06:30
- 2 Herring Gulls
- *19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- none

Springtails:
- several, all likely Pogonognathellus longicornis-type

Bug:
- *probable capsid bug, perhaps Black Kneed Capsid Blepharidopterus angulatus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- 3 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

Sailing Club HQ:
I again prowled around the outside of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *2 Copper Underwing agg. Amphipyra pyramidea agg. In the same place as noted on Thursday

Spiders:
- *1 Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
- many small spiders not identified

Noted later:
I was inspected by a wasp and I saw a bumble bee in flight. Otherwise zilch.

An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull undertaking a traffic census on Castle Farm Way. It is usually Black-headed Gulls that sit on the lamp posts here.

From the few remnant pale fringed secondary coverts I think this is a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull moulting in to first winter plumage.

Eight Starlings with varying degrees of spotting crowd on a street lamp around the football field.

Both Copper Underwing-type moths Amphipyra pyramidea agg. were still where I found then on Thursday, this one having moved slightly to allow a view of the markings on its abdomen.

The other one.

One of the springtails Pogonognathellus longicornis-type.

Not a great shot. A small green bug with red eyes. It is likely a capsid bug, perhaps Black Kneed Capsid Blepharidopterus angulatus.

Seems it is not just harvestmen that lose legs. I can only see six on this Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius with its small breakfast at the top of on one of the street lamp poles.

On the wall of the sailing club HQ I found this Walnut Orb Weaver spider Nuctenea umbratica. With a full complement of legs too.

Pity they didn't decide this before all the trees and bushes were chopped down when they gave planning permission for the academy. I had not noticed this sign until this morning. More information here, from where there is a link to a map. At least Priorslee Balancing Lake is noted as a "wildlife site", whatever that means.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- *1 Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa
- *1 Red Underwing Catocala nupta

Flies:
- *1 !!cranefly Ilisia occoecata
- 1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
- *1 unidentified fly

Other things:
- 12 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger

This moth is a Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa. On most individuals the area between what are called the oval and the kidney marks on the wing (the two pale marks) is solid black giving a 'square spot'. Not on this one. A very common moth I see most years.

A Red Underwing moth Catocala nupta, this one not revealing any hint of the underwing colour.

I have not seen many flies like this resting in the tunnel.

I cannot recall a cranefly with wings marked like this before. It seems to be Ilisia occoecata, a new species for me.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:45 – 07:30

(186th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I did not hear the Willow Warbler. One of the two singing Chiffchaffs and a calling Blackcap were in the same area.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 4 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 24 (?♂) Mallard
- 45 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 + 3 (3 broods) Moorhens
- 49 + 7 (4 broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 48 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Kingfisher

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Moths:
- *1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- *1 Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata

Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni adult

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius: unusual here
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

A juvenile Moorhen learning to keep its balance. If I had long toes like this I would be steadier on my feet.

"Where is the food?"

Perhaps the clearest photo I have taken of a Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella.

Another Flame Carpet moth Xanthorhoe designata. My best year for this species.

Another Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius. My logs suggest this is the first example I have found at The Flash.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2012
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)