11 Sep 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 11.0°C: Clear with cloud to the North edging closer all the while. Made it away before the rain. Fresh and brisk westerly wind gusting strong. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 06:38 BST

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 09:15

(199th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- most of the arriving Canada Geese came from the East as usual but a duo arrived later from the West.
- once again almost all the Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived and departed before 07:00.
- amongst the throng of mainly very noisy (calls and song) Chiffchaffs I noted one very yellow bird that had to have been a juvenile Willow Warbler. It did not call or sing and was soon lost to view.
- 12 Pied Wagtails were on the football field at 08:50. There had been none at 06:55 when there were at least six, probably some of these birds, on the roof of the academy.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 5 Canada Geese: duo outbound; trio inbound
- 2 (?♂) Mallard
- 1 Stock Dove
- 29 Wood Pigeons
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 216 Jackdaws
- 110 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

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

Counts from the lake area:
- 50 Canada Geese: arrived as six groups
- *2 Greylag Geese: departed
- *2 Mute Swans
- 15 (?♂) Mallard: many flew off
- 4 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- *123 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 27 Black-headed Gulls: also 224 counted on the football field c.06:55 but all gone by 07:00
- 14 Herring Gulls: none on the football field c.06:55
- 237 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: none on the football field c.06:55
- 2 Grey Herons: one chased away

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba: for its third day

Flies:
* at least three species of unidentified flies

Springtails:
- 1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

Sailing Club

Around the outside of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 Copper Underwing agg. Amphipyra pyramidea agg. [last seen 28/08]

Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: adults

Spiders:
- 15 spiders: species not determined.

Noted later:

Butterflies:
- Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- *Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- *Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
- *Humming Syrphus Syrphus ribesii [Common Flower Fly]

Other Flies:
- *Cluster fly Pollenia sp.
- Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly, Moth Fly or Owl Fly]
- *European Cranefly Tipula paludosa
other unidentified flies

Beetles:
- *Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: adult
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea

Bugs:
- Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis

Sunrise with the shower clouds already gathering to the North. Stayed dry for me until nearly 11:00. The resident Mute Swans in the foreground, many Coots and two Greylag Geese.

This male Blackbird had found a sheltered sunny spot to warm up and did not seem to care about my presence. The very yellow bill and eye-ring indicates this is an adult and I am surprised at how many white or pale feathers he has. Probably it is very new plumage and the pale will wear away during the Winter and he will be glossy black by Spring.

It has been a very poor year for butterflies so I was pleased to find this slightly battered Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta. For some reason my normal 'sports' setting on the camera I use to capture flying things gives very washed out red tones. I had to resort to a different setting for this.

I found this Copper Underwing-type Amphipyra pyramidea agg. at the same place around the guttering of the sailing club HQ as I last saw one on 28 August. The same?

 Today's photo of a Honey Bee Apis mellifera.

Showing just how hairy Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris are.

Identify it as this species by the parallel-side yellow mark on the side of the thorax. So much safer than checking the face marking.

This is a Migrant Field Syrph hoverfly Eupeodes corollae. It is a female (the eyes are well-separated). On males of this species the yellow marks are undivided bands rather like....

...this. However this is also a female so... Unusually for this species I can see the whole of the hind leg and as it is all pale this is a Humming Syrphus Syrphus ribesii.

I wonder why Pollenia sp. are called cluster flies?! The name in fact originated from their habit of overwintering in large gatherings, one of the few fly species to spend the winter as adults.

A cranefly covered in dew. I think a European Cranefly Tipula paludosa though hard to be sure. This species has longer antennae than many of the craneflies.

Now this IS a European Cranefly.

One of the unknown flies on the street lamp poles pre-dawn. Do red eyes help you see in the dark? They are startling.

The ten adult Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni on this Alder leaf will soon have to look for food elsewhere.

This Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea is oddly yellow-toned. I am not sure that excuses Obsidentify suggesting it was a Six-spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae which is black and red.

 This is one is slightly redder.

A Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. As so often specific identity requires detailed examination and knowledge.

This Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata is a male – note his hairy palps.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Flies:
- 6 plumed midges

Centipedes & Millipedes:
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders:
- 5 spiders: none specifically identified:

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:40

(199th visit of the year)

Bird Notes
Highlight today was a drake Eurasian Wigeon found at the top end mixing with the Tufted Ducks. Not a species I see here every year. It becomes bird species #75 for me here this year.

Other bird notes:
- another day when many of the Mallard took leave of absence.
- the rafts of Tufted Duck and Coots were almost completely separated this morning making counting easier. That said the higher totals were also due to increased numbers and not simply due to their separation.
- up to six House Martins were coming and going. I assume the same birds.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- *1 Common Buzzard

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 6 House Martins

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 2 (0) Chiffchaff
'nominal' warbler:
- no Goldcrests

Noted on / around the water:
- 27 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 4 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- *1 (1♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 16 (12♂?) Mallard
- *108 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- *4 (0♂) Goosander
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 142 + 7 (2 dependent broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 53 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: first winter, briefly
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult and four first winters, all briefly
- 4 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
With the sun out ahead of an incoming shower I made the most of the sheltered area.

Butterflies:
- *Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

Moths:
- *Common Marble Celypha lacunana

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
- *!!wasp - possibly Mournful Wasp Pemphredon lugubris or similar
- *unidentified ichneumon sp.

Hoverflies:
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Common Copperback Ferdinandea cuprea [Bronze Sap Hoverfly; Eurasian Copperback]
- *Orange-belted Leaf Licker Xylota segnis [Orange-belted Leafwalker]

Flies:
- *Muscid fly Phaonia tuguriorum
more unidentified flies

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni: adults
- 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

Bugs:
- *!!>30 Nettle Groundbugs Heterogaster urticae
- >20 Common Green Shieldbugs Palomena prasina: one adult and three instars of various ages.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

Not a very good photo. Between two immature Tufted Duck is a drake Eurasian Wigeon showing its orange-rufous tones and pale bill with a dark tip. My first this year here. I have records from only four of the last 11 years at this site.

 "Now where are those fish?" A brownhead Goosander on the lookout.

Four brownhead Goosanders resting inside the island along with a few Canada Geese.

A first winter Herring Gull in full cry – literally.

A Common Buzzard overhead. This species has been anything but common this year, probably in part because I an around too early during the Summer and before they can float on the thermals.

Amazing: my first butterfly here this year. There were at least four Speckled Woods Pararge aegeria fighting, as usual.

A Common Marble moth Celypha lacunana. Must be a new generation as I have seen none for many weeks.

This is possibly a Mournful Wasp Pemphredon lugubris. Obsidentify suggested the genus. NatureSpot only shows this species, noting that there are several similar species without further comment. A new species for me.

A delicate unidentified ichneumon sp.

Always smart: a Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus.

A posing Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax.

The three grey stripes on the thorax help to identify this hoverfly as a Common Copperback Ferdinandea cuprea.

This is the hoverfly that Steven Falk calls Orange-belted Leaf Licker Xylota segnis.

From this angle this Muscid fly can be positively identified as Phaonia tuguriorum.

I don't think I have seen this species before. These are nymphs of Nettle Groundbugs Heterogaster urticae.

They have suddenly appeared in numbers on the nettles by the Ivy bank.

This was the only adult I noted.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Snipe
Wheatear
3 Raven
(John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Hobby
1 Sedge Warbler
3 Swift
2 Teal
1 Meadow Pipit
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Black Tern
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)