10.0°C > 15.0°C: Broken cloud to start, clearer to the East. Lowering cloud from the West with rain after 10:00. Moderate southerly breeze. Very good visibility ahead of the rain.
Sunrise: 06:44 BST
* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 09:20
* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 09:20
(199th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- three extra Mute Swans still present again. One was chased and caught by the resident cob. He let it go and wandered off.
- the Great (White) Egret still present though for a large all-white bird it could be very elusive hiding in the reeds.
- rather fewer large gulls early today with bird moving through, not stopping any length of time. More flying directly over. Only a very small later arrival.
- the Cetti's Warbler was again giving a spluttering half-song half-call, today along the North side.
- a Blackcap was heard sub-singing.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 1 Stock Dove
- 41 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- c.90 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *8 Cormorants: together
- 352 Jackdaws
- 169 Rooks
- 1 Starling
- 6 Pied Wagtails
Hirundines etc. noted:
- House Martin(s) heard only
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 7 (4) Chiffchaffs yesterday's total should been 9 (4) and not 19 (4) as mistyped
- 3 (1) Blackcaps
''nominal' warbler:
- 1 (0) Goldcrest
Counts from the lake area:
- 10 Canada Geese: two departed: eight arrived in two groups
- 5 Mute Swans: see notes
- 11 (7?♂) Mallard
- 9 Moorhens
- 143 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Black-headed Gulls: 116 on the football field c.06:55; all gone by 07:00
- *13 Herring Gulls: none on the football field
- >275 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: none on the football field
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Bird notes:
- three extra Mute Swans still present again. One was chased and caught by the resident cob. He let it go and wandered off.
- the Great (White) Egret still present though for a large all-white bird it could be very elusive hiding in the reeds.
- rather fewer large gulls early today with bird moving through, not stopping any length of time. More flying directly over. Only a very small later arrival.
- the Cetti's Warbler was again giving a spluttering half-song half-call, today along the North side.
- a Blackcap was heard sub-singing.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 1 Stock Dove
- 41 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- c.90 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *8 Cormorants: together
- 352 Jackdaws
- 169 Rooks
- 1 Starling
- 6 Pied Wagtails
Hirundines etc. noted:
- House Martin(s) heard only
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 7 (4) Chiffchaffs yesterday's total should been 9 (4) and not 19 (4) as mistyped
- 3 (1) Blackcaps
''nominal' warbler:
- 1 (0) Goldcrest
Counts from the lake area:
- 10 Canada Geese: two departed: eight arrived in two groups
- 5 Mute Swans: see notes
- 11 (7?♂) Mallard
- 9 Moorhens
- 143 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Black-headed Gulls: 116 on the football field c.06:55; all gone by 07:00
- *13 Herring Gulls: none on the football field
- >275 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: none on the football field
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- None
- None
The Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba: seemed to have left – no sign it had been eaten by the man spiders
Flies:
- 1 male Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
- *1 cranefly Tipula confusa
- 1 male Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
- *1 cranefly Tipula confusa
Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 male and 1 female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
Sailing Club
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 male and 1 female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
Sailing Club
Around the outside of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *1 Copper Underwing agg. Amphipyra pyramidea agg.
- *1 Copper Underwing agg. Amphipyra pyramidea agg.
Flies:
- 1 European Cranefly Tipula paludosa
- 1 European Cranefly Tipula paludosa
Slugs, snails etc.:
- *1 presumed Tree Slug Lehmannia marginata
- *1 presumed Tree Slug Lehmannia marginata
Spiders:
- 34 spiders: species not determined apart from:
- *Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
Noted later:
- 34 spiders: species not determined apart from:
- *Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
Noted later:
Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Other Flies:
- *Grouse Wing caddis fly Mystacides longicornis
- *Muscid fly Phaonia pallida
- *Ensign fly Sepsis sp.
other unidentified flies
- *Grouse Wing caddis fly Mystacides longicornis
- *Muscid fly Phaonia pallida
- *Ensign fly Sepsis sp.
other unidentified flies
Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: adult
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: pupae cases
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: adult
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: pupae cases
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
- *either Kentish Snail Monacha cantiana or Hairy Snail Trochulus hispidus
- *probable Strawberry Snail Trochulus striolatus
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
- *either Kentish Snail Monacha cantiana or Hairy Snail Trochulus hispidus
- *probable Strawberry Snail Trochulus striolatus
Amphibians:
- *Smooth Newt Lissotriton vulgaris [a photo courtesy of one of the fishermen]
- *Smooth Newt Lissotriton vulgaris [a photo courtesy of one of the fishermen]
Fungi:
- *Blushing Bracket Daedaleopsis confragosa
- *Blushing Bracket Daedaleopsis confragosa
I was not in a good position to get these fiery clouds reflected in the lake.
This is the sunrise later as seen by my camera.
And taken at the same time on my phone.
An immature Herring Gull. The pale base to the bill gives its age as second winter.
Eight Cormorants pass overhead in a typical ragged line.
A poor photo. But as it is a photo of that arch skulker, Cetti's Warbler, perhaps it is not so bad after all.
The only hoverfly I saw was this smart Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus.
This small (as in 7 mm [0.25"]) fly is the Muscid fly Phaonia pallida.
An even smaller (as in 2-3 mm [0.1"]) fly. It is an Ensign fly in the genus Sepsis showing a single dark mark in each wing. Males of different species have different ornamentation on their front legs. This must be a female and they need capture for microscopic examination.
An Autumn-flying cranefly with marbled dark and pale wings. This is Tipula confusa.
A female European Cranefly Tipula paludosa.
The empty pupa case of a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis.
"I'm coming to get you".
Here with its best leg forward is a male Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
This is a male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum. It is the camera flash that makes it looks as if the ocularium (the eye surround) look pale.
And this is the female of the species with the parallel-sided dark saddle on her longer body.
Its that time of year: fungus time. I think Blushing Bracket Daedaleopsis confragosa.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Flies:
- 5 plumed midges
- 5 plumed midges
Centipedes & Millipedes:
- 12 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
- 12 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders:
- 3 spiders not specifically identified:
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:10
(202nd visit of the year)
Visit cut short by the arrival of rain.
Bird notes:
- Canada Goose numbers probably under-recorded. Several groups arrived as I was in mid-count of the Tufted Ducks
- I only noted two of the Mute Swan cygnets. One has been wandering off some days. Perhaps it was somewhere
- the drake Wigeon not found.
- another low count of Mallard: where do they go?
- Goosanders again today.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
As they search for somewhere to splash down on the crowded water they sometimes perform spectacular aerobatics. The top one has turned upside-down though its head is screwed the right way up.
(Ed Wilson)
- 3 spiders not specifically identified:
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:10
(202nd visit of the year)
Visit cut short by the arrival of rain.
Bird notes:
- Canada Goose numbers probably under-recorded. Several groups arrived as I was in mid-count of the Tufted Ducks
- I only noted two of the Mute Swan cygnets. One has been wandering off some days. Perhaps it was somewhere
- the drake Wigeon not found.
- another low count of Mallard: where do they go?
- Goosanders again today.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Hirundines etc. noted:
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
'nominal' warbler:
- no Goldcrests
Noted on / around the water:
- *c.175 Canada Geese: see notes
- 4 + 2? (1 brood) Mute Swan: see notes
- 9 (5♂?) Mallard
- 104 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 (0♂) Goosander
- 3 + 6 (4 broods) Moorhens
- 120 + 6 (2 dependent broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
**rain stopped play
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
'nominal' warbler:
- no Goldcrests
Noted on / around the water:
- *c.175 Canada Geese: see notes
- 4 + 2? (1 brood) Mute Swan: see notes
- 9 (5♂?) Mallard
- 104 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 (0♂) Goosander
- 3 + 6 (4 broods) Moorhens
- 120 + 6 (2 dependent broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
**rain stopped play
Beetles:
- >5 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: adult
- >5 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: adult
Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 3 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 3 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
A group of Canada Geese illuminated against the incoming rain cloud.
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2013
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
9 Ravens
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Mallard x Pintail
Raven
2 Sand Martin
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
100+ hirundines
31 Pied Wagtails
Redwing
14 Chiffchaffs
7 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
9 Ravens
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Mallard x Pintail
Raven
2 Sand Martin
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
100+ hirundines
31 Pied Wagtails
Redwing
14 Chiffchaffs
7 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)