16 Sep 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

11.0°C > 13.0°C: None of the dense fog forecast. The low clouds did descend to the tops of the trees for a while. A few breaks developing. Very light northerly breeze. Mostly good visibility with a brief murky period.

Sunrise: 06:46 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 – 09:15

(200th visit of the year)

Two highlights today
- one or more Tawny Owls calling from the Ricoh wood at 05:25 and then heard from around the lower pool between the Balancing Lake and The Flash. I heard the wavering notes, the 'kvick' calls and the hoots. Sources seem to differ about which sex gives which calls. Many adamant that the hoots are the male and the 'kvick' calls are from the female. David Attenborough repeated this on the BBC's late-lamented "tweet of the day". More recent guides hedge their bets. All I can say is that I could never detect calls simultaneously from different locations.
- a duck Common Teal was by the boat launching platforms at c.08:45. My first of 2024 here and is bird species 100-up.

I was surprised to see the Great (White) Egret still present. I thought that yesterday's "taster session" by the sailing club might have created too much disturbance. Perhaps yesterday's rain meant there was little action.

Bird notes:
- the three extra Mute Swans were present early. At 07:15 all three took to the air for no obvious reason. A pair circled around and then left to the East. The other bird splashed down again. The residents appeared and chased it vigorously forcing it to take flight. It too left to the East at 07:35 and calm descended on the lake.
- a slightly lower Coot number is likely due to the misty conditions when I made the count.
- similarly the low cloud was likely obscuring some of the over-flying Jackdaws and Rooks.
- the Cetti's Warbler sang once properly from the North side at 06:25. It (could it be another) was again giving a spluttering half-song half-call at the West end c.09:00.
- a Blackcap was again heard sub-singing.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 68 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 58 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 184 Jackdaws
- 101 Rooks
- 7 Pied Wagtails

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler: see notes
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 10 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (1) Blackcaps
''nominal' warbler:
- 2 (0) Goldcrests

Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese: arrived together
- *5 > 3 > 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- 11 (9♂) Mallard
- *1 (0♂) Common Teal
- 1 (0♂) Tufted Duck
- *10 Moorhens
- 125 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 34 Black-headed Gulls: 181 on the football field c.06:50
- 16 Herring Gulls: none on the football field
- c.165 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: none on the football field
- 2 Grey Herons: one flew off 06:20
- *1 Great (White) Egret

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- None

Flies:
- 1 female Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii

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

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum

Sailing Club

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

Flies:
- *2 European Craneflies Tipula paludosa

Slugs, snails etc.:
- *1 Tawny Soil Slug Arion owenii
- *2 unidentified snails

Spiders:
- 41(!) spiders: most species not determined apart from:
- Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- *Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- *1 male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum / blackwalli

Noted later:
Dull and misty

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: adult

Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis

Fruits:
- *Lords & Ladies Arum maculatum [Cuckoo Pint]

The last remaining additional Mute Swan, er, evacuates the lake.

Luckily I did not need an umbrella.

A distant view of a duck Common Teal. Best identified at long range by the white flash along the side of her tail.

A species I am not able to capture in flight: an adult Moorhen.

 The Great (White) Egret. A few steps and it typically disappeared in the reeds.

It did briefly stand in the open. It was not there when I was standing on that fishing platform earlier.

It is not only The Flash that has (reasonably) friendly Robins.

A male European Cranefly Tipula paludosa. Unlike the female his wings are as long as his abdomen.

Today's slug on the wall of the sailing club HQ was a Tawny Soil Slug Arion owenii recognised by the parallel lines.

A snail I have not been able to identify. The contrast between the almost plain brown outer spiral and the heavily mottled inner spirals does not match any photos on the NatureSpot web site.

There were three on-going battles as I examined the walls of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn all involving a spider and a (crane) fly. The spider here is a Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata. Not sure about the cranefly's identity.

A male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum / blackwalli. One of its legs is covering the ocularium so preventing me identifying it further.

I am sure these Lords & Ladies Arum maculatum were not here yesterday!

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Flies:
- 10 plumed midges

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

Woodlice:
- Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber

Spiders:
- 4 spiders not specifically identified:

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:35

(203rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I could again find only two of the Mute Swan cygnets. Asking around did not provide any explanation.
- Mallard, especially drakes, back in force.
- Tufted Duck possibly under-recorded. Lots of diving amongst the Coots.
- Nine brownhead Goosanders were feeding in a raiding party while another six sat it out inside the island.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Jackdaws: together

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 28 Canada Geese: these all flew in. There should also have been the 'angel wing' flightless bird somewhere but I did not see it.
- 41 Greylag Geese: arrived together
- 4 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan: see notes
- 33 (26♂) Mallard
- 90 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 (0♂) Goosander
- 6 + 6 (4 broods) Moorhens
- 122 + 6 (2 dependent broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
With the sun beginning to break through a few things.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- *Common Drone Fly Eristalis tenax

Flies:
* only unidentified flies

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni: adults

Bugs:
- [where have all the Nettle Groundbugs Heterogaster urticae gone?]
- *11 Common Green Shieldbugs Palomena prasina: various instars and adults

Slugs, snails etc.:
- *1 Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- *1 spider Nigma walckenaeri
- 3 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

Flowers:
- *Sowbread Cyclamen hederifolium [Cyclamen]

A male (its eyes meet) Common Drone Fly Eristalis tenax.

There are always flies. This seems unusual in having a pale side to the thorax. Does not help me identify it.

One of 11 Common Green Shieldbugs Palomena prasina, this a late instar.

A snail I am (reasonably) confident to identify as a Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella. The sharp keel with a thin pale band around the outer whorl seems to be diagnostic. It also has an obvious spire.

This tiny (5mm [0.2"]) spider is Nigma walckenaeri. iNaturalist calls it Green Meshweaver. It is very common – but not easy to see.

NatureSpot calls this Sowbread Cyclamen hederifolium. I know it as a Cyclamen. Whether this a true wildflower or a garden escape is hard to say. Many of the garden varieties are Spring flowering so perhaps it is wild.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2013
Priorslee Lake
Ringed Plover
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Nuthatch
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)