9 Sep 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 15.0°C: Clear start and calm. Patchy low cloud soon arrived. Cloud lifted somewhat with a few breaks as a light, and later a moderate, south-easterly breeze picked up. Mostly very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:34 BST

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 09:20

(217th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- five visiting Mute Swans throughout. The resident cob visited these five grouped together but gave no chase, just raising his wings and then paddling away again.
- no obvious juvenile Great Crested Grebes seen and no juvenile begging calls heard. Only five birds noted.
- a Common Sandpiper noted c.06:45. Not thereafter
- c.15 Barn Swallows and c.10 House Martins were hunting insects along the South side.
- still a large count of Chiffchaffs, some singing away undeterred by the chilly start.
- no fly-over Pied Wagtails and none on the football field. A few Black-headed Gulls were on the football field c.06:50 so there must have been some food available.
- the low number of over-flying Jackdaws continues. Puzzling.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 31 Greylag Geese: inbound together
- 23 Wood Pigeons only
- 1 Herring Gull
- 21 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 8 Jackdaws
- 144 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- *7 Mute Swans
- 11 (♂?) Mallard
- 11 Moorhens
- *138 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper: departed?
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorant: one arrived and departed; another arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived 06:05

Hirundines etc. noted:
- *c.15 Barn Swallows
- c.10 House Martins

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 22 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcaps

On the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:

Nothing noted
Cool with all the poles heavily dew-covered.

Noted elsewhere:

Butterflies:
- Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

Moths:
- none

Bees, wasps, etc.:
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Flies:
- *Muscid fly Azelia nebulosa or similar
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

Mammals:
- 2 pipistrelle-type bats

The so-called Blood Moon does not look bloody here. About 36 hours after it was a full moon it looks almost round though the craters visible at the bottom of the view indicate it is already being slightly cross-lit.

Looking south-west from the dam with the moon reflected in the water. The bright area on the horizon is light pollution from the town which is reflecting a discharge, perhaps water vapour, perhaps not, from one of the factory units in Stafford Park.

 The sun attempting to rise through the mist and low cloud.

Three of the visiting Mute Swans feeding among one of the rafts of Coots on the plentiful supply of weed.

One of many Barn Swallows feeding low over the water. The angle of the sun was wrong and I could not get a better angle as the reeds are too tall.

The birds were diving down to pluck insects off the surface of the water.

A good trick if you can do it: fly the right way up and twist your neck through almost 180 degrees!

 "What big eyes your have".

The best of a mediocre bunch.

This seems to be the Muscid fly Azelia nebulosa or similar. There are seven species in the genus and, as so often, a microscope and the identification key is needed to determine the identity. A. nebulosa is the only one illustrated in NatureSpot which may be relevant.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths: [45 species here before today; no addition]
none

Flies:
no moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
5 midges of various species only

Arthropods:
2 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:25

(211th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- as usual probably more geese inside the island.
- *the duck Mallard with her four well-grown ducklings still together.
- a duck Common Teal still present.
- a low count of Tufted Duck – just eight with only two of them apparently drakes.
- always difficult to be sure with the submarine Great Crested Grebes but apparently six adults and only three (now independent) juveniles.
- *one Cormorant present when I arrived: two separate duos flew in.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 67 Canada Geese
- 8 Greylag Geese
- 8 Mute Swans
- *36 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Common Teal
- 8 (2?♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 Moorhens
- 70 Coots
- 6 + 3 (? broods) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- *5 Cormorants: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 1 Chevron Grass Moth Agriphila geniculea [previously Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]
- *1 Light Emerald Campaea margaritaria

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

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- none

The Mallard family with mum right centre. Bottom right looks to be a boy with the pale bill while the lower left looks to be a girl with the brown side to her bill.

A typically unkempt-looking Cormorant about to splash down. Cormorants have loose feathering and as they land the airflow "stalls" over the wings lifting these loose feathers. I am not sure whether the Coot is merely watching or apprehensive.

A Light Emerald moth Campaea margaritaria too high up a street lamp pole for a decent photo. I noted one in the area back in mid-June. This is an individual from the second generation.

Undercarriage lowered as this Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum prepares to land on the flowers. I suppose that is its right antenna at a strange angle and catching the light. It does look strange.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Shovelers
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
Possible Yellow-legged Gull
Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Teal
4 Swifts
1 Sedge Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

8 Sep 25

No sightings in today

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2013
Priorslee Lake
Adult winter Mediterranean Gull
(J Reeves)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 juvenile Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

7 Sep 25

No sightings in today

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2013
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
3 Shoveler
Green Sandpiper
Tawny Owl
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Wrekin
Firecrest
(J Shutt)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Snipe
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

6 Sep 25

No sightings in today

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2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
2 Yellow Wagtails
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Spotted Flycatcher
(Ed Wilson)

5 Sep 25

No sightings in today

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2013
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Yellow-legged Gull
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson))

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

4 Sep 25

No sightings in today

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2012
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson/ John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
2 Hobby's chasing Swallows and martins
1 Common Redstart
2 Meadow Pipits - first autumn birds
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Teal
14 Cormorants
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
Hobby chasing Swallows
1 Wheatear
2 Raven
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Little Egret
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
2 Swifts
1 Meadow Pipit - first autumn bird
(Ed Wilson)

3 Sep 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

14.0°C > 16.0°C: Cloudy until I was about to depart. Early light rain; then dry for a while before drizzle, mist and murk descended c.07:45. Began to break after 10:00. Light easterly breeze. Very good visibility except during drizzle and mist when poor.

Sunrise: 06:24 BST

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

I am about to have (yet) another few days off while I visit my 91 year-old cousin on the South Coast.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 09:00

(216th visit of the year)

Highlight today was at least one Swift on a very late date for the species. One was over my head above the North wood at 06:35 intermittently visible between the tree tops. It is possible there was more than one bird. By the time I had a view across the tops of the trees none was visible.

Bird notes:
- two visiting Mute Swans throughout, occasionally chased by the residents.
- no arrival of otherwise inbound geese. The number of, especially Greylags, seen at The Flash suggests they took an alternative flight-path back.
- 22 Mallard counted. Again they were scattered about and difficult to keep track of.
- general opinion on the unidentified small duck from the previous two days is a Common Teal and likely an immature bird.
- nine Barn Swallows were hunting insects along the South side before rising high in to the sky and flying off South. Later another three were seen heading South.
- no House Martins seen or heard.
- another very large count of Chiffchaffs, some singing away undeterred by the rain and drizzle.
- no fly-over Pied Wagtails. Instead there were 14 on the football field c.06:45. I assume the recent rain, little as there has been, was enough to bring some insects to the surface.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 12 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 50 Greylag Geese: outbound in three groups
- 57 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 29 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 14 Jackdaws
- 159 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Mute Swans
- 22 (♂?) Mallard
- 10 Moorhens
- 148 adult and juvenile Coots
- 5 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- c.40 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived 05:50; not seen after 06:10

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Swift at least: see highlight
- 12 Barn Swallows

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- *27 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (1) Blackcaps again

Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:

Moths:
- *2 Common Grass-moths Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
- *1 $ Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea: moth species #88 for me here this year

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *1 small ichneumon / braconid wasp.

Four-winged flies etc.:
- *1 Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum

Flies:
- *1 Muscid fly Phaonia pallida

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- all sheltering!

Noted elsewhere:
In the circumstance I was surprised to see anything!

Moths:
- *1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana

Mammals:
- 2 pipistrelle-type bats

A few of the drake Mallards are beginning to look like drake Mallards as they moult in to breeding plumage. Ducks pair up in the Autumn. Drake Mallard retain the yellow bill, somewhat faded, during the annual moult.

I noted 27 Chiffchaffs around the lake, many singing. Most were working the foliage hunting for morsels. This is as good as it got otherwise. The bill shape is distinctive as is the pose.

The reeds alongside the dam have been flattened by wind and rain, as have most of the other reeds. I cannot blame the Reed Warblers for having departed. We may possibly still see the odd migrant passing through.

A Common Nettle-tap moth Anthophila fabriciana. The only insect I found after the drizzle set-in.

A Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella sits alongside what looks to be half a spider! Most odd.

I believe this moth to be a Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea. Obsidentify was 90% sure it is a Tufted Oak Knot-horn Acrobasis tumidana which would have been fitting. The West Midlands Moths web site notes that there is but a single record of this species - from Bodenham in Herefordshire and almost certainly from the garden of a mothing and birding friend of mine who, I am sad to say, died a few days ago.

The small ichneumon / braconid wasp I found on a street lamp pole pre-dawn (and pre- the rain!).

Another male Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum.

This is the Muscid fly Phaonia pallida. Not very "pallid" I would have thought.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths: [45 species here before today; no addition]
none

Flies:
*1 Limonid cranefly, just possibly Austrolimnophila ochracea
*1 male mosquito likely Culex pipiens
1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
3 midges of various species only

Arthropods:
3 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
*1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
*2 unidentified spiders

Its delicate nature suggests this a Limonid cranefly. Many species on the NatureSpot web site are not shown at this angle. The best match to this narrow-necked and round-headed cranefly is perhaps Austrolimnophila ochracea. But...

A male mosquito: it is hard to be sure but it does not look to be banded on the abdomen or legs so is likely a Culex pipiens.

Me and my Shadow: a Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata.

An unidentified spider devouring a small insect with patterned wings. I will never know.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:05 – 10:10

(210th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- probably more geese inside the island. The Greylag Geese were all present when I arrived. Most of the Canada Geese flew in accompanied by a Canada x Greylag Goose. I only saw this from a distance before it went inside the island. My impression is that it was the same individual seen at the Balancing Lake recently.
- eight or nine Mute Swans. One or more always seemed to hiding behind the island whenever I checked.
- *a duck Common Teal flushed out of the top end.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Noted on / around the water:
- 35 Canada Geese
- 72 Greylag Geese
- *1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 8 (or 9?) Mute Swans
- 33 (?♂) Mallard
- *1 (0♂) Common Teal
- 16 (11?♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens again
- 90 adult and juvenile Coots
- 4 + 5 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- none: most odd considering the numbers recorded at the Balancing Lake

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 Chevron Grass Moth Agriphila geniculea [previously Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]

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

Plants:
- *Niger Guizotia abyssinica [Niger-seed]
- *Water Mint Mentha aquatica

On the right the Canada x Greylag Goose.

A duck Common Teal showing white on the side of her tail.

One of the local Carrion Crows with a few white feathers in its back.

Not as extensively white as on many individuals, especially juveniles. Although Rooks seem to be superficially similar it is apparently unknown for that species to show white feathers. Rooks also differ in having glossy plumage (as well as a very differently-shaped beak).

A flower I cannot recall ever seeing before: it is Niger Guizotia abyssinica, or as Obsidentify calls it Niger-seed. I found this at the water's-edge. It probably propagated from bird-food seed dropped by a passing bird.

Looking somewhat bedraggled is one of the last flowers of Water Mint Mentha aquatica. The leaves are still very strongly scented if you tread on them.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Nedge Hill
2 Yellow Wagtails
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2 Sep 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

10.0°C > 13.0°C: A few medium-level clouds early with low cloud and mist rolling in soon after. Began to break after 09:15 with some sunny periods developing. Light south- easterly breeze. Very good visibility until the low cloud and mist arrived: poor at times, clearing again.

Sunrise: 06:23 BST

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 09:10

(215th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- four visiting Mute Swans early. Another two arrived and then four departed.
- today's arrival of otherwise inbound geese comprised just six Canadas, 26 Greylags and the hybrid Canada x Greylag Goose.
- 24 Mallard counted but again there was much flying about and some birds leaving to and arriving (back?) from the East.
- the as yet unidentified small duck was seen again, albeit very briefly as it emerged from lakeside vegetation only to dive back in before I could photograph it.
- a tight group of 18 Feral Pigeons flying West seemed to be nothing to do with the resident birds around the estate. Seems an odd date for them to be Racing Pigeons.
- no more than eight Barn Swallows were hunting insects along the South side.
- at least seven House Martins were at the base of the low cloud c.06:45 and may or may not have included the trio over the football field c.09:15.
- the Rook passage was unusual too: 73 flew over c.05:55 in three silent groups. It was ten minutes before the balance of 136 started to cross and many of these, in scattered groups, were calling.
- the Chiffchaffs made it seem like Spring. I could sometimes hear as many as three singing all around me.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 72 Canada Geese: four outbound together; 15 flew North in the mist; 53 flew inbound in four groups
- 87 Greylag Geese: 57 outbound in three groups; 30 inbound together
- 13 Feral Pigeons together: see notes
- 95 Wood Pigeons
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 41 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 25 Jackdaws
- 207 Rooks
- 4 Pied Wagtails again

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: arrived as two trios, the first along with...
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose and...
- 26 Greylag Geese
- *up to 8 Mute Swans: of these two arrived and then four departed
- 28 (♂?) Mallard: see notes
- 1 unidentified dabbling duck again
- 11 Moorhens
- 145 adult and juvenile Coots
- 5 + 3 (1? brood) Great Crested Grebes
- *c.55 Black-headed Gulls
- *3 Herring Gulls
- *1 possible first-winter Caspian Gull
- *1 possible first-winter Yellow-legged Gull
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Grey Heron: one arrived 05:40; one departed 07:10 with one remaining
- *1 Cormorant: arrived

Hirundines etc. noted:
- *c.8 Barn Swallows
- >7 House Martins: see notes

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- no Cetti's Warbler
- 23 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (1) Blackcaps

Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- *3 Common Grass-moths Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
- *1 Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa

Flies:
- *1 Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- several unidentified spiders with only parts sticking out of cracks in the street furniture.

Noted elsewhere:
It had not significantly brightened up before I departed.

Butterflies:
- none

Moths:
- none

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
- European Hornet Vespa crabro

Hoverflies:
- none

Damsel-/Dragonflies
- none

Other Flies:
- *probable Bright Four-spined Legionnaire Chorisops nagatomii
- *Muscid fly Coenosia tigrina or similar
- a few other unidentified flies

Bugs:
- none

Beetles:
- *7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

Plants:
- *capsules hiding seeds of the Spindle-tree Euonymus europaeus

Mammals:
- no bats seen

As the mist rolls in the last of the sunrise disappears.

The resident cob Mute Swan (closest to the camera) chasing six of the visiting birds. A few Black-headed Gulls watch.

Four of the visitors were put to flight and departed.

One of the two visitors that stayed is here trying to escape the advancing cob.

A Black-headed Gull in transition from juvenile to first-winter plumage. Some of the brown-centred feathers on its back have been replaced by pale grey feathers and only a hint of brown on the nape remains.

Translucent inner primaries on this first winter gull identify it as a Herring Gull.

Same here but...

This may or may not be the same bird from above. It looks very pale for a Herring Gull and are there enough pale inner primaries? And does it have a small pale tip to its bill or could it be a feather stuck there after it had been preening.

I can make a good case for this being a Caspian Gull but gulls are still a challenge. It is not a Herring Gull or a Yellow-legged Gull as there is too little pale on the inner primaries. It is not a Lesser Black-backed Gull as the secondary coverts are too pale and the tail band is not neat-enough. One positive pointer to Caspian are the two dark feathers at the base of the back. But is the head white-enough?

Now is this one a Yellow-legged Gull? The inner primaries are paler but so extensively so as on a Herring Gull. The secondary coverts are too dark for a Herring Gull. The tail band is a mess and does more to hinder identification than help!

A probable first winter Cormorant, very pale on the breast and belly. I am not sure I expected to see the yellow under the base of the bill on a bird of this age.

Today's photo of a Barn Swallow – an adult male judging by the long tail-streamers.

A Common Marble moth Celypha lacunana covered in dew. Earlier in the year this species was always flushed from vegetation during the day. My last two records have been of individuals on street lamp poles pre-dawn.

A Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella typically with the wings tightly wrapped around such that from the "wrong" side the way the cream stripe characteristically splits in to three fingers is obscured.

Yet another Square-spot Rustic moth Xestia xanthographa. About time there was another of the many other Noctuid family possibilities.

On the fence alongside Teece Drive I found this probable Bright Four-spined Legionnaire fly Chorisops nagatomii. The head is not yellow as it appears here: it is metallic green and is catching the sun. There are two very similar species (aren't there always) and this has "more extensive yellow on the abdomen" which would be more helpful if I knew what the alternative looked like!

This small (note the spots of dew) fly is likely to be the Muscid fly Coenosia tigrina or similar.

A Spotted-winged Drosophila fly Drosophila suzukii. Only the males have the dark tips to their wings. A species likely to appear through much of the Autumn and Winter on the street lamp poles.

A 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata. Indeed almost certainly the one I photographed on this same leaf yesterday.

The orange capsules are hiding seeds of this Spindle-tree Euonymus europaeus. They will split open when ripe.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths: [45 species here before today; no addition]
none

Psocids – booklice:
*1 presumed Trichadenotecnum sexpunctata

Flies:
*5 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
3 midges of various species only

Arthropods:
*4 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
2 unidentified spiders

I have almost certainly seen this insect here previously and I made a particular effort to improve on earlier photos. Obsidentify gave the suggestion of Trichadenotecnum sexpunctatum. This is not in Naturespot so it needed some digging on the web. It does look a good match. It is therefore one of the Psocids better(?) known as booklice:

One of the many moth flies Psychodidae sp. that I find on the wall of the tunnel. 100 or so species, none separable without a microscope and genitalia examination.

A White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger. At the moment all the specimens I see are small.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15

(209th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- probably more geese inside the island.
- only nine Mute Swans. I managed to read the blue Darvic rings on two of them - *7JSS and 7JXV. These two seemed to be together.
7JSS was originally ringed in Worcestershire but was given a blue Shropshire ring in 2016. She was the pen breeding at the Balancing Lake for many years until her partner met an untimely and mysterious end in April and she was forced out by a newly arriving pair.
7JXY was an abandoned cygnet born in 2022 and taken in to care by Cuan. It was released at Cosford only to be rescued again when it grounded on the M54. I do not know the sex of this bird. It has been here since at least May.
Thanks to Martin Grant for the swan information.
- I did not seen the adult Mallard with her four ducklings.
- some of yesterday's Tufted Duck gone again. I wonder where they go.
- five Cormorants at least.
- two Grey Herons.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 122 Canada Geese
- 9 Greylag Geese
- 9 Mute Swans
- 26 (?♂) Mallard
- 13 (>8♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 85 adult and juvenile Coots
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes: where were the others?
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- *5 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff again
- 2 (0) Blackcaps

Noted around the area:
Strangely the Ivy here is less advanced than some of that at the Balancing Lake. There are no Ivy flowers here as yet.

Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]

Flies:
- 1 Greenbottle Lucilia sp.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *3 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

The easiest way to read Mute Swan's rings when they are paddling is to use the camera!

What a mess. I had to take this photo so I could study it and determine how many Cormorants there were. Five. The preening and apparently headless white-breasted immature on the left is the hardest to identify. Earlier I had seen one fishing in the water but that could well have hauled itself out and be one of these.

A young bird in a dark recess. It is just about identifiable by looking at the throat which reveals...

... a juvenile Robin moulting in to adult plumage. So long as it is "spotty" it will be left alone by adults. It is the red on the breast that triggers the attack response to a bird entering another's established territory. The question arises as to how two birds get together to mate without killing each other. I have never seen a satisfactory explanation.

"Three wheels on my wagon and I keep rolling along"! Not much fun when you started out with eight. A harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus. Unlike many spider species harvestmen cannot regrow lost legs.

(Ed Wilson)

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2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
c.65 House Martins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
Swifts
(Ed Wilson)