Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash
9.0°C > 13.0°C: Clear skies to the East gradually replaced the medium-level cloud overhead and to the West. Moderate north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
9.0°C > 13.0°C: Clear skies to the East gradually replaced the medium-level cloud overhead and to the West. Moderate north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:36 BST
* = a species photographed today.
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:10 – 06:10 // 07:15 – 09:55
(110th visit of the year)
An addition to my 2025 bird list here was made when a pair of Shelduck arrived from the West at 05:40, made a low 180 over the water and departed to the West. Bird species #94 for me here this year.
Bird notes:
- the pair of Greylag Geese now with just four goslings.
- what seemed to be the same visiting pair of Mute Swans were present for about 10 minutes – certainly one was wearing an unread blue Darvic ring. The resident cob did not seem that interested in chasing them and they departed anyway.
- the pair of Gadwall did their 'appearing' trick again. On the south-west grass c.09:00
- the duck Pochard still present.
- *a pair of Oystercatchers were on the south-west grass by 05:55 and stayed until they noisily departed at 07:40.
- no fewer than five adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls were having a dispute on the football field at 06:00.
- what sounded like a begging juvenile Buzzard was calling from the Ricoh copse.
- *a female Peregrine was noted over at 08:30.
- one significant change with the warblers:
just one Sedge Warbler singing, this in yet another new location.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair outbound
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 4 Wood Pigeons only
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Peregrine
- 18 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese again
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 4 Mute Swans: see notes
- 2 (1♂) Shelduck, very briefly
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 4 Moorhens only again
- 25 + 12 (4 broods) Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes again
- *2 Oystercatchers: departed
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: on football field
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Sand Martin
- 6 Barn Swallows
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 18 (16) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 10 (10) Reed Warblers again
- 16 (14) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Garden Warbler again
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat again
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat again
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
none
none
Flies:
several different species of midge.
several different species of midge.
Spiders:
1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Noted later:
1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Noted later:
Butterflies:
none
none
Moths:
none
none
Bees, wasps etc.:
*Honey Bee Apis mellifera
*Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
*Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Nomad Bee species
*Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis
*Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
*Honey Bee Apis mellifera
*Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
*Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Nomad Bee species
*Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis
*Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
*possible Figwort Blacklet Cheilosia variabilis
*Spring Epistrophe Epistrophe eligans [Spring Smoothtail]
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
*Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
*$ Spotted Meliscaeva Meliscaeva auricollis [Spotted Thintail]
*Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
*Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus [Grey-spotted Sedgesitter or White-footed Hoverfly]
*Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
*$ Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens [Common Compost Fly]
*possible Figwort Blacklet Cheilosia variabilis
*Spring Epistrophe Epistrophe eligans [Spring Smoothtail]
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
*Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
*$ Spotted Meliscaeva Meliscaeva auricollis [Spotted Thintail]
*Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
*Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus [Grey-spotted Sedgesitter or White-footed Hoverfly]
*Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
*$ Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens [Common Compost Fly]
Alder Flies:
none
none
Other flies
*$ Green Parasite Fly Gymnocheta viridis
*$ Grass Fly or Yellow Swarming Fly Thaumatomyia notata
many unidentified flies
*$ Green Parasite Fly Gymnocheta viridis
*$ Grass Fly or Yellow Swarming Fly Thaumatomyia notata
many unidentified flies
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula
Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula
Beetles:
Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
New flowers for the year:
*Wood Avens Geum urbanum [seen at The Flash earlier]
*Yellow Flag Iris pseudacorus
*Red Clover Trifolium pratense
*Wood Avens Geum urbanum [seen at The Flash earlier]
*Yellow Flag Iris pseudacorus
*Red Clover Trifolium pratense
Sunrise such as it was.
The two (pair?) of Oystercatchers on the south-west grass at 05:55 with a Moorhen photo-bombing.
This is rather odd. I think this immature Cormorant was standing on its usual buoy which was gradually sinking!
A Peregrine Falcon. It seems a bulky bird which suggests it is a female.
She did not hang around.
This is a Honey Bee Apis mellifera. I saw a few at the end of March but none at all in April.
No pollen on the pollen sac as yet.
A cuddly-looking Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
A smart Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris on Ramsons [or Wild Garlic] Allium ursinum.
This Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis seems to have neck-ache. Actually it cleaning a leg with an antenna (or the other way around).
A Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris.
Now for some hoverflies. I think this is possibly a Figwort Blacklet Cheilosia variabilis. Obsidentify would not say: this ID from Google Lens which seems plausible.
A male Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax showing its very different abdomen shape.
A female Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus.
A female Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
A Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus.
The swollen hind femur and the pale area on the legs identify this as a Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens
On to "other flies". This hairy fly is a Green Parasite Fly Gymnocheta viridis. I do not know of what it is a parasite.
While this tiny fly is a Grass Fly or Yellow Swarming Fly Thaumatomyia notata.
Some idea of its size can be gauged from the veins in the leaf.
One of the easier craneflies: a Tiger Cranefly Nephrotoma flavescens . A female with an ovipositor.
My first Wood Avens flower Geum urbanum here. It was seen at The Flash a few days ago.
The first flowers of Red Clover Trifolium pratense have emerged since I checked yesterday. This species always flowers before White Clover T. repens and continues flowering later in the Autumn as well.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Flies
4 craneflies of at least two species (including *Nephrotoma quadrifaria and *Tipula lateralis)
6 midges of at least three species
4 craneflies of at least two species (including *Nephrotoma quadrifaria and *Tipula lateralis)
6 midges of at least three species
Spiders:
1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
This is the cranefly Nephrotoma quadrifaria
While this cranefly is Tipula lateralis. I did not ID the other two.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:15 – 07:10
(107th visit of the year)
Bird notes
A bird new species for my year list here was added when *c.6 Swifts were seen among a group of about 15 hirundines etc. over the bottom end trees at c.07:00. Birds species #68 for me here this year.
Other bird notes:
-* a surprise today was a pair of Greylag Geese with two goslings.
- *a drake Gadwall was a new arrival.
- the duck Mallard with ducklings was again keeping close to the island and hiding between tree-roots. Perhaps four ducklings?
- the number of Tufted Duck now very low.
- two Great Crested Grebes were together by the island when I arrived and moved to the top end. I could only see one on the water later. Perhaps the other was hiding underneath the overhanging trees?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese only
- *7 + 2 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan: the other resident presumed to be on the island.
- *1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 20 (18♂) + 4? (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard x ?
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens again
- 25 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Hirundines etc. noted:
- *c.6 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- c.6 House Martins
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 7 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (4) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
On street lamp poles:
Flies:
St Mark's Fly or Hawthorn Fly Bibio marci
*unknown flies
St Mark's Fly or Hawthorn Fly Bibio marci
*unknown flies
The Greylag Geese with their two goslings.
A drake Gadwall. No longer in pristine breeding plumage. His work is mainly done for the year.
This was one of my first Swifts here this year.
I cannot get an ID for this fly. A clear-enough photo...
(Ed Wilson)
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Wrekin
6 Tree Pipits
1 Wheatear
5 Pied Flycatchers
2 Common Redstarts
3 Wood Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Whimbrel
Grasshopper
5 Common Sandpiper
Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
Wrekin
1 Wood Warbler
1 Common Redstart
3 Tree Pipit
2 Pied Flycatcher
(J Reeves)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Common Sandpipers
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)