13.0°C > 21.0°C: Wall-to-wall blue, Somewhat hazy. Light south-easterly breeze. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 04:46 BST (as early as it gets)
* = 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: 04:50 – 06:05 // 07:20 – 09:50
(149th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the Common Peafowl (Peacock) was calling soon after dawn from what was the Telford campus.
- the Canada and Greylag goslings all still present and correct.
- both adult Mute Swans were away from the nest area and noted feeding together. Later the pen disappeared in to the hidden nest.
- *yesterday's duck Mallard with seven small ducklings had all seven again today. I did not see the mid-sized ducklings. The single very well-grown duckling was present.
- the duck Pochard still here.
- after today I will no longer separate adult and juvenile Coots. Some of the juveniles are now well-grown and independent and difficult to separate from adults.
- a Little Grebe heard yet again from North-side reeds.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 29 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- *19 (?♂) + 8 (2 broods) Mallard: see notes
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 4 Moorhens still
- 39 + 12 (6 broods) Coots
- 1 Little Grebe: heard only
- 5 + 2 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Hirundines etc. noted:
The duck Mallard and her seven ducklings forge a path through the blue-green algae covering most of the lake – the rest is covered in weed!
Still looking surprised though without the usual blue tone to the eyes is a Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella with its wings tightly wrapped around its body (to keep warm?!?)
Three moths new for the year on the street lamp poles around dawn and amazingly they appeared in species order. This is a Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria
And one that lives up to its name: a Snout Hypena proboscidalis. The only one of the trio that I recorded last year.
Another bee and sad to say I cannot even attempt to ascribe it to a particular family of bees. One for the Shropshire recorder.
One of the many Meadow Field Syrph hoverflies Eupeodes latifasciatus that seemed especially abundant today.
A fly for which I have managed to get an identity. The combination of black thorax and orange toned wings mean it is Minettia longipennis. "Longipennis" means "long-winged" and the wings do indeed extend well beyond the abdomen.
Two "answers on a postcard" specials today. Two insects here, the left-hand being an unidentified braconid or ichneumon wasp. The other insect foxed Obsidentify and Google Lens sent be down a rabbit hole looking at pages and pages of planthopper bugs on the iNaturalist web site looking for Tanypods (me neither). Well: Banded-leg Tanypod of Genus Ablabesmyia was close-ish!
The source of my orchid confusion. These two adjacent spikes look very different. I asked Obsidentify separately what each was. For the left-hand one it gave me "Common Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa form junialis (59%) or Southern Marsh-orchid D. praetermissa (35%)". For the right hand one it was sure it was a Common Spotted-orchid D. fuchsii (99%).
Aircraft of the day. This a Van's RV-7 kit-built plane built by the owner from the Nottingham area. It has been registered less than a year. I assume the paint scheme is "work in progress"!
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(149th visit of the year)
Bird notes
An unusual sight was a Ring-necked Parakeet seen flying fast (but don't they always) and noisily (but don't they always) South. My previous sighting in Shropshire was of a single bird that spent Christmas 2018 in to the New Year 2019 frequenting roofs in Derwent Drive. Bird species #72 for me here this year.
Other bird notes:
- only four adult Mute Swans remain
- only two Great Crested Grebes found doing a desultory display at the top end.
- the Great (White) Egret not seen.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Ring-necked Parakeet
- 8 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 122 Canada Geese
- 38 Greylag Geese
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- 4 Mute Swans
- 17 (?♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens again
- 22 + 5 (4 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- no House Martins
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (3) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
* = 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: 04:50 – 06:05 // 07:20 – 09:50
(149th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the Common Peafowl (Peacock) was calling soon after dawn from what was the Telford campus.
- the Canada and Greylag goslings all still present and correct.
- both adult Mute Swans were away from the nest area and noted feeding together. Later the pen disappeared in to the hidden nest.
- *yesterday's duck Mallard with seven small ducklings had all seven again today. I did not see the mid-sized ducklings. The single very well-grown duckling was present.
- the duck Pochard still here.
- after today I will no longer separate adult and juvenile Coots. Some of the juveniles are now well-grown and independent and difficult to separate from adults.
- a Little Grebe heard yet again from North-side reeds.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 29 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- *19 (?♂) + 8 (2 broods) Mallard: see notes
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 4 Moorhens still
- 39 + 12 (6 broods) Coots
- 1 Little Grebe: heard only
- 5 + 2 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 17 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers again
- 7 (6) Blackcaps
- no Garden Warbler
- no Common Whitethroat
Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 17 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers again
- 7 (6) Blackcaps
- no Garden Warbler
- no Common Whitethroat
Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
Moths:
*1 $ Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria [my moth species #44 here in 2025]
*1 $ Mottled Beauty Alcis repandata [my moth species #45 here in 2025]
*1 $ Snout Hypena proboscidalis [my moth species #46 here in 2025]
*1 $ Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria [my moth species #44 here in 2025]
*1 $ Mottled Beauty Alcis repandata [my moth species #45 here in 2025]
*1 $ Snout Hypena proboscidalis [my moth species #46 here in 2025]
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum
Noted later:
1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum
Noted later:
Butterflies:
*Large White Pieris brassicae
Green-veined White Pieris napi
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
*Large White Pieris brassicae
Green-veined White Pieris napi
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
Moths
4 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana
3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana
*2 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
*1 Latticed Heath Chiasmia clathrata
4 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana
3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana
*2 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
*1 Latticed Heath Chiasmia clathrata
Bees, wasps etc.:
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum
Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
*$$ possible Orange-vented Mason Bee Osmia leaiana
*two other unidentified bees
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
*unidentified braconid / ichneumon
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum
Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
*$$ possible Orange-vented Mason Bee Osmia leaiana
*two other unidentified bees
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
*unidentified braconid / ichneumon
Hoverflies:
Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
*Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
*Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella [Azure Bluet]
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
NB: again many of the damselflies were not specifically identified
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella [Azure Bluet]
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
NB: again many of the damselflies were not specifically identified
Lacewings:
lacewing Chrysopa perla
lacewing Chrysopa perla
Other flies:
*soldier fly Beris sp., perhaps Murky-legged Black Legionnaire B. chalybata
* $$ fly Minettia longipennis
Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus [Ferruginous Beegrabber]
plus
usual other boring and / or strange flies
*soldier fly Beris sp., perhaps Murky-legged Black Legionnaire B. chalybata
* $$ fly Minettia longipennis
Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus [Ferruginous Beegrabber]
plus
usual other boring and / or strange flies
Bugs:
* $$ er!? possible Banded-leg Tanypod of Genus Ablabesmyia
* $$ er!? possible Banded-leg Tanypod of Genus Ablabesmyia
Beetles:
Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
*$$ longhorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis
larvae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: many
pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: >10
Pollen Beetle Meligethes sp.
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis [False Oil Beetle or Thick-legged Flower Beetle]
Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
*$$ longhorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis
larvae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: many
pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: >10
Pollen Beetle Meligethes sp.
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis [False Oil Beetle or Thick-legged Flower Beetle]
Slugs, snails etc.:
White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
unidentified money spiders
unidentified money spiders
New flowers for the year:
None
Not a cloud to be seen and different atmospherics so no contrails either.
A Large White butterfly Pieris brassicae looking pristine.
Visually not dissimilar though in a different genus this is battered Mottled Beauty Alcis repandata.
Worth another photo: a Latticed Heath moth Chiasmia clathrata.
I am not sure about this bee. Obsidentify tells me it is an Orange-vented Mason Bee Osmia leaiana and it may be. Reference to my Field Guide to Bees fails to convince me it might not be one of the other Mason Bee species.
And another. Same remarks.
Did I say abundant?
Oh: I did.
This is a soldier fly from the Beris group, perhaps Murky-legged Black Legionnaire B. chalybata.
A new insect for me: the longhorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis with one wayward antenna.
My problem is that these are the leaves of the marsh-orchid which should not be spotted while...
...the leaves of the spotted-orchid aren't! I know that orchids freely hybridise but this is perverse.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
1 unidentified Noctuid moth
1 unidentified Noctuid moth
Flies
1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
24 midges of various species.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:10 – 07:15
1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
24 midges of various species.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:10 – 07:15
(149th visit of the year)
Bird notes
An unusual sight was a Ring-necked Parakeet seen flying fast (but don't they always) and noisily (but don't they always) South. My previous sighting in Shropshire was of a single bird that spent Christmas 2018 in to the New Year 2019 frequenting roofs in Derwent Drive. Bird species #72 for me here this year.
Other bird notes:
- only four adult Mute Swans remain
- only two Great Crested Grebes found doing a desultory display at the top end.
- the Great (White) Egret not seen.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Ring-necked Parakeet
- 8 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 122 Canada Geese
- 38 Greylag Geese
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- 4 Mute Swans
- 17 (?♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens again
- 22 + 5 (4 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- no House Martins
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (3) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Moths
1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana
*1 Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis [my moth species #31 here in 2025]
1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana
*1 Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis [my moth species #31 here in 2025]
Bees, wasps etc.:
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
*Common Spotted Field Syrph Eupeodes luniger [Lunuled Aphideater]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
*Common Spotted Field Syrph Eupeodes luniger [Lunuled Aphideater]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
Other flies:
Grouse Wing caddis fly Mystacides longicornis
plus numerous different midges and flies
Grouse Wing caddis fly Mystacides longicornis
plus numerous different midges and flies
Bugs:
none
none
Beetles:
larvae and pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
larvae and pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none
Obsidentify was not 100% sure about this moth and neither was I. But we both thought Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis was the most likely from a confusing group of very similar moths. The date favours the flight period of this species.
This is my first Common Spotted Field Syrph Eupeodes luniger at this site. Obsidentify's name of Lunuled Aphideater pays homage to the lunules (crescent-moon shapes) of the yellow marks as well as its voracious appetite for aphids.
The other "answers on a postcard" specials. None of my apps gave a sensible answer – Marmalade Hoverfly its isn't! The long legs perhaps suggest a cranefly but the head-shape is all wrong. Neither is it a scorpion fly though there does appear to be white might be a "sting" in the tail.
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Telford Town Centre
A singing Sedge Warbler by the entrance to the Blue Willow car park.
(Ed Wilson)
none
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2008
Telford Town Centre
A singing Sedge Warbler by the entrance to the Blue Willow car park.
(Ed Wilson)