3 Mar 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 8.0°C: Medium-level overcast. Clearer to the East early and clearing from the West later. Light north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:52 GMT

* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 09:05

(48th visit of the year)

New bird species:
Two additions to my year list for here
- a Skylark flew East calling at c.08:20
- a Collared Dove flew North at c.08:40
This year's bird species count now #64.

Other bird notes:
- two pairs of Canada Geese supplemented by two singles arriving from the East.
- Mallard were flying around in all directions and impossible to track. The number quoted was the minimum seen.
- six Goosander noted: apparently five brownheads and an immature drake.
- seven Great Crested Grebe noted. Two pairs seen displaying.
- at least 175 Black-headed Gulls most of which came in a rush, briefly settled on the water in two squabbling groups after which many departed.
- the first (of four) Cormorants arrived at 06:30
- the usual Great (White Egret) was seen to fly in at 06:20. When one flew out West at 06:40 I assumed it had departed. Not so - must have been a second bird.
- I failed to reset my alarm to allow me to get to the Woodhouse Lane in time for the passage of Jackdaws and Rooks so had to look from the lake. So where were they? Even earlier?
- four Chiffchaffs noted again: all four singing though one was a "chiff-chiff-chiff-chiff".
- unusual was hearing a Tree Creeper singing.
- several groups of Siskins were heard overhead: none was noted in the trees.
- the Reed Bunting was singing from the South side again. So far I failed to see this bird. Seems to be hiding in the reeds

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: flew East together
- 2 (?♂) Goosander: flew SE 07:35
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 56 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 1 Jackdaw only
- 3 Rooks
- 1 Skylark
- 1 Pied Wagtail again
- several groups of Siskins

Counts from the lake area:
- *5 Canada Geese: of these a pair and a single departed
- 2 Mute Swans
- 14 (9♂) Mallard
- 13 (9♂) Tufted Duck again
- *6 (1?♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- >175 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult briefly
- 4 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great (White) Egrets: see notes

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

Moths:
- *3 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla
moth species #7 for me here 2026
- *1 Shoulder Stripe Earophila badiata
moth species #6 for me here 2026
- *1 Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria

Flies:
- *2 plumed midges

Springtails:
- *8+ springtails of 3+ species

Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
presumed same as yesterday: higher up same pole

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 possible Fencepost Jumping Spider Marpissa muscosa
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 other spider [not a Green Shore Crab]

Elsewhere:

Nothing of note

Note
After noting the moths on the street lamp poles at the Balancing Lake I decided to walk through the tunnel to The Flash and back, checking the tunnel and all the lamps etc. for moths: and finding none! What I did note:
- a pair of Mallard on the upper pool
- a drake Mallard in the Wesley Brook above the upper pool
I noted no Moorhens whereas when I did this walk 10 days or so ago there were two pairs disputing the lower pool and one pair on the upper pool. The vegetation around the lower pool has been extensively trimmed back and the approach is now very open.

Clear to the East, cloud overhead so a red sunrise.

Departing in formation are...

...two synchronised Canada Geese.

Even calling in unison.

Here is the Goosander that I think might be an immature drake. The head is still clearly brown. The breast is cleanly white and the folded wings have several white feathers which I don't think a female/brownhead should show.

I may well have caught the Treecreeper...

...actually singing (the tree leans! (perhaps not this much?)).

One of three Common Plume moths Emmelina monodactyla on the street lamp poles pre-dawn. In most species of plume moths both the forewings and hindwings consist of several lobes and these are held overlapping at rest. Note the hind legs are held parallel to the abdomen,

A most attractive moth: a Shoulder Stripe Earophila badiata here pre-dawn using the camera-flash....

...and here by natural light. The caterpillar feeds on roses.

A Dotted Border moth Agriopis marginaria. The straight median cross-line is the best clue to its identity and most of the dots on the border are indistinct to say the least. Note at the top of the photo there are two small springtails.

A male plumed midge. I find it very frustrating that I cannot get an identity for this species that I see so often.

Four springtails of three(?) species.

The best suggestion from Obsidentify for this was a Fencepost Jumping Spider Marpissa muscosa. There are very few decent photos of this species on the internet. It looks possible. Would be a new species for me.

On slightly safer ground I can say this is a Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. though which specific species requires detailed examination.

This is another spider I found on the poles. I am sure Obsidentify was wrong in suggesting it was a Green Shore Crab! I can't offer any alternative.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:30

(45th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- for a long while I thought just one Mute Swan. Then I noted a second bird inside the island looking to be building a nest.
- as at the Balancing Lake the Mallard were flying around and a challenge to count.
- the drake Pochard in almost the same spot in the water for its sixth day.
- Great Crested Grebe confused again. *What seemed to be an unwell immature was seen up against the Derwent Drive wall. A full-plumed adult bird was then seen and heard calling at the top end. Later I heard one calling at the bottom end and noted a full-plumed adult. I could see no bird at the top end not the sickly immature.
- single Chiffchaffs heard singing at both the top and bottom ends.
- the feeding station was quiet once more perhaps because there were three Grey Squirrels occupying the feeders. I briefly glimpsed a male Blackcap and two Siskins. Again there were many other *Siskins seen and heard in trees along the West side.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese
- still no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 28 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- *44 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 28 Coots again
- *2? Great Crested Grebes
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near?) adult, very briefly.

Around the area:

Nothing else of note

There was much chattering from the Tufted Duck today as if they are restless to be off to their northern breeding grounds. This looks to be a pair though it reality birds were moving around all the while. Drakes outnumber ducks as seems to be usual.

An unhappy-looking Great Crested Grebe.

No better from this angle as it peers at me. It looks soggy. It hadn't rained for some hours. Does that suggest it is well-enough to dive for food?

Very smart. A Great Tit: I think a male – they have the wider "zip" down the belly. Not 100% possible to be sure from this angle.

A male Chaffinch apparently training to be an entrant in the equivalent of Mr. Universe. No idea why it looks so puffed up.

Since one of my readers thinks there are no feeders around The Flash I took some photos of Siskins on Alders. Here a male.

A female.

Well that's not very friendly. At least it shows the streaking on the flanks extends to the vent.

That's better.

Distant plane of the day. It is a Van's RV-8 kit-built aircraft owned by a Shrewsbury company called Cuban 8 Consultancy. Cuban 8 is an aerobatic manoeuvre making a figure eight set vertically. The aircraft (nice paint-job) flies out of Sleap Airfield near Wem and was on its way there, apparently from Manston in Kent.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Caspian Gull
1 Iceland Gull
(Tom Lowe)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Iceland Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
6 Gadwall
33 Pochard
71 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
11 Mute Swans
10 Tufted Ducks
1 Iceland
1 Glaucous Gull
(Ed Wilson, Mike Cooper)