14.0°C > 18.0°C: Mostly cloudy with a few brighter interludes. Light / moderate westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:21 BST
* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:50– 06:10 // 07:10 – 09:45
(167th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- fewer geese on the water first thing, probably because the sailing club disturbed them yesterday. 13 Canada Geese and three Greylag Goose all departed at c.05:20 leaving one Canada Goose behind. More of both species returned later. A few also flying over.
- the third Mute Swan present throughout again, still occasionally being put to flight by the resident cob but often left alone.
- *perhaps four part-grown Mallard ducklings from two broods noted.
- a single Tufted Duck was seen repositioning on the water c.05:30 but not noted at any other time.
- in addition to the previously noted three were juvenile dependent Coots there was at least one juvenile seen from a newer brood.
- *the first pair of Great Crested Grebes to hatch young now have a second brood: two seen on a parent's back but possibly more. All the other five juveniles seen.
- up to eight Swifts overhead much of the time after a lone bird seemed to power through c.05:20. Again a lone Sand Martin was with them: also a Barn Swallow and a House Martins. Four House Martins were see high over Teece Drive much earlier.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 28 Canada Geese: flew East in five groups
- 9 Greylag Geese: four flew East together; a single and two duos flew West
- 1 Herring Gull
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Feral Pigeons: a trio flew East
- 87 Wood Pigeons
- 97 Jackdaws
- 32 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- >62 Canada Geese: 14 departed together; one remained; much later 61 arrived in several groups
- >7 Greylag Geese: three departed together; later seven arrived in three groups
- 3 Mute Swans: the third throughout: see notes
- 45 (?♂) *Mallard again: see notes
- 1 (?♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 5 Moorhens
- 70 Coots: see notes
- 6 + 7? (4 broods) *Great Crested Grebes
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed: it, or another, arrived
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 8+ Swifts: see notes
- 1 Sand Martin
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 4+ House Martins: see notes
Warblers noted (no song):
- 7 Chiffchaffs
- 5 Reed Warblers
- 4 Blackcaps
Also noted:
Not much again in mostly cloudy conditions.
Butterflies:
- 4 Green-veined White Pieris napi
- 1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- 3 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
- 5 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
- 4 Green-veined White Pieris napi
- 1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- 3 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
- 5 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
Moths:
- 18 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
at least 11 other grass moths not specifically identified.
- 18 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
at least 11 other grass moths not specifically identified.
Bees, wasps etc.:
- Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- *Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- *Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *German Wasp Vespula germanica
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- *Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- *Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *German Wasp Vespula germanica
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
mostly singletons again
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
- *Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus
- *Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens [Pied Plumehorn; Great Pied Hoverfly]
- ! *Wasp Plumehorn Volucella inanis [was Lesser Hornet Hoverfly]
mostly singletons again
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
- *Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus
- *Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens [Pied Plumehorn; Great Pied Hoverfly]
- ! *Wasp Plumehorn Volucella inanis [was Lesser Hornet Hoverfly]
Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]: just one
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]: just one
True flies:
very few today just...
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *Muscid fly Phaonia tuguriorum
- *Awkward Clusterfly Pollenia rudis
and a few unidentified flies
very few today just...
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *Muscid fly Phaonia tuguriorum
- *Awkward Clusterfly Pollenia rudis
and a few unidentified flies
Bugs:
- *Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius
- *Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius
Beetles:
- *Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- *Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva: dead!
- *Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- *Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva: dead!
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
none
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Another totally blank morning.
I am still not sure what to make of these six Mallard. The bird on the right seems to be a part-grown duckling. Nearest the camera is an adult. The bird ahead of it looks to be another adult. The other three seem to be more advanced ducklings all from the same (but possibly different) brood. The puzzling thing is that I haven't seen any ducklings for over two weeks and clearly these are too young to have flown in. So where have they been? And are the ducklings really from two broods or is the smaller one a "runt" of the same brood?
Not quite so much of a Mallard puzzle. The bill colour of these two indicates they are both drakes but they look very different as they undertake their annual moult. Exactly what the right-most bird will look like when it completes its moult is hard to say.
Look carefully: there is the top of a head of a second juvenile Great Crested Grebe just visible on the parent's back. There could be more. The second brood for this pair with a lone survivor from the first brood now fully independent.
The slightly triangular shape to the yellow along the side of the thorax identifies this as a German Wasp Vespula germanica, here chewing the wood of the Teece Drive fence to build the colony's nest.
This a male Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta also known as a Long Hoverfly. The "twist-tail" is more evident from this angle.
This a Wasp Plumehorn Volucella inanis and not a Hornet Plumehorn V. zonaria because the three bands are all yellow. On Hornet Plumehorn the upper-band is orange as it is on a "real" Hornet Vespa crabro. My first this year.
This is the Muscid fly Phaonia tuguriorum. The bow in the leading edge of the wing identifies this from the genus Phaonia and the marking on the thorax identifies the species. Seems to be rubbing its hands with glee.
A common fly at the moment is Awkward Clusterfly Pollenia rudis best identified by the "golden?" hairs on the thorax.
A Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius. Frogs of course more crawl than hop but this species certainly does hop and the head-shape somewhat resemble that of a frog.
An Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni. Three years ago adults and larvae were everywhere. This year: decidedly uncommon.
Probably not having a rest. This is an ex-Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva. I did try turning it over for a different view but it dropped off the leaf in to the vegetation.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Obsidentify seemed sure this moth is a Peppered Grey Eudonia truncicolella . I am less sure and it would be a new species for me. I'll see what the Shropshire micromoth recorder has to say.
(165th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- certainly 16 Mute Swans.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
It is surprising how quickly the dark pigment fades as Black-headed Gulls moult in to Winter plumage.
Would you believe a Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius?
This a Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris. There used to be an allied species, White-tailed Bumblebee B. lucorum, which lacked any sign of colour between the white tail and the black of the abdomen. Latest thinking seems to be that this is down to individual variation within a single species and they should all be recorded as B. terrestris – this scientific identity having priority.
Another day of mostly singleton sightings of hoverflies. A female Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.
On a late-flowering bramble I found this Syrphus sp.
A Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens and...
...another!
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- 1 *possible Peppered Grey Eudonia truncicolella [was Ground-moss Grey]
- 1 *unidentified micromoth
- 1 *possible Peppered Grey Eudonia truncicolella [was Ground-moss Grey]
- 1 *unidentified micromoth
Flies:
- 3 midges only
- 1 female presumed Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum: is this dead?
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 3 midges only
- 1 female presumed Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum: is this dead?
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
Arthropods:
- none
- none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 3 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 3 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
Another moth I found in the tunnel. Both of them were sitting on the glass covering one of the strip lights that, sort of, illuminates the tunnel. Another to tax the recorder with!
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:15 – 07:05
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:15 – 07:05
(165th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- certainly 16 Mute Swans.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 39 Canada Geese
- 9 Greylag Geese
- 16 Mute Swans
- 21 (?♂) Mallard again
- 2 (?♂) Tufted Duck only
- 4 Moorhens
- 33 Coot only
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 *Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
Noted on / around the water:
- 39 Canada Geese
- 9 Greylag Geese
- 16 Mute Swans
- 21 (?♂) Mallard again
- 2 (?♂) Tufted Duck only
- 4 Moorhens
- 33 Coot only
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 *Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (no song):
- 1 Chiffchaff
- 2 Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Warblers noted (no song):
- 1 Chiffchaff
- 2 Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- 1 *Poplar Grey Subacronicta megacephala
- 1 *Poplar Grey Subacronicta megacephala
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
- 1 *female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
Plant:
- *Lords & Ladies Arum maculatum [Cuckoo Pint]
The Grey Heron surprised me by sitting on top of the small trees between the water and the footpath at the top end.
This moth is a Poplar Grey Subacronicta megacephala. I last saw this moth four years ago though it is not uncommon.
This harvestman is a female Leiobunum rotundum with the dark saddle extending parallel-sided most of the length of the body.
They look good-enough to eat. DON'T! All parts of the plant Lords & Ladies Arum maculatum (or Cuckoo Pint if you prefer) are poisonous to humans.
(Ed Wilson)
- *Lords & Ladies Arum maculatum [Cuckoo Pint]
(Ed Wilson)
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2006
Priorslee Lake
Redshank
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
Redshank
(Ed Wilson)