9 Sep 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

12.0°C > 13.0°C: A medium overcast start. A few breaks after 07:30 with sunny periods after 09:00. Fresh north-westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:34 BST

* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 09:10

(194th visit of the year)

Generally quiet: Mondays often are, presumably due to the extra disturbance of the weekend.

Bird notes:
- many more Black-headed Gulls (almost all adults): many fewer large gulls.
- Wrens were unusually quiet today. I normally use their first songs as a marker to look out for the passing Jackdaws and Rooks. Not this morning. It was 07:25 before I heard the first song. I only noted three birds singing / calling. Normally I would hear double figures any day, many more during the breeding season.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 4 Canada Geese: quartet inbound
- 37 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 97 Jackdaws
- 86 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 13 Barn Swallows: two flew South 07:40; 11 flew West together 07:50

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 8 (3) Chiffchaffs
''nominal' warbler:
- 1 (0) Goldcrest

Counts from the lake area:
- 63 Canada Geese: arrived in five groups, most from the East by the early time of 06:40
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived with a group of Canadas
- 2 Mute Swans
- no Mallard (or any other ducks)
- 8 Moorhens
- 134 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- c.65 Black-headed Gulls: also 282 counted on the football field c.07:00
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba

Flies:
- 1 plumed midge
- *1 !!Lauxaniid fly Minettia longipennis

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

Feedback: the micro-moth I photographed on one of the street lamp poles on Saturday is most likely one of the many Phyllonorycter species, most easily separated be the leaf mines of the larvae and certainly not from the rather faded and battered specimen in the photo. Thanks to the Shropshire recorder for trying!

Sailing Club HQ

Around the outside of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:

Spiders:
- 26 spiders: all bouncing around in wind-blown webs. They don't get sea-sick then!

Noted later:
In often dull and windy conditions I saw nothing apart from:

Moths:
- *Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Other Flies:
- *!!Bright Four-spined Legionnaire Chorisops nagatomii
other unidentified flies

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: adults

Molluscs:
- *Copse Snail Arianta arbustorum
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis

Fungus
- *unidentified fungus?

Not at a very helpful angle is this Common Nettle-tap moth Anthophila fabriciana.

A Large Yellow Underwing moth Noctua pronuba. It is a species that used to be caught in large numbers (>100 per night at this time of year) by those operating moth traps. It is now much-declined. I have never found many attracted to the street lamps here. This is my fifth in ten years.

This looks to be a Bright Four-spined Legionnaire Chorisops nagatomii. NatureSpot describes the similar Dull Four-spined Legionnaire C. tibialis as a small (4mm), slender fly with a metallic green thorax, and black and tan banded legs. It does not mention our species.

Obsidentify seems to have been correct as Steven Falk's Flickr entry describes it as "the scarcer of our two Chorisops species, distinguished from C. tibialis by its more extensively yellow tergites (especially in the female)", a feature evident here.

This fly seems to be Minettia longipennis. NatureSpot's description of it as a "black fly and orange-tinted wings that are considerably longer than the body and have a black base" matches as do the accompanying photos. A new[ly identified] species for me.

A smart Copse Snail Arianta arbustorum.

Fungus? I noted a number of these circular patterns on leaves today. I cannot get any identity for them. Fungus? or leaf mines of a fly?

Planes of the day. This is a Westland-built SNIAS SA 341C Gazelle HT.2 operated by The Gazelle Squadron Display Team in the last livery applies when in Royal Navy service. The 'CU' code on the tail refers to Royal Navy Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose, also known as HMS Seahawk. Demobbed military aircraft that operate in period livery are exempt from displaying their civil registration. I identified this as appropriately registered G-ZZLE from flight trackers, the helicopter's transponder uses the civil identity.

This is another Gazelle, this one painted in Army camouflage. I cannot get the specific identity for this because, as usual, when aircraft are in close formation only one will have its transponder active. These two were returning from performing at The International Ayr Show – Festival of Flight along the shore-front at Ayr. The participating aircraft used nearby Prestwick Airport as their base. The Gazelle Squadron are based near Wantage.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- *1 Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata

Flies:
- *4 plumed midges

Centipedes & Millipedes:
- 4 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger

Woodlice:
*1 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber

Molluscs:
*1 presumed Slippery Snail Cochlicopa lubrica [or Slippery Moss Snail]

Spiders:
- 3 spiders: none specifically identified:
- *1 female harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli

A note very 'flame' Flame Carpet moth Xanthorhoe designata I found, typically, on the ceiling in the tunnel.

One of the four male plumed midges here.

On the right a Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber. On the left another of the male plumed midges. At the bottom is probably the Slippery Snail Cochlicopa lubrica [or Slippery Moss Snail] that I photographed in more or less the same place on 26 August. The photo is not sharp-enough to be certain.

A female harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli. The specific feature of the female of this species is the dark saddle widening posteriorly and ending abruptly. Females and males have a white surround to their eyes. Harvestmen only have a single pair of eyes, unlike the six or, more usually, eight of spiders.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15

(197th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- no Shoveler but two Common Teal and the two Little Grebe seen again
- many more Mallard today: but none seen earlier at the Balancing Lake. Perhaps moved here?

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 6 House Martins

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff: singing as I arrived. Nothing more seen or heard thereafter
'nominal' warbler:
- 2 (0) Goldcrests

Noted on / around the water:
- 11 Canada Geese
- Greylag Geese heard only from inside island (them: not me)
- 4 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 37 (25♂) Mallard
- 2 (?♂) Common Teal
- 77 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 133 + 7 (2 dependent broods) Coots
- 2 Little Grebes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 52 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Moths:
- none

Flies:
- *only unidentified flies

Beetles:
- >5 Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni: adults

Bugs:
- *12 Common Green Shieldbugs Palomena prasina: four adults with eight instars of various ages.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 2 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli

A smart-looking fly whatever it is!

There seemed to be adults and instars of Common Green Shieldbugs Palomena prasina everywhere. This instar has started to acquire the speckling of the adult bugs.

A later instar with the wings starting to develop.

More-developed still with the orange eyes more apparent.

A fully-winged adult.

This will be an Ivy flower in due course. Throughout October these flowers will be an important source of nectar for a range of insects – butterflies, bees, wasps, hoverflies and other flies.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

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 24

No sightings in today.

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Sightings from previous years

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 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

17.0°C > 18.0°C: The forecast was of course right: more low cloud. Light north-easterly breeze. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 06:31 BST

* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 09:10

(193rd visit of the year)

Bird Notes
*A highlight today was my third over-flying Great (White) Egret of the year, only found in the dull conditions by the noise of pursuing Black-headed Gulls drawing my attention to it flying well to the North.

Other bird notes:
- *three Tufted Duck at first light were apparently all ducks. Another group of seven dropped in briefly with eight of these flying out E at 08:05. The remaining two ducks stayed a while: I could not locate them after 08:30.
- the recent trio of immature Gadwall had been joined by an adult pair.
- no Little Grebe found.
- a steady stream of Lesser Black-backed Gulls stopped to bathe and drink and it is quite possible there were many more birds than my count suggests.
- a Cetti's Warbler was vocal briefly at 06:50 and 08:10, today along the South side

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 3 Canada Geese: trio inbound
- 1 Stock Dove
- 45 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- *1 Great (White) Egret
- 37 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 158 Jackdaws
- 127 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 House Martins at least: high overhead in the base of the cloud

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 10 (4) Chiffchaffs: somebody was happy with the weather
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
''nominal' warbler:
- 1 (0) Goldcrest

Counts from the lake area:
- 22 Canada Geese: arrived in two groups
- 3 Mute Swans: another bird briefly before being chased away
- 5 (2♂) Gadwall
- 12 (?♂) Mallard
- *10 (>4♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 9 Moorhens
- 103 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls: also 71 on the football field c.07:00
- 11 Herring Gulls
- 262 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 micro-moth to be identified

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders Larinioides sclopetarius
- 2 male harvestmen Leiobunum blackwalli

Sailing Club HQ

Around the outside of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:

Flies:
- *1 European Cranefly Tipula paludosa
plus many remains

Spiders:
- 13 spiders: the few specifically identified included:
*Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

Noted later:
In the dull conditions I saw nothing apart from:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Hoverflies:
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
*Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]

Dragonfly:
- a dragonfly flying at 08:15 seemed to be a Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis

Other Flies:
- *unidentified flies only

Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis

Spiders:
- *Garden Spider Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]

Mammals:
- 1 pipistrelle-type bat

One of the Tufted Ducks that was circling the lake before heading off East. At first sight a duck with the pale at the base of her bill and dusky flanks. I do wonder whether the flanks are dark-enough and it may be an immature drake.

In this trio the leading bird is most certainly a duck: neither of the other two look 'clean' enough for drakes and may also be immatures.

Almost in formation as the eight prepare to leave.

The Great (White) Egret flies by – at considerable distance.

One I have asked for help from the Shropshire micro-moth recorder with identification. Watch this space.

A Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum climbing out of a Greater Bindweed flower Convolvulus sylvaticus.

Meanwhile a Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus, already covered in pollen, dives in to a different flower.

A Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare. This, with triangular yellow marks and separated eyes, is a female. I can only recall identifying one of the many I have seen as a male.

Today's mandatory unidentified fly.

This seem a bit greedy. I assume there is a spider lurking in the cracks in the wall of the sailing club HQ and has left the inedible parts of his meals outside.

And for a change the underside view of a Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius, no doubt waiting for a cranefly to blunder by.

So this European Cranefly Tipula paludosa is living dangerously, also on the wall of the sailing club HQ.

A different spider: this is a Garden Spider Araneus diadematus, an abundant species at this time of year. At the right side of its jaw the red eye of an unfortunate fly is visible.

Here are the four-lobed seed capsules of Spindle-tree Euonymus europaea. The left-most capsule on the lower cluster is just splitting to reveal the seed.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Centipedes & Millipedes:
- 3 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders:
- 8 spiders: none specifically identified:


(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15

(196th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- for the last few days the resident cob has often been away from the rest of his family and closer to the other two birds, only occasionally looking as if he might try and chase them away.
- I could only find a single Common Teal alongside the island. The throng of geese made finding anything difficult.
- what seemed to be yesterday's drake Shoveler was still present and accompanied by another. There was also a separate group of six birds, at least three drakes.
- I could not find any Little Grebes.

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

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs
'nominal' warbler:
- 1 (0) Goldcrest

Noted on / around the water:
- 83 Canada Geese: most of these arrived in three groups
- 18 Greylag Geese
- 4 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 2 (0♂) Shoveler
- 17 (10?♂) Mallard
- no Common Teal
- 75 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- *5 + 9 (4 broods) Moorhens
- 129 + 8 (3 dependent broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- *51 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Moths:
- *1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana

Fly:
- 1 unidentified fly

Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: adults

Bugs:
- *1 possible Potato Capsid bug Closterotomus norwegicus

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

With food being proffered the Black-headed Gulls were quick off the mark. The gulls so attracted were all first winter birds. I must check on the ratio of adults to first winters more generally.

Another. I have no idea what has caused the pattern in the water: it is not a reflection. It looks like the 'art' that restaurants nowadays use to decorate your plate to disguise the paucity of the portion.

That's close.

A juvenile Moorhen making waves.

An older juvenile doing a balancing act on what is usually known as Bulrush Typha latifolia [though Moses wasn't found amongst this species. It is perhaps better called (Greater) Reedmace]. Moorhens are very agile climbers and can walk up fences.

A Common Nettle-tap moth Anthophila fabriciana, actually on a nettle!

I think this is a Potato Capsid bug Closterotomus norwegicus. There are several similar species.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

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 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

16.0°C > 18.0°C: Surprise, surprise: not as forecast! Low cloud. Light northerly wind. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 06:30 BST

* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 08:55

(192nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- two Tufted Duck seen at 06:25 may have been flying around or leaving. None was present at 07:10. Two few East together at 07:25
- the trio of Gadwall and the drake Wigeon all seemed to fly off at 08:30.
- a Little Grebe was new
- my latest ever Common Sandpiper was flying around from c.08:05 until it left to the East at 08:10. It did briefly pause on one of the fishing platforms. At not time did I see it flying low across the water with typical fluttering wing-beats.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 4 Canada Geese: two duos outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: a duo inbound
- 4 (?♂) Tufted Ducks: see notes
- 63 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 30 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 86 Jackdaws
- 90 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 House Martin

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 11 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Common Whitethroat
- 1 (0) Blackcap
''nominal' warbler:
- 3 (1) Goldcrests

Counts from the lake area:
- 33 Canada Geese: coming and going throughout
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (1♂) Gadwall
- 1 (1♂?) Wigeon
- 12 (?♂) Mallard
- 7 Moorhens
- 121 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 5 Black-headed Gulls: also 59 on the football field c.06:50
- 11 Herring Gulls
- 172 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 possible Dark-marked Tortrix Acleris laterana [previously Dark-triangle Button]

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 5 Bridge Orb-web Spiders Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli

Sailing Club HQ

Around the outside of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:
Plenty around on a mild morning

Spiders:
- 32 spiders: the few specifically identified included:

Eratinga species, perhaps Common House Spider E. atrica.
Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

There was a large moth flying around that was most likely a Silver Y Autographa gamma but as I cannot prove that it will not go in the log.

Noted later:
In the dull conditions I saw nothing apart from:

Dragonfly:
- 1 unidentified dragonfly flying at 06:35

Mammals:
- 1 pipistrelle-type bat

A mix of species. On the left a Great Crested Grebe: in the middle a trio of Gadwall being watched by a Coot. Back right is the drake Wigeon.

Record shot: a Little Grebe.

Another record shot! The Common Sandpiper flying around.

This is not the European Beaver suggested by Obsidentify! This will have to stay as unconfirmed Tortrix Moth from the Acleris group. The dark spots toward the front of the wings suggest it is Dark-marked Tortrix Acleris laterana but the identity of this species can only confirmed by genitalia examination.

A different spider this morning. It is one of the Eratinga group which includes the Common House Spider E. atrica. I cannot confirm this as the identification.

It was all angst this morning. Lurking behind the cranefly are the two white crescents of the underside of a Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius.

 It is no fun being a cranefly. This one is a victim of a Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Flies:
- 2 cranefly Tipula lateralis

Centipedes & Millipedes:
- 14 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders:
- 9 spiders: specifically identified:
Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

A cranefly Tipula lateralis.

A Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata showing why it is also known as a Silver-sided Sector Spider as it devours an unfortunate cranefly.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:00 – 10:00

(195th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I could only find a single Common Teal alongside the island. The throng of geese made finding anything difficult.
- what seemed to be yesterday's drake Shoveler was still present and accompanied by another. There was also a separate group of six birds, at least three drakes.
- I could not find any Little Grebes.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 6 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap
'nominal' warbler:
- no Goldcrests

Noted on / around the water:
- 87 Canada Geese: most of these arrived in one large group
- 12 Greylag Geese
- 4 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 8 (>5♂) Shoveler
- 17 (?♂) Mallard
- 1 (?♂) Common Teal
- 76 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 + 3 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 129 + 6 (3 dependent broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 54 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Moths:
- 1 Straw Dot Rivula sericealis

Fly:
- 1 unidentified fly

Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: both larvae and adults

Bugs:
- 4 Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina: one adult, two late instars and one second instar
- 1 Bronze Shieldbug Troilus luridus: instar

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 unidentified spider gave be a very painful bite!
2 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

Yesterday's immature drake Shoveler has a friend.

 And the new group of six Shoveler.

A Straw Dot moth Rivula sericealis.

A fly for later identification.

Only yesterday I noted there only seem to be adult Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni around at the moment. Wrong! Here is a larva.

An adult Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina.

A late instar Common Green Shieldbug.

To complete the set an early instar Common Green Shieldbug.

A Bronze Shieldbug instar Troilus luridus feeding on an adult Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
2 Yellow Wagtails
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Spotted Flycatcher
(Ed Wilson)