1 Sep 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

13.0°C > 16.0°C: Bright to the East: increasingly cloudy overhead with a very few brighter intervals. Moderate southerly breeze gusting fresh. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:23 BST

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

Notes
Today I piloted my "Winter" visiting hours to avoid getting tied up in the school run which will start in earnest from tomorrow.

As the main part of the moth season fades away the Shropshire micromoth recorder has been looking again at some of my photos from earlier in the year and there are a few changes. I took advantage of making the changes to my master list to double- treble-check on my 2025 species counts. As at 31 August these stood at:
87 at the lake [91 last year, all year]
70 at The Flash [50 last year, all year]
45 in the tunnel [20 last year, all year]
so a relatively poor year at the lake though I should exceed the 2024 total – just

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 09:10

(214th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- three visiting Mute Swans early, again sleeping well apart from the resident pair. The resident cob gave brief chase – to show them who is boss? He repeated the exercise when a fourth visitor arrived thereafter leaving them alone.
- a big arrival of geese comprised 53 Canadas, 29 Greylags and the hybrid Canada x Greylag Goose. 20 of the Greylags stayed less than ten minutes.
- 28 Mallard counted though I am not sure how accurate / complete that was as birds were scattered all around the edges and tricky to keep track of.
- very few large gulls again.
- over recent months up to six Feral Pigeons have begun to accumulate on the house roofs alongside Teece Drive. Today there were eight and these then joined another 30 circling overhead the estate. I do no typically record this species.
- at c.08:45 at least two Sand Martins, 20 Barn Swallows and 15 House Martins were noted hunting insects along the South side.
- after yesterday's partial return to form in the number of passing Jackdaws it was a poor showing today.
- the Rook passage was unusual too: 73 flew over c.05:55 in three silent groups. It was ten minutes before the balance of 136 started to cross and many of these, in scattered groups, were calling.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 23 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 105 Greylag Geese: 77 outbound in three groups; 28 inbound together
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 63 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 11 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 12 Jackdaws
- 209 Rooks
- 4 Pied Wagtails

Counts from the lake area:
- 55 Canada Geese: two departed c.05:50; 53 arrived in several concurrent groups along with...
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose and...
- 29 Greylag Geese
- 6 Mute Swans: of these one arrived
- 28 (♂?) Mallard: see notes
- *1 unidentified dabbling duck!
- 17 Moorhens
- 159 adult and juvenile Coots
- 6 + 3 (1? brood) Great Crested Grebes
- c.60 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived c.05:40

Hirundines etc. noted:
- *>2 Sand Martin
- *>20 Barn Swallows
- >15 House Martins

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler: partial song only
- 21 (8) Chiffchaffs
- no Reed Warbler
- 1 (0) Blackcap

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

Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]

Four-winged flies etc.:
- *1 Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- 1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- several other unidentified spiders with only parts sticking out of cracks in the street furniture.
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Noted elsewhere:
Dull and breezy conditions and earlier departure limited the possibilities.

Butterflies:
- none

Moths:
- *1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria [Hornet Plumehorn]

Damsel-/Dragonflies
- none

Other Flies:
- *probable Muscid fly Phaonia tuguriorum
- *possible Scoliocentra villosa from the Heleomyzidae group
- a few other interesting identified and unidentified flies!

Bugs:
- none

Beetles:
- *7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

Mammals:
- probably three species of bat noted:
5+ pipistrelle type along the North side c.05:45
1 direct flying bat circling low over the South side c.05:35
1 erratically flying bat zig-zagged along Teece Drive toward the lake c.06:20.

As the cloud encroached it was lit by the rising sun and for a while looked better to the North – this taken from the dam top.

Later just as the rising sun was clearing the trees this is what it looked like from the West end.

Another duck puzzle today. This, compared to the Coot, to be a small duck. It is not a Common Teal as it lacks the white flash down the side of the tail and a teal would not show a dark line through the eye.

Here shown preening, the speculum is clearly blue and not green as it would be in a teal. Could it be a duck / immature Garganey? I would have expected a stronger face pattern with darker cheeks and a pale spot at the base of the bill. I give in!

Taken at c.06:20 the camera and the photo editor have made a very reasonable job on this Common Buzzard stretching its wings on the football field fence.

A few more photos of flying hirundines. More of a challenge this morning with less light and the stronger wind rippling the water surface making it a challenge for the camera to focus on the bird. A Sand Martin with the pale collar...

...extending, albeit fainter, all the way around the neck.

A pleasing shot.

A juvenile Barn Swallow showing a very strong gape line.

I am not sure why I cannot see the spots in the spread tail here.

The tail spots are clearly visible on this bird. From time to time all the birds feeding low over the water would rise together in to the sky before descending a minute or so later. I could not see any predator that might cause them to panic.

Tail spots also visible here on what I think is a juvenile Barn Swallow from the lack of strong colour in the chin area.

A different view of a Common Nettle-tap moth Anthophila fabriciana showing the usually hidden banded abdomen and white hind legs.

One or two Common Carder Bees Bombus pascuorum are the only insects I am finding on the plentiful supply of flowers on the Butterfly-bush Buddleja davidii alongside Teece Drive.

I believe this to be a Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum. I do not have much information on mayfly identification. This is a male from the turbinate eyes, apparently to allow them to see any passing females and grab them.

This is probably the Muscid fly Phaonia tuguriorum. Obsidentify was 100% sure it was this species. It is certainly a Phaonia due to the bulge along the outer edge of the wing. This species is not illustrated on the NatureSpot web site: it is in eakringbirds.com though the angle of their photos does not confirm the rather messy pattern on the thorax and the grey scutellum.

An unusual fly with a tapered orange abdomen. Obsidentify suggested one of the Heleomyzidae group of flies and checking with NatureSpot then Scoliocentra villosa seems a good match.

These midges are very cute with their amazing antennae. But what are they. I can find nothing like them on the web or in my literature.

The same individual from another angle showing the long thin body extending well beyond the wing tips.

It is good to find something I can be very confident about: a 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata.

At the top of one of the street lamp poles amongst debris from the meals of many spiders I noted this harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis. Not my first of the year here – unusually I saw a late individual at the turn of this year – but my first here this Autumn.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths: [45 species here before today; no addition]
none

Flies:
*1 female mosquito Culex pipiens
4 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
*11 midges of various species only

Arthropods:
1 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber
*6 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
*1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
4 other unidentified spiders

This is a female Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata. It is just about possible to see the banding on the abdomen. In this species the legs have both dark and pale sections, again just about visible.

I did not take this photo today. It shows a typical male mosquito with his splendid antennae he uses for sniffing out females. Males do not bite. I think this is the "other" common species of mosquito Culex pipiens but you get the idea.

Typical of the midges etc. that I see on the wall of the tunnel. This is a male with plumed antennae.

This is probably a female midge. Of the same species?

One of today's White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger.

And today's mystery. The shadow of the head makes identification even more of a challenge.

The daily Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15

(209th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I did not see yesterday's unwell-looking Canada Goose.
- probably more geese than I was able to count: some of the earlier arrivals were likely inside the island.
- now 10 Mute Swans.
- *the adult Mallard with her four, now almost full-sized, ducklings was seen again. An improbably high count of Mallard possibly due to birds moving around while my back was turned.
- a return to a number of Tufted Duck more typical of recent days after yesterday's low count.
- three Cormorants at least. Three were on the edge of the island. Later I saw one fishing in the water but was unable to see whether the three were still present.
- just one Grey Heron. Had others been and gone prior to my arrival.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 69 Canada Geese
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 10 Mute Swans
- 45? (?♂) + *4 (1 brood) Mallard: see notes
- 20 (>14?♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens again
- 87 adult and juvenile Coots
- 4 + 5 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 (or 4) Cormorants: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff
- 1 (0) Blackcap

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- none

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- 2 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis

These are the four fast-growing Mallard ducklings. Mum was always just too far away to include in the photo.

A harvestman from the species pair Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum characterised by the rounded body (less so on females) and the very long legs held spread. Separation of the males is done by looking at the ocularium. This is the raised bump at the front of the harvestmen's body that contains their two eyes. On L. blackwalli, which this is, the ocularium surround shows white. I remember "black is white" as it seems perverse: I would expect blackwalli to mean black-walled. In fact it is one of a number of insect species that are named after the important British naturalist John Blackwall.

(Ed Wilson)

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2012
Nedge Hill
1 Hobby
1 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl
5 Swifts
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
2 Swifts
(Ed Wilson)

31 Aug 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

11.0°C > 17.0°C: An early very light shower; then clear for a while; cloud developing after c.08:30. Moderate southerly breeze increasing fresh. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:19 BST

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

Note
Weekdays as from tomorrow I will be reverting to "Winter" visiting hours to avoid getting tied up in the school run. That will mean a single visit to the lake, leaving c.09:00 for my walk around The Flash.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 06:50 // 07:50 – 10:00

(213th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- five visiting Mute Swans early sleeping well apart from the resident pair. Later only three strangers being left alone by the resident.
- an arrival of geese comprised 38 Canadas, 14 Greylags and the hybrid Canada x Greylag Goose.
- 32 Mallard counted today. A single duck Tufted Duck was the only other duck species noted.
- very few large gulls either on the water or overhead.
- at least 25 House Martins were high over the lake c.06:30. By 08:30 there were at least 35.
- *then at c.09:00 at least two Sand Martins, fifteen Barn Swallows and five House Martins were noted hunting insects.
- another fly-over of Pied Wagtails. These are all heading North, probably from a roost in Stafford Park. I suspect it is "being in the right place at the right time" to see these. I always note them flying overhead the academy buildings.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 79 Canada Geese: 58 outbound in five groups; 21 inbound together
- 22 Greylag Geese: outbound in three groups
- 96 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 9 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 53 Jackdaws
- 198 Rooks
- 8 Pied Wagtails

Counts from the lake area:
- 38 Canada Geese: arrived in two groups together with...
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose and...
- 14 Greylag Geese
- 7 Mute Swans: of these two departed
- *32 (♂?) Mallard
- *1 (0♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 168 adult and juvenile Coots
- 5 + 3 (1? brood) Great Crested Grebes
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived early and did not stay long
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- *>2 Sand Martin
- *>15 Barn Swallows
- >35 House Martins

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- no Cetti's Warbler
- 20 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Reed Warblers
- 3 (0) Blackcaps

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

Moths:
- 3 Common Grass-moths Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer] again

Four-winged flies:
- *1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]

Noted later:
A few changes from recent days

Butterflies:
- Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

Moths:
- *4 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana
- *1 Chevron Grass Moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
- European Hornet Vespa crabro
- *three different species of ichneumon

Hoverflies:
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- *Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria [Hornet Plumehorn]

Damsel-/Dragonflies
- *Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]: another "latest date" for this species

Bugs:
- *late instar Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

Beetles:
- none

Flies:
- *Tachinid fly Eriothrix rufomaculata [Red-sided Eriothrix]
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *Flesh fly Sarcophaga sp., possibly S. carnaria
- otherwise no interesting identified or unidentified flies!

This duck had me puzzled for a while. It is a not-yet-fully-grown Mallard duckling. Note the folded wing feathers only reach half way along its back giving it an unusual profile.

It was much better light for photographing the fast-moving hirundines, many of which were staying low-down over the water. This Sand Martin is not as sharp as I would have liked but this illustrates the overall brown tone, the short tail fork and the dark surround to the dark eye.

I did better with Barn Swallow photos – there were many more of them. This looks to be a juvenile – note the gape line and complete lack of tail streamers. It appears to be about to devour an insect but I suspect the mark is not an insect but another, more distant, swallow flying the other way.

Another juvenile showing white above the bill and no colour on the throat.

From this angle it almost looks to have a breast band suggesting Sand Martin. That species, as we saw, has a brown and not glossy-blue back.

Probably a female without tail streamers. It could be a well-advanced juvenile as the red throat is perhaps slightly too pale?

 The same bird a few seconds later, now with the tail spread making it look shorter.

I was pleased with this photo. I did not see any Tufted Ducks while I was walking around but here is one lurking in the background of my photo. Specsavers here I come (other opticians are available!)

I would judge this to be a juvenile from an earlier brood: it still has white above the bill but the throat is showing some colour.

I think an adult male that has one broken tail-streamer. Deep red above and below the bill.

An adult coming in for the kill!

For once a co-operative Common Nettle-tap moth Anthophila fabriciana that would pose for a photo.

I found this Chevron Grass Moth Agriphila geniculea on a street lamp pole c.09:15. I am sure it wasn't there earlier. Note the extremely feathery-looking palps. There is no mention in the literature that this is a feature of the species.

Common Carder Bees Bombus pascuorum were the only feasters on the Butterfly-bush Buddleja davidii.

The first of three different species of ichneumon. Identification is a challenge as there are so many species and so few of these are illustrated. This female looks to be a good candidate for Pimpla rufipes, based mainly on her short and stout ovipositor along with her overall size.

Not a good photo of ichneumon #2 and I assume the antennae are out-of-focus blurred rather than that thick. Another female with the tip of her ovipositor just protruding from underneath the folded wing.

And ichneumon #3 and also a female. Interesting leg colour. Obsidentify had only one named suggestion (other than ichneumon species) and that was Zaglyptus multicolour. I can find very little about the species on the web other than an NBN entry referring to just 19 UK records, albeit these are all from the Stafford / Manchester area. It looks a promising match but who knows how "many similar species" there may be.

This is a female (the eyes do not meet) Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax. Her abdomen is not tapered and the separation from other members of the genus by the pattern of light and dark areas on the legs.

It may look like a European Hornet Vespa crabro but without the antennae it can't be. It is a harmless, nectar-loving Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria.

Extending my "latest-ever" sighting date by three more days was this male Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum. Will I see one in September?

A Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea.

The Tachinid fly Eriothrix rufomaculata known as Red-sided Eriothrix in some sources.

These flesh flies from the genus Sarcophaga are certainly impressive even if I cannot identify them!

A late instar Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina. This species has been scarce this year.

A male Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius in typical pose with legs akimbo on the web ready to race after anything that enters the web.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths: [44 species here before today; one addition]
*1 Chevron Grass Moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]: my first here

Flies:
1 female mosquito Culex pipiens
6 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
5 midges of various species only

Arthropods:
4 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 Garden Spider Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
*1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
2 unidentified spiders

Bringing my species total of moths seen in the tunnel this year to a seemingly unlikely 45 was this Chevron Grass Moth Agriphila geniculea. Note the silver tip (cilia) to the wings indicating this is newly emerged. This feature, shared with many other grass moths, quickly wears away.

Obsidentify was 100% sure this is a Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata: clearly a male with large palps.

I wish I had some idea what this small creature is!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:55 – 07:45

(208th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- one of the only two Canada Geese present when I arrived looked to be unwell, on the water hunched up.
- still eight Mute Swans.
- Mallard the only species of dabbling duck noted. A group of five in line astern was almost certainly an adult with her four, now almost full-sized, ducklings.
- so few Tufted Duck: why?
- no Cormorants.
- three Grey Herons again.
- a fly-over Rook was only my second record here this year.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Noted on / around the water:
- 16 Canada Geese: of these 14 arrived in four groups
- 92 Greylag Geese: of these 90 arrived in two groups
- 8 Mute Swans
- 29 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard: see notes
- 5 (4?♂) Tufted Duck only
- 12 Moorhens
- 86 adult and juvenile Coots
- 3 + 5 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- no Cormorants
- 3 Grey Herons

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcaps

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- *2 Common Grass-moths Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Garden Spider Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

This Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella stands out well against the Neighbourhood Watch sign near the academy. The dark border to the creamy stripe along the folded wing and the way the strip splits in to three "fingers" are both well illustrated.

This harvestman, Paroligolophus agrestis, is characterised by is small size, the noticeably thicker basal half to the legs and the pale stripe along the abdomen.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
Possible Little Ringed Plover
Raven
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Nedge Hill
Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Little Grebe
Shoveler
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
58 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)