18 Jun 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

13.0°C > 20.0°C: Broken high cloud to start with. More low cloud later and even a few rain spots. Little if any sun. A calm start with a moderate, sometimes fresh, south-westerly breeze developing. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:46 BST.

Weather permitting I am making an annual pilgrimage to Anglesey to see the seabirds and terns. It may be a few days (or not) before my next report,

* = 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– 05:45 // 07:00 – 09:45

(144th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the seven Greylag Geese goslings with two extra adults throughout. A trio flew in, staying a short while.
- both Mute Swans spent time near the nest but did not visit it.
- for some days an early visit to the south-west grassy area has found just a handful of moulting Mallard. Later visits have netted as many as thirty: where do they come from? Today there were twenty-five at c.05:10 and at c.09:20 thirty-eight!
- fourteen juvenile Coots seen from seven broods.
- I could only confirm six adult Great Crested Grebes with just one juvenile from the second pair to have young seen
- an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull visited the football field for all of three minutes c.05:25.
- the daily warbler update:
no Cetti's Warbler heard.
no Garden Warbler heard.
the Lesser Whitethroat sang twice c.09:25: once from the Ricoh hedge and a few moments later from near the sailing club HQ.
as on Tuesday in addition to the West end and the original south-west Common Whitethroats both singing another was heard alarm calling more to the East along the South side and sufficiently far away from either songster to suggest a different nest site.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 4 Stock Doves: two duos
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 22 Jackdaws
- 8 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- *7 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 38 (?♂) Mallard: see notes
- 2 Moorhens
- 31+ 14 (7 broods) Coots
- 6 + 1? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 2 Grey Herons: one chased away

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 6 Swifts
- 2 House Martins

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- no Cetti's Warbler
- 10 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 10 (10) Reed Warblers
- 8 (8) Blackcaps
- no Garden Warbler
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat
- *3 (2) Common Whitethroats

Also noted:

Butterflies:
- 3 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
- 1 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
- *1 !Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae

Moths:
- 3 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- 9 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]: as least as many "got away"
- 1 Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- *Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
fewer bumblebees apparently all this species
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- *Three-banded Mason Wasp Ancistrocerus trifasciatus
- *ichneumon wasp Amblyteles armatorius
- *$ ichneumon wasp probably Pimpla contemplator

Hoverflies:
- Buttercup Blacklet Cheilosia albitarsus [Late Buttercup Cheilosia]
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
- *Common Copperback Ferdinandea cuprea [Bronze Sap Hoverfly; Eurasian Copperback]
- Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus [Tiger Marsh Fly; Sun Fly]
- *Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus

Damsel / Dragon-flies:
most damselflies not checked
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
- Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]

Other flies:
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: once again all males
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
- Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus [Ferruginous Beegrabber]
plus many unidentified flies

Bugs:
- mirid bug Deraeocoris flavilinea

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- larvae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: only two
- pollen beetle Meligethes sp.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:

Moths: (hooray!)
- *1 Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata

The closest I can manage to a sunrise photo at this time of year!

I can assure you there are all seven Greylag Goose goslings here. Later they took to the water and were all trying their wings out. No sign of lift off as yet. The parents cannot help at the moment as they are going through their annual wing moult and are flightless.

A visiting Greylag Goose makes a typically noisy arrival.

The male Common Whitethroat from the original arrival. He is looking somewhat worn with the rufous in the wings faded.

My first Small Tortoiseshell butterfly Aglais urticae of the year. This seems to be a declining species and I only had a single sighting here last year.

My first moth for ages on the street lamp poles at the West end. An unexciting Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata. This is a very variable species.

A Honey Bee Apis mellifera with no visible means of support. Wings whirring too fast.

With no direct sun there were few bumblebees around and all those I identified were, like this, Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris. This one with a good pollen load.

A Three-banded Mason Wasp Ancistrocerus trifasciatus

This is the ichneumon wasp Amblyteles armatorius

The pale band on the hind leg of this ichneumon wasp means it is very probably Pimpla contemplator.

An unusually dark form of Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

A Common Copperback hoverfly Ferdinandea cuprea against the unhelpful plain white background of a petal from a Convolvulus flower probably Field Bindweed Convolvulus arvensis.

Another insect without any visible support. One of the Syrphus group and showing the hind leg clearly. It is of course a male so that does not aid further identification.

None of my apps has any idea about this apparently distinctive-looking small fly.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- *1 !Slender Pug Eupithecia tenuiata
- *1 !Grey Pug Eupithecia subfuscata
- *1 !Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata
- 2 Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata

Flies:
- 17 midges of several species
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 unidentified cranefly

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Phalangium opilio

I am in the hands of Obsidentify when it comes to most pug moths. There were three apparently different species on the ceiling of the tunnel. This, Obsidentify assures me, is a Slender Pug Eupithecia tenuiata despite its apparent tubby abdomen. I gave Obsidentify several different photos with different degrees of photo editing and the answer was always the same.

Apparently a Grey Pug Eupithecia subfuscata. Many of the species are grey!

This identity I am happiest with: a Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 05:50 – 06:55

(141st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the Canada Goose gosling is still present.
- I only ever saw eight Mute Swans at any one time, all toward the top end and seemingly the visitors. I had seen two near the island earlier that may or may not have been the resident pair. No sign of any cygnets
- no Mallard ducklings found.
- fewer juvenile Coots than yesterday most likely due to different timing.
- three Great Crested Grebes seen close together at the bottom end, two of them looking as if they might display at any minute.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 146 + 1 Canada Geese
- 82 Greylag Geese
- 8? Mute Swans: see notes
- 17 Mallard
- 4 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 38 + 9 (4 broods) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull visited briefly again

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 House Martin

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 1 *Root-borer moth species from Epiblema stricticana/scutulana/cirsiana
- 1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- 1 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
- 4 Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata

Hoverflies:
- 1 Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus

Other flies:
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- *long-legged fly species not identified
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 4 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Beetles:
- 2 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

Flower:
- *Biting Stonecrop Sedum acre

It would need a much better photo of this moth to have a chance of deciding which of the Root-borer species from Epiblema stricticana/scutulana/cirsiana trio this is.

My apps agree this is one of the long-legged fly species group. I cannot find any illustration of such a grey-looking species.

A Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. waiting patiently in its web.

Now in flower all along the edge of the brick wall between Derwent Drive and the water is bright Biting Stonecrop Sedum acre.

(Ed Wilson)

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2010
Trench Lock Pool
4 drake Pochard
(Ed Wilson)

17 Jun 26

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

17.0°C > 20.0°C: Some sunny spells after early rain. Light / moderate south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 04:46 BST]

* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area

A "wet weather circuit" starting at The Flash after the rain had stopped and the school-run was over.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:25 – 12:00

(143rd visit of the year)

Mostly watching from the dam-top area and avoiding much of the wet vegetation. The model boat club were using the south-west area.

Bird notes:
- the seven Greylag Geese goslings with two extra adults remain.
- the pen Mute Swan was with the cob out on the water all the while. No cygnets.
- there are four pairs of Great Crested Grebes. The second pair to have young did not reveal how many there were on the adult's back. The original pair had just one juvenile in the water briefly. The other to pairs seemed to be disputing who owns what part of the lake.
- unexpected was the first returning Common Sandpiper: likely a failed or non-breeding bird. While it may seem an early date I note from my records that in 2023 I recorded one on 04 June and also in June in two earlier years.
- I have noted before that House Sparrows frequently visit the dam-face at this time of year. Previously they seemed to be flying from and to the main Priorslee estate where good number can be heard. Recently I have remarked that the new estate to the East of Castle Farm Way is hosting this species. To add to confusion I noted at least four birds flying off South and away over the M54.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks again

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- >18 (?♂) Mallard: seen at a distance only
- 1 Moorhen
- 28 + 2 (2 broods) Coots: seen at a distance only
- *8 + >1? (? broods) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 1 Common Sandpiper: in flight only
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 1 House Martin

Warblers noted: I did not walk around; the following species were heard
- Chiffchaffs
- Reed Warblers
- Blackcaps

Also noted:
A visit to a vegetated area at the East end put the following species in today's log:

Butterflies:
- 1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
- 1 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

Moths:
none

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
very few bumblebees around

Hoverflies:
- *!Dark-winged Wrinklehead Chrysogaster solstitialis
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
- *Humming Syrphus Syrphus ribesii [Common Flower Fly]
- *Glass-winged Syrphus Syrphus vitripennis [Black-thighed Flower Fly]
- Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus
- *Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
- *Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens [Pied Plumehorn; Great Pied Hoverfly]
dozens and dozens of Marmalade Hoverflies. Otherwise little variety

Damsel- / Dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
- Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]

Other flies:
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: once again all males
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *$ Dark-winged Flesh fly Nyctia halterata
plus a few unidentified flies

Bugs:
- mirid bug Deraeocoris flavilinea

Beetles:
- larvae and *pupa of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- *pollen beetle Meligethes sp.
- *!Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva [aka Hogweed Bonking-beetle]

Note:
Some useful feedback from Martin Adlam (thanks) suggests I was correct that the unidentified moth on the ceiling of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel was one of the Minor moths Oligia sp. It is most likely to have been a Tawny Marbled Minor O. latruncula. The literature notes that all members this group cannot be ascribed safely to a particular species without examination of their genitalia. It will therefore remain as unidentified.

One I will have to let pass. Dead-centre is a very blurry bird hiding in the reeds. It was taken at extreme range and edited as best I can.. I noted one of the pair of Great Crested Grebes with the juvenile on the water chase a smaller bird, forcing it dive and swim away. It looked "grebe-shaped" and it just might be a Little Grebe, a species I have (surprisingly) not recorded here this year. Nothing emerged to clarify what I had seen.

My first Dark-winged Wrinklehead Chrysogaster solstitialis of the year. I will have to get closer to this hoverfly to show the "wrinklehead".

There were very many Marmalade Hoverflies Episyrphus balteatus with very catholic tastes. Feeding on yellow flowers...

...red flowers...

......blue flowers...

...and white flowers. Here feeding on Common Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium. If I had thought about it I could have photographed the other flowers separately and used my apps to plug my poor botanical recognition. Not also how variable this species of hoverfly is.

Here an exceptionally dark variant.

A rarity: a female Syrphus hoverfly showing its hind leg clearly. The leg is all-yellow making this a Humming Syrphus S. ribesii.

Another with the legs in full view. This a Glass-winged Syrphus Syrphus vitripennis illustrating its Obsidentify name of Black-thighed Flower Fly.

This hoverfly had me scratching my head and exploring Steven Falk's Flickr photos. I concluded it is a female Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta that belies the species' alternative name of Long Hoverfly. Females do not look "long". They also have narrower and more horizontal yellow markings than the males (and here at least, paler yellow marks). I mostly see males.

A very distinctive hoverfly: a Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens.

The final larval stage of a damselfly soon to look...

 ...like this as it emerges from its case. I have no idea how to identify the species at this stage.

A small, hairy fly with a tapering abdomen. It is a Dark-winged Flesh fly Nyctia halterata. A new species for my log though I suspect I have seen it previously and not identified it.

The mirid bug Deraeocoris flavilinea

 This is a pupa of a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis

Pollen beetles Meligethes sp. having a good feed...

...while these two are having a good time.

My first Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva of the year. In recent years it has acquired the vernacular name of Hogweed Bonking-beetle for obvious reasons. I will stick with the historic name.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15

(140th visit of the year)

New bird species:
An addition to my 2026 bird species list from here. As I arrived there was much noise from the island, mostly Magpies and Carrion Crows also one or more Great Spotted Woodpeckers and, most unexpectedly a calling Tawny Owl. No doubt this had been found in its day-time roost and was being hounded. I did not see it break cover. Species #70 here this year.

Bird notes:
- *the Canada Goose gosling is still present.
- the lower number of geese is probably due to many having finished breakfast and moved inside the island out of sight.
- nine Mute Swans were noted. I presumed the pen is still on the nest.
- *the duck Mallard has lost one of her small ducklings.
- my later visit revealed seven broods of juvenile Coots with one of these being a new brood (and a second brood for the adults).
- two Great Crested Grebes seen keeping well apart.
- after the earlier kerfuffle on the island a Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming at the South end. I am not sure I expected after a brood has flown. I don't believe this is species is double-brooded. Could it be there are two pairs in the area?

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water:
- *88 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 16 Greylag Geese
- 10 Mute Swans perhaps
- *16 (?♂) + 7 (1 brood) Mallard
- 5 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 42 + 15 (7 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps again

Noted around the area:
The vegetation was still very wet during my visit. Only...

Beetles:
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea

Not yet looking much like a Canada Goose. The sole surviving gosling of the year here.

Only seven Mallard ducklings remain. Someone lend their mother a handkerchief.

(Ed Wilson)

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2006
Priorslee Lake
Just a single cygnet left
(Martin Adlam)

16 Jun 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

14.0°C > 20.0°C: Mainly fine and sunny. A light / moderate south-westerly breeze sprang up after a calm start. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:46 BST: still.

* = 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– 05:55 // 07:00 – 09:45

(142nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the seven Greylag Geese goslings with two extra adults again.
- perhaps the Mute Swans might yet surprise us: the pen was nowhere to be seen. On the nest?
- twelve juvenile Coots seen from four broods, two of these new to me.
- I suspect there may be four pairs of Great Crested Grebes: they will not keep still! The second pair to have young were showing at least two juveniles today. One of a third pair was holding the back feathers as if it too might have small juveniles riding on its back.
- an adult Black-headed Gull visited briefly.
- no Lesser Black-backed Gulls were seen on the football field.
- an unusual sight was three Grey Herons flying over together (with another(?) a few minutes later).
- a begging juvenile Common Buzzard was calling from the Ricoh copse.
- there was more song from the warblers on this fine and warm morning. Changes noted:
no Cetti's Warbler heard.
a Garden Warbler was again singing in the south-west area.
no Lesser Whitethroat heard.
in addition to both West end and original south-west Common Whitethroats singing another was heard alarm calling.
- a Chaffinch was singing along the North side: the first I have heard here for 10 days when a bird was frequently singing from the south-east area.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose flew South
- 2 Greylag Geese flew East together
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *4 Grey Herons
- 2 Stock Doves together
- 23 Wood Pigeons
- 16 Jackdaws again
- 3 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan: see notes
- 26 (?♂) Mallard: I did not ascribe birds to sex
- 4 Moorhens
- 32 + 12 (4 broods) Coots
- *8 + >2? (? broods) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron: departed

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 Swifts

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- no Cetti's Warbler
- *13 (12) Chiffchaffs
- 10 (9) Reed Warblers
- 11 (10) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- no Lesser Whitethroat
- 3 (2) Common Whitethroats

Also noted:

Butterflies:
- *5 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
- *2 Comma Polygonia c-album

Moths:
- 1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- 2 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
- *1 Silver Y Autographa gamma
NB: yesterday's moth challenge has been confirmed by the recorder (thanks Mike) as a Yellow-spot Yarrow Moth Dichrorampha petiverella A new species for me.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
many bumblebees but few species
- !German Wasp Vespula germanica
- *$ Three-banded Mason Wasp Ancistrocerus trifasciatus
- *!unidentified ichneumon wasp
- *!digger wasp, possibly a Pemphredon sp.

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *!Stripe-faced Dronefly Eristalis nemorum [Stripe-faced Drone Fly]
- Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
- *Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus
- *Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria [Hornet Plumehorn]
very many Migrant Field Syrphs and Syrphus sp.: treble figures I suspect

Damsel / Dragon-flies:
many hundred: most damselflies not checked
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
- Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
- *!Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum

Other flies:
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: once again all males
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- !*Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus [Ferruginous Beegrabber]
plus a few unidentified flies
also an unidentified horse fly that paid the price for biting me!

Bugs:
- *mirid bug Deraeocoris flavilinea

Beetles:
- *longhorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis
- larvae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: many
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- pollen beetle Meligethes sp.
- Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis [False Oil Beetle or Thick-legged Flower Beetle]
- False Blister Beetle Oedemera lurida or O. virescens
- 14 Spot Ladybird Propylea quattuordecimpunctata
- *!Spotted Longhorn Beetle Rutpela maculata [formerly Strangalia maculata]

On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Yet another blank!

For a change it turned out better than this early view.

There were at least two juvenile "humbugs" on this adult Great Crested Grebe's back a moment before I pressed the shutter (whatever that means on modern electronic cameras).

Unusual: a trio of Grey Herons fly over.

There were Reed Warblers jumping about in the bushes. When I looked at the photo I realised this is not one of them! The head shape is all wrong. It is a juvenile Chiffchaff – the gape line is still just about present. This one certainly does not have black legs, perhaps because it is a juvenile though even a few adult don't either.

Jays are not easy birds to approach. I stayed still until it forgot I was there and managed this uninspiring shot.

A Ringlet butterfly Aphantopus hyperantus. The ringlets show on the underside of the wing. The thin cream border to the dark wings is an easy way to identify this species.

A Comma butterfly Polygonia c-album showing how it got its name.

Typically staying buried in the grass is this Silver Y moth Autographa gamma. A day-flying species and when active often seen nectaring. Most, but not all, are migrants from Europe (they don't come on boats)

A new species for me: a Three-banded Mason Wasp Ancistrocerus trifasciatus. Seems a good name!

An unidentified ichneumon wasp.

A digger wasp, possibly a Pemphredon sp.

This is a female Stripe-faced Dronefly Eristalis nemorum. This species is smaller than the common droneflies.

Not to be feared: a harmless Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria that feeds on pollen. Unlike bees and wasps hoverflies have insignificant antennae.

I don't often see any insects at the flowers of what I believe to be Southern Marsh Orchids Dactylorhiza praetermissa. Here a Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae about to land on the right with a male Syrphus sp. already tucking in on the left.

A female or immature male Common Darter dragonfly Sympetrum striolatum.

Adult males are red.

This strange-looking fly is the Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus also known as the Ferruginous Beegrabber. Note how it hold the tip of the abdomen folded back underneath.

This is a mirid bug Deraeocoris flavilinea

The longhorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis

Here is a Spotted Longhorn Beetle Rutpela maculata. It was not co-operative but nevertheless unmistakeable.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- *1 !Olive Pearl Udea olivalis
- 1 Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata
- *1 possible Minor Oligia sp.

Flies:
- 26 midges of several species
- 2 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 cranefly Nephrotoma sp.

Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni

On the ceiling in the tunnel I found this Olive Pearl moth Udea olivalis. It doesn't look much like it here but it is classified as a micro-moth – a loose definition. It is ten years all but one day since I last recorded this species in the area.

Also on the ceiling was this moth which I have yet to ID. Google Lens' suggestion was of a species that does not fly at this time of year. Obsidentify suggested a Minor Oligia sp. This is a difficult group to ID from photos anyway. My feeling was that it was too large for that group. I have no better suggestion.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:00 – 06:55

(139th visit of the year)

The footbridges are now very firmly closed with proper signage (that omits any Permit number). As a result accurate(?) totals are harder to achieve especially this morning when I had to peer in to a low sun.

Bird notes:
- the Canada Goose gosling is still present.
- only eight Mute Swans were noted. None of them seemed to be the erstwhile residents.
- only the duck Mallard has kept all eight small ducklings for a whole day: unusual.
- a small arrival of Tufted Duck.
- four broods of juvenile Coots seen.
- no second Great Crested Grebe noted perhaps because of my restricted access.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 178 + 1 Canada Geese
- 82 Greylag Geese: of these a quartet arrived
- 10 Mute Swans
- !14 only + 8 (1 brood) Mallard
- 7 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 40 + 7 (4 broods) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 3 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
- 1 Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata

Bees, wasps etc.:
- !unidentified bumblebee Bombus sp.
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- unidentified ichneumon wasp

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

All eight Mallard ducklings have survived a whole 24 hours! Mum was just out of view to the right.

With a typical surprise expression here is a Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella.

What is this bumblebee? I have no idea. One app suggested a Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum but that has a white tail. A Red-tailed Bumblebee B. lapidarius has an all-dark abdomen with no coloured bands. An Early Bumblebee B. pratorum has lemon-yellow bands. So....

Yes: but what is the Permit No. that gives the authority to close the path?

(Ed Wilson)

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2008
Priorslee Lake
Spotted Redshank
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)