8 Jun 26

The Flash, Priorslee Balancing Lake and Woodhouse Lane area

12.0°C > 16.0°C: A clearance arrived from the north-west after a dull start. Good sunny intervals later. Light / moderate north-westerly breeze. Excellent visibility.

[Sunrise: 04:48 BST still]

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

It was a rain-delayed start and then waiting for the school run traffic to subside. So I started with The Flash; viewed the Balancing Lake from the dam-top only; and then decided against negotiating the wet vegetation around the lake and headed up Woodhouse Lane to see what I could find.

The Flash: 09:20 – 10:30

(132nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Another larger count of adult Canada Geese with the gosling and its parents seen again. They were better arranged for more accurate (less inaccurate?) count.
- the seven Greylag Geese flew in as two groups.
- still eight visiting Mute Swans. Still no sign of any cygnets as yet.
- *a duck Mallard noted with three small ducklings she managed to control when a Coot gave chase when they came too close to the Coot's nest. Broods of Mallard ducklings have been few and far between this year with no ducklings surviving more than a few days.
- a drake Tufted Duck again.
- my later visit meant more juvenile Coots were out and about.
- no Great Crested Grebe again
- one (or more) Great Spotted Woodpecker calling once more from the island with one of these(?) later around the lower car parks.
- another Starling fly-over: a group of four with calls indicating one or more juveniles.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
- 4 Starlings: see notes

Noted on / around the water:
- 165 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 7 Greylag Geese: arrived
- 10 Mute Swans: assuming the pen is still on the hidden nest.
- *26 (10♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens: no juveniles noted today
- 43 + 22 (10 broods) Coots

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (2) Blackcaps: at least one of the non-singing birds was a juvenile

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- *1 Yellow-barred Longhorn Nemophora degeerella: female
- *1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana

Bees, wasps etc.:
none

Flies:
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: one male

Beetles:
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea

The duck Mallard has gathered up her three small ducklings after they had all been chased around by a Coot.

Here sorting her wings out after the chase. She had been peddling fast and the ducklings had to peddle furiously to keep up.

Another Yellow-barred Longhorn moth Nemophora degeerella: this one has obviously shorter antennae and I now read that it indicates it is a female.

My clearest photo yet of a Common Marble moth Celypha lacunana.

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:40– 11:05 // 13:00 – 13:10

(135th visit of the year)

As mentioned in the introduction only viewing from the dam-top area. I did this both before and after visiting Woodhouse Lane.

Bird notes:
- once again the seven Greylag Geese goslings were present and correct with the third adult present throughout. Also two Canada Geese.
- no Mallard ducklings seen.
- the pair of Great Crested Grebes were hiding their juveniles.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None
Some were seen over Woodhouse Lane – q.v.

Counts from the lake area:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swan: the pen appeared briefly. No sign of cygnets
- 15 (10♂) Mallard
- no Moorhens
- 28 + 7 (5 broods) Coots
- 5+ ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- no Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallows

Warblers

Not recorded

Also noted here:

Nothing else

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane area: 11:05 – 13:00

Bird notes:
Birds recorded in this area: excluding the common species – tits, Robins etc.
the number in brackets refers to birds singing: not an ideal time for bird song,
- 1 Pheasant
- 1 Stock Dove
- 2 (2) Skylarks
- no Chiffchaffs, surprisingly
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
- 3 (1) Common Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
- 2 (2) Blackbirds
- 3 (3) Song Thrushes
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 5 (5) Chaffinches
- 2 Linnets: presumed the same pair flying over on several occasions
- 2 (1) Goldfinches
- 3 (1) Yellowhammers

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 15 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Also noted:
The vegetation along the lane was overgrown with grasses etc. crowding out many flowers. Probably a good thing as a wide array of species entered the log anyway.

Butterflies:
- unidentified "white" seen in flight only

Moths:
- 17 Yellow-barred Longhorn Nemophora degeerella: 15 dancing together
- 1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana

Bees, wasps etc.:
very many bumblebees : most were not specifically checked.
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *$ probable Large-headed Resin Bee Heriades truncorum
- *unidentified ichneumon wasp
- *$ Dark Stem Borer sawfly Cephus nigrinus

Hoverflies:
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *!Plain-faced Dronefly Eristalis arbustorum [Eurasian Drone Fly]
- Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
- Blotch-winged Hoverfly Leucozona lucorum [Blotch-winged Whitebelt]
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus [Grey-spotted Sedgesitter or White-footed Hoverfly]
- *male Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
- Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus
- *Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens [Common Compost Fly; Thick-legged Hoverfly]

Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
- *female Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma naja [Large Redeye]
- Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
- unidentified dragonfly in flight only

Other flies:
- Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
- *!soldier fly Broad Centurian Chloromyia formosa
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: all males
- *Common Red-legged Robberfly Dioctria rufipes
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *male Spotted Cranefly Nephrotoma appendiculata
- female Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- Muscid fly Phaonia sp.
- *!semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
- *!Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus [Ferruginous Beegrabber]
very many flies not identified

Bugs:
- Red-and-Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata
- Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
- *!Mirid bug Grypocoris stysi

Beetles:
- *!Hazel Leaf-roller [or Hazel Leaf-rolling Weevil] Apoderus coryli
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. spectabilis
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- male and *female Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis [False Oil Beetle or Thick-legged Flower Beetle]
- Nettle Weevil Phyllobius pomaceus
- *14 Spot Ladybird Propylea quattuordecimpunctata: mating pair

Flowers

Not (yet) noted elsewhere this year:
- *Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium [Fireweed]
- Meadowsweet [or Mead Wort] Filipendula ulmaria
- *Common Comfrey Symphytum officinale

A Honey Bee Apis mellifera. I have not seen very many of these this year. I have selected today's pictures to highlight new species or interesting views of the many insects I noted.

A probable Large-headed Resin Bee Heriades truncorum. Not a species – or indeed a genus of bee - that I have seen before.

This looks as if it ought to be easy to identify but I cannot obtain any information on this ichneumon wasp.

This seems to be a Dark Stem Borer sawfly Cephus nigrinus. Also a new species for me.

This Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus is on the orange end of the scale. It is unusual in that below the thick cross lines there is usually a thin line across the entire width of the abdomen. Here these lines are shorter and the lower one broken.

A small dronefly: it is a Plain-faced Dronefly Eristalis arbustorum that Obsidentify names Eurasian Drone Fly.

A good view of a Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.

A Migrant Field Syrph hoverfly Eupeodes corollae also known as Migrant Hoverfly; or Migrant Aphideater.

A Grey-spotted Boxer hoverfly Platycheirus albimanus alternatively Grey-spotted Sedgesitter or White-footed Hoverfly. I never see this species anywhere near a sedge.

A well-posed male Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta or Long Hoverfly.

The swollen hind femur helps to identify this as a Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens with Common Compost Fly and Thick-legged Hoverfly being alternative common names.

I now realise that female Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma naja do not have the all-black top to the thorax shown by males.

This fly with a metallic green thorax and wide abdomen is the soldier fly Broad Centurian Chloromyia formosa.

A Common Red-legged Robberfly Dioctria rufipes.

A male Spotted Cranefly Nephrotoma appendiculata. I am not sure why it is called "spotted" when the line down the abdomen appears solid.

This is a male semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus. He flashes the white tips of his wings to either deter other males or attract the females.

Another weird-looking fly. It is a Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus also known as Ferruginous Beegrabber

A smart-looking insect: it is the mirid bug Grypocoris stysi.

Another smart insect. My first Hazel Leaf-roller (or Hazel Leaf-rolling Weevil) Apoderus coryli of this year. Not a species I see every year.

This Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis is the form spectabilis. I now believe this to be my first record of this form this year, previous examples I have shown had a black area intruding in to the forward red spot and therefore should be ascribed to the conspicua form.

A female Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis or Thick-legged Flower Beetle.

A mating pair of 14 Spot Ladybird Propylea quattuordecimpunctata.

This is Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium commonly known as Fireweed.

Here is Common Comfrey Symphytum officinale

(Ed Wilson)

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2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Wheatear
1 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
6 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Spotted Flycatcher
5 Black Terns
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
2 Wheatears
3 Ravens
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)

7 Jun 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

11.0°C > 15.0°C: Early broken high-level cloud again gave way to lower cloud with a short spell of light rain. Bright through a high overcast later. Light southerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:48 BST again

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:55– 06:05 // 07:20 – 09:40

(134th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- once again the seven Greylag Geese goslings were present and correct with the third adult present throughout.
- *a single small Mallard duckling seen, apparently an orphan as no adults seen nearby. Of the large count of "adult" some of them could well have been full-grown juveniles of either sex masquerading as ducks..
- no Tufted Duck seen [but a drake at The Flash].
- four juvenile Coots seen from three broods.
- *the pair of Great Crested Grebes have at least three juveniles.
- a Racing Pigeon made a brief stop on the dam-top.
- no song was heard from Friday's Sedge Warbler.
- the recent (South side) Common Whitethroat was not found. At the original south-west site a non-singing bird was seen briefly in flight.
- what sounded like a family party of six Starlings flew from the estate to the academy's own sports field. This about two weeks after the majority of the juveniles fledged.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Stock Dove
- 3 Wood Pigeons only
- 3 Jackdaws
That's all

Counts from the lake area:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swan: assuming the pen is still on the hidden nest
- 28 (18♂) + *1 (1 brood) Mallard: see notes
- no Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 26 + 4 (3 broods) Coots
- *6 + 3? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 12 Swifts: flew South together
- no Barn Swallows
- no House Martins

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
For some reason there was a significant increase in singing.
- 11 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 10 (10) Reed Warblers
- 15 (12) Blackcaps
- 1 (0) Common Whitethroats

Also noted:
A few things braved the elements, mainly flies.

Butterflies:
none

Moths:
- *22 Yellow-barred Longhorn Nemophora degeerella : all between Teece Drive and the Wesley Brook.
- *1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- *$1 Black-streaked Tortrix Epinotia signatana: a new species for me in the area. Confirmed by the Shropshire micro-moth recorder.
- *!1 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]

Bees, wasps etc.:
only nine bumblebees noted, not all identified
- Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *sawfly #1
- *sawfly #2

Hoverflies:
none

Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
- 1 unidentified larva

Other flies:
I did not spend much time looking at flies.
- *!long-legged fly Dolichopus plumipes
- *long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: all males
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.: also a smaller greenbottle species
- *$ fly Meiosimyza decempunctata of the Lauxaniidae family

Bugs:
none

Beetles:
Definitely a beetle morning.
- *!larva, possibly of 10 Spot Ladybird Adalia decempunctata
- *larva of 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- *Green Dock Beetle Gastrophysa viridula
- *both larvae and !pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- *False Blister Beetle Oedemera lurida or O. virescens
- *a mating pair of unidentified longhorn beetles.

Slugs / Snails etc.:
- *$ Common Bladder Snail Physa fontinalis

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

On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Another complete blank.

I do wonder whether the street lights are operational. I do know that one failed many weeks ago.

Cute and cuddly. The apparently abandoned Mallard duckling.

And here attempting the crawl!

So the Great Crested Grebes have two juveniles? One jumps off the parent's back to grab a morsel being brought by the other parent.

But what's this? There are in fact still two "humbugs" on the parent's back, one wrapped around the neck and with its bill just visible. So three juveniles.

A mating pair of Yellow-barred Longhorn Nemophora degeerella. I counted 22 of this moth species in the overgrown scrub between the Teece Drive fence and the Wesley Brook.

A Common Marble moth Celypha lacunana.

Not a brilliant photo of a small moth. This Black-streaked Tortrix Epinotia signatana flew to the ground as it was flushed from the vegetation and is here on the West end footpath. A new species for me here and historically an uncommon species as far North as the Midlands.

An unusually poorly-marked Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella. The angled cross-line near the wing-tip identifies. It is early in this species' flight season so it seems odd that it look so worn.

I cannot say anything more than "sawfly" for this insect. There are many species and many of them look very similar.

Another unidentified sawfly investigating whether the mating pair of Harlequin Ladybirds Harmonia axyridis, both of the form succinea are edible. Good luck munching the wing cases!

Something I did not expect: the unidentified larva of a damselfly emerging on a dull day. I have no information on how to identify these.

Here are what seems to be two male long-legged flies Dolichopus plumipes displaying. This species has the strange adornment on the middle leg apparently to impress females. How do "they" know?

For comparison here is my best photo to date of the more abundant long-legged fly D. ungulatus.

This fly that I have not previously seen (identified?) is Meiosimyza decempunctata. It is in the Lauxaniidae fly family though that is not very descriptive.

Certainly a ladybird larva. I think of a 10 Spot Ladybird Adalia decempunctata. Here on the Teece Drive fence.

Another ladybird larva, this of a 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata.

A Green Dock Beetle Gastrophysa viridula. I am not sure why the elytra (wing-cases) look so short. Only these elytra gloss in the light, various colours depending on the angle.

This is a ladybird pupa, likely of a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis. I can find few illustration of ladybird pupae on the internet.

A False Blister Beetle, either Oedemera lurida or O. virescens. In these very similar species the sexes also look the same, are more slender than the Swollen-thighed Beetle O. nobilis and the elytra are held less open when at rest.

There must have been something in the air today. More mating, this time a pair of longhorn beetles. This confuses the ID apps and reference to the NatureSpot photo gallery did not provide a conclusive identity.

Courtesy of one of the fishermen who extracted this Common Bladder Snail Physa fontinalis from the water. Any palmists able to read my lines?

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Flies:
- 14 midges only of several species again

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 probable male Snake-back Spider Segestria senoculata
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

With palps like this it has to be a male spider with its prey. It may be the same species as I saw yesterday - a Snake-back Spider Segestria senoculata.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:10 – 07:15

(131st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- An even larger count of adult Canada Geese with the gosling and its parents again among them. Today most of them were in one bunched up group which made them even harder to count as they would not stay still.
- seventeen Greylag Geese two of which flew in together.
- still eight visiting Mute Swans. No sign of any cygnets as yet
- a drake Tufted Duck was my first of this species since 29 May (and before that 17 May). This species is usually present throughout the year and has bred here.
- my first juvenile Moorhen here this year (juveniles have been in the pools between here and the Balancing Lake for several weeks)
- fifteen juvenile Coots found from nine broods.
- no Great Crested Grebe noted.
- no Grey Heron today.
- one (or more) Great Spotted Woodpecker calling again from the island.
- a Nuthatch calling along squirrel alley was my first for several weeks.
- a male Pied Wagtail was on Derwent Drive as I arrived, flying away South,

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 172 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 17 Greylag Geese
- 10 Mute Swans: assuming the pen is still on the hidden nest.
- 22 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 41 + 15 (9 broods) Coots
- no Great Crested Grebe
- no Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- no Swifts
- 2 House Martins

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

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- *4 Yellow-barred Longhorn Nemophora degeerella

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

Flies:
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: all males
- *!fly Suillia variegata from the Heleomyzidae(!) family

Beetles:
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea

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

Just resting in the low overcast were four of these Yellow-barred Longhorn moths Nemophora degeerella.

When it wakes up this Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum has breakfast ready "delivered". Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra awaits.

A more active Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris.

This the fly Suillia variegata. It is from the Heleomyzidae(!) family of flies and is distinguished by the white tip to the dark-spotted wings and the two lines of dots on the thorax.

(Ed Wilson)

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2009
Priorslee Lake
15 House Martins
15 Swifts
2 Chiffchaffs
Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)