6 Jul 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

16.0°C > 23.0°C: A clear start with increasing high cloud making the sun hazy at times and eventually blotting it out. Staying bright. As so often almost calm around dawn, with a moderate south-westerly breeze developing. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 04:54 BST

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:45– 05:55 // 07:10 – 09:55

(154th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- not sure what to say about the Greylag Geese. On my first circuit I only noted a lone adult on the south-west grass. By 08:15 there were ten (I assume three adults and three fully grown goslings) on the dam-top. Did I really overlook them first time or did they fly in?
- for the last few days the Mute Swans have been nowhere to be seen when I arrive. I am not sure where they emerge from later.
- just four Mallard ducklings remain with one of the many adults.
- more Great Crested Grebe confusion. The third pair to hatch young were again seen with their three young. A single juvenile was seen with another adult. The adults were well-behaved and I noted eight on the surface at the same time.
- a Lapwing was an unexpected fly-over at 07:40. I was going to write "unusual at this time of year" but in truth these days "unusual at any time of year".
- the warbler update:
no much song these days.
no Common Whitethroat seen or heard.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lapwing
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves: together again
- 82 Wood Pigeons
- 6 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 35 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 47 Coots
- 8 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron: stayed throughout

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts: early only
- 1 Barn Swallow

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (5) Reed Warblers
- 6 (6) Blackcaps
- no Common Whitethroats

Also noted:

Butterflies:
Another good haul; only singles of Red Admiral and Peacock were on the Butterfly-bush Buddleja davidii: most of the other butterflies were in the grassy areas.
- *1 Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola
- 4 Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
- *11 Green-veined White Pieris napi
- 2 unidentified "white"
- 3 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- 5 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
- 18+ Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
- 16+ Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus : I could not find a single female to photograph
- *5 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
- 2 Peacock Aglais io
- 2 Comma Polygonia c-album
- 1 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus: would not settle for a photo

Moths:
- *2 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- 9 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
- 1 Shaded Broad-bar Scotopteryx chenopodiata

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- * $ Ruby-tailed wasp Chrysis ignita-group

Hoverflies:
- *Cheilosia sp. possibly Parsley Blacklet C. pagana
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- Furry Dronefly Eristalis intricaria
- *Stripe-faced Dronefly Eristalis nemorum
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *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]
- Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
- *Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum
two other species of dragonfly seen in flight only

True flies:
a few including...
- *root-maggot fly probably Anthomyia procellaris
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
other unidentified flies

Bugs:
- Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius

Beetles:
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: pupae only
- *Rough-haired Lagria Beetle Lagria hirta
- Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
- *Spotted Longhorn Beetle Rutpela maculata [formerly Strangalia maculata]

On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
I do not understand: yet another blank morning

The sunrise today with cloud to the North and East.

Another Essex Skipper butterfly Thymelicus lineola with all-black tips to the antennae. It is a female without any scent mark in the wing. A secondary identification feature of the angle of that mark only applies to males.

"White" butterflies were abundant today. All those I was able to check when they settled were, as here, Green-veined Whites Pieris napi.

Worn specimens can be difficult to ID with the naked eye. A photo helps.

A posing Red Admiral butterfly Vanessa atalanta. Many of the butterflies were flighty in today's breeze.

One of two Common Marble moths Celypha lacunana I noted. This one resting at an unusual angle.

The other one shows how it should be done.

A Honey Bee Apis mellifera tucking in to Knapweed. This was by far the most numerous species of bee this morning. Perhaps bumblebees find Knapweed hard to handle. The bramble flowers that bumblebees seem to prefer are just about over.

This is a new sighting for me. It is one of the Ruby-tailed wasps in the Chrysis ignita-group. As with so many insects specific identification is not possible from photos.

One of the mainly black Cheilosia group of hoverflies, often difficult to ID. This is possibly Parsley Blacklet C. pagana

This is a Stripe-faced Dronefly Eristalis nemorum. It has a shape that suggests Tapered Dronefly E. pertinax but that species never shows such obvious white hairs between the body segments (tergites).

This IS a (male) Tapered Dronefly.

One of the Syrphus species of hoverfly. As it is also a male further identification is not possible from a photo.

This is a Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens with the swollen hind femur providing a clue to its identity (there are other hoverflies with this feature. They are of a different shape)

Black-tailed Skimmers Orthetrum cancellatum are often to be found sunning themselves on bare (or bare-ish) ground.

With contrasting and neat markings on the thorax this is a root-maggot fly probably Anthomyia procellaris.

A Rough-haired Lagria Beetle Lagria hirta.

I have seen more Spotted Longhorn Beetles Rutpela maculata this year than I can recall from any previous year.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- *1 Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata

Flies:
- 16 midges of several species
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]: one a day but never in the same place on the wall
- 1 cranefly Nephrotoma guestfalica
- 2 other cranefly Tipula sp.

Arthropods:
- 3 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

The only moth in the tunnel this morning was this Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata (complete with part of one of the scribblings that some folk like to do).

When they rest wing wings akimbo there is a good chance of identifying the craneflies here. This is a Nephrotoma guestfalica : a female with the ovipositor.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:00 – 07:05

(151st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- 10 Mute Swans noted. I don't think there is another.
- a small increase in Tufted Duck numbers.
- a Great Crested Grebe seen at the top end again.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 187 Canada Geese
- 110 Greylag Geese
- 10 Mute Swans
- 24 (?♂) Mallard
- 15 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 56 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 1 Black-headed Gull again
- no Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Swift: powered through

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

Noted around the area:

Butterflies:
- 1 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus

Moths:
Just three moths were noted around the street lights beside the footpath that runs alongside the Wesley Brook between the pools and the academy. Two of them were in the same place as yesterday though one had flown off by the time I walked back to the Balancing Lake.
- *1 Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella
- *5 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
- 1 Tawny Grey Eudonia lacustrata [was Little Grey]
- 1 Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata
- 1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata of the form remutata

Bees, wasps etc.:
none

Hoverflies:
- 2 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- 1 Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]

True flies:
- *2 greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *1 Muscid fly Phaonia pallida

Beetles:
- 11 Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva

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

The new moth here today was this Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella. The specimen I saw yesterday was at the top end of The Flash. This one was alongside the path leading to the Balancing Lake. It has been a good year for this species.

A typical Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella resting head-down. Note the way the wing markings splay out like fingers and the angled cross-line near the wing tip.

This greenbottle fly is from the genus Lucilia. There are several very similar species. To confuse matters further there are other, usually smaller, "greenbottles" in different genera.

A relatively easy fly to ID: it is the muscid fly Phaonia pallida. There are several species of mainly orange fly: this species is more robust than any of the others.

(Ed Wilson)

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2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

5 Jul 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

15.0°C > 18.0°C: Broken cloud at multiple levels early with bright intervals. After 08:00 lower-level cloud moved in. Light westerly breeze becoming moderate later. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 04:53 BST

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:50– 06:00 // 07:20 – 09:30

(153rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the seven Greylag Geese goslings and three of the adults flew strongly off the dam in to the water on my first circuit. I did not see them again. Perhaps they flew off? The fourth adult was at the West end throughout..
- six Mallard ducklings were with one of the many adults. The ducklings did not look "brand new" and were likely from the brood of seven first seen last Tuesday.
- the Great Crested Grebes, as always, try and confuse. The third pair to hatch young were seen with their three young. Just two juveniles from the second pair to hatch their young were seen and heard calling with no adults nearby though I could see three adults a distance away. An adult was seen in flight at 05:05 circling higher and higher and apparently leaving to the West. At c.05:30 it, or another, was seen flying over heading East though it may have circled back to splash down: my view was blocked by trees.
- an adult Black-headed Gull was with a begging juvenile on a boating platform again. The juvenile was only seen slumped on the platform and the adult seemed to be ignoring it.
- the warbler update:
no Cetti's Warbler seen or heard.
a family party of Reed Warblers was along the North side.
fewer Blackcaps were singing.
at the West End a Common Whitethroat was heard singing, briefly. What I thought was a different bird was giving its alarm call in the same area: the first suggestion I have had that there might be a pair in that area. Another bird was alarm calling along the South side.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 49 Wood Pigeons
- 11 Jackdaws
That's all folks

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 35 (?♂) + 6 (1 brood) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 43 Coots: of these at least four were obvious juveniles from three broods.
- 6 + 5 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- no Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 12 Swifts: only six early more later

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- no Cetti's Warbler
- 8 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (6) Reed Warblers
- 9 (8) Blackcaps
- 3 (1) Common Whitethroats

Also noted:
It clouded up before many insects were on the wing.

Butterflies:
- 2 Green-veined White Pieris napi
- 1 unidentified "white"
- 3 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
- 3 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus

Moths:
- *1 Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella
- 15 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]: at least as many "grass moths" got away unidentified.
- 1 Shaded Broad-bar Scotopteryx chenopodiata

Bees, wasps etc.:
Despite only seeing c.10 bees all the usual species noted.
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- Variable Duskyface Melanostoma mellinum [Short Melanostoma]
- *Spotted Meliscaeva Meliscaeva auricollis [Spotted Thintail]
- *Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
- *Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens [Pied Plumehorn; Great Pied Hoverfly]

Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]

True flies:
A few including...
- *Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
- *Marsh Snipefly Rhagio tringarius
other unidentified flies

Bugs:
- *! Bronze Shieldbug Troilus luridus

Beetles:
- Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva

Mammals:
- * ! dead Water Shrew Neomys fodiens

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

Sitting on a leaf at waist-level beside the path was this Bird-cherry Ermine moth Yponomeuta evonymella.

A Honey Bee Apis mellifera hard at work on Knapweed Centaurea nigra.

A well-posed Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

This hoverfly is named Spotted Meliscaeva Meliscaeva auricollis in Steven Falk's Flickr gallery. Obsidentify uses the name Spotted Thintail.

I eventually decided this hoverfly was "just" an unusually-marked male Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta. I explored many of the other species in this genus as I have never seen a specimen where the markings on the lower part of the abdomen are brown rather than black. This is the only species in the genus where the abdomen of the male extends beyond the folded wings and it is clear that it would do so here.

A Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens. This species has alternative names of Pied Plumehorn or Great Pied Hoverfly.

Not a brilliant photo but is shows how female (at the top) and male Black Snipeflies Chrysopilus cristatus differ. This is called sexual dimorphism.

On the left a male semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus has his wings open as he flashes the white tips to the female on the right. They were standing in (on?) very shallow water, hence the reflections.

I do not record Marsh Snipefly Rhagio tringarius every year.

New for the year was this Bronze Shieldbug Troilus luridus . The yellow area in the antennae immediately separates this species from other dark-looking shieldbugs.

Apart from Grey Squirrels most wild animals I see around the lake are usually dead. I found this Water Shrew Neomys fodiens today, the corpse already attracting a fly.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- *1 White-banded Grass-moth Crambus pascuella [was Inlaid Grass-veneer]
- *1 Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata
- *1 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata.

Flies:
- 11 midges of several species
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 3 cranefly Tipula sp.
Only very distinctive craneflies can be specifically ID-ed from flash photos taken here.

Arthropods:
- 5 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

I found a trio of moths in the tunnel: here is a White-banded Grass-moth Crambus pascuella on the ceiling.

Also on the ceiling was this Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata.

And this Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata was, unusually for a pug moth, on the wall.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:00 – 06:55

(150th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the geese were running on and off the East side grass and difficult to keep track of. There was no suggestion that any of the geese here are motivated to even try their new wings as yet.
- at least 10 Mute Swans noted. Perhaps another.
- fewer Coots found. A Grey Heron was on the edge of the island and may have dissuaded some of the Coots from settling there.
- the first Black-headed Gull of, er, Autumn was back here briefly [23 June last year].
- a Great Crested Grebe seen at the top end lurking in the reeds.
- did I or did I not hear a Kingfisher? It would be unusually early for any post-breeding birds to turn up. Nothing was seen. Annoyingly it would be a new bird for me this year here – I did not records any last winter after the turn of the year.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 143 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 108 Greylag Geese
- 10? Mute Swans: see notes
- 21 (?♂) Mallard
- 5 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 42 Coots: see notes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

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

Noted around the area:

Moths:
No fewer than eight moths (of seven species) were noted around the street lights beside the footpath that runs alongside the Wesley Brook between the pools and the academy. Often a good hunting ground for moths but this exceeds all previous totals
- *1 Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella
- *1 Diamond-backed Moth Plutella xylostella
- *1 ! Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana
- *2 Tawny Grey Eudonia lacustrata [was Little Grey]
- *1 unidentified "grey" Eudonia / Scoparia sp.
- *1 as yet unidentified micro-moth
- *1 Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata
- *1 Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata
- *1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata of the form remutata
- *1 ! Clouded Border Lomaspilis marginata

Bees, wasps etc.:
none

Hoverflies:
- *1 Common Spotted Field Syrph Eupeodes luniger [Lunuled Aphideater]

Beetles:
- 1 pupa of a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
- 5 Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli

A plethora of moths here today. High up on a street lamp pole among the debris from spider webs was this Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella.

My first-ever record of Diamond-backed Moth Plutella xylostella here. I noted one at the Balancing Lake a few weeks ago. A very common migrant – if you live on the South Coast.

My first Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana of the year. A micro-moth I see most, but not all, years.

A Tawny Grey Eudonia lacustrata.

And another more clearly-marked individual of the same species a long way up a street lamp pole so not as sharp as I would have liked.

"Greys" are a difficult group and some less well-marked individuals will have to stay as 'unidentified "grey" Eudonia / Scoparia sp.' These would need to be captured and the genitalia examined to complete the identification

An as yet unidentified micro-moth. It may be a very, very worn "grey".

A pale-looking Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata.

My first Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata of the year. I have no idea why it is so-named.

This Riband Wave Idaea aversata of the form remutata was in the same place as it was yesterday.

Another first for the year and the final species I notched up here today was this Clouded Border Lomaspilis marginata. Phew: eleven moths of at least eight species. A good haul.

Asleep on one of the street lamp poles was this Common Spotted Field Syrph Eupeodes luniger. The yellow markings do not wrap-around the side of the abdomen so it is not, as Obsidentify suggested, a Migrant Field Syrph E. corollae.

(Ed Wilson)

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2012
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
Grasshopper Warbler singing
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Green Sandpipers seen flying from the lake towards Priorslee Flash: these were my first here for c.10 years
1 Common Sandpiper
House Sparrow unusual here
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Possible Crossbills close-by
(Ed Wilson)