8 Jul 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

17.0°C > 23.0°C: Almost cloudless. A very light westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:56 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– 06:00 // 07:10 – 09:55

(156th visit of the year)

Note:
A postscript to my discussions with Severn Trent yesterday. The bridge part-way along the North side path (not the Wesley Brook bridge) needs to be replaced soon. Work will be done some time after the holiday season.

Bird notes:
- I managed to see all eleven Greylag Geese (presumably the four adults and seven full-grown goslings though it is impossible to tell). Apart from one on the south-west grass throughout the others "appeared" and then "vanished".
- a single Mallard duckling was noted with its mother: a more well-advanced duckling than yesterday's newbie.
- *the same adult and juvenile Great Crested Grebes as yesterday were noted.
- the warbler update:
a Common Whitethroat sang once as I passed down the West end path.
otherwise quiet.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Greylag Goose: flew West
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 92 Wood Pigeons
- 14 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 11 Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 34 (?♂) + 1 (1 brood) Mallard again
- 4 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- *5 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes again: see notes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls: of these one a juvenile
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- no Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Swift: very high overhead c.05:10
- 3 Barn Swallows: singles flew through c.05:15
- 1+ House Martins: bird(s) heard c.05:30

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 6 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 12 (8) Reed Warblers
- 7 (7) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat

Also noted:
Many insects, other than butterflies, seemed to be hiding from the heat.

Butterflies:
- 1 Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola
- *5 Small Skipper-type Thymelicus sylvestris
- 6 Green-veined White Pieris napi
- 6 "whites" I did not bother to chase to ID
- 3 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- 4 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
- *27+ Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
- 31+ Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
- 2 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
- 3 Peacock Aglais io
- *1 Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus

Moths:
- 10 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella: many more "grass moths" got away.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *ichneumon wasp Amblyteles armatorius

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
- Bumblebee Plume-horned Hoverfly Volucella bombylans [Bumblebee Plumehorn]

Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- *Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator [Blue Emperor]
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
- Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum
one or two other species of dragonfly seen in flight only

True flies:
a few including...
- dagger fly Empis livida
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
other unidentified flies

Bugs:
- * ! Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus

Beetles:
- 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:

Moths:
- * 1 Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa

The sunrise with a few wisps of cloud visible: about all there was all morning.

Happy family. A trio of humbug Great Crested Grebe juveniles with one of their parents.

Not one of my best! The oldest of the three broods of Great Crested Grebes I have seen here this year comprises just the one surviving almost full-grown juvenile. It will be many weeks before it stops pestering its parent to be fed.

A male Small Skipper butterfly Thymelicus sylvestris helpfully showing all the ID features. The antennae tips are not jet black. The scent mark in the forewing is longer than that on Essex Skipper T. lineola and slightly curved. It is also not parallel with the wing edge. It is best to photograph them to allow close inspection.

A worn Meadow Brown butterfly Maniola jurtina.

Another Holly Blue butterfly Celastrina argiolus. The upper-wing differs between the sexes. The species rarely perches with the wings held open and so it is usually impossible to sex most sightings.

An instantly recognisable moth with no confusion species: it is a Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa. I saw one back in May so this is likely from a second generation this year.

An ichneumon wasp Amblyteles armatorius.

Not a patch on yesterday's photo of a male Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator. Difficult when they are in flight.

This is a Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus. My first this year though as the name implies it is a common species.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- 2 Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata
- *1 ! Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata
- *1 Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata
- 1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata form remutata
- *1 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata

Flies:
- 6 midges of several species
- 3 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
- 1 cranefly Tipula sp.

Arthropods:
- 3 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 possible Noble or False Widow Spider Steatoda nobilis

After a blank day yesterday there were six moths in the tunnel today. This was one of two Small Fan-footed Waves Idaea biselata.

My first Small Dusty Wave moth Idaea seriata of the year.

My second Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata this year.

At a difficult angle on the far side of the ceiling I found this Common Pug moth Eupithecia vulgata.

This is a possible Noble or False Widow Spider Steatoda nobilis. Genitalia examination is needed to separate this from similar species, all with very variable markings. This is a male.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:05 – 07:05

(153rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I am sure there must have been more Canada Geese somewhere. I have seen no evidence that they have regrown their flight feathers as yet. The geese were less stratified today with mixed groups all over the water.
- I could find "only" 17 Mute Swans!
- two duck Mallards were noted each with two ducklings. One brood very new: the other part-grown. Both were keeping close to the reeds and hard to see.
- more Tufted Duck have arrived.
- a Great Crested Grebe was lurking in the reeds at the top end.
- a Ring-necked Parakeet flew over calling (as they do) at 06:10: my second here this year.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Ring-necked Parakeet
- 1 Jackdaw yet again

Noted on / around the water:
- 136 Canada Geese only: see notes
- 100 Greylag Geese exactly
- 17 Mute Swans
- 20 (?♂) + 4 (2 broods) Mallard
- 23 (?♂) Tufted Duck again
- 7 Moorhens
- 62 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- no Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins very briefly

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

Noted around the area:

Butterflies:
- 1 Green-veined White Pieris napi
- *5 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta basking in a sunny area at the base of squirrel alley

Moths:
- *1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana
- *9 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
- *1 White-banded Grass-moth Crambus pascuella [was Inlaid Grass-veneer]

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

True flies:
- 1 greenbottle Lucilia sp.

Beetles:
- 11 Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva

One of five Red Admiral butterflies Vanessa atalanta that were basking (and fighting) in a sunny area at the base of squirrel alley. I can't do much about my camera's apparent inability to render the red colour properly. I have tried to correct it using a photo-editor: that only makes the leaves a strange colour instead.

A Common Nettle-tap moth Anthophila fabriciana. So far this year far from "common" and only about my fifth in the area. Last year I noted dozens. Many insects have boom or bust years.

A "grass moth" primer (though there are many other species to find). A well-marked Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella at a typical angle on a street lamp pole.

And this is a White-banded Grass-moth Crambus pascuella. This species seems less dedicated to resting head-down.

(Ed Wilson)

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2007
Priorslee Lake
A pair of Siskins close to the lake
(Martin Adlam)

7 Jul 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

16.0°C > 20.0°C: Extensive high cloud blotting the sun out much of the time. Was clearing as I concluded the log. A moderate north-westerly breeze. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 04:55 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– 06:00 // 07:10 – 10:00

(155th visit of the year)

Note:
After finishing my usual walks around here I spent the next four hours at the invitation of the Severn Trent ecological and site management teams to discuss their management plans. The next action will be to cut much (but not all) the grass areas at the of this month. Another cut will be done in late September, weather permitting. The medium-term aim is to increase plant diversity in these areas while preserving the bird breeding areas and some of the scrubby areas favoured by many insects. I did not make any records during this time: there were many more butterflies around: no new species were noted.

Bird notes:
- still not sure what to say about the Greylag Geese. On my first circuit a loud hooting from a Kinaxia truck on Castle Farm Way was needed to move one (or more) of the geese from the roadway. At that time a lone adult was on the south-west grass. Later it was joined by another and these were the only two I confirmed.
- *just a single brand new Mallard duckling was noted with its mother.
- still Great Crested Grebe confusion. The third pair to hatch young were again seen with their three young. The single juvenile seen with an adult was the almost full-sized but still stripe-headed survivor from the first pair to hatch young. Only five adults were confirmed.
- two Common Sandpipers were noted in the south-west area.
- *a begging juvenile Black-headed Gull was being ignored by three adults. They all flew off together
- the warbler update:
two parties of juvenile Reed Warblers noted, one with a parent collecting food..

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 106 Wood Pigeons
- 40 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 34 (?♂) + *1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 6 Moorhens: one of these a juvenile
- 47 Coots again
- 5 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 4 Black-headed Gulls: *one juvenile
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron: departed early

Hirundines etc. noted:
- c.15 Swifts: the first two arrivals at c.05:15 with numbers building
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 1+ House Martins: bird(s) heard at 04:50 with one seen high over Teece Drive

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- *11 (6) Reed Warblers
- 10 (9) Blackcaps

Also noted: these ignore any sightings after 10:00.

Butterflies:
A good mix of species though numbers slightly reduced due to lack of sun.
- *1 Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola
- 3 Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
- 2 Green-veined White Pieris napi
- 1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- 3 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
- *12+ Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
- *13+ Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus: I managed to find a female to photograph
- 3 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
- 1 Peacock Aglais io
- 1 Comma Polygonia c-album
- *1 ! Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus

Moths:
- 1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- 11 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella: at least 10 "grass moths" got away.
- *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

Hoverflies:
- *Broad-banded Epistrophe Epistrophe grossulariae [Black-horned Smoothtail]
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
- Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus

Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- ! Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis
- *Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator [Blue Emperor]
- *Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella [Azure Bluet]
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
- *Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum
A dragonfly was hawking over the West end path by 04:55!
one or two other species of dragonfly seen in flight only

True flies:
A few including...
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- dagger fly Empis livida
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
other unidentified flies

Bugs:
- *Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale

Beetles:
- Rough-haired Lagria Beetle Lagria hirta
- Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva

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

Plants:
- I ate my first wild Blackberry of the year: still a bit tart. I used to reckon on the last few days in July before I could do this.

On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:

Moths: (hooray!)
- *1 dead female Ghost Moth Hepialus humuli trussed up in a web.
- *1 Black Arches Lymantria monacha

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

I knew I did not have time to catch the red-sky's reflection in the lake before it faded so here it is across the football field.

When I appeared at a gap in the reeds the duck Mallard took off leaving her low new duckling calling and calling. After a few minutes she returned – as shown here.

"Feed me, feed me". A recently-fledged Black-headed Gull demands to be fed. It was unlucky and flew off with the adults when they departed.

Two families of Reed Warblers were jumping about in the reeds. I managed just one shot of this adult, mouth open and giving its chirring alarm-call. For a warbler this species has a long bill.

Yet another Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola. A male this time with a short and straight scent gland in the forewing that runs parallel to the wing edge. On male Small Skippers T. sylvestris the scent gland is longer, slightly bowed and at a slight angle to the wing edge. It is not easy to see the black-tip to the antennae that also identifies this species so it is useful to have the confirmatory marking.

A Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina with one white dot in the wing's black circle.

A male Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus. This species because there are two white dots in the wing's black circle. Smaller and brighter-toned than Meadow Brown. A male because the forewing has a dark area in its centre.

 I managed to find a female to photograph today. No dark in the centre of the forewing.

This is rather worrying: the sparse dotting on the underside of the wing of this "blue" butterfly means it is a Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus. Have I been misidentifying the "blues" recently? I am not sure. Holly Blue is known to fly high up in bushes etc. whereas as the Common Blue Polyommatus icarus usually stays "below shoulder-height" which is where I have seen them all – this included!

A female Ghost Moth Hepialus humuli being trussed up by a Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius. Male Ghost Moths are white and fly at dusk and dawn. I mostly see females.

A very smart-looking moth: a Black Arches Lymantria monacha. I see this species most years.

Shaded Broad-bar moths Scotopteryx chenopodiata always seem to be hiding deep in the grass. This was, as usual, head-down. I inverted the photo for easier viewing.

The wide and straight yellow bands on this hoverfly identify it as a Broad-banded Epistrophe Epistrophe grossulariae.

From this angle the Obsidentify name Black-horned Smoothtail makes sense

This Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax does not look very "tapered" from this angle even though it is a male. The pale areas on the front legs confirm the ID.

A flash of blue and apple green is usually what you see when a male Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator dashes by. I found this splendid creature perched. This species is our largest dragonfly.

A male Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella showing the "U"-shaped black mark on the top visible body segment and the wide blue stripes on the thorax.

A posing Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum.

It is several weeks since I last saw a Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria

A Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale. The scientific name of this species proves that some scientists have a sense of humour.

A Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. and a male by the size of the pedipalps.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
none

Flies:
- 12 midges of several species
- 3 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]: one a day but never in the same place on the wall
- 3 cranefly Tipula sp.

Arthropods:
- 9 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:05 – 07:05

(152nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- almost all the Canada Geese were in a single tight group: try counting the heads!
- 18 Mute Swans!! Gulp. Where did they all come from. Home for waifs and strays. noted.
- only one of the 63 Coots noted was a dependent juvenile. Two (hopeful?) adults still sitting on nests.
- no Great Crested Grebe found.
- two Grey Herons happily together on the side of the island.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 193 Canada Geese
- 118 Greylag Geese
- 18 Mute Swans
- 24 (?♂) Mallard again
- 15 (?♂) Tufted Duck again
- 5 Moorhens
- 63 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Black-headed Gull: departed
- 2 Grey Herons

Hirundines etc. noted:
None. Where have they gone?

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

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- *1 Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella
- 6 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *1 unidentified ichneumon

Hoverflies:
- 1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

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

True flies:
- 1 greenbottle Lucilia sp.

Beetles:
- *1 Rough-haired Lagria Beetle Lagria hirta
- 19 Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 money spider type
- *1 female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum

On a different street lamp pole to either example seen the previous two days is this Bird-cherry Ermine moth Yponomeuta evonymella.

 I cannot get an identity for this ichneumon.

A Rough-haired Lagria Beetle Lagria hirta just opening its wing-cases as it is about to depart.

 A tiny money spider type. The background is a small part of a street lamp identification sticker.

A female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum. Females of the species pair L. blackwalli / rotundum are easy to separate. They did not have the circular body of the males and the dark mark on back differs markedly. On rotundum it is, as here, parallel-sided almost the whole length of the body. On blackwalli it is shorter, widens posteriorly and then abruptly stops.

(Ed Wilson)

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2011
Priorslee Lake
Lesser Whitethroat
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Sandpipers
3 Common Terns
Kingfisher
50+ Swifts
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 drake Ruddy Duck
(Martin Adlam)

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)