9 Jun 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake: 07:35 – 09:45
The Flash: 07:10 – 07:30 // 09:50 – 10:05

c.12.0°C > c.14.0°C: Low overcast kept threatening to break but mostly never did. Light E wind. Moderate / good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:46 BST

Priorslee Lake: 07:35 – 09:45

(73rd visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- at least 7 Great Crested Grebes. As usual the different pairs were playing ‘submarines’ around the edges of their territory and I am inclined to think there were 8 different birds involved. None of the pairs seems too interested in nesting at the moment
- more broods of Coot but fewer juveniles seen: attrition rates are always high here
- an adult Black-headed Gull dropped in for some 10 minutes and then flew back E
- six Lesser Black-backed Gulls went over together: all apparently full adults and calling
- at least 4 different Great Spotted Woodpeckers heard suggesting fledged young around: none seen to confirm
- Reed Warbler singing from yet another new location: however several ‘regular’ birds either quiet or moved
and
- the following species of butterfly noted
- 1 Speckled Wood
- the following moth flushed from the vegetation
- >20 Yellow-barred Longhorn (Nemophora degeerella)
- 3 Silver-ground Carpets
- 3 Blood-veins
- 1 Straw Dot
- 3 species of damselflies with many 100s seen
- Common Blue Damselfly
- Azure Damselfly
- Blue-tailed Damselfly
- two hoverfly species
- both still to be confirmed
- several species of beetle including
- Red-headed Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis)
- Green Dock Beetle (Gastrophysa viridula)
- possible Mint Leaf Beetle (Chrysolina herbacea)
- several ladybirds
- a dark form of 2 Spot Ladybird (Adalia bipunctata)
- two slightly different forms of Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)
- at least two different Crane Fly species
- again only Common Crane-fly (Tipula oleracea) ID-ed
- the following currently common flies
- Black Snipe flies (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- Scorpion Fly (Panorpa communis)
- the following spiders provisionally identified
- the usual Common stretch-spiders (Tetragnatha extensa)
- a Zebra Spider (Salticus scenicus)
- a possible Cucumber Green Orb Spider (Araniella cucurbitina sensu stricto)

No new species of flowering plants noted but the previously noted willowherb sp. is confirmed as Broad-leaved Willowherb (Epilobium montanum)

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 8 Canada Geese
- 3 Cormorants
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws

Hirundines seen today
- 3 Common Swifts
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 3 House Martins

Warblers noted: figure in brackets is singing birds
- 8 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 15 (12) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warbler
- 2 (2) (Common) Whitethroat
- 7 (7) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 4 + 8 (2) Mute Swans
- 8 (8♂) Mallard
- 7 or 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen
- 28 + 14 (7 broods) Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull

The adult Black-headed Gull sails by.

This might not look like it but is a 2 Spot Ladybird (Adalia bipunctata) – of the black form that is more common the further north you live. Thought to help the insect absorb the heat from the sun.

This is another Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis). Differs from most of our native multi-spotted ladybirds in having a white face.

The white face shows better on this view of a differently-marked specimen.

The long snout tells us this is a weevil sp. and the colouration suggests a Phyllobius sp. A complex group it is likely the Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus) but a hand-lens and examination from several angles is needed to confirm.

Not too much to go on here: seems possibly to be a sawfly sp. with a damaged wing.

This is a capsid bug and likely the Common Green Capsid (Lygocoris pabulinus)

This is a green sawfly and likely Rhogogaster viridis though there are a number of similar species not easy to separate.

I had real trouble with this very small ‘thing’ – it may even be a spider / spiderling. The camera would not give me a clear image.

this green beetle seems to be a Green Dock Beetle (Gastrophysa viridula).

Whereas this beetle looks as if it is a pregnant female Green Dock Beetle (Gastrophysa viridula), full of eggs and strangely tilted as a result.

This is a hoverfly and thanks to a friend who specialises in hoverflies it is likely a female Cheilosia pagana. However the Cheilosia genus is large and complex with many similar species and considerable difference between males and females. It also thought that many species are not yet properly worked out. What hope does a casual observer have?

This is a female Anasimyia lineata hoverfly. The combination of a snout and a striped thorax limit the possibilities. The female shows more yellow bands as here, whereas the in males the yellow curves around the body

I think this is a female snipe fly – Chrysopilus cristatus.

This is one of the jumping spiders that pounce on their prey: it is Salticus scenicus also known as a Zebra Spider.

This is an Araniella sp. of spider, possibly Cucumber Green Orb Spider (Araniella cucurbitina sensu stricto) though there are several similar species that only experts can separate. I am not!

Some spiders are just greedy and have a huge ‘larder’. Cannot identify the prey, all attracted to the light no doubt.

Remembered to take a photo of the whole plant today and can ID this as Broad-leaved Willowherb (Epilobium montanum).

I remarked that some Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) had been cut down. I found some more today, not in a hedge. This is a bee-eyed view in to the flower.

This is the very distinctive ‘clock’ of Goat's-beard or Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon (Tragopogon pratensis).

Most of the weed cut at the lake is in this pile. There is much uncollected weed floating on the surface at the moment. The anglers tell me that only the weed in the middle has been cut and they are still having trouble casting their lines. By the same token should keep the motor boats away from the edges. The contractors did say five days was not long-enough.

(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 07:10 – 07:30 // 09:50 – 10:05

(56th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- only 5 ducklings seen this morning: however I did not get a good view of them behind over-hanging vegetation way across the water and there may have been the complete brood
- all the broods of Coots on the water today. One other pair are still sitting: and at least one other pair seem to have abandoned their nest. One adult was seen to grip its sole remaining juvenile around the throat – I know how it must feel from the incessant begging noise
and
- my first sighting this year of the terrapin sp. (I am told that several have been around some weeks). This closely resembles the Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta sp.). It has to be an aquarium ‘escape’ and many specimens sold in pet shops are hybrid so best logged as slider sp. (Trachemys sp.)
- dancing flocks of the caddis fly Mystacides longicornis (strangely none seen at the lake)

Birds noted flying over or flying near The Flash again
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. seen today
- 12 Swifts
- 4 House Martins

Warblers noted: figures in brackets is singing birds
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs again
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

The counts from the water
- 1 Mute Swan still – the cob
- 7 Greylag Geese again
- 46 Canada Geese
- 11 (9♂) + 5? (1 brood) Mallard
- 10 (6♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 1 Moorhen again
- 25 + 13 (6 broods) Coots

This morning’s Grey Heron fly-over.

And perhaps the same bird standing reflectively by the side of the lower pool near Priorslee Avenue.

What is probably a slider sp. (Trachemys sp.). It has to be an aquarium ‘escape’ and many specimens sold in pet shops are hybrids so best logged as slider sp. (Trachemys sp.) even though this closely resembles the Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta).

Of interest between the lake and The Flash
- 1 Grey Heron at the lower pool – presumed the bird seen over The Flash earlier?
- adult and begging juvenile Moorhens heard from the upper pool
- 1 Blackcap singing above the upper pool again
and
- Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) noted in flower: as it lacked colour I suspect it is a garden escape
- Yellow-barred Longhorn (Nemophora degeerella) moths dancing alongside the Wesley Brook.

A very pale Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea sp.), perhaps a garden escape.

What you would see as a bee!

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2009
Priorslee Lake
7 Reed Warblers
2 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 House Martin
2 Swallow
Reed Warbler
1 Sedge Warbler
3 Blackcap
1 Garden Warbler
2 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
4 Bullfinch
2 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorants
2 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
3 Stock Dove
3 Swift
4 Swallow
11 House Martin
6 Reed Warblers
1 Lesser Whitethroat
9 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaff
7 Greenfinch
3 Bullfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)