15 Jul 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake: 05:40 – 06:30 // 07:25 – 09:20
The Flash: 06:35 – 07:20

13°C > 22°C: Fine and clear start: some puffy clouds later. Light SW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:03 BST

Priorslee Lake: 05:40 – 06:30 // 07:25 – 09:20

(86th visit of the year)

A (final?) postscript to last weeks’ Cuckoo. A local who lives backing on to Castle Farm Way reported hearing a Cuckoo ‘several times’ earlier this year. Good to know they are still in the area

And an update on the fate of the long-term resident pen Mute Swan and the four cygnets. I was told, second or third hand, that the Cuan Wildlife Rescue had been asked to collect them from where they were being fed by locals near the Co-op shop in Priorslee. I hope that happened

Bird notes from today:
- two very recent broods of Coots to swell the already larger-than-usual number of juveniles
- the Common Swifts all made brief visits: several were very high and only visible through binoculars
- the Feral Pigeons were no doubt Racing Pigeons. A big party of c.45 was followed by a party of 21, all headed N
- a Linnet flying over was unusual at this date: some time later two birds seen flying S over fields to E of Castle Farm Way

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 6 Greylag Geese
- c.66 Feral Pigeons
- 22 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Linnets

Hirundines etc. seen today
- 5 Common Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow again
- 7 House Martins

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

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 24 (23♂) + 7 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 Grey Heron
- 8 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 + 2 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 46 + 37 (? broods) Coots
- 1 Common Sandpiper again
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

And: interesting insects, at least partly identified
- butterflies seen
- a few Large Whites
- a few Small Whites
- many Green-veined Whites
- 3 Red Admirals
- 1 Painted Lady
- 1 Peacock
- 2 Speckled Woods
- >5 Gatekeepers
- >5 Meadow Browns
- moths on the lamps
- 1 probable Emmelina monodactyla (Common Plume)
- 1 Large Emerald – new for me here 2 years ago
- moths flushed from the vegetation
- a few Agriphila straminella (Straw Grass-veneer) [grass moths]
- 1 Brown China-mark – my first for several years
- damselflies / dragonflies
- many Common Blue damselflies (but no other ‘blues’ noted)
- 2 Emperor Dragonflies
- 1 Black-tailed Skimmer
- hoverflies
- very many Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade Hoverfly)
- a few Eristalis sp. (Drone flies), at least 1 a Eristalis pertinax (Tapered Drone-fly)
- 1 Eristalis intricarius
- 1 Syrphus ribesii or Syrphus vitripennis
- 1 Helophilus pendulus (The Footballer)
- no flies etc. specifically identified today
- several bee sps. not identified but
- 1 wasp sp. – my first of the year here
- beetles and bugs
- very many Rhagonycha fulva (Hogweed Bonking-beetle / Common Red Soldier Beetle)
- 1 small black and brown beetle on Yarrow
- spiders noted
1 Leiobunum rotundum harvestmen in vegetation

1 new species of flowering plant
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

A view from across Castle Farm Way across to South Shropshire. It is depressing to think that the fields in the foreground are ear-marked for housing. I know people have to live somewhere but where will it all end?

Bathed in early morning light this Grey Heron did not stay long after the dog-walkers appeared.

I was just making a note about the early appearance of the first Green-veined White butterfly at 06:20 when this Painted Lady appeared. The fine weather is suiting the butterflies.

Another butterfly I did not see yesterday – a Red Admiral.

This is a female Small White. The male does not always show any dark spots on the upper wing. The restricted area of black around the wing tip is another clue to this species.

This seems to be a male Small White with one distinct and one very indistinct dark spot on the upper wing.

This is the upper view of a Green-veined White. Note the rather irregular dark area around the wing tip and also the ‘print through’ of the veins that are always more obvious from below.

This is a plume moth – a difficult group as the divided wings of all these species are held tightly rolled up, hiding many of the wing markings. This seems to be an Emmelina monodactyla (or Common Plume). New for me at this site, though a common-enough moth.

The other moth on the lamps this morning was this Large Emerald.

This Brown China-mark (Elophila nymphaeata) moth was flushed from vegetation. Only my second-ever record here.

 I am still learning hoverflies (just hoverflies I hear you shout!). I think this is Eristalis intricarius.

This hoverfly is either Syrphus ribesii or Syrphus vitripennis. Only females can easily be separated by the colour of the hind femur. Otherwise presence or absence of hairs on the scales at the base of the wings .... requires a better camera and / or photographer.

This hoverfly is easier: it is Helophilus pendulus (The Footballer).

Most of the original Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) plants have long-finished flowering. This seems to be a new plant.

This is Scentless Mayweed (Tripleurospermum inodorum). Soon after opening all the petals (rays) are held down turned in a very characteristic manner. Scented Mayweed (Matricaria chamomilla) is similar but smells if pinched and is much less frequent.

This tight cluster of white flowers indicates Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). Surprisingly it is not an umbellifer but more closely related to mayweeds.

I thought I would include a shot of the characteristic feathery leaves and was then surprised to find this beetle lurking. I’ve been through all 12 pages of photos of beetles on the excellent Naturespot web site without finding anything that matches.

Don’t know much about grasses and don’t intend to start (yet?) but was attracted by the ‘flowering’ of this specimen.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:35 – 07:20

(69th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- the pen Mute Swan took the cygnets inside the island before I could do a proper count – certainly 3
- goose count likely incomplete as many birds only partly visible inside the island
- why so few Mallard – perhaps they too were inside the island?
- confirmed only 8 Tufted Ducklings remain
- the Little Grebe may have been a refugee from the lake during the weekend disturbance there. Surprisingly it my first record here this year and becomes my 64th species in this year’s log for The Flash
- the party of Starlings overhead was unusual

Birds noted flying over or flying near The Flash
- 2 Jackdaws
- 14 Starlings

Hirundines etc. seen today
- 2 Common Swifts
- 2 House Martins again

Warblers noted: (singing birds in brackets)
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff yet again
- 2 (1) Blackcap

The counts from the water
- 2 + ? Mute Swans
- 70 Greylag Geese
- 81 Canada Geese
- 10 (7♂) + 18 (3 broods) Mallard
- 23 (?♂) + 8 (1 brood) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Little Grebe
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens
- 16 + 11 (6? broods) Coots
- 21 (no juveniles) Black-headed Gulls

A nice plump Wood Pigeon ready to attract any passing Peregrine!

Of interest between the lake and The Flash
- Moorhens heard at the lower pool again: some of the disturbance as I approach the pool is from a large shoal of fish fry scattering!
- a Snout moth on the wall of the tunnel

On the wall of the tunnel under Priorslee Avenue I found this resting moth that goes under the rather obvious name of The Snout.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's report Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here