30 Jun 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:05 – 05:45 // 06:45 – 08:40
The Flash:  05:50 – 06:40

15.0°C > 17.0°C:  Clear start, soon clouding at medium level. Moderate SW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:48 BST again

Priorslee Lake:  04:05 – 05:45 // 06:45 – 08:40

(163rd visit of the year)

A Hobby was hurtling around at 04:25 apparently trying to catch bats rather than the Swifts. I have never seen them chase bats before. In Africa and Asia there is a Bat Hawk that specialises in catching bats. In America a Bat Falcon does the same. Became bird species #93 for Priorslee Lake in 2019

Other bird notes from today
- A single unsexed Tufted Duck seen flying off at 04:35. A pair were on the SW grass by 08:00.
- Only the adult Great Crested Grebe sheltering juveniles on its back was seen from the pair in the NW area. Neither of the additional recent pair was noted.
- An adult Common Tern arrived at 07:25 and stayed fishing until I left.
- An adult Black-headed Gull dropped in for a few minutes at 07:10. Later, at 08:10, a recently fledged juvenile flew through W.
- A very new brood of at least two Chiffchaffs with big yellow gapes seen at W end.
- Even my dependable Garden Warbler, recorded every day since it was the first to arrive in Spring, was not heard this morning as song winds down.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 1 Hobby
- 1 juvenile Black-headed Gull
- >60 Feral / Racing Pigeons (at 05:20!)
- 40 Wood Pigeons
- 62 Jackdaws
- 117 Rooks
- 1 Raven

Hirundines etc. noted:
- >30 Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallows again
- 16 House Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 11 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 14 (12) Blackcaps
- no Garden Warblers
- 5 (2) (Common) Whitethroats
- no Sedge Warblers
- 6 (5) Reed Warblers

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 15 (13♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 3 (1+♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 + 4? (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 25 + 22 (? broods) Coots
- 1 Common Tern
- 1 adult Black-headed Gull

On the lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 unidentified spider sp.

Seen later:
- 2 noctule-type bats
Despite the generally cloudy start there were some insects to log
- The following butterflies
- 1 Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)
- >5 Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
- 1 Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- The following moths
- 2 Timothy Tortrix (Zelotherses paleana)
- 4 Garden Grass-veneer moths (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)
- The following damselflies (a few of each)
- Azure Damselfly
- Blue-tailed Damselfly
- Common Blue Damselfly
- The following hoverflies
- >10 Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade hoverfly)
- 1 Melanostoma scalare (Chequered Hoverfly)
- >5 Syrphus sp. hoverflies
And
- 2 species of cranefly
- 1 Harlequin Ladybirds larva
- >25 Black Snipe flies (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- 2 Scorpion Flies (Panorpa communis)

After yesterday’s sweltering heat the morning’s clear skies soon gave away to clouds with only a brief sunrise opportunity.

A few minutes later. 

A motley collection of moulting drake Mallard. The closest bird perhaps looks least like a drake: however the unmarked rather yellowish bill rules out it being a duck. Look at the rather smooth-plumaged bird at the back left ....

... it briefly showed an equally plain bill so it too is a drake Mallard. It does lack the ‘curly’ tail usually such a prominent feature. Perhaps some farmyard duck in the genes?

The pair of Tufted Duck that turned up. Note how the drake’s white flanks are fading away as it starts its moult. From now until after the New Year it will become increasingly hard to sex these birds – especially once juveniles start arriving.

The / a Common Tern was marginally more cooperative this morning. We see the dark-wedge of the outer primaries – indeed here they are so-spread that we can see the white shafts. The dark tip to the bill is not readily apparent, however the bill-colour is clearly orange rather than blood-red as it would be on an Arctic Tern.

The massive bill, well separated flight feathers and long tail (diamond-shaped when opened) identify this as a Raven.

Today’s rather better marked specimen of the Common Marble micro moth (Celypha lacunana).

This is an Azure Damselfly. Note the ‘U’ shaped mark on the top segment of the body and the width of the black-marks on the thorax.

Compare with the same markings of this Common Blue Damselfly. The mark on the top segment is often described as ‘anchor-shaped’ (really?). The black lines on the thorax are narrower.

There is a very obvious wing-pattern on this cranefly: no problem I thought. Wrong! I cannot find any species with the pale extending across the whole wing and not ‘leaching’ horizontally as well. The colour of the body suggests it is Tipula fascipennis, but ...

Another cranefly and a smaller species. No problem with this – it is a Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens).

This is a female snipe fly Chrysopilus cristatus. The much more common males have reddish-black bodies whereas the females are this rather different grey colour. I can find no other fly species with grey bodies and a ‘shade’ in the wing.

I first saw this combination in flight and was rather confused. Only from the photo could I see there are two Snipe Flies (Chrysopilus cristatus) apparently mating. The female shows the same grey body as above, though it is less obvious at this angle. Male snipe flies present females with a ‘present’ of a prey to entice her – we can see the offering in her jaws.

A male Oedemera nobilis, also known as the false oil beetle, thick-legged flower beetle or swollen-thighed beetle. Only the male has the swollen femur. On a flower of blackberry here.

This is a rather unusual. It looks vaguely like a ladybird: and in a way is. It is the pupa of a Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) – as far as I know my first ever sighting of any ladybird pupa.

This spider shot off before I could get any different views. Is it carrying a parcel of eggs? 

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  05:50 – 06:40

(156th visit of the year)

An Oystercatcher heard and then seen in flight just as I arrived. Not clear whether it had been present or was passing by. Became bird species #73 for The Flash in 2019

Other notes from here:
- Only one of yesterday’s brood of four Mallard ducklings noted. However it and its parent were under overhanging vegetation and it is possible others were lurking there too.
- After yesterday’s blank day for Tufted Ducks it was back to a more typical count with a pair noted flying in.
- Two Grey Herons sparring.
- The first returning Black-headed Gull – an adult. Decided to move off when the two Grey Herons started to fly around.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Oystercatcher
- 6 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts in far distance

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (1) Blackcap
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans
- 47 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose still
- 123 Canada Geese
- 31 (17♂) + 4 (2 broods) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 + 1? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens
- 19 + 11 (4 broods) Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull

The cob Mute Swan introduces his brood to grass and to walking.

Seems they find walking tiring!

A trio of teenage juvenile Coots having a Sunday lie-in. Their two siblings were on the water begging their parents for breakfast.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- 1 adult Moorhen with two small (second brood?) juveniles at the lower pool
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff between the pools
- 1 (1) Blackcap remains at the lower pool
- Bullfinches again heard calling near the upper pool – will they ever come out of the leaves?
and
- mating pair of shieldbugs on one of the lamps

Another picture we should wait until after the watershed before we look. On one of the lamp-posts a pair (I hope) of Hawthorn Shieldbugs (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale). Had to use flash – twentieth of a second using natural light – so a bit of reflection I am afraid.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sighting Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2010
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 drake Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)

29 Jun 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:10 – 05:45 // 06:35 – 07:50
The Flash:  05:50 – 06:30

15.0°C > 18.0°C:  Some cloud moving away. Light E wind. Good visibility if rather hazy.

Sunrise: 04:48 BST

Priorslee Lake:  04:10 – 05:45 // 06:35 – 07:50

(162nd visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- A pair of Tufted Ducks flew off E at 04:40. Presumably it was the same pair seen flying low W at 05:10.
- There were two small juvenile Great Crested Grebes in the water with the pair in the NW area. The parent seemed to be giving them a ‘work out’ by paddling away and not allowing them on its back for a while. Could possibly be another still on its back. The two older juveniles from the earlier brood are now beginning to try and fish for themselves.
- At least 27 Starlings on the ‘football’ field included juveniles – I have not noted them using this resource so frequently in previous years. With them on the grass were 2 Stock Dove, 35 Wood Pigeons and 20 Magpies – until the dog-walkers flush them.
- The House Sparrow must have a good calendar. They seemed to have worked out it was a weekend and there was no school and so they were free to leave the estate and use the Holy Trinity Academy bushes – and all this before 06:00 and long before the caretaker would have arrived.
- There were three Sedge Warblers dashing about. One was sporadically singing. Could not get a clear view of the others to age them.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 1 adult Black-headed Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 3 Stock Doves
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 23 Jackdaws
- 10 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:
- >15 Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 4 House Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 13 (11) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers again
- 4 (2) (Common) Whitethroats
- 3 (1) Sedge Warblers
- 8 (7) Reed Warblers

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 15 (12♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- Little Grebe possibly heard again
- 5 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 29 + 24 (? broods) Coots

On the lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 as yet unidentified Tortrix moth.

Seen later:
- 1 pipistrelle-type bat
Had to leave before many of the insects were about. I managed to confirm:
- The following butterflies
- 2 Ringlets (Aphantopus hyperantus)
- The following moths
- 2 Timothy Tortrix (Zelotherses paleana)
- 4 Garden Grass-veneer moth (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- The following damselflies (>20 of each)
- Azure Damselfly
- Blue-tailed Damselfly
- Common Blue Damselfly
- The following hoverflies
- >3 Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade hoverfly)
- >2 Melanostoma scalare (Chequered Hoverfly)
And
- >5 Wasp sp. all collecting wood by chewing the fence between Teece Drive and the Wesley Brook
- more Black Snipe flies (Chrysopilus cristatus)

The hazy sunrise ahead of the scorching day. 

Did I say hazy? 

The best of a rather poor bunch of photos of a juvenile Starling (well it was 05:10). Without spots and with brown edging to the flight feathers they look very different from adults other than the dark around the eye.

I think this is a Tortrix moth. However it is rather too worn to get much detail and will have to be consigned to the unknown bin.

More luck with this micro moth. It is a Common Marble (Celypha lacunana), a species frequently flushed during the day. It usually flies and hides away. It is rather small too. This one more cooperative.

This hoverfly matches almost exactly one labelled ‘female Sphaerophoria sp.’ on one of the photographic sites on the web. It seems that the number of species in the genus and their separation is still not fully worked out. So Sphaerophoria sp it stays.

A sad end for this Common Blue Damselfly. It was already dead so there was no point depriving the spider of its meal.

A wasp sp. on the fence between Teece Drive and the Wesley Brook opposite the Holy Trinity Academy. What is it doing ....?

... using its powerful jaws to chew the wood and take it away to help construct the nest. A work colleague of mine had wasps nesting in his roof space which he left until the nest became inactive in the late Autumn. He then discovered to his horror that it had been constructed from his eaves and he had to have them strengthened.

Well what is this all about? Looks like a spider? 

In close-up still not quite sure. There appears to be two spiders here but I cannot work out what is happening and what the large white object is. Is it the body of one of the spiders? Or a parcel of eggs?

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  05:50 – 06:30

(155th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- Another (and rather late) brood of four Mallard ducklings.
- No Tufted Ducks most unusual.
- Just one juvenile Great Crested Grebe seen peering from its parent’s back. Could have been other(s) still hidden.
- Plenty of adult Coots today – now the juveniles have gone in to hiding with just the latest brood of five seen.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Cormorant
- 3 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw

Hirundines etc. noted.
None

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans
- 43 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose again
- 144 Canada Geese
- 27 (11♂) + 7 (2 broods) Mallard
- no Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 24 + 5 (1 brood) Coots

A trio of species mainly to show the single juvenile Great Crested Grebe peering out of the adult’s back. The Heron seems to have taken up semi-residence after being away for several moths – breeding in a nearby heronry no doubt.

Disappearing I’m afraid: here is the latest brood of Mallard ducklings with mum. Just four ducklings. 

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

- 1 (1) Blackcap at the lower pool still
- at least two Bullfinches again near the upper pool

(Ed Wilson)

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sighting Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
15 Cormorants
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Juvenile Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 drake Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

28 Jun 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:10 – 05:35 // 06:40 – 07:55
The Flash:  05:40 – 06:35

11.0°C > 13.0°C:  Early overcast slow to break. Brisk moderate E wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:47 BST again

Priorslee Lake:  04:10 – 05:35 // 06:40 – 07:55

(161st visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- two strange sightings of Tufted Ducks. While on the ‘football’ field c.05:10 two birds seen flying very low SE over the construction site almost as if they had left one of the ‘puddles’ on site: did not appear on the lake. At 06:35 one bird flew at medium height E: this may in fact have been a different species (though I cannot think what) as it seemed rather ‘elongated’, though not so much as (nor as big as) a Goosander.
- the Great Crested Grebe that has been seen with juveniles on its back in the last few days was not seen today in the brisk conditions. Its mate was seen asleep / on guard by the reeds
- A Green Woodpecker was calling loudly from the Ricoh copse. My first record in the area since 08 April after one or two birds most days earlier in the year.
- Recently the early corvid passage has been almost all Jackdaws with the Rooks departing much later. This morning the early passage was dominated by Rooks with very few birds later as well as fewer Jackdaws than recently.
- The only Barn Swallow seen today was hunting low over the relatively sheltered ‘football’ field at c.06:30.
- One Chiffchaff sounded as if it were learning to sing – the song was rather hesitant and discontinuous.
- After their day off yesterday a more normal number of Blackcaps heard singing. There remains rather little evidence of young calling.
- The reeds were really swaying about and making a lot of noise in the wind and probably helps explain why so few Reed Warblers heard. Probably explains the ‘missing’ Sedge Warbler too.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 3 (?♂)Tufted Duck (see notes)
- 1 adult Black-headed Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- 37 Wood Pigeons
- 39 Jackdaws
- 58 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:
- >20 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 2 House Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 6 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 16 (13) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers
- 1 (0) (Common) Whitethroats
- no Sedge Warbler
- 2 (2) Reed Warblers only

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 13 (11♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 4 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 30 + 26 (? broods) Coots

Nothing on the lamp poles pre-dawn:

Seen later:
With the cloud-cover remaining very little was seen:
- 1 noctule-type bat pre-dawn
- 1 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix micro moth (Pandemis cerasana) found resting on vegetation

This micro moth is a Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis cerasana). Here I have resorted to flash and it appears rather brown. Moth species #32 here in 2019.

Trying without flash at a twentieth of a second give quite a different colour cast! A common-enough moth, like many micro moths not easy to separate from similar species. The current vogue amongst moth enthusiasts is towards DNA-checking of difficult groups. I am sure that will provide even more confusion and species to look for!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  05:40 – 06:35

(154th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- One Great Crested Grebe appeared to catch some food and approached its mate which seemed to have young sheltering on the back. The only reaction was from a nearby drake Tufted Duck. He was chased away. Then in the continuing absence of any reaction the Great Crested Grebe ate the food itself and swam off. No juveniles yet seen from this pair.
and
- another report from a dog-walker of a Kingfisher seen yesterday (27th) early morning.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 3 Feral Pigeons (singles)
- 4 Jackdaws
- 1 Starling

Hirundines etc. noted.
- 4 Swifts in distance

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 4 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (3) Blackcaps

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans
- 42 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 129 Canada Geese
- 24 (13♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 + ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes still
- no Moorhens
- 16 + 10 (5? broods) Coots

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- Moorhens heard at both pools – adults and juveniles
- 1 (1) Blackcap at the lower pool again
- at least two Bullfinches near the upper pool

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2009
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

27 Jun 19

Priorslee Lake [with Woodhouse Lane] and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:10 – 05:40 // 06:40 – 09:30
[Woodhouse Lane:  07:10 – 08:05]
The Flash:  05:45 – 06:35

11.0°C > 15.0°C:  Early overcast began to break at 05:00 and only completely clear after 09:00. Light E wind. Good visibility, becoming very good.

Sunrise: 04:47 BST

Priorslee Lake:  04:10 – 05:40 // 06:40 – 09:30

(160th visit of the year)

With the sun eventually breaking through there were many insects out later including four species of butterfly new for the year, as detailed below.

Bird notes from today
- At least some geese still have enough flight feathers to get around. The Greylag Geese looked smart as if they might have finished their moult. The Canada Geese, in contrast, were very scruffy.
- With better weather all the Coots seemed to be out and about with more adults and more juveniles than for many days.
- Two Black-headed Gulls were sitting on buoys by 04:20 and may well have roosted here. One was a full adult and this may have been the bird seen c.05:10 on the ‘football’ field.
- Song is really winding down now especially amongst the Blackcaps.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 8 Greylag Geese (4 outbound; same 4? inbound)
- 3 Canada Geese (outbound)
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 48 Jackdaws
- 21 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:
- >15 Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 8 House Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 8 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 12 (9) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler again
- 3 (1) (Common) Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler yet again
- 7 (7) Reed Warblers

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 14 (11♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 5 + >2 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 32 + 34 (8? broods) Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Nothing on the lamp poles pre-dawn:

Seen later:
The usual multitude of flies of various species that I cannot begin to identify. Plus:
- The following butterflies (* = new for 2019 here)
- >5 *Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)
- 2 Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- >30 *Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
- >5 *Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)
- 2 *Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- The following moths
- 1 Garden Grass-veneer moth (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 Silver-ground Carpet moth (Xanthorhoe montanata)
- 1 Shaded Broad-bar moth (Scotopteryx chenopodiata): my 31st moth species here this year
- The following dragon- / damsel flies (many 100s in total)
- Azure Damselfly
- Blue-tailed Damselfly
- Common Blue Damselfly
- at least 1 Red-eyed Damselfly
- The following hoverflies
- 1 Chrysotoxum bicinctum: my first since 2014
- >10 Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade hoverfly)
- >10 Melanostoma scalare (Chequered Hoverfly)
- >20 Syrphus sp. hoverflies
- 2 Volucella bombylans (Bee Hoverfly)
And
- 5 Harlequin Ladybirds adults: also 4 larvae
- >10 Black Snipe flies (Chrysopilus cristatus)

Look! Sun!!! As the cloud started to break up at last c.05:20.

The duck Mallard with her now well-grown ducklings bask on the dam-face.

Two Stock Doves on the ‘football’ field. They only ever seem to land here before any of the joggers and dog-walkers are active so the light is not great. We can see they are smaller, darker and short-tailed than Wood Pigeons, lacking the white neck-patch but having a dark band on the folded wing.

At the W end there were a couple of very noisy Chiffchaffs, calling continually. Here is one of them. We see the yellowish tones of a juvenile. The bill at this age is all dark. A juvenile Willow Warbler calls differently and would be more yellow overall.

And again.

Probably my best shot of a Silver-ground Carpet moth (Xanthorhoe montanata) and a rather atypical one at that. The centre ‘bar’ is more prominent than on many and the dark spot in the paler area is more pronounced. Most noticeable at the time were the two rather dark marks toward the outer edge of the wing which coincide with the marks that give the two species of twin-spot carpet their name. However the shape of the centre bar only fits Silver-ground Carpet and since it is in the same genus as one of the twin-spots perhaps the markings are not too surprising.

A rather splendid Large Skipper butterfly (Ochlodes sylvanus). Scarcely larger than Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) and identified by the dark marks on the wing spreading away from the trailing wing-edge. Small Skipper has a neat dark border only. A first here this year.

You wait for ages then two come along together! Another Large Skipper butterfly. 

And another! This a rather less-marked specimen. Note that all three are males – the diagonal black-streak in the wing is the males scent-gland for detecting the pheromones given off by the females.

This butterfly was my first Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) of the year.

While this butterfly is showing the markings that give it the name Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus). Also my first of the year.

Most specimens were happy to bask with wings akimbo when the name is not so appropriate.

To complete the butterfly list for today here is a Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria). Continuously brooded throughout the Spring, Summer and Autumn can be found from April to November.

This is a Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum). Note the long antenna.

This hoverfly is Chrysotoxum bicinctum: my first since 2014 and only my third-ever.

I have no idea what this insect is eating. It looks like a bumblebee but the dark marks in the (rather battered) wings tell us it is a Bee Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans). Had it not had a mouthful we would have been able to see the short antenna.

Share and share alike. Two Syrphus sp. – as usual I cannot tell which species even though there is a male (the eyes meet) and a female (the eyes do not meet).

It has been my best-ever year for Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas). Previous years I have seen them on at most two days. This year I saw my first on 30 May and this is my fifth sighting day.

A Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis), this ‘17-spot’ succinea form showing rather larger spots than is usual. It occurs to me that while the appearance of this invader and its ability to out-compete our resident species then as an aphid control it is doing quite well – I see many more ladybirds since the invasion of Harlequins than I have since I was a child.

Rather better than my attempt last week on a specimen up a lamp-pole here is a close-up of a Harlequin Ladybird larva.

This forget-me-not was growing right next to the lake and in boggy ground. I assumed it would be Water Forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides) but checking the literature the petals are the wrong shape. It seems most likely to be Wood Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) which is more tolerant of wet conditions than Field Forget-me-not (Myosotis arvensis).

(Ed Wilson)

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Notes from Woodhouse Lane (07:10 – 08:05)

(20th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- >60 Wood Pigeons flushed out of fields as I entered the area.
- 2 non-singing Common Whitethroats near the sluice exit and some distance away from any nest site I am aware of. Dispersing juveniles? Was unable to get close-enough to check on age.
- A Greenfinch ‘singing’ again
also
- At least 1 Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui)
- Rosebay Willowherb or Fireweed flowers (Chamerion angustifolium) new for this year

Totals of ‘interesting’ species (singing birds)
- 1 (1) Coal Tit
- 3 (3) Skylarks
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (1) Blackcap
- 4 (2) (Common) Whitethroats
- no Song Thrushes
- 1 Pied Wagtail over
- 4 (3) Chaffinches
- 1 (1) Greenfinch
- 3 Goldfinches
- 2 Linnets over
- 6 (3) Yellowhammers again

Some view across from Woodhouse Lane. This is looking NNE towards the distant A5. 

Here we are looking more or less E to what is on some maps as Ward’s Rough – the distant trees. 

And here looking more to the S down the ’3-ply’ that is Woodhouse Lane itself. 

I pursued a Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) along the road until it eventually settled on the road. Just as I was preparing to take a photo a cyclist on his way to work came along and flushed it and it flew well away. Amazingly a few moments later it (or another) came and landed quite literally at my feet. It was my first this year.

Time to remind ourselves what a typical Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) looks like. Most look like this, though there are some darker specimens. This one is handily holding its wings open (one is partly obscured). Often ....

 ...........they do this when they land and seeing the body markings is then not easy.

A good view of a White-tailed Bumble Bee (Bombus lucorum).

Flower head of the very common Rosebay Willowherb or Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium). 

All along the roadside there are masses of Common Poppy (Papaver rhoeas).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  05:45 – 06:35

(153rd visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- One of the cygnets was on the water with geese and ducks when I arrived with the parents and other three cygnets asleep on the island. Later all four cygnets with the adults in the water: even then one of the cygnets veered off and joined some of the Canada Geese for a while.
- Should not really complain about the sun but ... many of the Mallard were ‘against the light’. With most in eclipse plumage it was impossible to see the bill colour to sex them all.
- one adult Coot with the latest brood was taking time out from feeding them to add yet more material to its nest.
also
- first flowers this year of Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) here

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Collared Dove
- 1 Jackdaw

Hirundines etc. noted.
None

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (5) Blackcaps

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans
- 40 Greylag Geese again
- 96 Canada Geese
- 26 (>10♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 + ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Moorhen
- 21 + 10 (4 broods) Coots

A female (the eyes do not meet) Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare). 

This is Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica). I noted this in the log as ‘first of the year here’: checking I find I have not previously logged it here at all – probably an oversight.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- 1 (1) Goldcrest at the lower pool
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff between the pools
- 1 (1) Blackcap at the lower pool
- 1 (1) Coal Tit at the upper pool
- at least one Bullfinch near the upper pool

(Ed Wilson)

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

2012
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Redshank
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)