11 Jun 21

Priorslee Lake, Woodhouse Lane and The Flash

16.0°C > 18.0°C again: Barely broken low cloud lifted somewhat below scattered high cloud. Some drizzle in the air early. A few breaks later. Moderate SW breeze. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 04:46 BST

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 05:35 // 06:30 – 09:15

(116th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Another of the Canada Goose goslings has disappeared since yesterday. The cob Mute Swan the most likely culprit.
- As I arrived at 04:15 a noisy party of geese, both Canadas and Greylags, was outbound, but behind trees for me. Not in the log.
- Eight Swifts turned up at 04:35 and stayed about 20 minutes. Thereafter small parties came and went with eight being the highest number again.
- An apparently new brood of Coots – only one juvenile seen but it and its parents were well inside the reeds and there could have been more. Broods of two and three otherwise.
- The Great Crested Grebes continue to confuse – as always. At 04:45 two were circling over – I have no idea whether they were coming, going or just flying about. Shortly after I located five on the water. Then by 07:15 there were seven visible and then when I counted the Coots two more had appeared.

Overhead:
- 9 Canada Geese: single and two quartets outbound: see also notes
- 3 Stock Doves: single and pair again
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 2 Common Buzzards yet again
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: not all aged
- 8 Cormorants: three singles, a duo and a trio
- 27 Jackdaws
- *40 Rooks

Hirundines etc., noted:
- >8 Swifts again
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 11 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (8) Reed Warblers again
- 13 (11) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers again
- 5 (2) Common Whitethroats

Count from the lake area
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 5 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 Moorhen only
- 22 + 6 (3 broods) Coots
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull: two first years from Ricoh
- 1 Grey Heron: early only

On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- *1 Scorpion Fly (Panorpa sp.)
- *One spider apparently eating another.

Noted later:

Butterflies / Moths:
- *Plain Gold (Micropterix calthella)
- *Yellow-barred Longhorn (Nemophora degeerella)
- *Unidentified (as yet) micro moth
- Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
- Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata)

Bees / Wasps:
- *Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- *White-footed Hoverfly (Platycheirus albimanus)

Damselflies:
- *Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)

Other Flies:
- Black Snipe fly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- Cranefly (Tipula fascipennis)

Bugs:
- *Mirid plant bug, likely Calocoris alpestris.

Beetles:
- *Red-headed Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis)
- *Soldier beetle Cantharis decipiens

Spiders:
- Stretch spider sp (Tetragnatha sp.)

Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

Newly identified flowers for the year:
- *Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre)
- Cleavers (Galium aparine)
- *Welsh Poppy (Meconopsis cambrica)

A silhouette of a departing Rook. This species has finished breeding and I am seeing family parties fly over. That triggers adults to start their annual moult and we see evidence in the ragged wings. Not always that easy to see the long conical bill when, as here, the crop is full and creates a swelling at the base.

One I need to work on. I was taking a 'routine photo' of Plain Gold moths (Micropterix calthella) in a buttercup when I noted that the closest was a different species, slightly smaller and with bands across the forewing. Not a species I am familiar with and most micro-moths take some working out.

Here it is isolated.

A better view of a Yellow-barred Longhorn moth (Nemophora degeerella). Does what it says on the tin.

I was about to photograph the thistle when the bumblebee flew in. With a general scruffy appearance, a yellow collar and a yellow band across the abdomen it is a Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum). It should have a white tail – I think the flower is providing the slight colour cast.

A small hoverfly with grey spots is most likely to be a White-footed Hoverfly (Platycheirus albimanus), here perched so that the spotting, so often hidden by the closed wing, is visible.

Sharing a leaf with two impossible to identify (by me) flies is this Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum). Not particularly 'blue' I hear you say. This is a female and it could be freshly emerged or the less common green form. The key identification feature is the very thin pale line down the centre of the thorax.

I think this is the first time I have found a Scorpion Fly (Panorpa sp.) on a lamp pole pre-dawn, presumably attracted to the light. It was, unusually, the only one I found today.

This is one of the Mirid plant bugs. I think Calocoris alpestris though there are the usual 'similar species'.

At last: a photo of a Red-headed Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis) that shows that its cornis are serrati!

I initially thought this would be the slightly hairy beetle Lagria hirta but the shape of the thorax and the markings suggest it is the soldier beetle Cantharis decipiens.

Another view of the thistle on which the bumblebee landed. As it was growing I thought it was a Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) but now the flowers are open I am inclined to the view that it is a Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre). It is not far from the lake edge in boggy ground.

I thought I had taken a photo of this Welsh Poppy (Meconopsis cambrica) some days ago but I failed to find it in the camera. I remembered today that I still needed a photo. Lots of vegetation in the way that I could not get to to move out of the way so a bit fuzzy on the left side. A native of Wales and South-west England and a frequent garden escape. We are close-enough to Wales for it to be a genuine wild flower. Smaller than the regular Common Poppy and usually yellow as here, though some can be tinged orange.

It is not easy: the necessary camera flash is casting shadows and potentially confusing the leg-count. I think there are 16 legs here as one spider appears to have another in its jaws. No ideas as to their identity. Gruesome.

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane: 07:50 – 08:20

(24th visit of the year)

My first visit for three weeks and not much happening.

Some numbers
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (1) Blackcap
- 2 (0) Common Whitethroats
- 2 (1) Skylarks
- 2 (0) Yellowhammers

Also noted
- *Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Newly identified flowers for the year:
- *Common Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)
- *Scentless Mayweed (Matricaria perforata)
- *Tormentil (Potentilla erecta)

Unlike the Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) this bumblebee has an orange tail and is therefore an Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) here enjoying White Dead-Nettle (Lamium album). A flower I have yet to find around the lake this year for some reason.

When I crushed the leaves of this plant they did not smell so that makes it Scentless Mayweed (Matricaria perforata).

 I think this is Tormentil (Potentilla erecta). Not a flower I am familiar with – but aren't they all?

On safer ground with this Common Poppy (Papaver rhoeas).

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- Juvenile Moorhen heard at the upper pool.
- No Moorhens seen or heard at the lower pool.
Both pools are now very overgrown and difficult to see in to.
- Chiffchaff singing at the lower pool.

And
- *A Common Pug moth (Eupithecia vulgata) on the roof of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.

For once a clear photo of a moth on the roof of the tunnel. Obviously a pug moth – but which? The lack of features point to this being a Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 05:40 – 06:25

(101st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The Greylag x Canada Goose was my first sighting of any of these hybrids for a while. It surprises me how often obviously 'different' birds turn up, never to be seen again or at least not for a while. The Canada Goose with a lot of white on its head was a one-day bird. Just how many different geese use the water?
- No sign of any Mallard ducklings. I hope wherever the mother was she was keeping herself and her brood safe.
- A well-grown juvenile Moorhen by one of the bridges again.
- The usual two well-grown Coot juveniles and the single small juvenile on the island.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 1 Jackdaw

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 6 Swifts

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 5 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (5) Blackcaps again

On /around the water:
- 73 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- *1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 24 (29♂) Mallard
- 7 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 3 juvenile Coots (3 broods)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult - 'gas and go'

Also noted
- *A Pale Tussock moth (Calliteara pudibunda) on a street lamp.
- [The Figure of Eighty moth (Tethea ocularis) had gone.]

No mistaking this hybrid goose – the white chin-strap of a Canada Goose and the orange bill of a Greylag Goose.

This is a Pale Tussock moth (Calliteara pudibunda). A not uncommon moth though this is my first here and it is at least eight years since I recorded one at the lake. Identify by the very hairy front legs held forward at rest.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day
2020
Priorslee lake
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Candles Landfill Site
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
c500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)