25 Jul 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

14.0°C > 18.0°C: Mainly overcast at medium/high level: some breaks early. Light NNW wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:17 BST

* = a photo today

Thanks once more to Neil Nash for some comments and feedback.
- I will need to get a better photo of the putative Field Woundwort in Woodhouse Lane: Neil thinks it might be Large Flowered Hemp Nettle. Checking with my Flora is, I feel, not conclusive with my existing photo.
- He tells me that the digger Broad-banded Hopper Wolf (Gorytes laticinctus) may be one of the first, if not the first, confirmed record for Shropshire. I will get the record to the recorder.
- Finally the unknown six-legged insect he suggests is a lacewing larva. I can find no web-site that covers identification of such things but photos under the general heading support Neil's suggestion.

Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 05:55 // 07:05 – 09:05

(157th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- What sounded like a large group of Greylag Geese heard in the distance to the E at 05:30: nothing seen.
- A duck Mallard seen but no ducklings – when last seen two days ago these seemed to be large-enough to be out of danger of predation so perhaps they were hiding somewhere
- The second pair of Great Crested Grebes stayed too far away to see how many juveniles they have.
- A mixed group of warblers in the SW area included by first Garden Warbler sighting for a while.
- Just one Blackbird sang briefly.

Overhead:
- 32 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw
- 5 Rooks
- 5 Starlings

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 3 House Martins

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
I thought it was quiet at the start of the week ...
- 5 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Sedge Warblers
- 7 (1) Reed Warblers
- 7 (3) Blackcaps
- 1 (0) Garden Warbler
- 3 (2) Common Whitethroats

Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 12 (11♂) Mallard
- 3 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 41 + 12 (7 broods) Coots
- Little Grebe heard only
- 6 + >2 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper: noted before 06:00 only
- 28 Black-headed Gulls: 1 juvenile
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adults, briefly
- 2 Grey Herons: 1 chased away; other departed later
- 1 Cormorant: arrived

On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 Long-horned Flat-body (Carcina quercana)
- *1 Willow Ermine (Yponomeuta rorrella)
- 1 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 White Plume (Pterophorus pentadactyla)
- *1 probable Little Emerald (Jodis lactearia)

and
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus agg. [harvestman]
- *3 Leiobunum rotundum harvestmen

In the sailing club shelter pre-dawn:

Spiders:
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Walnut Orb Web (Nuctenea umbratica)

Other things seen later:

Moths:
- Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella) [plus many unidentified grass moths]
- *Common Roller (Ancylis badiana)
- *Pale Straw Pearl (Udea lutealis)

Bees / Wasps:
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- *Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
- Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
- *Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Damselflies:
- Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- *Stripe-faced Dronefly (Eristalis nemorum) [previously E. interruptus]
- *Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)

Other flies:
- *Grouse Wing (Mystacides longicornis) [caddis fly]

Lacewing:
- *Micromus variegatus

Beetles:
- Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
- Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)

Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

Mammals:
- Grey Squirrel

Flowering plants newly noted for the year
- *Water Mint (Mentha aquatica)

A splendid little moth: it is a Long-horned Flat-body (Carcina quercana). It had me confused as it looks like a Tortrix moth but isn't – a different family completely. Note the very long antennae. My last sighting of this moth was on 14th July 2014. This is my 72nd moth species here this year.

Another chance to see – a Willow Ermine (Yponomeuta rorrella).

Some weeks since I had one of these moths at light. It looks better in daylight – a Common Roller (Ancylis badiana).

This is a rather faded Mother of Pearl moth (Pleuroptya ruralis) - when fresh and with the light at the right angle the name is spot-on. I took this before moving the small blades of grass slightly obscuring the moth as I suspected it would fly away – which it did. This is my 73rd moth species here this year.

Not 100% sure about this moth that I could not photo from a better angle. I think it is a Little Emerald (Jodis lactearia). Like most emerald moth the green fades quickly to off-white.

I suppose this is just a Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) but the collar and the midriff band look rather too orange for that species (or indeed any of the White-tailed /Buff-tailed Bumblebee (B. lucorum / terrestris) complex.

On this bumblebee there is a thin area of buff between the black abdomen and the white tail so I think this is a Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris).

A somewhat smaller bumblebee, this is a Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) here on Meadow Vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis).

A Stripe-faced Dronefly (Eristalis nemorum) showing the narrow stripe on the face. I now read that the somewhat larger Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) also has a stripe on the face, but it is much wider.

Another view – it is very hard to get a view of the face when they are feeding, here on Knapweed.

And side-on. This species typically shows white bands between the tergites of the abdomen.

This is a Common Dronefly but I did not get a photo of its face.. They are variable in the extent of brown and orange markings on the abdomen, this showing more orange than many. Note the dark front legs and the wing cloud.

A reminder of the caddis fly known as the Grouse Wing (Mystacides longicornis).

You would think that this was another caddis fly – well I did. But no: it is a lacewing and specifically Micromus variegatus. Unlike flies lacewings have two pairs of wings.

In close-up the body of a Leiobunum rotundum harvestmen. Here it is possible to separate this from L. blackwalli but the black oculum (ring around the eye). This is a male with the more rounded body.

Not at such a helpful angle is this female with a more elongated body and a dark saddle.

In close-up one of the flowers up the stem of Water Mint (Mentha aquatica). Seems I have overlooked this few a few days at least as it is well in flower.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- 1 Blackcap briefly in song by the lower pool
- When I investigation a commotion in the upper pool a Grey Heron flushed out, probably to the relief the complaining Moorhens. Only possible to glimpse small areas of the water through the vegetation.
also on lamp poles:
- 1 Early Thorn moth (Selenia dentaria)
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus agg. [harvestman]

My second example of an Early Thorn moth (Selenia dentaria) this year. This individual, like the one at The Flash earlier, is of the smaller and paler second generation form. The first generation flies in February and March – hence the name. I note a white mark in the underwing reminiscent of a Comma butterfly. I can find no reference as to reason for such marking in the literature

(Ed Wilson)

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On the roof of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel

- *1 Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)
- *1 Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata)
- *1 Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus)

This is a Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata).

Compare with a Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata). This latter species has been very common this year. This specimen has a darker sub-terminal band than is shown by many individuals. Also the dark spot on the hind wing is much less distinct than usual.

A sure sign Autumn approaches – a Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus). Identify by the white cross on the abdomen. Many spiders have a very variably pattern on the abdomen but this cross marking is a consistent feature of this species

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:00 – 06:00

(142nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The Great Crested Grebe has a habit of 'appearing' just as I have given up looking for it. I suspect there is a nest hidden somewhere and it spends much time around the nest.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 6 House Martins: flew high SE together

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 4 (1) Chiffchaffs – a few spluttering 'chiffs' only

On /around the water:
- 80 Canada Geese
- 32 Greylag Geese again
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 27 (?♂) Mallard
- *33 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Tufted Duck
- 4 + 4 (3 broods) Moorhens
- 9 juvenile Coots (6 broods)
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 28 Black-headed Gulls: 1 juvenile

On various lamp poles:
- 1 Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia)
- 3 Dicranopalpus ramosus agg. [harvestmen] again
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestman again

Also
- 1 Grey Squirrel

A rare moment with all four Tufted Duck ducklings on the surface and grouped with mum. Fuzzy balls of buoyancy.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day
2020
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here

2007
Priorslee Lake
Oystercatcher
300+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Reed Warbler
3 Blackcaps
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Sand Martins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
3 Herons
3 Greylag Geese
17 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
6 Stock Doves
303 Wood Pigeons
12 Swifts
1 Kingfisher
4 Sand Martins
7 Swallows
6 House Martins
2 Grey Wagtails
8 Reed Warblers
2 Lesser Whitethroats
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Garden Warbler
9 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
3 Willow Tits
1 Jay
248 Jackdaws
485 Rooks
205 Greenfinches
3 Bullfinches
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)