15 Jun 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

10.0°C > 16.0°C: Mostly clear with areas of thin high cloud at times. Light and variable, mainly westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:45 BST

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 04:40 – 05:45 // 06:50 – 09:35

(138th visit of the year)

On several days recently I have heard what sounded like a very distant Peacock calling but dismissed it as improbable. In discussion with one of the local dog-walkers this morning she confirmed the sighting a male and a possible peahen also. The Peacock was seen on the grass around the Wolverhampton University Campus. To confuse matters somewhat a Pheasant was also distantly heard this morning.

Bird notes:
- The two Mallard ducklings, probably a week old at least.
- After cool and breezy days with many Swifts there was a dearth today in calmer conditions. Two flew off W at 04:45; two appeared briefly 07:55 with a single at 08:10; finally two at 09:20. But how many individuals?
- It was the usual headache trying to determine how many Great Crested Grebes there were. If only they would stop playing submarines. Certainly nine.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose: single outbound
- 2 Feral Pigeons: together
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 24 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks yet again

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 7? Swifts: see notes
- 1 House Martin: flew off 04:45

Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 12 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (0) Sedge Warblers
- 12 (11) Reed Warblers
- 16 (12) Blackcaps again
- 3 (2) Garden Warblers
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 Moorhens again
- 36 + 20 juvenile Coots
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly

On / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Nothing noted

Noted later:
Feedback: thanks to Martin Adlam for noting that the reason I was having trouble identifying which Eristalis hoverfly I photographed on Monday was because it was a Dead-head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea) [or Batman Hoverfly]. Doh! Thanks Martin.

New sightings for the year:

Flies:
- *A Muscid (House Fly) perhaps Phaonia gobertii
- *Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus)

Bugs:
- *Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale)

Flowers:
- *Broad-leaved Willowherb (Epilobium montanum)

Repeat sightings:

Butterflies:
- *Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)
- Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)

Moths:
- Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
- *Timothy Tortrix (Zelotherses paleana)
- Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)
- Blood-vein (Timandra comae)
- *Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis)

Bees, wasps, etc.
- Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- *Broad-striped Rhogogaster sawfly (Rhogogaster scalaris)

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

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
- Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)
- Tiger Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Common Twist-tail (Sphaerophoria scripta) [or Long Hoverfly]

Other flies:
- *Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- Owl Midge Psychodidae sp.

Beetles etc.:
- Swollen-thighed (Flower) Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
- 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata)
- Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)

Bugs:
- *Hairy Shieldbug or Sloe Bug (Dolycoris baccarum): instar
- Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)

Slugs / snails:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis) as ever

Spiders:
- *Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider as ever

Much high cloud around at times this morning giving this sunrise. As we approach the longest day the sun will not rise any earlier. The vapour trail in he sky (and reflected in the lake) comes courtesy of Air Canada.

The duck Mallard with her two ducklings. From the size of the bill on the ducklings these are probably at least a week old even though they still look rather 'fuzzy'.

Another chance to see... - a male Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus). All the specimens I have seen so far this year have been males with the prominent scent gland in the forewing.

Not a brilliant photo but then the Timothy Tortrix moth (Zelotherses paleana) is not very exciting. Devoid of markings it can be identified by the yellow suffusion on the 'shoulders'. Usually I flush these around dawn and they fly off in to the middle distance. This one flushed during the day and only went as far as the near distance.

Another not very exciting-looking moth species is Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis). Here is one in typical head-down resting pose.

It is some days since I saw my previous Broad-striped Rhogogaster sawfly (Rhogogaster scalaris). This one showing well with its wings open.

A pair of Common Blue Damselflies (Enallagma cyathigerum) (I assume they are a pair – you have to be so careful these days). They are preparing to mate. The male has the female in his claspers.

Amazingly they can fly quite well when attached – they moved several feet between these two photos. When ready to mate she will loop her abdomen to complete the circle.

This is a female Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) of the form known as rufescens. As it matures the thorax and the blue abdominal segment will become yellow-brown.

A male Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus) tucking in to one of the orchids. I remain confused about orchids but I think a Common Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii).

The Muscid (House Fly) group contains many similar-looking hairy flies. This is one of the more spectacular and is perhaps Phaonia gobertii which Steven Falk calls Gobert's Bristleshin.

A rather different fly, this is a Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus). It flew off before I could get a better angle but note the conspicuously large and bright yellow head with large reddish eyes. When in a resting position, as here, the abdomen is folded underneath.

This is a Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale). The somewhat similar Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus) can be discounted because of the 'power shoulders' of this specimen, here red-tipped though this does not show in all photos on the internet.

Just a few feet away from the Hawthorn Shieldbug the was this instar of a Hairy Shieldbug or Sloe Bug (Dolycoris baccarum).

The first of several willowherb species to flower in the area is this Broad-leaved Willowherb (Epilobium montanum).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 05:50 – 06:45

(134th visit of the year)

A most unusual record was of a Reed Warbler singing at the top end. This must surely be a failed breeder looking for another site to try again.

Bird notes:
- I could not find the smallest of the Canada Goose goslings. However there were 156 adults (and 10 Greylags) in one large group and it would have been easy to have overlooked it.
- I have yet to get close-enough to the pen Mute Swan to see whether she is indeed the long-term resident.
- Three 'female'-type Mallards were together hard up against the island. From a photo I think two Mallard ducklings with an adult.
- Three Great Crested Grebes were disputing at the top end. Because this was amongst all the geese it was not clear whether they stayed in the area or left. So the two singles I saw later, both apparently asleep, might to might not have been two of these birds.

Birds noted flying over here:

None

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 3 House Martins again

Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs yet again
- 5 (4) Blackcaps again

Noted on / around the water:
- 185 + 8 (2 broods) Canada Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 46 Greylag Geese
- 7 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 23 (19♂) + 2? (1 brood) Mallard: see notes
- 1 all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 9 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 + 4 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 19 + 9 (5 broods) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again

On / around the street lamp poles or elsewhere:

Nothing noted

Two adult and eight Canada Goose goslings. The two older birds on the right are just getting their adult white 'chinstrap'. One of the smaller goslings is illustrating that there is some way to go before its wings are properly feathered even if it knows what to do with them.

A hybrid Canada x Greylag Goose and apparently proud of it.

The best I could do with the three duck and / or juvenile Mallard tucked up against the island. I would say from the extent of the brown edging to the bill of the left-most bird that it has to be an adult duck Mallard. I really cannot say anything definitive about the others.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- 1 drake Mallard was on the lower pool.
- An adult Moorhen and at least one juvenile were heard at the upper pool.
- A juvenile Moorhen was seen and an adult heard at the lower pool.
- 1 Chiffchaff sang briefly beside the lower pool.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

- 1 Common Pug moth (Eupithecia vulgata) on the roof
- The Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae): day 16 in the chrysalis stage
- some midges as usual

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2010

Priorslee Lake

 5+ Willow Tits in the trees alongside the M54 slip-road

(J W Reeves)

2006

Priorslee Lake

Just 2 Mute Swan cygnets remaining, possible Mink in the area

(Martin Adlam)