16 May 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 11.0°C: A clear start with cloud after 07:00 and then only a few sunny moments. Cool-feeling moderate westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:12 BST

* = a photo of this species today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:10 – 06:30 // 07:25 – 09:25

(100th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I only noted one Mute Swan cygnet this morning. That was initially being carried on the pen's back. She and the cygnet soon retreated to the nest. The other cygnet may have stayed on her back.
- A single Swift was overhead at 05:45. No more until six at c.08:00 with hirundines.
- Now nine Great Crested Grebes. Still no sign of nesting.
- Two Chiffchaffs continually calling or giving accelerated song: probably juveniles nearby though these not located.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: two duos outbound
- 3 Stock Doves: together
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: together
- 4 Cormorants: two singles and a duo
- 1 Sparrowhawk: male on size
- 4 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook again

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 13 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers
- 11 (8) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 7 Swifts
- 2 Sand Martins
- 4 Barn Swallows
- 6 House Martins

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Canada Geese: there are still four goslings
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Greylag Geese: only one brood remains
- 2 + 1? (1 brood) Mute Swans: see notes
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 Moorhen only
- 14 + 2 (1 brood) Coots only
- 9 Great Crested Grebes

On the street lamp poles around dawn:
Nothing noted

Noted later: a brief sunny spell brought a few things out in the open:
+ = my first sighting of this species this year

Damsel- / Dragon-flies
- +*Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas)

Bees / wasps etc.:
- *Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies:
- +*Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)
- +*Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- *Dead-head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
- +*possible Meadow Boxer (Platycheirus peltatus)
- +*Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)

Other insects:
-. *flies of at least six species
- *cranefly Tipula varipennis
- +*Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- *Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)
- +*Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)
- *Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia)

Also:
- *Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- - +*Zebra Spider (Salticus scenicus)

 Red letter day: two successive clear mornings!

A Common Buzzard gazes at its domain.

And at me as well.

I found this immature female Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas) resting on the sheltered wall of the sailing club HQ. At this age when damselflies lack colouration it is the markings on the thorax that identify the species.

A nice scruffy Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum).

A different individual with almost no midriff hairs.

A male hoverfly and I think one of the Eristalis (drone flies). I need to do more research.

It looks to me as if the yellow markings on the abdomen of this hoverfly do not 'wrap around' the sides and it is therefore a Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger).

Unusually the abdomen pattern of this Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare) can be seen through the folded wing. The triangular shape to the yellow markings identify it as a female.

I've cut the tip of the abdomen off this hoverfly but the pattern on the thorax identifies it as a Dead-head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea).

This hoverfly looks superficially like a Chequered Hoverfly but the modified structure of the front leg identifies this as a male of genus Platycheirus, the most likely being the species named by Steven Falk as the Meadow Boxer (P. peltatus).

This is one of the species pair Syrphus ribesii / S. vitripennis. Only females are separable from good photos: this is a male (the eyes meet): and it would have not been a good photo because it does not clearly show the hind femur – the key distinguishing feature.

The wing markings identify this cranefly as a Tipula varipennis. This is a spring-flying species. It looks to be eating something.

Many different flies were also tempted out by the brief sunny spell. This one showing some wing-damage. I do not know whether this is fair wear and tear or whether it results from territorial battles.

The striped thorax and brown abdomen of this fly do not provide enough clues to the identity of this fly.

This one has a striped thorax and chequered abdomen.

 A splendid copper-coloured fly.

And where would we be without a 'greenbottle'. There are numerous species of iridescent green fly in several different genera.

 This is mainly black and rather undistinguished fly.

A female Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp. A female because it has a pointed abdomen – its ovipositor. Males have their genitals at the end of the abdomen shaped like a scorpion's sting – hence the name given to this group of flies.

This one seems to lack a female ovipositor or a male 'sting'. So...?

Yesterday the rear-end view of a Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus). Here is one head-on.

My first Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata) of the year.

A Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia).

It makes a change from a flash photo of this species on a street lamp pole. It is a Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) in distinctive pose with the front two pairs of legs held together.

A Zebra Spider (Salticus scenicus). This is a species of jumping spider: they leap on their prey.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:35 – 07:20

(91st visit of the year)

A very quiet morning. The low temperature and chilly wind perhaps?

Bird notes:
- Little change in the Mute Swan situation. I may have seen a cygnet move under one of the outstretched wings of the pen on the nest and I may have heard one call. Seems strange as if they hatched by yesterday (the broken eggs noted) then the cygnets ought to be out and about feeding by now.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Sparrowhawk: female on size
- 2 Jackdaws

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

Hirundines etc., noted:
None

Noted on / around the water
- 6 Canada Geese only
- 1 Greylag Goose
- *2 + 1 Mute Swans: ? cygnets
- 22 (21♂) Mallard: no ducklings seen
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 20 + 4 (2 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes

Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- *1 Common Pug moth (Eupithecia vulgata)
- *1 plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)

Noted elsewhere:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

I did a double-take with this. My first thought was a male Blackbird with extensive albino markings. Not so: it is a recently fledged juvenile Magpie with no tail and yet to grow all its wing-feathers. The bill-shape aids the identification. The bare skin at the gape confirms it is a juvenile.

I found this Common Pug moth (Eupithecia vulgata) resting on one of the lamp poles leading to The Priorslee.

This is what a male Chironomus plumosus plumed midge should look like: each segment of the abdomen is pale-edged.

(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

2012
Nedge Hill
10 Northern Wheatears
(Richard Camp)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Ringed Plover
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
Cuckoo
(Ed Wilson)