21 May 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 14.0°C:  Just some thin high cloud at times, otherwise clear. Light north-easterly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise:  05:04 BST

* = a photo of this species today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:55 – 06:20 // 07:20 – 09:40

(105th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A Pheasant was heard calling at 05:10: the first I have heard from the lake area for many weeks.
- A Common Peafowl (Peacock) was also heard calling from the Ricoh grounds c.05:20. The first time I have heard it this year.
- One of the fishermen complained that the very loud Cetti's Warbler sang all night long from behind his bivouac. It does seem especially vocal and motile his year, perhaps trying to attract a mate.
- A Mistle Thrush has recommenced singing, this time in the traditional place alongside Teece Drive. In addition to the songster I saw another in flight giving its rattling call.
- *In addition to the over-flying Jackdaws one was seen, unusually, around the fenced-off football field.
- *Seven Starling were inside the fenced-off football field. Two of them were juveniles.
- A fly-over Linnet was unusual at this date.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 3 Canada Geese: a single and a duo outbound again
- 2 Greylag Geese: outbound together
- 27 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 6 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 1 Linnet

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

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 2 Swifts
- *3 Barn Swallows

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: a pair throughout, usually on the dam-top and presumed to be the breeding pair; another pair arrived
- 2 Greylag Geese: departed together
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 5 Moorhens
- 23 + 9 (5 broods) Coots
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: second year, briefly
- 1 Cormorant: arrived

Noted on the street lamp poles around dawn:
- 3 midges

Noted later: the north-easterly breeze was keeping the sunny areas cool:
+ = my first sighting of this species this year

Moths:
-        *+Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata)
Bees / wasps etc.:
-        *Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
-        Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
-        Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Dragon-/damsel-flies:
-        Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella)
-        Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
-        *+Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
Hoverflies:
-        Cheilosia albitarsus agg. (C. ranunculi (Early Buttercup Cheilosia) or C. albitarsis (Late Buttercup Cheilosia))
-        *+possible Pine Fleckwing (Dasysyrphus pinastri) hoverfly
-        Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
-        Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
Other insects:
-        *midge sp.
-        Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
-        Alder Fly (Sialis lutaria)
-        Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens)
-        Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)
-        *+Common Malachite Beetle (Malachius bipustulatus)
-        *+another beetle sp.
Also
-        *two unidentified species of spider

Just a little colour in the sunrise.

The visiting second year Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Danger! Two Barn Swallows resting on one of the signs along the south side.

Repositioning and a careful approach led to this photo. I dared not go closer. I am not sure why the right-hand bird appears to have a hunch-back.

One goes for a fly around.

I tried to tempt one of the Reed Warblers in to view by making squeaking noises. First to appear was this Dunnock wondering what the noise was.

Then a Song Thrush came to have a look.

In the end a Reed Warbler had a quick look before it disappeared. The long sloping forehead of this species is evident.

The Jackdaw seen, unusually, on the grass beside the fenced-off football field.

A juvenile Starling on the left with an adult glistening in the grass on the right.

It was not easy to get access to this Common Carpet moth (Epirrhoe alternata) between multiple grass stems. Only my fourteenth moth species here this year. Last year, albeit four days later, it was my twenty-eighth.

I do like Early Bumblebees (Bombus pratorum). My kind of scruffy!

So we'd better have another.

And another

 Head on!

My first Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) this year. This is a male showing diamond shaped 'two tone' wing spots. In females the wing marks are all-dark. It is the only 'blue' damselfly with these wing marks.

I am sure this is one of the Dasysyrphus hoverflies known as fleckwings. With the yellow marks that stop well short of the abdomen side it seems it has to be a Pine Fleckwing (D. pinastri). There are very few pine trees in the area and it would be a new species for me. I will get it checked.

It seems to me unusual for a midge to appear inside a buttercup.

Another in my long line of unidentified flies.

With red tips to the wing cases this is a female Common Malachite Beetle (Malachius bipustulatus). Males have a swelling on the antennae.

I did wonder whether these were two female Swollen-thighed Beetles (Oedemera nobilis): females do not have the name-giving swollen thighs. But I am sure these are too small. More research....

A spider trying not to look like a spider so it can pounce on passing prey.

This spider relies on camouflage as it sits on the wooden fence alongside Teece Drive.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:25 – 07:15

(96th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The Mute Swan cygnets were initially on the far side of the water. Later they went back on the nest with the pen. I did not get an accurate count.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Raven

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

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 6 Swifts
- 1 House Martin

Noted on / around the water
- 27 Canada Geese
- *4 Greylag Geese
- 3 + ? Mute Swans
- 18 (15♂) Mallard: no ducklings seen
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 21+ 1 (1 brood) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes

On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted

Noted elsewhere:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- presumed Raspberry Beetle (Byturus tomentosus)
-*unidentified fly

I was pleased the camera managed to keep the arriving Greylag Geese in focus as it flew in front of the trees on the island.

A bunch of likely lads. Four drake Mallard face the sun on a roof in Westcroft Walk.

Probably the same Wren that I photographed yesterday. Here it is singling loudly.

 LOUDLY!

Yes loudly.

Yet another unidentified fly.

(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
Priorslee Lake
Grasshopper Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Redshank
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
Cuckoo
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)