22 Jun 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

15.0°C > 20.0°C: Variable amounts of broken mainly medium-level cloud. Cleared somewhat after c.09:00. Light north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:46 BST: last day!!

* = a species photographed today (some additional photos from yesterday included)

+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:15 // 07:25 – 09:55

(134th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The noisy Cetti's Warbler was seen moving through the vegetation apparently in the company of another similar-sized bird. Perhaps there is a pair?
- The number of Starlings feeding and / or gathering food for nestlings from the football field has steadily reduced from a peak of 39 on 14 June to just four this morning.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 3 Canada Geese: flew North together
- 1 Greylag Goose: outbound
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants: two singles and a duo
- 3 Jackdaws

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 2 (1) Cetti's Warbler: see notes
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 10 (9) Chiffchaffs
- no Sedge Warbler
- 11 (11) Reed Warblers
- 12 (10) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warblers
- 0 (2) Common Whitethroats

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow

Counts from the lake area: it remains very quiet
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 29 + 32 (? broods) Coots
- 8 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived

Noted on and around the street lamp poles around dawn:
- *1 unidentified beetle
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)

Noted later:

Butterflies:
- *Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus): many
- Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina): only two

Moths:
- Timothy Tortrix (Zelotherses paleana)
- *Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)
- *Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- Silver Y (Autographa gamma)

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
- *Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
- *Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- ++*perhaps a Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- ++*Hornet (Vespa crabro)

Hoverflies:
- Bumblebee Blacklet (Cheilosia illustrata)
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- Common Twist-tail (Sphaerophoria scripta)
- Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)
- ++*Hairy-eyed Syrphus (Syrphus torvus)

Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- *Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
- *Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum)
- unidentified hawker dragonfly/flies

Other flies:
- Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- *dagger fly Empis livida
- *Grouse Wing caddis fly (Mystacides longicornis)
- *Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus)

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

Bugs:
- 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata)
- Common Green Capsid (Lygocoris pabulinus)

Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *unidentified spider

 It's all downhill to Christmas now we have passed the longest day...

The only butterfly that I noted at rest today was this Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus). Another male with the scent mark in the forewing.

An unusual plan-view of a Common Marble moth (Celypha lacunana). They usually fly off when approached from above.

 I doubt I will get a better photo of a Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella).

But then again... I found this mating pair on a street lamp pole here yesterday.

A Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) enjoying feeding on a Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre).

A Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum).

Today; s biggest puzzle. This was a very small bumblebee and the only species that seems to fit is Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum). However I read that this species is much-reduced and largely confined to "the Tames gateway".

I saw this from a distance and thought it would turn out to be a Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria). Luckily I approached cautiously as it turned out to be a real Hornet (Vespa crabro) and my first in Shropshire. Apologies that it is not sharp but I was keeping my distance.

An unusual hoverfly with very parallel yellow bands. It seems to be a Hairy-eyed Syrphus (Syrphus torvus) and if so a new species for me, albeit not rare. I will get it checked.

A male Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans). Best way to confirm this species is the two-tone mark on the wing.

I do not see female Black-tailed Skimmers (Orthetrum cancellatum) too often. Here is one.

The three lines on the thorax identify this dagger fly as Empis livida.

I think this Grouse Wing caddis fly (Mystacides longicornis) is most likely dead. It shows the long antennae well.

Not the most attractive of fly: it is a Thick-headed Fly (Sicus ferrugineus). Note that it rests with the rear end of the abdomen are tucked-up underneath.

I am sure its mother loves it. (I doubt she does and she is almost certainly dead having laid this as an egg last year)

Thinking hat time. I have sure I have seen this fly with the yellow marks on the side of its abdomen previously. When? where?

I found this rather unusually-shaped beetle (it apparently has no separated head) on one of the street lamp poles while I was vainly searching for moths. The only beetle photos I can find on the internet with this shape are in the genus Cis but they are very small and tree-fungus specialists so I think not. Which means I am stumped.

Arachnophobes beware! Would have been more help to see its top side.

The seeds of Common Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) are almost impossible to kill and they can survive for many years. As soon as ground is turned they will take the opportunity to pop up and flower. I found these on the bare ground left after the construction of the skate-board park.

The very distinctive seed head ('clock') of Goat's-beard or Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon (Tragopogon pratensis minor).

Aircraft of the day: this AgustaWestland AW109SP GrandNew is owned by Apollo Air Services Ltd. based at Carlisle Airport. They have owned this 2011-built helicopter since 2017 and re-registered it to G-NEWB (just about visible here) in March this year.

The out-of-date information as shown on ADS-B. It was G-SGRP before it was re-registered. Fight trackers are not infallible. The Bell 429 was passing the other way and just too far for the camera.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:20 – 07:20

(123rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- More geese today all keeping well away from the cob Mute Swan.

Birds noted flying over here:

None

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 7 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap

Hirundines etc., noted:
- c.12 Swifts
- 3 House Martins

Noted on / around the water
- 156 Canada Geese
- 44 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 15 (14♂) Mallard: no ducklings seen
- no all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 6 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 23 + 6 (3 broods) Coots: one of these a single from a new and hitherto unseen brood.
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on / around the street lamp poles around the water:
- 1 Garden Grass-veneer moth (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- *1 'black ant'

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
- Garden Grass-veneer moth (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- *Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
- *Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus): there were more here than at the lake.
- *Balloon Flies (Hilara sp.)
- other flies
- *Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

also
- *1 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) between the lake and The Flash: resting on railings

Yesterday I noted this Nuthatch running up this dead twig.

Its profile from the other side.

A Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) enjoying Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica).

Really enjoying it.

A Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris). Is that an Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni) he has caught? I did not notice it at the time otherwise I would have tried an angled shot.

A few days I ago I photographed very similar-looking flies at the lake, one with red eyes and one with green eyes. Here are such a pair mating so they are the same species. The male has bristles on its front legs (metatarsus) which suggests it is one of the Balloon Flies (Hilara sp.). Males use the bristles to wrap a gift of a captured fly for the female and while she is occupied unwrapping the gift he takes advantage of her! There are c.60 species of such flies...

To confuse matters this red-eyed individual has no bristles on its front legs. So perhaps red eyes do not always mean a male.

Meanwhile Alder Leaf Beetles are still at it. I have no idea what seems to be hanging down underneath.

A black ant. It may or may not be a Small Black Ant (Lasius niger). It did not look small.

The Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) I found between the lake and The Flash. This specimen belies the name 'band'. Some examples have a solid dark area between the outer two cross-lines. So why are these forms not separate species? Ask the taxonomists!

Yesterday in just about the same place but on a street lamp pole was this Little Grey moth (Eudonia lacustrata). I nearly overlooked it. The white background is a small fragment of a long-gone "missing cat" notice that I kept mistaking for something interesting but had got used to ignoring.

Also yesterday I noted this headless Common Toad (Bufo bufo) on the lower car park by the medical centre. I can only assume that it was run over by a vehicle,

(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
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Pochard
Nuthatch
Swarm of bees
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Drake Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)