25 Jun 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

15.0°C > 21.0°C:  Mostly clear again early with patchy medium cloud from the West later. Moderate, even fresh, south-easterly breeze. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise:  04:47 BST

* = a species photographed today.

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

++ =  new species for me at this site.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:  05:00 – 06:20 // 07:30 – 09:50 [as yesterday]

(137th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- Garden Warbler(s) again singing in two different locations: today I heard it moving between the locations so likely one bird only.

Birds noted flying over here:

- 2 Tufted Duck: flew high East 05:30

- 22 Wood Pigeons

- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

- 2 Cormorants: together

That's all folks!

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):

- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler

- 1 (1) Willow Warbler

- 11 (11) Chiffchaffs

- 9 (9) Reed Warblers

- 11 (9) Blackcaps

- 1 (1) Garden Warblers

- 2 (1) Common Whitethroats

Hirundines etc., noted:

- 1 Swift: late only

- 1 Barn Swallow

- 2 House Martins

Counts from the lake area:

- 2 + 2 Mute Swans

- 5 (5♂) Mallard

- 2 Moorhens

- 28 + 38 (13? broods) Coots

- *9 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes

Noted on and around the street lamp poles around dawn:

- 1 midge sp.

- *1 er?

Noted later:

Butterflies:

-        Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)

-        *Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)

-        Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)

-        *Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)

-       Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)

-        Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

-        *Comma (Polygonia c-album)

Moths:

-        +*Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet (Zygaena lonicerae)

-        Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)

-        *Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

-        *Latticed Heath (Chiasmia clathrata)

-        +Cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae)

-        *Burnet Companion (Euclidia glyphica)

-        Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis)

Bees / wasps etc.:

-        Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

-        *Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)

-        *Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)

-        Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

-        *ichneumon sp.

Hoverflies:

-        Bumblebee Blacklet (Cheilosia illustrata)

-        ++*possible Variable Spearhorn (Chrysotoxum elegans)

-        *Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

-        *Stripe-faced Dronefly (Eristalis nemorum)

-        *Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)

-        Common Twist-tail (Sphaerophoria scripta)

-        Bumblebee Plume-horned Hoverfly (Volucella bombylans)

Dragon-/damsel-flies:

-        *Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)

-        Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)

-        Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum)

-        hawker sp.

Other flies:

-        Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)

-        ++*unidentified horsefly, possibly a Notch-horned Cleg (Haematopota pluvialis)

Beetles:

-        Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni): adults and larvae

-        Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

Bugs:

-        *7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata): larva and adults

-        *14 Spot Ladybird (Propylea quattuordecimpunctata)

Also

-        White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

-        +*first flower of Bistort (Polygonum bistorta)

-        ++*flowers of Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)

A cloudless dawn.

Looking West some 10 minutes later there is some cloud approaching.

Feeding time. On of the trio of Great Crested Grebe juveniles grabs a meal.

This male Large Skipper butterfly (Ochlodes sylvanus) is looking a bit the worse for wear.

At last: the wings of a Ringlet butterfly (Aphantopus hyperantus) from underneath showing why it is so-named.

The wings of Comma butterflies (Polygonia c-album) are supposed to look like this and not as a result of battling.

Star of the day for me was this Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet moth (Zygaena lonicerae). The Burnet part is easy; so is the five spot; but why 'narrow-bordered'? Good question!. On the closely-related Five-spot Burnet moth (Z. trifolii) the three spots at toward the tip of the wing are often fused. It is also a mainly coastal species of southern and south-western England and Wales and we are most unlikely to see it here.

If there is a Burnet moth then there ought to be a Burnet Companion moth (Euclidia glyphica) nearby. Here it is.

There were very many grass moths flushing from the grass as I walked through. Most dived back in to the grass or clung to grass swaying in the fresh breeze. The only one I could positively identify was this Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella), with the U-shaped cross-line near the wing tip.

My best-effort so far with a Latticed Heath moth (Chiasmia clathrata)

For some reason this photo of a Silver-ground Carpet moth (Xanthorhoe montanata) did not download from the camera yesterday. I was going to note that this is a late date for this species still to be on the wing.

I presume this is a Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) though the midriff band looks white when it is usually pale orange. Also strange is the white pollen on the pollen baskets: pollen usually looks yellow.

A Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) have a good feed on the Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica).

An ichneumon sp. No more information.

Every day I take a few random damselfly photos. They all turn out to be Common Blue Damselflies (Enallagma cyathigerum). Here a male.

And here a female. I am sure there are Azure Damselflies (Coenagrion puella) as well. Blue-tailed Damselflies (Ischnura elegans) are easy to separate visually so I have no need to photo these again.

A puzzling hoverfly and a species I have not seen before. The long antennae indicate it is a Spearhorn of the genus Chrysotoxum. I think it is most likely a Variable Spearhorn (C. elegans) though none of this group is shown as having a completely yellow scutellum or a yellow 'tail'.

This view does not help!

A Stripe-faced Dronefly (Eristalis nemorum).

Compare and contrast. On the left a Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger). On the right a Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus).

Me and my shadow: the Common Spotted Field Syrph in flight.

And a Marmalade Hoverfly in flight.

I am fairly certain this is a horsefly. Stephen Falk's Flickr site has photos of 60 species. Possibly a Notch-horned Cleg (Haematopota pluvialis). This is a male; only female horseflies bite to get blood to assist them in egg production. Many female horsefly species have amazing banded eyes.

Just a 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata). These all seem rather faded to my eyes so far. They are all pale orange and not red I think of them being.

I do like these 14 Spot Ladybirds (Propylea quattuordecimpunctata).

I have no idea what this is, slithering down the dew on a street lamp pole. I am not aware of any slugs that are green. I assume a larva. Of what I have no idea.

My first flower of Bistort (Polygonum bistorta) this year. They will soon be very common in the wet areas along the South side.

A common plant but apparently new for me at this site. It is Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium). The leaves are supposedly a help in relieving migraine for some people. I am not medically trained so don't try it!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  06:25 – 07:25

(126th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- Yesterday for the first time for many weeks I noted no Mallard sitting on any of the house roofs. One bird spoilt it today!

- While they are going through their post-breeding moult I will not be separating Mallard in to ducks and drakes: I cannot do so reliably for distant birds.

- One pair of Great Crested Grebes seem to be attempting another brood with one apparently sitting on a nest and another in the water alongside.

Birds noted flying over here:

None

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):

- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs

- 1 (1) Blackcap

Hirundines etc., noted:

- 1 Swift

- 3 House Martins

Noted on / around the water

- 151 Canada Geese

- 52 Greylag Geese

- 2 + 4 Mute Swans

- 15 (?♂) Mallard

- still no all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)

- 10 (8♂) Tufted Duck

- 4 + 4 (2 broods) Moorhens

- 24 + 14 (7 broods) Coots

- 2 Great Crested Grebes

- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, very briefly

Noted on / around the street lamp poles around the water:

- *1 Hook-streak Grass-veneer moth (Crambus lathoniellus)

- *1 tiny beetle sp.

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Many fewer insects with less sun and more wind than yesterday

-        Common Grass-veneer moth (Agriphila tristella)

-        Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

-        Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

-        Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)

-       *unidentified grey fly

-        Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)

-        Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni): adults and larvae

Also

- 1 +*Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata) between the lake and The Flash beside a street lamp pole.

Another of those pesky grass moths. The two pale streaks identify this as a Hook-streak Grass-veneer (Crambus lathoniellus).

A very grey-looking fly with big red eyes and red tops to the legs. Species?

This tiny beetle was on a street lamp pole. I have seen it before and could not identify it then. I would help if the antennae were visible.

Between the Lake and The Flash

There is a set of railing adjacent to a street lamp pole where I found a resting Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata). A common species and not very well-named.

(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

2013
Priorslee Lake
Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Probable Grasshopper Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
Peregrine Falcon
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
The water level was the highest I have seen it for many years and the rows of marker buoys just off the south bank had all disappeared under the water. The full effect of Wesley Brook downstream has been devastating for Shifnal, with so much water in the reservoir it was no surprise to hear that many premises alongside the brook were under 2 to 3 feet of water for the second time this month.
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)