28 Jun 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

17.0°C > 19.0°C:  Medium overcast gave way to a low overcast for a while. Drizzle between c.07:15 and c.08:45. Light south-westerly breeze. Excellent visibility except during drizzle when moderate at best.

Sunrise:  04:48 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 – 06:25 // 07:30 – 09:45

(140th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- The Cetti's Warbler was recovering from the shock of being the star photo yesterday and was almost silent today.

- After taking a day off yesterday the Willow Warbler was back in full voice.

Birds noted flying over here:

- 16 Wood Pigeons

- 1 Collared Dove

- 2 Black-headed Gulls

- 1 Grey Heron

From bad to worse!

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):

- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler

- 1 (1) Willow Warbler

- 10 (10) Chiffchaffs

- 16 (12) Reed Warblers

- 8 (7) Blackcaps

- 2 (2) Garden Warblers

Hirundines etc. noted:

- 4 Swifts

- 3 House Martins

Counts from the lake area:

- *2 + 2 Mute Swans

- 11 (?♂) Mallard

- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens

- 30 + 35 (13? broods) Coots

- 12 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes

- 1 Black-headed Gull: first summer: arrived

- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult briefly

- *1 Grey Heron: one arrived and departed; another (?) arrived

Noted on and around the street lamp poles around dawn:

Moths:

- 1 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

- 1* possible Grey Pug (Eupithecia subfuscata)

- 1* Mottled Beauty (Alcis repandata)

- 10* Round-winged Muslin (Thumatha senex): on six different poles

otherwise:

- 1* ichneumon sp.

- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)

- 1* stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.

Noted later: a few things before and after the drizzle. I stayed out of the soaking vegetation

Butterflies:

-        Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)

-        *Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)

Moths:

-        Timothy Tortrix (Zelotherses paleana)

-        Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)

-        +*Hoary Bell (Eucosma cana)

-       Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

-       *Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)

Bees / wasps etc.:

-        Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)

-        Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)

-        Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies:

-        Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

-        Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)

-        *Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)

-        Pellucid Fly (Volucella pellucens) [Pied Plumehorn]

Dragon-/damsel-flies:

-        Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)

Other flies:

-        Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)

Beetles:

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

-        *another beetle sp.

Bugs:

-        *Common Green Capsid (Lygocoris pabulinus)

Also

-        White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

-        *Orb-web spider (Larinioides cornutus)

The cob Mute Swan seems unconcerned about the Grey Heron passing close-by.

This first summer Black-headed Gull dropped in. Not all first summer birds acquire the full black pattern on the head shown by this bird. This bird is starting its Autumn moult with three new all-grey inner primaries. At least one primary been dropped outboard of these three. The older dark-tipped primaries are those it acquired in its moult out of juvenile plumage last Autumn.

'Brown' butterflies, Ringlets (Aphantopus hyperantus) and, as here, Meadow Browns (Maniola jurtina), will fly in cloudy conditions provided it is warm enough. There is a single white spot in the dark circle on the mostly hidden upper-wing. Within the next few weeks another and smaller relation, the Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), will be on the wing. Apart from its smaller size it can also be distinguished by having two white spots in the dark circle.

In the dull and drizzly conditions it was difficult to get a sharp photos of this Hoary Bell moth (Eucosma cana)

Pug moths are difficult to identify and some have to be dissected. On the basis of the dark mark in the forewing I am going going for a Grey Pug (Eupithecia subfuscata).

I found this Mottled Beauty moth (Alcis repandata) on the underside of a street lamp head. Two spiders seem to have their eyes on the moth, the closest to it being a stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.

The best looking of the ten Round-winged Muslin moths (Thumatha senex) that were on the street lamp poles.

 I wonder how this Snout moth (Hypena proboscidalis) got its name?

On one of the street lamp poles was this insect with one broken antenna. I think an ichneumon.

Deep down inside a Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) flower is what appears to be a female Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare). The triangular yellow marks on the abdomen are just discernible. On a male the yellow marks on the abdomen are rectangular.

A Common Green Capsid (Lygocoris pabulinus) was out and about despite the drizzle. It is feeding on Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium).

This is not an Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni) though I don't know what it is. On this creature there is a distinct separation between the head and the thorax whereas with the alder beetle they look (but aren't) fused.

I believe this to be the orb-web spider Larinioides cornutus. I have probably photographed this individual before from the underside: it was beside the sailing club HQ where I photographed one some days ago.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  06:30 – 07:25

(129th visit of the year)

Highlight today was stumbling, almost literally, on to a Scarlet Tiger moth (Callimorpha dominula) resting on nettles at the top end. Sadly the moth saw me as soon as I saw it and it flew off before I could grab a photo. My first sighting in Shropshire of this moth which I saw regularly when I spent time in South Devon. Photos can be found Here.

Bird notes:

- I did not specifically note the near-adult Mute Swan. However all the swans were sitting inside the island and difficult to see.

- No Mallard ducklings recorded. One of my regular dog-walker informants indicated that there were two differently-aged broods present.

Birds noted flying over here:

- 1 Jackdaw

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):

- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs

- 5 (4) Blackcap

Hirundines etc., noted:

None

Noted on / around the water

- 136 Canada Geese

- 67 Greylag Geese

- *1 Canada x Greylag Goose

- ? Mute Swans: see notes

- 19 Mallard: see notes

- 10 (8♂) Tufted Duck

- 3 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens

- 22 + 9 (4 broods) Coots

- 1 Great Crested Grebe

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

Moths:

-        2 Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

-        1 +*Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)

-        1 +*Treble Brown Spot (Idaea trigeminata)

-        1 +*Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)

and

-        +*two other beetles

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

-        ++Scarlet Tiger moth (Callimorpha dominula): as highlighted

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

-        +*Rough-haired Lagria Beetle (Lagria hirta)

Here is the mixed species Canada x Greylag Goose. I don't see it everyday yet from this view it would not be able to fly. I guess it hides in the island.

This Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata) was one of the moths I found here today.

Two moths on the same street lamp pole. The lower moth is a typical 'wave' moth in size and shape and can be identified as a Treble Brown Spot (Idaea trigeminata) from the dark along the leading edge of the wing. The other moth is a Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria).

Commonly found on vegetation is this Rough-haired Lagria Beetle (Lagria hirta).

I have no thoughts on the identity of this beetle other than to remark I do not recall seeing it before.

It is usually longhorn beetles that have curved antennae. I can't match this one with those illustrated on the internet.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

-       today one of the first brood juvenile Moorhens from the lower pool was seen flying strongly to get back to safety.

Moths on street lamp poles:

-        Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

(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

2009
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)