27 Jun 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

15.0°C > 17.0°C: Mainly clear start. Cloud after c.05:45 with a few light sprinkles c.06:30. Gradually clearing with good sunny spells after 08:30. Moderate / fresh south-westerly breeze. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 04:48 BST

* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:10 // 07:20 – 09:50

(139th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A few days ago I photographed a Feral Pigeon strutting about in Teece Drive and remarked that it was unusual to see them on the ground away from their usual roof-top haunts. The last two days I have noted two Feral Pigeons on the roof of Simon the bee-keeper's house. So the bird I photographed was closer to home than I thought.
- Was it the change in the weather or the progression of the year that led to many more gulls today, including the first Black-headed Gull on the water since they all departed in April to their breeding sites.
- A Sparrowhawk was heard calling from the south-east trees and was then seen flying off across Castle Farm Way.
- I neglected to write-up the bird notes for yesterday and failed to highlight a singing Garden Warbler in the south-west copse where one sang as the migrants arrived. After about two weeks it stopped singing and I assumed it had failed to attract a mate and moved on. Was this the same bird singing between broods? Or was it a failed breeder looking for a new territory? I did not hear it today so I will never know,

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 42 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 37 Jackdaws
- 14 Rooks
- 1 Greenfinch

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 12 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 3 House Martins

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 13 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers
- 10 (10) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
'nominal' warbler:
- no Goldcrests

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (3♂) Mallard
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 18 + 5 (4 broods) Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- *1 Herring Gull
- *22 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed 05:45

On the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Nothing noted

Noted later:
Too windy for many insects to be about

Butterflies:
- Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus

Moths:
- Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- Latticed Heath Chiasmia clathrata

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *!!ichneumon sp., perhaps a male Ichneumon xanthorius
- *!!sand wasp sp., of genus Gorytes, perhaps G. laticinctus

Hoverflies:

The first name is that used by Stephen Falk. The name in square brackets is that given by Obsidentify or other sources if different. Scientific names are normally common. The species are presented in alphabetic order of those scientific names.
- Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata [Bumblebee Blacklet]
- Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
- Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus
- *Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
- *Parhelophilus frutetorum [no vernacular names]
- Bumblebee Plume-horned Hoverfly Volucella bombylans
- Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens [Pied Plumehorn]

Damsel-/dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum
- Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans

Other flies:
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus
- *long-legged fly, possibly Chrysotus blepharosceles
- *long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *!Marsh Snipefly Rhagio tringarius
- *Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- *a few more unidentified flies

Bugs etc.:
- *Mirid bug, likely Closterotomus norwegicus

Beetles:
- *Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- *Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
- *False Blister Beetle Oedemera lurida or O. virescens

Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis

Amphibian:
- Common Frog Rana temporaria

Spiders:
- wolf spider, likely Common Wolf Spider Pardosa pullata

New flowers noted
- *Common Mallow Malva sylvestris

 As good as the weather got early. Rain-bearing clouds soon arrived for a while.

A broader view.

An underwing view of a first year Herring Gull beginning its moult in to second winter plumage. At least six inner primaries have been replaced.

A scruffy-looking second year Lesser Black-backed Gull beginning its moult in to third winter plumage.

Another second year Lesser Black-backed Gull beginning its moult in to third winter plumage. The tail of this example is still basically all-dark. The bill looks more like an adult. Note there are three regrowing new inner primaries with the full length outer primaries to be discarded in turn.

An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. It has dropped some inner primaries and until the moult is complete the rear of the wing will show a 'step'.

An ichneumon sp.

From this angle the abdomen pattern is clearer and gives a possible identity as a male Ichneumon xanthorius

This wasp is from a group known as sand wasps. This one is from the genus Gorytes, and perhaps G. laticinctus

A Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare but what is the tiny insect in front of it? Good question.

A trio of photos of the same Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea. Back view.

A close-up front view.

This hoverfly is Parhelophilus frutetorum. It has no vernacular name though the Parhelophilus group is collectively known as mini-tigers. I misidentified one on Tuesday (25th) as a Marsh Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus hybridus.

And the plan view showing just how hairy it is.

A long-legged fly with a short abdomen. It may be Chrysotus blepharosceles.

Another of the long-legged fly group: likely Dolichopus ungulatus.

Another of the same species?

My first Marsh Snipefly Rhagio tringarius of the year.

My first Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria for a while so we'd better have a closer look.

A formation trio of flies? In fact there were eleven flies on the same plant, all similarly orientated.

 A closer view of one. Species?

This tiny circular insect seems to have wings so I suppose it is a fly. I suppose.

This seems to be a male midge. No idea as to species.

I think this is the Mirid bug, likely Closterotomus norwegicus. If so it is sometimes called Potato Bug though I cannot find out why.

A male Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis sharing a Common Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium with a small pollen beetle.

Compare with the similar False Blister Beetle Oedemera lurida or O. virescens. This species is slimmer, the sexes are alike and the elytra are usually held closed or only very slightly apart.

An Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni with a few rain spots on its elytra. My shadow is cast on its left elytra.

Common Mallow Malva sylvestris

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Flies:
- *1 owl midge Psychodidae sp.

The owl midge Psychodidae sp.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 06:15 – 07:15

(142nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- all the geese were visible from a single point today meaning there was no possibility of double-counting or missing some. However... they were jammed together such that it was still difficult to get a truly accurate number.
- I only saw the Mallard with ducklings from a distance: my impression was that the ducklings were smaller than those I photographed yesterday. Today's were in the water whereas yesterday they were on land. That could make a difference to the perceived size.
- One Great Crested Grebe seemed to be sitting on a nest at the top end. The nest-site that seemed to be being inspected around the island has not had any attention recently though two birds are usually in the area.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 5 Swifts

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 5 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
'nominal' warbler:
- no Goldcrests

Noted on / around the water:
- 219 Canada Geese: goslings not identified
- 64 Greylag Geese
- no Canada x Greylag Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 24 + 2 (1 brood) Mallard: sexes not determined
- 8 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 20 + 4 (3 brood) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Moths:
- *1 Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata

Flowers:
- *Common (or Perforate) St. John's-wort Hypericum perforatum

Yet another Treble Brown Spot moth Idaea trigeminata. It still does not seem to have three spots.

Well: it does look somewhat like yesterday's Tansy but Obsidentify noted it as a different species of Hypericum: Common (or Perforate) St. John's-wort H. perforatum.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sightings from previous years

2012
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Redshank
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)