20 Jun 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

16.0°C > 22.0°C: Hazy sun through thinnish high cloud. Light / moderate south-easterly breeze after the usual calm start. Good visibility becoming very good.

Sunrise: 04:46 BST still

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:55 – 06:10 // 07:30 – 09:45

(150th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the Canada and Greylag goslings all still present and correct.
- *I did not for certain see the pen Mute Swan. When I returned from The Flash the cob was preventing another unringed adult from re-entering the water. Both 'our' new pen and the previous resident pen sported a blue Darvic ring.
- *three duck Mallard with ducklings seen: counts of two, four and seven (in descending size order). Also of note it that while I have ceased to sex the birds temporarily (the drakes are so scruffy as they go through their eclipse moult) there were five of the 14 other adult Mallard that were clearly ducks and were keeping close together.
- the duck Pochard not seen but in the chaos of geese, Mallard and many of the Coots on the south-west grass I may well have overlooked it.
- a Little Grebe heard again from North-side reeds.
- a Common Kestrel was hovering over the South side at 05:05
- a Common Buzzard was sitting on the roof of the academy c.06:00

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 27 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 11 Jackdaws
- 23 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- *2 Mute Swans: see notes
- 17 (?♂) + 13 (3 broods) Mallard: see notes
- no Pochard: see notes
- 2 Moorhens only
- 53 adult and juvenile Coots
- 1 Little Grebe: heard only again
- 6 + 2 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 1 House Martin: heard only

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 17 (13) Chiffchaffs again
- 8 (8) Reed Warblers
- 5 (4) Blackcaps only
- no Garden Warbler
- no Common Whitethroat

Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:

Moths:
*$$ 1 Coronet Craniophora ligustri [my moth species #47 here in 2025 and new for me]
*1 Mottled Beauty Alcis repandata
*$$ 1 Buff Arches Habrosyne pyritoides [my moth species #48 here in 2025: also new]

Lacewings:
*1 lacewing Chrysopa perla

Bugs:
*1 Mirid bug Deraeocoris flavilinea

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 possible Comb-footed spider Theridion varians

Noted later:
It was somewhat hard going with fewer insects around. Whether that was the heat; the lack of direct sunshine; or the sometimes moderate breeze moving the foliage around is hard to say.

Butterflies:
Large White Pieris brassicae
Green-veined White Pieris napi
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus

Moths
4 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana
3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana

Bees, wasps etc.:
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
*unidentified braconid / ichneumon

Hoverflies:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
*Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus
Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis

Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella [Azure Bluet]
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
NB: again many of the damselflies were not specifically identified

Lacewings:
none

Other flies:
*dagger fly Empis livida
*Suillia sp.
plus
usual other boring and / or strange flies

Bugs:
none

Beetles:
*soldier beetle Cantharis sp., probably C. pallida
*longhorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis
larvae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: few
pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: rather more – most larvae now pupae?
*Pollen Beetle Meligethes sp.
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis [False Oil Beetle or Thick-legged Flower Beetle]

Slugs, snails etc.:
White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis

Amphibians:
Common Frog Rana temporaria

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
unidentified money spiders

New flowers for the year:

None

A hazy start with thin high cloud.

The new resident cob Mute Swan will not let the visitor back in the water. The visitor shows no Darvic ring.

A duck Mallard heading for splash-down.

Mallard ducklings from two families. The duck with the two larger duckling was out of the shot.

A pristine Speckled Wood butterfly Pararge aegeria . A combative species that usually shows signs of wear and tear in the wings.

A new moth for me in Shropshire #1. This is a Coronet Craniophora ligustri named after the "crown" effect of the white around the "neck" [I didn't name it!]

This is another Mottled Beauty moth Alcis repandata and a better specimen than yesterday's first in Shropshire for me.

And new moth for me in Shropshire #2. A Buff Arches Habrosyne pyritoides. There are many species of moth with "arches" in their name, usually referring to a vertical zig-zag pattern of white though here they are buff and more looped.

"My what long antennae you have". A small unidentified braconid / ichneumon wasp.

A Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus caught in a web. What should I do? Should I release it and deprive the spider of a meal? Well - that is what I did.

A lacewing Chrysopa perla bears down on a small unsuspecting aphid(?).

I have no idea what this dagger fly Empis livida is doing!

This small fly with patterning in its wings is one of three Suillia species that occur in the UK. NatureSpot only shows the pattern of two of them so I am unsure which this is.

A Mirid bug Deraeocoris flavilinea on a street lamp pole around dawn.

A soldier beetle in the Cantharis group, probably C. pallida, though there are similar species.

This longhorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis was new for me yesterday. Here it on a Common Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium with a number of Pollen Beetles Meligethes sp. There are many species of pollen beetles and they cannot be identified from photos.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
*1 $$ Narrow-winged Pug Eupithecia nanata
*1 $ Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata
*1 Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata

Flies
32 midges of various species.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

With an unidentified midge for company this is my first Narrow-winged Pug moth Eupithecia nanata in Shropshire.

A Small Fan-footed Wave moth Idaea biselata. My first of the year.

For the third day when checking the tunnel on the way back from The Flash I have found a moth that I did not see when I checked going the other way. This is a Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:15 – 07:25

(148th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a large count of geese as I arrived. Many of these climbed on the island, presumably having fed on the abundant weed.
- back to six adult Mute Swans.
- *two drake Tufted Ducks were new arrivals.
- not certain how many Great Crested Grebes there were. One was near the island when I arrived. Later two together (pair?) at the top end. The lone bird was not re-found but was it one of the pair?
- one of the House Martins was calling as if it were a juvenile begging though at that time I could not see or hear any others.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 189 Canada Geese
- 61 Greylag Geese
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- 6 Mute Swans
- 19 (?♂) Mallard
- *2 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 20 + 8 (4 broods) Coots
- 2 or 3 Great Crested Grebes: see notes

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 2 House Martins

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps

Noted around the area:
An exploration around the small football field at the top end was rewarding.

Moths [on street lamp poles and in the grass]
2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana
4 Garden Grass-moths Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]: probably more
2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis
1 Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata
1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata
*1 $ Poplar Grey Subacronicta megacephala

Bees, wasps etc.:
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
*ichneumon, probably Amblyteles armatorius

Hoverflies:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis

Other flies:
Grouse Wing caddis fly Mystacides longicornis
plus numerous different midges and flies

Bugs:
none

Beetles:
7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
larvae only of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis

Amphibians:
Common Frog Rana temporaria

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
*spider Clubiona sp.

Two drake Tufted Ducks were new arrivals. The one on the left in particular is moulting out of its breeding plumage and within a month or so the sexes will be hard to separate.

I have inverted and levelled this photo of a Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella. This group of moths fold their wings tightly around their body at rest and are larger than expected when put to flight. The diagonal cross line toward the rear of the wing is the identification feature of this species.

It is a long while since I saw my previous Poplar Grey moth Subacronicta megacephala in the area. Sitting in the detritus at the top of a tall street lamp pole did not make for a clear shot. Despite its name this species is never grey though not always as dark as this.

 Refusing to show all this is an ichneumon, probably Amblyteles armatorius.

A spider with the distinctive abdomen shape of a Clubiona sp. Which particular species I cannot say.

(Ed Wilson)

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2009
Priorslee Lake
A pair of Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
A drake Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)

19 Jun 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

13.0°C > 21.0°C: Wall-to-wall blue, Somewhat hazy. Light south-easterly breeze. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:46 BST (as early as it gets)

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:50 – 06:05 // 07:20 – 09:50

(149th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the Common Peafowl (Peacock) was calling soon after dawn from what was the Telford campus.
- the Canada and Greylag goslings all still present and correct.
- both adult Mute Swans were away from the nest area and noted feeding together. Later the pen disappeared in to the hidden nest.
- *yesterday's duck Mallard with seven small ducklings had all seven again today. I did not see the mid-sized ducklings. The single very well-grown duckling was present.
- the duck Pochard still here.
- after today I will no longer separate adult and juvenile Coots. Some of the juveniles are now well-grown and independent and difficult to separate from adults.
- a Little Grebe heard yet again from North-side reeds.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 29 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- *19 (?♂) + 8 (2 broods) Mallard: see notes
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 4 Moorhens still
- 39 + 12 (6 broods) Coots
- 1 Little Grebe: heard only
- 5 + 2 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 17 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers again
- 7 (6) Blackcaps
- no Garden Warbler
- no Common Whitethroat

Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:

Moths:
*1 $ Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria [my moth species #44 here in 2025]
*1 $ Mottled Beauty Alcis repandata [my moth species #45 here in 2025]
*1 $ Snout Hypena proboscidalis [my moth species #46 here in 2025]

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum

Noted later:

Butterflies:
*Large White Pieris brassicae
Green-veined White Pieris napi
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina

Moths
4 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana
3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana
*2 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
*1 Latticed Heath Chiasmia clathrata

Bees, wasps etc.:
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum
Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
*$$ possible Orange-vented Mason Bee Osmia leaiana
*two other unidentified bees
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
*unidentified braconid / ichneumon

Hoverflies:
Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
*Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis

Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella [Azure Bluet]
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
NB: again many of the damselflies were not specifically identified

Lacewings:
lacewing Chrysopa perla

Other flies:
*soldier fly Beris sp., perhaps Murky-legged Black Legionnaire B. chalybata
* $$ fly Minettia longipennis
Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus [Ferruginous Beegrabber]
plus
usual other boring and / or strange flies

Bugs:
* $$ er!? possible Banded-leg Tanypod of Genus Ablabesmyia

Beetles:
Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
*$$ longhorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis
larvae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: many
pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: >10
Pollen Beetle Meligethes sp.
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis [False Oil Beetle or Thick-legged Flower Beetle]

Slugs, snails etc.:
White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
unidentified money spiders

New flowers for the year:

None

Not a cloud to be seen and different atmospherics so no contrails either.

The duck Mallard and her seven ducklings forge a path through the blue-green algae covering most of the lake – the rest is covered in weed!

A Large White butterfly Pieris brassicae looking pristine.

Still looking surprised though without the usual blue tone to the eyes is a Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella with its wings tightly wrapped around its body (to keep warm?!?)

Three moths new for the year on the street lamp poles around dawn and amazingly they appeared in species order. This is a Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria

Visually not dissimilar though in a different genus this is battered Mottled Beauty Alcis repandata.

And one that lives up to its name: a Snout Hypena proboscidalis. The only one of the trio that I recorded last year.

Worth another photo: a Latticed Heath moth Chiasmia clathrata.

I am not sure about this bee. Obsidentify tells me it is an Orange-vented Mason Bee Osmia leaiana and it may be. Reference to my Field Guide to Bees fails to convince me it might not be one of the other Mason Bee species.

Another bee and sad to say I cannot even attempt to ascribe it to a particular family of bees. One for the Shropshire recorder.

And another. Same remarks.

One of the many Meadow Field Syrph hoverflies Eupeodes latifasciatus that seemed especially abundant today.

Did I say abundant?

Oh: I did.

This is a soldier fly from the Beris group, perhaps Murky-legged Black Legionnaire B. chalybata.

A fly for which I have managed to get an identity. The combination of black thorax and orange toned wings mean it is Minettia longipennis. "Longipennis" means "long-winged" and the wings do indeed extend well beyond the abdomen.

Two "answers on a postcard" specials today. Two insects here, the left-hand being an unidentified braconid or ichneumon wasp. The other insect foxed Obsidentify and Google Lens sent be down a rabbit hole looking at pages and pages of planthopper bugs on the iNaturalist web site looking for Tanypods (me neither). Well: Banded-leg Tanypod of Genus Ablabesmyia was close-ish!

A new insect for me: the longhorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis with one wayward antenna.

The source of my orchid confusion. These two adjacent spikes look very different. I asked Obsidentify separately what each was. For the left-hand one it gave me "Common Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa form junialis (59%) or Southern Marsh-orchid D. praetermissa (35%)". For the right hand one it was sure it was a Common Spotted-orchid D. fuchsii (99%).

My problem is that these are the leaves of the marsh-orchid which should not be spotted while...

...the leaves of the spotted-orchid aren't! I know that orchids freely hybridise but this is perverse.

Aircraft of the day. This a Van's RV-7 kit-built plane built by the owner from the Nottingham area. It has been registered less than a year. I assume the paint scheme is "work in progress"!

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
1 unidentified Noctuid moth

Flies
1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
24 midges of various species.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:10 – 07:15

(149th visit of the year)

Bird notes
An unusual sight was a Ring-necked Parakeet seen flying fast (but don't they always) and noisily (but don't they always) South. My previous sighting in Shropshire was of a single bird that spent Christmas 2018 in to the New Year 2019 frequenting roofs in Derwent Drive. Bird species #72 for me here this year.

Other bird notes:
- only four adult Mute Swans remain
- only two Great Crested Grebes found doing a desultory display at the top end.
- the Great (White) Egret not seen.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Ring-necked Parakeet
- 8 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 122 Canada Geese
- 38 Greylag Geese
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- 4 Mute Swans
- 17 (?♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens again
- 22 + 5 (4 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- no House Martins

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (3) Blackcaps

Noted around the area:

Moths
1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana
*1 Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis [my moth species #31 here in 2025]

Bees, wasps etc.:
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
*Common Spotted Field Syrph Eupeodes luniger [Lunuled Aphideater]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis

Other flies:
Grouse Wing caddis fly Mystacides longicornis
plus numerous different midges and flies

Bugs:
none

Beetles:
larvae and pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none

Obsidentify was not 100% sure about this moth and neither was I. But we both thought Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis was the most likely from a confusing group of very similar moths. The date favours the flight period of this species.

This is my first Common Spotted Field Syrph Eupeodes luniger at this site. Obsidentify's name of Lunuled Aphideater pays homage to the lunules (crescent-moon shapes) of the yellow marks as well as its voracious appetite for aphids.

The other "answers on a postcard" specials. None of my apps gave a sensible answer – Marmalade Hoverfly its isn't! The long legs perhaps suggest a cranefly but the head-shape is all wrong. Neither is it a scorpion fly though there does appear to be white might be a "sting" in the tail.

(Ed Wilson)

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2008
Telford Town Centre
A singing Sedge Warbler by the entrance to the Blue Willow car park.
(Ed Wilson)

18 Jun 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

14.0°C > 20.0°C: A clear start with cloud developing for a while. Light westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:46 BST still (as early as it gets)

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:15 // 07:30 – 10:05

(148th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the Canada and Greylag goslings all still present and correct.
- both adult Mute Swans were away from the nest area for most of the time.
- *yesterday's duck Mallard with eight small ducklings had but seven today. There were at least eight more as remnants of the brood of 14 seen at the start of last week: I did not want to flush them to determine exactly how many. There was also a single very well-grown and almost independent Mallard duckling.
- the duck Pochard still here.
- a pair of Tufted Duck was present at 05:15 but not seen thereafter.
- a Little Grebe heard again from North-side reeds.
- a Common Kestrel was hovering over the South side at 05:20.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 11 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
- 8 Starlings

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- *17 (?♂) + 16? (3 broods) Mallard: see notes
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck: departed
- 4 Moorhens again
- 34 + 14 (? broods) Coots
- 1 Little Grebe: heard only
- 7 + 2 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts again

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 16 (12) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers
- 8 (6) Blackcaps
- 1 (0) Garden Warbler
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat

On the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:

Nothing noted

Noted later:
The warm conditions made many insects (but not me) rather "hyper" and difficult to track down.

Butterflies:
Large White Pieris brassicae
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus

Moths
3 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana
*$ 1 Barred Marble Celypha striana
2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana
1 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
*$ 1 Latticed Heath Chiasmia clathrata

Bees, wasps etc.:
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum
Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
*Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata
*Dark-winged Wrinklehead Chrysogaster solstitialis
*$ Verrall's Spearhorn Chrysotoxum verralli [Verrall's Meadow Fly]
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus
Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
*Bumblebee Plume-horned Hoverfly Volucella bombylans [Bumblebee Plumehorn]

Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella [Azure Bluet]
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
NB: many of the 100+ damselflies were not identified and there may have been other species

Lacewings:
none

Other flies:
Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus
dagger fly Empis livida
*$$ dance fly Hybos culiciformis (or similar)
Grouse Wing caddis fly Mystacides longicornis
Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
plus
usual other boring and / or strange flies

Bugs:
*nymph of Red Bug Deraeocoris ruber

Beetles:
Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
larvae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: many
pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: >10
adults of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis all var. succinea
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis [False Oil Beetle or Thick-legged Flower Beetle]
*Spotted Longhorn Beetle Rutpela maculata [formerly Strangalia maculata]

Slugs, snails etc.:
White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none

New flowers for the year:
*$ Common Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa ssp. junialis - perhaps
*$ Great Hairy Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum [also Great(er) Willowherb]
*Broad-leaved Willowherb Epilobium montanum
*$ Tall Tutsan: a cross of Tutsan Hypericum androsaemum with Stinking Tutsan H. hircinum
*$ Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera

More in the way of contrails from the early arrivals from the USA in to Middle Europe otherwise a "much the same" sunrise.

Yesterday this Mallard had eight ducklings. Just seven today.

I did not want to flush these Mallard from their hiding place. There were at least eight mid-sized ducklings with the adult duck.

Well it was 05:15 against what light there was. The Common Kestrel looks to have had a challenging breeding season!

A female Pied Wagtail looks over her shoulder.

And again. Most books tell you that the female has a grey back and the male has a black back. This shows that females can have an admixture of grey and black feathers.

This micro-moth is a Barred Marble Celypha striana. My first this year.

It may look like a butterfly but the antennae are not clubbed at the tips so it isn't. It is a Latticed Heath moth Chiasmia clathrata. Also new for the year for me.

From this angle I thought this was an interesting insect. It isn't – it is just a Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris at an unusual angle.

And here at an even more unusual angle. Makes my neck / back ache to look at it.

Only my second-ever sighting of this hoverfly – a Dark-winged Wrinklehead Chrysogaster solstitialis.

I think I have this correct though there are five very similar species separated by subtle differences in the shape of the black markings. My vote is for a Verrall's Spearhorn Chrysotoxum verralli known to Obsidentify as a Verrall's Meadow Fly. A species I rarely see.

A male Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta for which perhaps the old name of Long Hoverfly is more apposite.

A Bumblebee Plume-horned Hoverfly Volucella bombylans. It defeats me: when I reviewed the photo on the camera's screen I could clearly make out the "plume horns" of the antennae. Transferring the photo to the PC and cropping it slightly and I cannot make them out!

A new fly for me: a dance fly Hybos culiciformis (or similar). According to NatureSpot there are three similar flies in this genus. The one suggested by Obsidentify has the two front pairs of legs red so it is clearly not that species. The one I chose is noted as the most common.

This is a nymph of a Red Bug Deraeocoris ruber.

A splendid insect: a Spotted Longhorn Beetle Rutpela maculata.

I get very confused with the orchids that grow close to the North shore. They are many different shades. I asked Obsidentify what this was: "Common Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa ssp. junialis". Well perhaps: but why were the leaves faintly spotted?

I did say I would identify the willowherb that appeared in a photo a few days ago. This isn't it! This is Great Hairy Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum [also Great(er) Willowherb]

Whereas this is! It is Broad-leaved Willowherb Epilobium montanum

Obsidentify told me this was Tall Tutsan: a cross between Tutsan Hypericum androsaemum and Stinking Tutsan H. hircinum.

Possibly my find of the day. One of about twenty spikes of Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera I noted. It must be 15 years since the occasional spike along the North side was last seen, my final sighting was of a spike that "disappeared" overnight. Today's find was, sadly, in an area that is likely to be trampled: the spikes and flowers are not very obvious among clover. I can but hope.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
1 Green Pug Pasiphila rectangulata: as yesterday
*1 $ Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata

Flies
3 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
22 other midges of various species.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 unidentified spider

A new moth for the year: a Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:20 – 07:25

(148th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- now eight adult Mute Swans!
- three Great Crested Grebes: one near the island calling; and two mostly at the top end.
- the Great (White) Egret still present

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 105 Canada Geese
- 30 Greylag Geese
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- 8 Mute Swans
- 21 (?♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 19 + 5 (3 broods) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Great (White) Egret

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 6 Swifts
- 4 House Martins

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (4) Blackcaps

Noted around the area:

Moths
*1 $ Light Emerald Campaea margaritaria

Bees, wasps etc.:
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
*$$ ichneumon Amblyteles armatorius

Hoverflies:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

Other flies:
Grouse Wing caddis fly Mystacides longicornis
plus numerous different midges and flies

Bugs:
none

Beetles:
adult Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
larvae and pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none

Another new moth for the year: a Light Emerald Campaea margaritaria. Being green, albeit a very pale green, the colour has faded away.

In full sun it is not easy to see the detail on this ichneumon Amblyteles armatorius. I tried using my shadow to provide less contrast but the wasp was having done of it and flew off.

(Ed Wilson)

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2010
Trench Lock Pool
4 drake Pochard
(Ed Wilson)