22 Jun 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

15.0°C > 19.0°C: A mostly clear start with cloud soon arriving from the West ahead of light drizzle as I was about to leave.. Moderate south-westerly breeze gusting fresh. Very good visibility until drizzle.

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: 05:00 – 06:15 // 07:40 – 10:15

(152nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the Canada and Greylag goslings all still present and correct.
- both resident Mute Swans were at the West end at c.05:15 with the cob still preventing the other unringed adult from re-entering the water. I did not see the pen thereafter and assume she went back to the nest site.
- *once again three duck Mallard with ducklings seen: counts of two, four and three (in descending size order). How these relate to either yesterday's or Friday's sightings is unclear.
- the duck Pochard was seen again.
- the Little Grebe was not heard.
- there was no sign of yesterday's injured second year Lesser Black-backed Gull.
- a Garden Warbler was heard singing very intermittently with a calling juvenile nearby. I assume the adult is re-establishing its territory ahead of starting a second brood.
- a Mistle Thrush was singing by the Teece Drive gate c.05:05. An unusual date I would have thought as this species starts and finishes breeding early in the year and will soon be leaving its home range to roam the fields in open country.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Stock Doves: two pairs
- 41 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 3 Mute Swans: see notes
- *16 (?♂) + 9 (3 broods) Mallard: see notes
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 5 Moorhens
- 58 adult and juvenile Coots
- no Little Grebe
- 5 + 2 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- no Grey Heron

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

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 18 (15) Chiffchaffs
- 8 (8) Reed Warblers once again
- 7 (7) Blackcaps
- 2 (1) Garden Warbler

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

Moths:
*1 $ Ghost Moth Hepialus humuli [my moth species #50 here in 2025]

Noted later:
Not so much in generally cloudy and breezy conditions

Butterflies:
Large White Pieris brassicae
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus

Moths
6 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana
*1 Barred Marble Celypha striana
2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana
*1 Latticed Heath Chiasmia clathrata
*1 $ Common White Wave Cabera pusaria: floating in the Wesley Brook! [my moth species #51 here in 2025]

Bees, wasps etc.:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris: the only bumble bee species seen
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
*female ichneumon probably Pimpla rufipes

Hoverflies:
Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata
*Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus
*Dark-saddled Leucozona Leucozona laternaria [Dark-saddled Hoary]
*possible male Short Melanostoma Melanostoma mellinum [Variable Duskyface]
Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis

Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
many damselflies not checked

Lacewings:
none

Other flies:
*$ Little Snipe Fly Chrysopilus asiliformis
*$ Common Green Bottle Fly Lucilia sericata
plus
usual other boring and / or strange flies

Bugs:
*$ Mirid bug Grypocoris stysi

Beetles:
Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
*pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: many: no larvae seen
*Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea: adults
*Pollen Beetle Meligethes sp.

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

Amphibians:
*Common Toad Bufo bufo

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none

New flowers for the year:

None

The sunrise was boring this morning – very bright and no clouds. So here is looking West just after sunrise with the cloud building to the West.

It is all very confusing. Today I noted separate duck Mallard with three...

...four ducklings. These four in particular are well-grown with colour on their bills.

Sitting unhelpfully at the edge of the light unit on a street lamp pole is my first Ghost Moth Hepialus humuli of the year. So-called because the ghostly nature of males flying around lights at night.

A Barred Marble moth Celypha striana. This species is, not surprisingly, less often seen than Common Marble C. lacunana.

A Latticed Heath moth Chiasmia clathrata trying to hide.

Poor thing. I noticed this Common White Wave moth Cabera pusaria playing Pooh-sticks under the bridge over the Wesley Brook!

This female ichneumon is probably Pimpla rufipes.

Feeding time for Marmalade Hoverflies Episyrphus balteatus (and Pollen Beetles Meligethes sp.). Top right is an orange marmalade example and bottom right a lemon marmalade example. I do not know why there is such variability within the same species. I think is irrelevant that the orange example is a male and the lemon one a female.

A species of hoverfly I do not see very often. The two lines down the thorax remove any need to look at the difficult to separate grey-spotted Boxer group and lead to its identity as a Dark-saddled Leucozona Leucozona laternaria.

This small male hoverfly is most likely a Short Melanostoma Melanostoma mellinum.

My first Little Snipe Fly Chrysopilus asiliformis of the year, It shared the wing spot with other members of the group but has a banded abdomen and, when the light is right, startlingly green eyes.

Bright red eyes, bright green thorax and hairy end to its abdomen suggest this is what Google Lens calls a Common Green Bottle Fly Lucilia sericata. Reference to NatureSpot tells me that I need to check the number of "pairs of post-sutural acrostichal bristles" to separate from other greenbottles. I might if I knew what I was looking for!

Bold yellow and orange marks identify this as the Mirid bug Grypocoris stysi.

One of many pupae of Harlequin Ladybirds Harmonia axyridis I noted. All of the larvae seem to have morphed in to pupae by now.

Here is an adult of the form succinea though it has lost (or never had) some of its spots. All the adults I have seen this year have been of this form. As far as I know the larvae and pupae of the various forms look the same.

A Common Toad Bufo bufo.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
*1 Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella

Hoverflies:
* 1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus: asleep on ceiling!

Flies
5 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
27 midges of various species.

A Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella. So unless you have a brown house then the moth won't be interested.

Rather odd: a Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus that seemed to be asleep on the ceiling until I shone my torch on it and it stretched its wings. I suppose they have to sleep somewhere.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:20 – 07:35

(149th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- six adult Mute Swans again. When I arrived four non-resident swans were on the island with a Great (White) Egret. These all moved off to other parts of the water and what I believe to be the recent new cob was with another bird – a new pen perhaps - around the island.
- a trio Great Crested Grebes all in different parts of the water.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Jackdaws again

Noted on / around the water:
- 186 Canada Geese
- 32 Greylag Geese
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- 6 Mute Swans
- 14 (?♂) Mallard: only
- 6 Moorhens
- 23 + 8 (2 broods) Coots [yesterday should have read 16 + 6 (2 broods): apologies]
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Great (White) Egret

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

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

Noted around the area:

Moths [on street lamp poles and in the grass]
1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana
1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
*3 Garden Grass-moths Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis
*1 Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata

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

Hoverflies:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
*Platycheirus sp.

Other flies:
Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: both males and a female
Common Crane-fly Tipula oleracea
plus numerous different midges and flies

Bugs:
none

Beetles:
*Raspberry Beetle Byturus tomentosus
7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
pupae only of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis

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

New flowers for the year:
*Imperforate St John's-wort Hypericum maculatum

The (I assume the same) Great (White) Egret was back today.

A typically surprised-looking Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella.

Only when I looked at my photo of this Treble Brown Spot moth Idaea trigeminata did I see the Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. lurking alongside.

Another small hoverfly and probably of one of the Boxer group Platycheirus sp. I cannot be sure which species as usually it requires the shape of any slight swelling and comb-like hairs on the front legs to be sure. Not available here!

Raspberry Beetles Byturus tomentosus enjoying the buttercup nectar. Many yellow flowers were similarly adorned this morning.

A few Raspberry Beetles on this Imperforate St John's-wort Hypericum maculatum. "Imperforate" as the leaves lack the tiny holes in Common (or Perforate) St. John's-wort H. perforatum.

(Ed Wilson)

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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)

21 Jun 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

17.0°C > 21.0°C: A few clouds early then medium / high cloud spreading from the West. Light south-easterly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:46 BST again

* = 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 – 06:10 // 07:35 – 08:35

(151st visit of the year)

An abbreviated visit here ahead of a visit to a "Longest Day" air event in Herefordshire. Only one circumnavigation of the lake and some totals affected.

Bird notes:
- the Canada and Greylag goslings all still present and correct.
- *again I did not see the pen Mute Swan. The cob was still preventing the other unringed adult from re-entering the water.
- a party of four Gadwall flushed as I arrived and were only seen in flight c.05:00. Probably two adults and two juveniles. Did they breed here? Or nearby and if so where?
- *three duck Mallard with ducklings seen: counts of one, 11 and one (in descending size order). How these relate to yesterday's sightings is unclear. What is clear is that it has been an exceptionally good year for this species here.
- the duck Pochard was seen this morning.
- a Little Grebe heard yet again from North-side reeds.
- a Common Buzzard was again sitting on the roof of the academy c.06:00. One had flushed from the south-west wooded area earlier.
- a confusing set of sightings of Feral or Racing Pigeons. I noted 12 flying high North to the far East at 05:20. They were well away from buildings which might suggest Racing Pigeons but at that early time? Some five minutes later 14 were circling over the fields to the East and then at c.05:55 a group of 16 flew West over the football field. So how many individuals did I see?
- an injured second year Lesser Black-backed Gull was trying to fly from the dam c.05:25.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 16 (?) Feral / Racing Pigeons: see notes
- 13 Wood Pigeons
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Jackdaws
- 32 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- *2 Mute Swans: see notes
- 4 (?♂) Gadwall: see notes
- *20 (?♂) + 13 (3 broods) Mallard: see notes
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 2 Moorhens again
- 51 adult and juvenile Coots
- 1 Little Grebe: heard only
- 7 + 2 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martin

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- *15 (12) Chiffchaffs
- 8 (8) Reed Warblers again
- 8 (8) Blackcaps

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

Moths:
*1 Mottled Beauty Alcis repandata

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

Noted later:
Affected by my earlier than usual departures

Butterflies:
Large White Pieris brassicae
Green-veined White Pieris napi
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus

Moths
1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana
1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
*1 $ Shaded Broad-bar Scotopteryx chenopodiata [my moth species #49 here in 2025]

Bees, wasps etc.:
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
Buttercup Blacklet Cheilosia albitarsus [Late Buttercup Cheilosia]
Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata
*$ Two-banded Spearhorn Chrysotoxum bicinctum
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
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:
*Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
most damselflies not checked

Lacewings:
none

Other flies:
Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
plus
usual other boring and / or strange flies

Bugs:
none

Beetles:
larvae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: few
pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: rather more – most larvae now pupae?
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis [False Oil Beetle or Thick-legged Flower Beetle]

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

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none

New flowers for the year:
*Hairy Tare Vicia hirsuta

What my mother would have called "an angry sky" as a precursor to thundery weather.

Looks more benign this way.

The new resident cob Mute Swan was...

 ...this one enter the water.

This duck Mallard has been a good mother. The first time I saw this brood there were twelve ducklings. To have eleven remaining when they are still this well-grown is most unusual.

The second year Lesser Black-backed Gull that was flapping about on the dam.

I was too close when it lolloped about but on this view perhaps the right wing is damaged (broken?) at the bend.

On several recent days I have seen two or three Chiffchaffs in a bare (dead) tree along the North side but only at c.05:30. The photo editor deserves much credit for producing this image of what I assume is an adult heading back to its nest with food.

For the third consecutive day I have found a Mottled Beauty moth Alcis repandata on a street lamp pole around dawn. All different-looking examples of this variable species and all on different poles. Oddly, though a common moth species, not one I have recorded in previous years.

A seriously poor photo of my first, and hiding, Shaded Broad-bar moth Scotopteryx chenopodiata of the year. The head is to the right! I should see plenty more but you never know.

This startling insect is a hoverfly and not a wasp. It is a Two-banded Spearhorn Chrysotoxum bicinctum.

The working part of a male Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum.

The vetch plant with the small white flowers is Hairy Tare Vicia hirsuta .

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
*1 Mottled Beauty Alcis repandata

Flies
2 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
23 midges of various species.

Yet another Mottled Beauty moth and yet another "plumage" variant.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:15 – 07:30

(148th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- six adult Mute Swans again.
- yesterday's drake Tufted Ducks not seen.
- a trio Great Crested Grebes one of which was seen to display with each of the others in turn.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 155 Canada Geese
- 46 Greylag Geese
- no mainly white feral goose
- 6 Mute Swans
- 17 (?♂) Mallard
- no Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 16 + 6 (6 broods) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 House Martin

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

Noted around the area:
Another visit to the area around the small football field at the top end.

Butterflies:
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

Moths [on street lamp poles and in the grass]
*1 $ Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella [my 33rd moth species here this year]
*2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana
3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana
2 Garden Grass-moths Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
*1 $ Clouded Silver Lomographa temerata [my 34th moth species here this year]

Bees, wasps etc.:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
*one female ichneumon species, perhaps of the Campopleginae sub-family.
*one male ichneumon species

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

Other flies:
*Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: unusually a female
*Tachinid fly Eriothrix rufomaculata
Common Crane-fly Tipula oleracea
plus numerous different midges and flies

Bugs:
none

Beetles:
larvae and pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis

This moth is a "top of the street lamp pole special". Obsidentify was 97% sure this is a Bird-cherry Ermine moth Yponomeuta evonymella. After checking with the literature I agree - there are several very similar species. This fits with the pattern of dots, flight date and location. My previous records are from early July in both 2018 and 2022.

To give an indication of the size of a Common Nettle-tap moth Anthophila fabriciana here is one sitting on bramble buds.

Another "top of the street lamp pole special" and a pole where I cannot recall ever finding a moth before. It is a Clouded Silver Lomographa temerata. My only previous record in the area was at the lake on 19 May 2022.

A female ichneumon species, suggested by Obsidentify as possibly one from the Campopleginae sub-family. I am not qualified to comment further.

More straightforward: a male ichneumon wasp of unknown species.

A Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus and not "black" because, unusually, it is a female. I see very few females compared with the dozens and dozens of males.

In addition to its orange wing-bases this fly has rufous among the patterning on its abdomen and is hence the Tachinid fly Eriothrix rufomaculata.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
Possible Black-necked Grebe seen by locals yesterday evening.
(Ed Wilson)

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)