13.0°C > 16.0°C: Cloudy after overnight rain. A clearance from the West was making slow progress and just about reached here when I had to leave. Brisk moderate even fresh north-westerly breeze. Excellent visibility.
Sunrise: 04:51 BST
* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:05 – 06:20 // 07:35 – 09:25
* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:05 – 06:20 // 07:35 – 09:25
(162nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the Canada and Greylag goslings all still present and correct.
- on the last few mornings both Mute Swans have been together as I arrived but thereafter the pen disappears, I assume to the nest site. Why? Surely the eggs, if any, will not now hatch.
- again only two groups of Mallard ducklings seen: today those with four and a single duckling. It is possible that two of those counted as adults are actually fully-grown juveniles.
- the duck Pochard had made her way to the East end of the water. Could this mean that as she undertakes her annual moult she will be able to fly again?
- the Little Grebe heard only once and calling very quietly.
- I still could not determine how many juveniles were with the third pair of Great Crested Grebes.
- a Common Kestrel flew West along the length of Teece Drive and away c.07:45.
- very few corvids (Jackdaws and Rooks) passing, most being a group of 16 Jackdaws inbound at 05:40.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 76 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Common Kestrel
- 1 Herring Gull yet again
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: flew East while one still at the lake
- 21 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook only
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 18 (?♂) + 3 (2 broods) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 2 Moorhens [yesterday should have read '3' not '32'!]
- 90 adult and juvenile Coots
- Little Grebe heard
- 9 + >3 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Black-headed Gull, briefly
- 1 Herring Gull again
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Swift
- 1 Barn Swallow
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 10 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 8 (8) Reed Warblers
- 6 (5) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- no Common Whitethroat
Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
Moths
1 Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis
1 Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
4 male harvestmen Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum
Noted later:
cloudy during most of the time
1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
4 male harvestmen Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum
Noted later:
cloudy during most of the time
Butterflies:
a late burst of sun rescued the morning so far as butterflies were concerned
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
Large White Pieris brassicae
Green-veined White Pieris napi
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
a late burst of sun rescued the morning so far as butterflies were concerned
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
Large White Pieris brassicae
Green-veined White Pieris napi
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
Moths
1 $$ Common Knapweed Tortrix Eucosma hohenwartiana
1 Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis
1 $$ Common Knapweed Tortrix Eucosma hohenwartiana
1 Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis
Bees, wasps etc.:
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens [Pied Plumehorn]
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens [Pied Plumehorn]
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
very few damselflies not specifically identified
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
very few damselflies not specifically identified
Lacewings:
none
none
Other flies:
Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus
$ Dryomyza anilis
Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus [Ferruginous Beegrabber]
plus
as usual many unidentified flies of many different species
Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus
$ Dryomyza anilis
Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus [Ferruginous Beegrabber]
plus
as usual many unidentified flies of many different species
Bugs:
$ Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus
$ Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus
Beetles:
7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
$ Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. conspicua
Rough-haired Lagria Beetle Lagria hirta
Pollen Beetle Meligethes sp.
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva [Hogweed Bonking-beetle]
7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
$ Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. conspicua
Rough-haired Lagria Beetle Lagria hirta
Pollen Beetle Meligethes sp.
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva [Hogweed Bonking-beetle]
Slugs, snails etc.:
White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
Amphibians:
none
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
unidentified money spider
unidentified money spider
New flowers for the year:
None
One of the latest brood of Great Crested Grebes appears to be something of a back-seat driver.
A new moth species for me identified thanks to the Shropshire recorder. It is a Common Knapweed Tortrix Eucosma hohenwartiana . Snazzy species name! Perhaps derived from German "hohen" = "high"; "wart" = "guard or lookout"; "iana" = "associated with". So a moth looking out from high up? Must be correct - Google's AI says so.
Another view.
Do I need to say? Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
One of the most distinctive hoverflies: a Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens.
A very distinctive small fly which seems only to have a scientific name – Dryomyza anilis.
A Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus.
A Rough-haired Lagria Beetle Lagria hirta
On one of the street lamp poles there were four male harvestmen from the species pair Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum. males are impossible to separate unless you can see the eye surround. Not here! Three obvious individuals and a few legs of the fourth at the top.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
1 Slender Pug Eupithecia tenuiata
1 unidentified pug Eupithecia sp.
1 Slender Pug Eupithecia tenuiata
1 unidentified pug Eupithecia sp.
Hoverflies:
1 Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria [Hornet Plumehorn]
1 Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria [Hornet Plumehorn]
Other flies:
1 Muscid fly
6 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
15 midges of various species.
1 Muscid fly
6 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
15 midges of various species.
Not a species I expected to be asleep in the tunnel: a Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria.
Or for that matter this unidentified Muscid fly.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:25 – 07:30
(160th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the geese were all together though with the Canada Geese separated from the Greylags so today's totals are probably my most accurate of this year's moulting season. There is the lone mainly white goose but none of the usual Canada x Greylag hybrids.
- six adult Mute Swans remain.
- the late brood of two Mallard ducklings not seen. A few of the Mallard still have enough flight feathers to manage to sit on house roofs/
- among a group of ten Tufted Duck was a drake Pochard: a strange date to see this species which is usually a mid-winter visitor (though this species does breed in the Midlands in small numbers]
- twelve Tufted Duck all-told.
- still only two Great Crested Grebes noted.
- a trio of Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived, staying only briefly: two adults and a second year bird.
- the Great (White) Egret noted again.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 15 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 192 Canada Geese
- 82 Greylag Geese
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- 6 Mute Swans
- 17 (?♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 12 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 54 + 7 (three broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts
- 2 House Martins
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Bird notes:
- the geese were all together though with the Canada Geese separated from the Greylags so today's totals are probably my most accurate of this year's moulting season. There is the lone mainly white goose but none of the usual Canada x Greylag hybrids.
- six adult Mute Swans remain.
- the late brood of two Mallard ducklings not seen. A few of the Mallard still have enough flight feathers to manage to sit on house roofs/
- among a group of ten Tufted Duck was a drake Pochard: a strange date to see this species which is usually a mid-winter visitor (though this species does breed in the Midlands in small numbers]
- twelve Tufted Duck all-told.
- still only two Great Crested Grebes noted.
- a trio of Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived, staying only briefly: two adults and a second year bird.
- the Great (White) Egret noted again.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 15 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 192 Canada Geese
- 82 Greylag Geese
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- 6 Mute Swans
- 17 (?♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 12 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 54 + 7 (three broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts
- 2 House Martins
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Butterflies:
none
none
Moths [on street lamp poles and in the grass]
1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata
1 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
1 $ Common Zebra Moth Helcystogramma rufescens [was Orange Crest]
2 $$ Coleophora species: not further identifiable from photos
both of these with help from the recorder.
1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata
1 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
1 $ Common Zebra Moth Helcystogramma rufescens [was Orange Crest]
2 $$ Coleophora species: not further identifiable from photos
both of these with help from the recorder.
Bees, wasps etc.:
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Hoverflies:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
$ White-clubbed Glasswing Scaeva pyrastri [White-bowed Smoothwing] [was Pied Hoverfly]
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
$ White-clubbed Glasswing Scaeva pyrastri [White-bowed Smoothwing] [was Pied Hoverfly]
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
none
none
Other flies:
numerous different midges and flies
numerous different midges and flies
Bugs:
Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum
Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum
Beetles:
larvae of Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
Rough-haired Lagria Beetle Lagria hirta
Pollen Beetle Meligethes sp.
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva [Hogweed Bonking-beetle]
larvae of Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
Rough-haired Lagria Beetle Lagria hirta
Pollen Beetle Meligethes sp.
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva [Hogweed Bonking-beetle]
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
*$ harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
*$ harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
New flowers for the year:
$ Hemp-agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum
This moth is one of two from the Coleophora species group. These small moths are not further identifiable from photos and indeed their presence is most easily determined from the unique pattern the larvae of each species makes as it mines leaves in its food plant.
A Common Zebra Moth Helcystogramma rufescens characterised by the long palps curving back over its head. It was known as Orange Crest when the orange is miniscule and soon wears away. I am not sure "Zebra" is any more appropriate!
My first White-clubbed Glasswing hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri this year. The older name Pied Hoverfly seems somewhat more appropriate. A Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva gate-crashes the party.
The Common Red Soldier Beetles love Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra. The photo revealed a hitherto unnoticed Honey Bee Apis mellifera.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Redshank
Hobby
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
$ Hemp-agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum
A soggy bee after the overnight rain. I am not sure I can identify it for certain.
Only a Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus but a pleasing view.
A plant that occurs here in abundance but is not seen at the Balancing Lake: Hemp-agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Redshank
Hobby
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)