24 Jul 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

14.0°C > 18.0°C: Early low cloud and murk with dampness in the air lifted somewhat, threatening to break but never did. Light north-westerly breeze. Moderate visibility at best.

Sunrise: 05:17 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: 05:00 – 06:25 // 07:40 – 09:30

(180th visit of the year)

Severn-Trent are repeating the grass cutting with the idea that this will allow plant species diversity to develop. The original cut was restricted to avoid the area where the orchids were flowering. Now they have set seed the area being mown has increased. I talked to the workers and examined the map they were using to direct the mowing. I hope I managed to dissuade them from mowing some of the rank grass areas where I found the new-to-me hoverflies yesterday.

Bird notes:
- as I arrived 59 Canada Geese and one Greylag Goose were repositioning on the water to take-off in to the wind, departing to the East in two main groups leaving two Canadas behind. Upon my return from The Flash there were 64 Canada Geese and 8 Greylag Geese present.
- I can't be certain about most of the Mallard ducklings: they are almost indistinguishable from adults. I did see two small ducklings with no obvious parent close-by.
- the duck Pochard was not found.
- all seven juvenile Great Crested Grebes found. It is strange that the juveniles from the family of two have each attached themselves to one parent whereas in the family with three juveniles all the youngsters stay together while the parents head off in different directions to find food.
- a lone Blackbird still singing away.
- the only Cetti's Warbler heard was calling as usual along the South side.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 75 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 9 Jackdaws: lost in the low cloud and murk
- 1 Rook

Counts from the lake area:
- 64 Canada Geese: see notes
- 8 Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 28 (?♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard: see notes
- 9+ 2 (1 dependent brood) Moorhens
- 109 Coots
- ? + 7 (4 broods) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 17 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-baked Gull
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (0) Cetti's Warblers
- 8 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (1) Reed Warblers: all these birds were heard away from reed beds
- 2 (0) Blackcaps

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

Moths: [presented in biological sequence order; species number is my sighting sequence]
1 White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla
1 Dun-bar Cosmia trapezina : same place as yesterday

Bees, wasps etc.:
1 Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

Noted later:
Very little in overcast conditions.

Butterflies:
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus

Moths
>6 Horse-chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella
1 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
>10 unidentified grass moths, possibly all the same species
1 caterpillar of a Vapourer Orgyia antiqua : as yesterday?

Bees, wasps etc.:
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
unidentified small ichneumon

Hoverflies:
Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis

Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]

Four-winged flies – Lacewings, Caddisflies etc.:
none

Other flies:
Sapromyza sexpunctata from the Lauxaniidae family
Grass Fly or Yellow Swarming Fly Thaumatomyia notata
otherwise only unidentified fly species

Bugs etc.:
none

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

Amphibians:
none

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none

New flowers for the year:

None

With schools on vacation and many dog-walkers on a later shift I was able to see this Common Buzzard on a street lamp pole between the academy and the football field at c.06:00. Difficult to miss as the local blackbirds were VERY unhappy. The Magpies were buzzing it but I think it was my proximity that forced it to...

...relocate...

...to the roof of the academy where it was ignoring the 12 Magpies (two were just out of the shot) that were still making a lot of noise but no longer buzzing it.

Another not very successful attempt to photograph one of the tiny Horse-chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella.

Probably the same Dun-bar moth Cosmia trapezina as yesterday but orientated rather better at its chosen resting place. Note the wear on the thorax making it look bald.

You guessed it: on the "boxing ring" was this Vapourer moth Orgyia antiqua caterpillar. Most likely the one I saw in a similar position yesterday.

An unidentified small ichneumon.

A Bumblebee Blacklet hoverfly Cheilosia illustrata with a dusting of pollen from Common Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium.

One of the smaller yellow and black hoverflies: a Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus.

One of the larger yellow and black hoverflies. Because it is a male the species cannot be determined from the photo and it remains a Syrphus hoverfly of the species pair S. ribesii / S. vitripennis.

I have seen this very small fly before and may even have (mis)identified it. I may have (mis)identified it now. The dots on the rear of its abdomen suggest it is a Sapromyza sexpunctata from the Lauxaniidae family. The "sexpunctata" suggests there should be six spots. So where are the others? For scale note the grass seed-head it is sitting on.

Another very small fly is this Grass Fly or Yellow Swarming Fly Thaumatomyia notata. It was on its own on a leaf so those are not good names!

The spiders on the "boxing ring" are small money spiders yet they seemed to have ensnared this much larger 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata.

What seems to be a pupa of a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis. I am not sure there is anyone at home. Whether there is or not what happened to the very many larvae and pupae that were present some weeks ago. There was a small flurry of adult sightings. Nothing for the last 10 days.

Plane of the day. I was surprised to see this two-seat Cessna 150F on such a gloomy day. Its height was given as 900' It was making a local flight out of Wolverhampton's Halfpenny Green Airfield where this 60 year-old aircraft is based.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths: [31 species here before today; one confirmed addition]
1 possible White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripuntaria
1 Blood-vein Timandra comae
2 Single-dotted Waves Idaea dimidiata

Four-winged flies – Lacewings, Caddisflies etc.:
1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea

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

Arthropods:
3 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Metellina sp.
1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
1 harvestman Phalangium opilio

One of the confusing pug moths. Both Obsidentify and Google Lens plumped for White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripuntaria as being the most likely. It is a likely date for this species to be on the wing but the literature says "it comes sparingly to light" so as neither app. was 100% I will keep it as a probable for now.

A perfect view of a Blood-vein moth Timandra comae. Note how the "blood vein" stretches from wing-tip to wing-tip. On the somewhat similar Small Blood-vein Scopula imitaria the "blood vein" intersects part way along the wing edge.

A Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea I noted on the ceiling here. I have decided in future to tabulate using the composite heading "Four-winged flies - Lacewings, Caddisflies etc.:" for all the flies that are not "true flies", the latter having just two wings and usually barely discernable halteres.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:30 – 07:35

(176th visit of the year)

Bird notes

Highlight today was a Common Shelduck in the middle of the water. Bird species #74 for me here this year. A most unusual date for a species not seen annually here. It was even more unusual because it was the bird species that my Merlin app. told me was my target for the day. Each day when I open the app. if I am unsure about a bird call it gives me a target species. I do not know how it chooses - Gannet has been one and that is unlikely! I must say I thought "fat chance" when I saw today's target. Not so!

Other bird notes:
- no Mallard duckling noted again.
- no juvenile Great Crested Grebes seen. The pair at the top end still had any young unseen on the back of one of the adults. One of the adults of the pair by the island was seen taking fish back to the island, the rest of the family staying hidden.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw again

Noted on / around the water:
- 44 Canada Geese
- 15 Greylag Geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- 1 (?) Common Shelduck
- 16 (?♂) Mallard
- 19 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens again
- 66 + 11 (7 dependent broods) Coots: very dark to see those around the island
- 4 + ? (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 3 Black-headed Gulls: adults
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 3 (0) Chiffchaffs yet again
- 2 (1) Blackcaps

Noted around the area:

Butterflies:
none

Moths [on street lamp poles and in the grass] [60 species here before today: no additions]
1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
1 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
1 Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula

Bees, wasps etc.:
none

Hoverflies:
none

Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
none

Caddis etc. flies:
none

Other flies:
only unidentified fly species

Bugs etc.:
none

Beetles:
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva

Arthropods:
Blunt-tailed Snake Millipede Cylindroiulus punctatus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
9 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
2 harvestmen Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum
1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii

New flowers for the year:

None

A major surprise of the morning was this Common Shelduck. I am none too sure of the age / sex of this bird with pale on the face and a dull bill. A juvenile born this year would still show much brown plumage and is unlikely to be fledged. Females (ducks) are never so colourful as drakes but no usually this drab. Perhaps a non-breeding duck from 2024?

On this grass moth there is a clean white line which does not split in to fingers and bordered darker below. It is a Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella.

Reminder: a Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella with the less clean white area splitting in to fingers.

Crawling across a street lamp pole was this Blunt-tailed Snake Millipede Cylindroiulus punctatus.

The harvestman Opilio canestrinii.

(Ed Wilson)

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A5 Telford Way Tunnel

Buoyed with the number of moths seen in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel I made an exploratory visit to the tunnel at the top end which passes under the A5 Telford Way. It is a very different design of tunnel with arched steel ceiling, suspended (rather than flush) lighting and with authorised murals on the wall. It will take me a few visits to "get my eye in". I did note:

Moths:
1 Common Masoner Blastobasis adustella [was Dingy Dowd]
1 probable Maple Pug Eupithecia inturbata

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 $ Daddy-long-legs Spider Pholcus phalangioides, also known as Long-bodied Cellar Spider
1 harvestman Leiobunum rotundum

Tied up in a web is a Common Masoner Blastobasis adustella. I have inverted the image for easier(?) viewing.

Another of those confusing pug moths. It seems more probable that the app suggestion of Maple Pug Eupithecia inturbata is correct. Not a species I have seen before and as it is not cleanly-marked I am leaving it as a "probable"

A Daddy-long-legs Spider Pholcus phalangioides, also known as Long-bodied Cellar Spider

(Ed Wilson)