10 Jun 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 12.0°C: Early red sky soon gave was to light rain c.06:30. Cleared after 07:00 to broken cloud with a few sunny spells with another light shower c.09:45. Cool south-westerly breeze veering moderate westerly. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:47 BST again

* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:50– 05:50 // 07:05 – 10:00

(137th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
Best today was the sighting – well glimpsing really – of a trio of Cetti's Warblers. I heard one bird alarm call alongside the Wesley Brook bridge, saw it briefly and then saw two others fly across the path. No song was heard. That was last heard on 24 April and there has been no suggestion of any birds around since then. Have they really bred and been silent throughout? Most uncharacteristic!

Other bird notes:
- five Canada Geese present early only.
- once again the seven Greylag Geese goslings were present. Just one extra adult.
- seven juvenile Coots seen from six broods. There is a high mortality rate this year.
- again I did not see any Great Crested Grebe juveniles one of the presumed parents keeping close to the reeds where it was difficult to view.
- two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls were on the football field 05:35.
- the South side Common Whitethroat was singing again at c.08:30. At c.09:30 another was singing from the tangled vegetation alongside the West end path. None was seen / heard in the traditional breeding area.
- after weeks without hearing any song there were two different Coal Tits heard singing.
- two Starlings were on the football field c.05:40 as if collecting food to take back to the nest. Later a party of four flew over Priorslee Avenue. So far as I am aware this species is single-brooded but if the brood is lost early in the season may lay a replacement clutch.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 11 Greylag Geese: a duo and later a septet flew West.
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Jackdaws again

Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese: departed
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swan: assuming the pen is still on the hidden nest
- 22 (13♂) Mallard: some birds difficult to ascribe to sex as they moult
- 3 Moorhens
- 30 + 7 (6 broods) Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 8 Swifts: at the East end, early only
- 3 Barn Swallows

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 3 (0) Cetti's Warblers
- 13 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 11 (11) Reed Warblers
- 11 (11) Blackcaps also
- 2 (2) Common Whitethroats

Also noted:
Mostly overcast and it was hard work. A few interesting records.

Butterflies:
none

Moths:
An unusually diverse array of day-flying/disturbed moths:
- *2 Yellow-barred Longhorn Nemophora degeerella
- *1 possible Cypress Tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella: new for me if confirmed
- *1 !Italian Bark Moth Metalampra italica [previously Italian Tubic]: moth species #36 here this year.
- *1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana
- *2 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- 1 Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana
- *1 Knapweed Root-borer Epiblema cirsiana [was Knapweed Bell]

Bees, wasps etc.:
many bumblebees not checked: the following species confirmed
- Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
also
- *!digger wasp Ectemnius species, probably Dark Fly Fox E. continuus
- *!ichneumon wasp probably from the Pimplinae group
- *!White-tipped Sawfly Tenthredo livida

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
- Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]

Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]

Other flies:
*Most of the flies were species I cannot identify.
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: all males today
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- *long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi
- dagger fly Empis livida
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *cranefly Nephrotoma quadrifaria
- Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria

Bugs:
- *!plant bug Closterotomus fulvomaculatus
- *unidentified aphids

Beetles:
- larvae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: very many
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- False Blister Beetle Oedemera lurida or O. virescens
- Nettle Weevil Phyllobius pomaceus

Slugs / Snails etc.:
- *White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis

On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Zilch

The sunrise just fading as I parked up with the rain about to start. No time to scamper(!) to the lake.

One of two Yellow-barred Longhorn moths Nemophora degeerella I found, both females with the shorter antennae.

This micromoth is possibly a Cypress Tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella: new for me if confirmed by the Shropshire recorder.

The candidate for best-looking moth of the day is this Italian Bark Moth Metalampra italica. The flower bottom right is the rarely noticed small flower of Cleavers Galium aparine giving scale to this micro moth. The name refers to the origin of this moth species – a very recent colonist in the UK.

A Common Nettle-tap moth Anthophila fabriciana. Easily overlooked and / or mistaken for a moth fly Psychodidae sp.

Another Common Marble moth Celypha lacunana. As its name implies: common.

I believe this to be a Knapweed Root-borer Epiblema cirsiana [was Knapweed Bell]. It is very similar to the Thistle Root-borer E. scutulana. Both food-plants are in the immediate vicinity to add confusion.

I have "pended" the identification of this micro moth. Watch this space.

I found this digger wasp an Ectemnius species and probably a Dark Fly Fox E. continuus, burrowing around in a bolt hole at the base of one the street lamp poles!

An ichneumon wasp probably from the Pimplinae group. Many species not separable from photos.

Doing its best to hide its identification feature is this White-tipped Sawfly Tenthredo livida

This hoverfly is a Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae. As previously noted not all are true migrants, the resident population is frequently boosted by arrivals from the Continent. sometimes in large numbers.

Most of the flies were species I cannot identify. Here are a random four as a collage.

A side elevation view of a male Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus. I assume the name refers to the long legs: there is no feature that matches the long bill of the (Common) Snipe.

The long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi with the adornment on the tarsus of of the middle leg.

The dagger fly Empis livida giving a good view of its dagger-like mouthparts.

This cranefly is a female Nephrotoma quadrifaria. This species can be identified by the triangular black mark on each abdomen segment.

This is the plant bug Closterotomus fulvomaculatus.

You may think you have an aphid infestation: try this! These are an unidentified species: too small!

The rain has brought out the snails: this is a White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis. The shell pattern is variable and matched by that of the Brown-lipped Snail C. nemoralis so, as here, the "lip" needs to be seen to separate the species.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- *1 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata

Flies:
- 21 midges of several species

Another moth! It is a pity this Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata is a species I have already recorded here this year.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 05:55 – 07:00

(134th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the Canada Goose gosling is still present.
- more Greylag Geese arrived since yesterday
- still eight visiting Mute Swans.
- *a pair of Tufted Duck new in staying well away from the drake Tufted Duck seen for the last few days.
- another low count of juvenile Coots in the chilly and damp conditions.
- no Grey Heron.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 164 + 1 Canada Geese: of these three departed together
- 41 Greylag Geese: of these one departed
- 10 Mute Swans: assuming the pen is still on the hidden nest.
- 26 (21♂) Mallard
- *3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens again
- 38 + 8 (3 broods) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: visited momentarily
- no Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
very quiet
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs again
- 1 (1) Blackcap

Noted around the area:
light rain kept most things hiding.

Moths:
- *1 !Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis: moth species #18 here this year.
- *1 Light Emerald Campaea margaritaria
- *1 !Buff Ermine Spilosoma lutea: moth species #19 here this year.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- * unidentified sawfly

Flies:
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: one male and one female.

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

New in were a pair of Tufted Duck. Here is the drake with the white flank feathers rapidly being replaced by the dull moult feathers that will make sexing this species difficult between August and the turn of the year.

Three moths found this morning, two of them new for the year. New was this Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis.

A moth recorded previously this year: a Light Emerald Campaea margaritaria. Most "green" moths quickly fade.

The other new moth was this Buff Ermine Spilosoma lutea.

Also on one of the street lamp poles I found this unidentified sawfly.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
Great White Egret
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)