12 Jun 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

14.0°C > 18.0°C: Early broken cloud soon gave way to a low overcast. After very light drizzle this cloud began to lift and break with a few bright, nay sunny, spells. Moderate / fresh westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:46 BST

* = 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 // 06:45 – 10:00

(138th visit of the year)

New bird species:
A long overdue addition to my 2026 bird species list from here: a Nuthatch was calling alongside Teece Drive c.05:45. Species #88.

Other bird notes:
- *once again the seven Greylag Geese goslings were present with the extra adult. These ended up on the south-west grass until an uncontrolled dog saw them all take to the water where the cob Mute Swan decided to chase them. One of the goslings was caught by the swan but manage to dive and escape underwater. Do as Severn Trent request and keep all dogs on leads.
- six juvenile Coots seen from just four broods.
- *again I did not see any Great Crested Grebe juveniles from the pair noted a few days ago. Another pair looked likely to have juveniles under the raised feathers on the back of one of them.
- two Herring Gulls visited briefly.
- an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was very briefly on the football field at 05:30.
- no sight or sound of any Cetti's Warblers.
- a Lesser Whitethroat was singing from the Ricoh hedge persistently around 05:15. It seems very probable that it bred here this year.
- both the South side and West end Common Whitethroats were was singing. Another was heard calling near the traditional south-west breeding site.
- two Starlings flew across the football field c.05:35 as if collecting food to take back to the nest. As I was leaving I noted a party of at least seven birds, including juvenile(s) on the verge of Castle Farm Way. It seems several birds have late or replacement broods.
- *a barely-fledged juvenile Carrion Crow was seen on the North side path.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 8 Canada Geese: a trio and later a quintet flew East.
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Stock Done
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Counts from the lake area:
- *3 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swan: assuming the pen is still on the hidden nest
- 18 (14♂) Mallard: some birds difficult to ascribe to sex as they moult
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck: early only
- 1 Moorhen only
- 29 + 6 (4 broods) Coots
- *4 + ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 2 Grey Herons: one chased away c.05:05

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

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- no Cetti's Warblers
- 12 (12) Chiffchaffs
- 11 (11) Reed Warblers again
- 8 (7) Blackcaps only
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat
- 3 (2) Common Whitethroats

Also noted:
Some more interesting records.

Butterflies:
none

Moths:
- 4 Yellow-barred Longhorn Nemophora degeerella
- 1 Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana
- *4 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- *2 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
- 1 Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata
- *1 caterpillar possibly of the Ermine moth Yponomeuta group

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
NB: many bumblebees not checked: the following species confirmed
- Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
- Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
also
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- *!male ichneumon wasp Ichneumon sarcitorius
- *!female ichneumon wasp probably Pimpla rufipes [Black Slip Wasp]
- *unidentified ichneumon wasp
- *!sawfly Rhogogaster scalaris or similar

Hoverflies:
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
- *Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
- Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus [Tiger Marsh Fly; Sun Fly]
- *Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus [Grey-spotted Sedgesitter or White-footed Hoverfly]
- Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus
- Bumblebee Plume-horned Hoverfly Volucella bombylans [Bumblebee Plumehorn]
- *Orange-belted Leaf Licker Xylota segnis [Orange-belted Leafwalker]

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

Other flies:
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: all males again today
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi
- *dagger fly Empis livida
- *cranefly Limonia phragmitidis
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
- Awkward Clusterfly Pollenia rudis
- Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- *$stretch-footed fly Tanypeza longimana
- *!cranefly Tipula fascipennis

Bugs:
- *mirid bug Deraeocoris flavilinea

Beetles:
- 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- larvae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: very many
- pupae of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: two
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis [False Oil Beetle or Thick-legged Flower Beetle]
- pollen beetle Meligethes sp.
- *!rove beetle Stenus sp.

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

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *possible Agelena labyrinthica

On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Zero again!

About as good as it got. Low cloud spreading in from the South and West.

The well-grown Greylag gosling flapping its wings in the centre of the picture is the one that had just escaped being drowned by the cob Mute Swan. It looks as if the goslings will soon be flying. All seven here with the three adults.

I strongly suspect this Great Crested Grebe is harbouring one or more juveniles under the fluffed-up back feathers. If so one of the second pair to have a brood here this year.

A barely-fledged juvenile Carrion Crow that I had to step over. I was slightly worried that its anxiously calling parents might try and attack me. Note the white feathers in the folded left wing. Crows are prone to showing this.

For once a Common Marble moth Celypha lacunana did not fly away and hide. Possibly my best-ever photo of this common species.

They always look surprised. A Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella best separated from most other grass moths by the angled cross-line near the wing tip.

A caterpillar possibly of the Ermine moth Yponomeuta group.

Good to see a Honey Bee Apis mellifera out and about. It has been busy too with plenty of pollen on its pollen basket.

This a male ichneumon wasp Ichneumon sarcitorius. The female looks very different with orange patches on a broader abdomen.

Showing her long ovipositor is this female ichneumon wasp probably Pimpla rufipes. The long antennae of this species are not easy to see against the background.

This remains an unidentified ichneumon wasp (with a Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius in the background).

This sawfly is Rhogogaster scalaris or one of several similar species.

From a different angle. The extent of the black areas on the legs can be used as a further identification feature but each pair of legs needs to seen clearly.

I find Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus the easiest hoverfly to photograph in flight.

A Migrant Field Syrph hoverfly Eupeodes corollae.

I am not 100% sure about this hoverfly. I think it is a female Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta . I do not see females very often. They have shorter abdomen than the males and are more easily confused with other species in the genus.

Another hoverfly I am not 100% sure about. Probably a Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus but there seem to be eight grey spots and there are normally only six. Also the bottom two spots are vaguely yellow and not grey. I am sure two of Obsidentify's suggestions - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and European Badger are incorrect.

The white and black pattern on the legs help identify this hoverfly as an Orange-belted Leaf Licker Xylota segnis when the folded wings obscure the orange belt across the abdomen.

Another photo of the dagger fly Empis livida showing its dagger-like mouthparts clearly. This species has dark wings.

The colour alone identifies this cranefly as Limonia phragmitidis.

A male Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp. I must find the article in the British Wildlife magazine that described how to separate the two species.

Obsidentify was 100% this is the stretch-footed fly Tanypeza longimana . Not shown in the NatureSpot gallery. It is also not in my master list but I have a sneaking suspicion I have seen this species previously and not properly logged it.

The cranefly Tipula fascipennis: a male.

The mirid bug Deraeocoris flavilinea.

A tiny creature. I think a rove beetle from the Stenus genus of which there are many.

Running away fast, and who can blame it, is a possible Agelena labyrinthica spider.

Today's mystery. Is it just a bizarre form of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis? If so where are the legs and antennae?

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- *1 !Bee Moth Aphonia sociella
- 2 Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata: one on the ceiling and one on the wall
- 1 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata

Flies:
- 9 midges of several species
- 2 unidentified craneflies: difficult to identify many species when flash-photos are needed.

Arthropods:
- 1 (Common) Striped Woodlouse Philoscia muscorum

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 harvestman Leiobunum sp.?

This is a Bee Moth Aphonia sociella on the ceiling in the tunnel. Not a species I see every year.

The very long legs suggest this is a harvestman of the Leiobunum group. The markings on the back do not match the two species I record commonly and it seems too early in the year for them to be around. Obsidentify suggested Leiobunum A – the as yet-to-be-described species only recently identified. NatureSpot suggests that it is a very dark species: which this isn't. So I don't know.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 05:55 – 06:40

(135th visit of the year)

With both footbridges fenced off it was difficult to complete my usual counts. Numbers may well be incomplete.

Bird notes:
- the Canada Goose gosling is still present.
- still eight visiting Mute Swans.
- the pair of Tufted Duck seen again: the lone drake was not noted.
- the count of juvenile Coots was particularly affected by the restricted access.
- at least three Great Spotted Woodpeckers were calling and seen in flight around the lower Hickory's car parks.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 148 + 1 Canada Geese
- 56 Greylag Geese
- 10 Mute Swans: assuming the pen is still on the hidden nest.
- 18 (16♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 29 + 5 (2 broods) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (2) Blackcaps

Noted around the area:
particularly dull while I was here.

Moths:
none

Beetles:
- larva of Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea

Arthropods:
- *Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus

The only inhabitant of any of the street lamp poles was this Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus.

(Ed Wilson)

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2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)