12.0°C > 16.0°C: A clearance arrived from the north-west after a dull start. Good sunny intervals later. Light / moderate north-westerly breeze. Excellent visibility.
[Sunrise: 04:48 BST still]
* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
It was a rain-delayed start and then waiting for the school run traffic to subside. So I started with The Flash; viewed the Balancing Lake from the dam-top only; and then decided against negotiating the wet vegetation around the lake and headed up Woodhouse Lane to see what I could find.
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:30
(132nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Another larger count of adult Canada Geese with the gosling and its parents seen again. They were better arranged for more accurate (less inaccurate?) count.
- the seven Greylag Geese flew in as two groups.
- still eight visiting Mute Swans. Still no sign of any cygnets as yet.
- *a duck Mallard noted with three small ducklings she managed to control when a Coot gave chase when they came too close to the Coot's nest. Broods of Mallard ducklings have been few and far between this year with no ducklings surviving more than a few days.
- a drake Tufted Duck again.
- my later visit meant more juvenile Coots were out and about.
- no Great Crested Grebe again
- one (or more) Great Spotted Woodpecker calling once more from the island with one of these(?) later around the lower car parks.
- another Starling fly-over: a group of four with calls indicating one or more juveniles.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
- 4 Starlings: see notes
Noted on / around the water:
- 165 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 7 Greylag Geese: arrived
- 10 Mute Swans: assuming the pen is still on the hidden nest.
- *26 (10♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens: no juveniles noted today
- 43 + 22 (10 broods) Coots
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (2) Blackcaps: at least one of the non-singing birds was a juvenile
Noted around the area:
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (2) Blackcaps: at least one of the non-singing birds was a juvenile
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- *1 Yellow-barred Longhorn Nemophora degeerella: female
- *1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- *1 Yellow-barred Longhorn Nemophora degeerella: female
- *1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
Bees, wasps etc.:
none
none
Flies:
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: one male
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: one male
Beetles:
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
The duck Mallard has gathered up her three small ducklings after they had all been chased around by a Coot.
Here sorting her wings out after the chase. She had been peddling fast and the ducklings had to peddle furiously to keep up.
Another Yellow-barred Longhorn moth Nemophora degeerella: this one has obviously shorter antennae and I now read that it indicates it is a female.
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
My clearest photo yet of a Common Marble moth Celypha lacunana.
(Ed Wilson)
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Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:40– 11:05 // 13:00 – 13:10
(135th visit of the year)
As mentioned in the introduction only viewing from the dam-top area. I did this both before and after visiting Woodhouse Lane.
Bird notes:
- once again the seven Greylag Geese goslings were present and correct with the third adult present throughout. Also two Canada Geese.
- no Mallard ducklings seen.
- the pair of Great Crested Grebes were hiding their juveniles.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Some were seen over Woodhouse Lane – q.v.
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swan: the pen appeared briefly. No sign of cygnets
- 15 (10♂) Mallard
- no Moorhens
- 28 + 7 (5 broods) Coots
- 5+ ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- no Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallows
Warblers
Some were seen over Woodhouse Lane – q.v.
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swan: the pen appeared briefly. No sign of cygnets
- 15 (10♂) Mallard
- no Moorhens
- 28 + 7 (5 broods) Coots
- 5+ ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- no Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallows
Warblers
Not recorded
Also noted here:
Also noted here:
Nothing else
(Ed Wilson)
Woodhouse Lane area: 11:05 – 13:00
Bird notes:
Birds recorded in this area: excluding the common species – tits, Robins etc.
the number in brackets refers to birds singing: not an ideal time for bird song,
- 1 Pheasant
- 1 Stock Dove
- 2 (2) Skylarks
- no Chiffchaffs, surprisingly
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
- 3 (1) Common Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
- 2 (2) Blackbirds
- 3 (3) Song Thrushes
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 5 (5) Chaffinches
- 2 Linnets: presumed the same pair flying over on several occasions
- 2 (1) Goldfinches
- 3 (1) Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Woodhouse Lane area: 11:05 – 13:00
Bird notes:
Birds recorded in this area: excluding the common species – tits, Robins etc.
the number in brackets refers to birds singing: not an ideal time for bird song,
- 1 Pheasant
- 1 Stock Dove
- 2 (2) Skylarks
- no Chiffchaffs, surprisingly
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
- 3 (1) Common Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
- 2 (2) Blackbirds
- 3 (3) Song Thrushes
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 5 (5) Chaffinches
- 2 Linnets: presumed the same pair flying over on several occasions
- 2 (1) Goldfinches
- 3 (1) Yellowhammers
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 15 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
Also noted:
The vegetation along the lane was overgrown with grasses etc. crowding out many flowers. Probably a good thing as a wide array of species entered the log anyway.
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 15 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
Also noted:
The vegetation along the lane was overgrown with grasses etc. crowding out many flowers. Probably a good thing as a wide array of species entered the log anyway.
Butterflies:
- unidentified "white" seen in flight only
- unidentified "white" seen in flight only
Moths:
- 17 Yellow-barred Longhorn Nemophora degeerella: 15 dancing together
- 1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
- 17 Yellow-barred Longhorn Nemophora degeerella: 15 dancing together
- 1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
Bees, wasps etc.:
very many bumblebees : most were not specifically checked.
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *$ probable Large-headed Resin Bee Heriades truncorum
- *unidentified ichneumon wasp
- *$ Dark Stem Borer sawfly Cephus nigrinus
very many bumblebees : most were not specifically checked.
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *$ probable Large-headed Resin Bee Heriades truncorum
- *unidentified ichneumon wasp
- *$ Dark Stem Borer sawfly Cephus nigrinus
Hoverflies:
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *!Plain-faced Dronefly Eristalis arbustorum [Eurasian Drone Fly]
- Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
- Blotch-winged Hoverfly Leucozona lucorum [Blotch-winged Whitebelt]
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus [Grey-spotted Sedgesitter or White-footed Hoverfly]
- *male Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
- Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus
- *Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens [Common Compost Fly; Thick-legged Hoverfly]
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *!Plain-faced Dronefly Eristalis arbustorum [Eurasian Drone Fly]
- Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
- Blotch-winged Hoverfly Leucozona lucorum [Blotch-winged Whitebelt]
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus [Grey-spotted Sedgesitter or White-footed Hoverfly]
- *male Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
- Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus
- *Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens [Common Compost Fly; Thick-legged Hoverfly]
Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
- *female Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma naja [Large Redeye]
- Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
- unidentified dragonfly in flight only
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
- *female Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma naja [Large Redeye]
- Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
- unidentified dragonfly in flight only
Other flies:
- Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
- *!soldier fly Broad Centurian Chloromyia formosa
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: all males
- *Common Red-legged Robberfly Dioctria rufipes
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *male Spotted Cranefly Nephrotoma appendiculata
- female Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- Muscid fly Phaonia sp.
- *!semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
- *!Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus [Ferruginous Beegrabber]
very many flies not identified
- Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
- *!soldier fly Broad Centurian Chloromyia formosa
- long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: all males
- *Common Red-legged Robberfly Dioctria rufipes
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *male Spotted Cranefly Nephrotoma appendiculata
- female Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- Muscid fly Phaonia sp.
- *!semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
- *!Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus [Ferruginous Beegrabber]
very many flies not identified
Bugs:
- Red-and-Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata
- Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
- *!Mirid bug Grypocoris stysi
- Red-and-Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata
- Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
- *!Mirid bug Grypocoris stysi
Beetles:
- *!Hazel Leaf-roller [or Hazel Leaf-rolling Weevil] Apoderus coryli
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. spectabilis
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- male and *female Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis [False Oil Beetle or Thick-legged Flower Beetle]
- Nettle Weevil Phyllobius pomaceus
- *14 Spot Ladybird Propylea quattuordecimpunctata: mating pair
- *!Hazel Leaf-roller [or Hazel Leaf-rolling Weevil] Apoderus coryli
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. spectabilis
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- male and *female Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis [False Oil Beetle or Thick-legged Flower Beetle]
- Nettle Weevil Phyllobius pomaceus
- *14 Spot Ladybird Propylea quattuordecimpunctata: mating pair
Flowers
Not (yet) noted elsewhere this year:
- *Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium [Fireweed]
- Meadowsweet [or Mead Wort] Filipendula ulmaria
- *Common Comfrey Symphytum officinale
A Honey Bee Apis mellifera. I have not seen very many of these this year. I have selected today's pictures to highlight new species or interesting views of the many insects I noted.
A probable Large-headed Resin Bee Heriades truncorum. Not a species – or indeed a genus of bee - that I have seen before.
This looks as if it ought to be easy to identify but I cannot obtain any information on this ichneumon wasp.
This Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus is on the orange end of the scale. It is unusual in that below the thick cross lines there is usually a thin line across the entire width of the abdomen. Here these lines are shorter and the lower one broken.
A Migrant Field Syrph hoverfly Eupeodes corollae also known as Migrant Hoverfly; or Migrant Aphideater.
A Grey-spotted Boxer hoverfly Platycheirus albimanus alternatively Grey-spotted Sedgesitter or White-footed Hoverfly. I never see this species anywhere near a sedge.
The swollen hind femur helps to identify this as a Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens with Common Compost Fly and Thick-legged Hoverfly being alternative common names.
I now realise that female Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma naja do not have the all-black top to the thorax shown by males.
This fly with a metallic green thorax and wide abdomen is the soldier fly Broad Centurian Chloromyia formosa.
A male Spotted Cranefly Nephrotoma appendiculata. I am not sure why it is called "spotted" when the line down the abdomen appears solid.
This is a male semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus. He flashes the white tips of his wings to either deter other males or attract the females.
Another weird-looking fly. It is a Thick-headed Fly Sicus ferrugineus also known as Ferruginous Beegrabber
Another smart insect. My first Hazel Leaf-roller (or Hazel Leaf-rolling Weevil) Apoderus coryli of this year. Not a species I see every year.
This Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis is the form spectabilis. I now believe this to be my first record of this form this year, previous examples I have shown had a black area intruding in to the forward red spot and therefore should be ascribed to the conspicua form.
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Wheatear
1 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
6 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Spotted Flycatcher
5 Black Terns
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatears
3 Ravens
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)
- *Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium [Fireweed]
- Meadowsweet [or Mead Wort] Filipendula ulmaria
- *Common Comfrey Symphytum officinale
This seems to be a Dark Stem Borer sawfly Cephus nigrinus. Also a new species for me.
A small dronefly: it is a Plain-faced Dronefly Eristalis arbustorum that Obsidentify names Eurasian Drone Fly.
A good view of a Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.
A well-posed male Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta or Long Hoverfly.
A Common Red-legged Robberfly Dioctria rufipes.
A smart-looking insect: it is the mirid bug Grypocoris stysi.
A female Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis or Thick-legged Flower Beetle.
A mating pair of 14 Spot Ladybird Propylea quattuordecimpunctata.
This is Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium commonly known as Fireweed.
Here is Common Comfrey Symphytum officinale
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Wheatear
1 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
6 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Spotted Flycatcher
5 Black Terns
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatears
3 Ravens
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)