2 Aug 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

15.0°C > 19.0°C: Clear early. Areas of a medium / high cloud later. Moderate westerly breeze. Excellent visibility though rather hazy initially.

Sunrise: 05:31 BST

* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:05 – 06:10 // 07:15 – 09:55

(168th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- one (or more) Kingfishers heard at first light calling from the West end reeds before flying off.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 44 Canada Geese: 18 outbound in four groups; 26 inbound in five groups
- 32 Greylag Geese: outbound in eight groups
- 4 Stock Doves: two duos
- 231 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 83 Jackdaws
- 26 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow
- House Martins heard only

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 11 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 11 (0) Reed Warblers
- 5 (0) Blackcaps
- no Common Whitethroat
'nominal' warbler:
- 3 (2) Goldcrests

Counts from the lake area:
- 85 Canada Geese: arrived in five groups
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- 14 (?♂) Mallard
- 6 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 52 adult and juvenile Coots: includes one new brood of two juveniles
- 5 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 18 Black-headed Gulls (one juvenile) on the lake 05:30: 13 (no juveniles) on the football field at 05:45, presumed same
- 2 Herring Gulls: briefly
- *3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- none

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

Noted later:

Butterflies:
- Large White Pieris brassicae
- *Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus

Moths:
- *Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]: at least 20
- *Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis: at least five
- *!Common Carpet Epirrhoe alternata

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum
- Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- *Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum
- *!presumed Vestal Cuckoo-Bee Bombus vestalis
- *!ichneumon possibly from Opiinae family of Braconids

Hoverflies:

The first name is that used by Stephen Falk. The name in square brackets is that given by Obsidentify or other sources if different. Scientific names are normally common. The species are presented in alphabetic order of those scientific names.
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Stripe-faced Dronefly Eristalis nemorum [Stripe-faced Drone Fly]
- Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Common Snout Rhingia campestris [Common Snout Fly; Heineken Fly] [2016]

Damsel-/dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum

Other flies:
- *!!probable root-maggot fly Anthomyia procellaris
- *long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi or similar with swollen mid-tarsi
- *greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *!!flesh fly Nyctia halterata
- other unidentified flies noted

Bugs etc.:
- none

Beetles:
- *Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni larvae

Grasshoppers:
- *!Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus

Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- *mesh-webbed spider possibly Nyctia halterata

Mammal:
- *!Common Shrew Sorex Ananeus: dead on path

Possible new flower species:

Neither positively identified
- *Smooth Hawk's-beard Crepis capillaris
- *Square-stalked Willowherb Epilobium tetragonum [Square-stemmed Willowherb]

Hardly an inspiring sunrise.

One of the few Lesser Black-backed Gulls that dropped in today. A juvenile.

Here dropping in to the water. Only very slight paler inner webs of the inner primaries and these only visible when the feathers are fully spread.

An unusual angle on a Speckled Wood butterfly Pararge aegeria.

A rare example of a Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella pointing uphill. They usually rest head-down.

Perhaps not so rare! Another.

A rather faded Pale Straw Pearl moth Udea lutealis with the markings hard to discern.

A Common Carpet moth Epirrhoe alternata. An example of the second brood.

A Honey Bee Apis mellifera tucks in to a Great Hairy Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum.

An Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum. Not only 'early' in the year (or day).

An unusual bumblebee. It seems to be a Vestal Cuckoo-Bee Bombus vestalis, not a species for which I have any confirmed sightings.

An ichneumon possibly from Opiinae family of Braconids . There are several thousand ichneumon species in the UK and only impenetrable literature.

Some Marmalade Hoverflies Episyrphus balteatus are more orange than others. This is the brightest I have seen this year.

The extent of the white bands between the tergites (segments of the abdomen) suggests this is a Stripe-faced Dronefly Eristalis nemorum.

Head-on we see the extent of the stripe on the face of this female of the species.

A hoverfly that I have not seen for eight years. Sadly partly obscured by foreground grass it is a Common Snout Rhingia campestris.

This fly is probably the root-maggot fly Anthomyia procellaris. A newly identified species for me.

A long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi or similar with swollen mid-tarsi. These are very small flies.

One of the greenbottle species from the Lucilia family.

A smart fly. It seems to be a flesh fly Nyctia halterata. Another newly identified species for me.

This is a different individual of what seems to be the same species.

Two larvae of Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni. Note the marks where they have been feeding.

A Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus. For some reason I hardly ever see grasshoppers - perhaps most of the grass is too long and they hide away. This one was on concrete floor of the boxing ring, nowhere near any grass.

With its prey this spider seems to be one of the mesh-webbed spiders and possibly Nyctia halterata.

Flower puzzle number one. Possibly Smooth Hawk's-beard Crepis capillaris. Obsidentify's other suggestion was Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris but that species has black marking on the tips of the sepals which are not shown here.

The other flower for which I could not get a positive identity. Possible a Square-stalked Willowherb Epilobium tetragonum. It did not seem 'square-stalked' but what else might it be?

Another mammal dead on a footpath. Not sure it would be fair to blame the pesky cats as this one looks to be unharmed. It is a Common Shrew Sorex Ananeus.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
- *1 Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata

Flies:
- *1 cranefly Limonia nubeculosa
- 2 cranefly Tipula lateralis

Other things:
- 28 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger

Yet another Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata favouring the wall of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.

A cranefly with spotted wings held closed over it body. It is Limonia nubeculosa.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:15 – 07:10

(171st visit of the year)

Bird notes:

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 House Martins

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 7 (1) Chiffchaffs
'nominal' warbler:
- no Goldcrest

Noted on / around the water:
- 12 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 15 (?♂) Mallard
- 26 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 + 6 (3 broods) Moorhens: a new brood seen – just one noted deep in vegetation so probably more
- 64 + 4 (3 broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Moths:
- Tawny Grey Eudonia lacustrata

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni larva

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 harvestman Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2012
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
4 Common Tern
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)

1 Aug 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

16.0°C > 18.0°C: Mostly cloudy, often at low level. Beginning to lift and break after 09:15. Light north-westerly breeze. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:30 BST

* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:35 – 06:15 // 07:05 – 09:35

(167th visit of the year)

A delayed start with remnant of promised thunderstorms keeping me away.

Bird notes:
- I cannot recall when there were last as many as 24 Mallard here. Most seem to have finished their wing-moult and are able to fly. None is showing any real sign of acquiring breeding finery, Neither can I locate any of the late-hatched juveniles.
- It seems the Reed Warblers have had a good breeding season, at least so far as the noisy current number of juveniles begging.
- I have seen no Swifts here for a few days now. There were chasing groups of up to 15 birds around their breeding site in Newport on Tuesday (30 July). They seem to have gone now. This species is one of the last Summer visitors to arrive and the first to go and they have probably mostly departed. Any birds that had replacement broods could be seen for a few weeks yet.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 23 Canada Geese: outbound in three groups
- 25 Greylag Geese: outbound in four groups
- 7 Stock Doves: two duos and a trio
- 137 Wood Pigeons
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 10 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 13 (0) Reed Warblers
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
'nominal' warbler:
- no Goldcrests

Counts from the lake area:
- 17 Canada Geese: arrived in five groups
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- 24 (?♂) Mallard
- 7 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 53 adult and juvenile Coots
- 5 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Black-headed Gulls only on the lake. 35 on the football field at 05:45
- 1 Herring Gull: briefly
- 48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: a steady stream visited to wash and drink
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
- 1 Kingfisher

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- none

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 3 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

Noted later:

Butterflies:
- none

Moths:
- *Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum
- *!unidentified ichneumon

Hoverflies:

The first name is that used by Stephen Falk. The name in square brackets is that given by Obsidentify or other sources if different. Scientific names are normally common. The species are presented in alphabetic order of those scientific names.
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]

Damsel-/dragon-flies:
- none

Other flies:
- *!!Limnophora sp.
- *!!Meiosimyza rorida in the family Lauxaniidae, a family of acalyptrate flies
- *!Grass Fly or Yellow Swarming Fly Thaumatomyia notata
- other unidentified flies noted

Bugs etc.:
- *Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum
- *!Potato Leafhopper Eupteryx aurata
- *Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina : instar
- Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius

Beetles:
- Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva

Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- *Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Metellina sp.

Mammal:
- *!!Water Shrew Neomys fodiens: dead on path

Hardly sunrise. Rain delayed my arrival.

A Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella trying to hide - as they do. I was only able to positively identify less that a quarter of the grass-moths that were exploding from the vegetation in front of me. This was the best-marked example I found.

This one is somewhat worn. I have no idea why they rest with their antennae pointing upwards. Perhaps they get better reception.

One that has been in the wars and is missing part of a wing.

 Another with a chunk of wing missing and a very worn example. In many species of moth the imago (the flying stage of the life-cycle) does not feed and its sole job is to mate with the female then laying the next generation's eggs. It will typically live less than a week though some, usually larger species, survive longer and these species may well feed on nectar.

Not a good photo of an ichneumon but all I could manage. The insect has its head turned through 90 degrees toward me. The wasp waist shows well.

The only large hoverfly of the day – a male Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.

A Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta visiting Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria with wings akimbo...

...and wings closed.

This fly is apparently one of the Limnophora sp. I am little the wiser.

Another fly to test me. It is Meiosimyza rorida in the family Lauxaniidae. Er? So I looked it up and was informed it is a family of acalyptrate flies. I am none the wise. I can say that it looks like a very small version of the Muscid fly Phaonia pallida. The flower is one of those on an umbel of a Common Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium.

One fly I can identify. It is my first Grass Fly or Yellow Swarming Fly Thaumatomyia notata of the year. They are very small.

 I wonder what this was before it was eaten? The strength of the veins suggest Alder Fly though that species ceased flying many weeks ago.

 This tiny creature on a petal of Greater Bindweed Convolvulus sylvaticus is called a Potato Leafhopper Eupteryx aurata though quite why is unclear as it is very common(ly overlooked) on all types of vegetation.

This bug was sprinting across the leaf and about to run around to the underside – where it wasn't when I looked. It is most likely a Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum though the genus contains several species that are 'problematic'.

An instar of a Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina.

One of the Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Metellina sp.

I have no idea what this is. I noticed on the underside of a leaf where it seemed to have a pair of claspers at one end – I have no idea which might be front or back. Is it a chrysalis? Whatever it is / was it appears to be tied down by a spider's threads.

Dead on the path I noted this small mammal. I believe it to be a Water Shrew Neomys fodiens. The sharp contrast between the upper and lower coat and especially what seems to be white hairs on the underside of the rail seems to clinch the ID. I used both Obsidentify and Google Lens to try and identify it. Granted the specimen is a bit mangled but Obsidentify suggested "Caspian Gull"! Google Lens was slightly better suggesting Black Rat. I cannot recall seeing this species before, alive or dead. I fear it may be a victim of one of at least three cats that are now prowling the neighbourhood. Cats and wildlife do not mix.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Flies:
- *5 cranefly Tipula lateralis

Other things:
- 16 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger

The pale line down the centre of the abdomen and the markings in the wings identify this as the cranefly Tipula lateralis. Without ovipositor it is a male.

Somewhat confusing with shadow from the camera flash but here are a pair mating.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:20 – 07:00

(170th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 5 (0) Chiffchaffs
'nominal' warbler:
- 1 (0) Goldcrest

Noted on / around the water:
- 16 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 20 (?♂) Mallard
- 35 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 + 3 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 58 + 3 (2 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Moths:
- *Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella

Bees, wasps etc.
- wasp sp.: either German Wasp Vespula germanica or Common Wasp V. vulgaris

Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

A very worn grass moth. I can detect the hint of a diagonal line toward the wing-tip which makes it a Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella. This species has just about finished its flight period so it is not surprising that any still around would be worn.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Tern
(John Isherwood)