8.0°C > 12.0°C: Initially only thin high cloud. Areas of mist rolled in and then lifted to low cloud with little sun. A light south-westerly breeze developed. Mostly good visibility but patchy mist at times.
Sunrise: 07:33 BST
* = a species photographed today.
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:05 – 09:25
(230th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- *a pair of Mute Swans "appeared". I am not sure whether they emerged from the reeds or flew in.
- at least 350 Black-headed Gulls arrived. Thereafter there was continual interchange between the lake and the football field before most dispersed.
- at least 300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were noted before 07:30, possibly more as they were continually being disturbed by the Grey Heron and some were choosing to leave while others were still arriving.
- at 07:30 the football field held 237 Black-headed Gulls and single first-winters of both Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- later I logged seven Herring and 66 Lesser Black-backed Gulls as new arrivals. A small passage overhead.
- of the 201 Wood Pigeons noted overhead 172 were in six groups heading South.
- two very upset Mistle Thrushes led me to see a patrolling Sparrowhawk. Perhaps the Mistle Thrushes have returned to their breeding territory. Apart from a very atypical sighting on 30 August and an isolated burst of song on 14 June this species has been absent since the end of May.
- no Chiffchaff seen or heard.
- one or more Redwings was heard pre-dawn. A single and a trio were seen later.
- two Meadow Pipits flew South together.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 28 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 *Cormorants: together
- 201 Wood Pigeons
- 1 *Sparrowhawk
- 315 Jackdaws
- 144 Rooks
- 5+ Redwings
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Meadow Pipits
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 *Mute Swans
- 16 (9♂) Mallard
- 9 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 40 Coots
- 8 Great Crested Grebes again
- c.350 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls
- >366 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
Warblers noted:
None
Also noted:
Also noted:
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 unidentified bumblebee in flight only
- 1 unidentified bumblebee in flight only
Hoverflies:
- 1 unidentified drone fly in flight only
- 1 unidentified drone fly in flight only
Other true flies:
- 1 *Muscid fly Phaonia errans
- at least three other unidentified species of fly.
On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:
- 1 *Muscid fly Phaonia errans
- at least three other unidentified species of fly.
On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:
Moths:
- 6 *November Moth type Epirrita sp.
- 6 *November Moth type Epirrita sp.
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 *unidentified ichneumon wasp
- 1 *unidentified ichneumon wasp
True flies:
- 1 *$ Marsh Fly possibly a Pherbellia sp.
- 1 *wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- 1 female midge sp.
- 1 other unidentified fly
- 1 *$ Marsh Fly possibly a Pherbellia sp.
- 1 *wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- 1 female midge sp.
- 1 other unidentified fly
Springtails:
- 2 *springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- 2 *springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
Beetles:
- 2 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
- 2 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
Arthropods:
- 1 *Striped Millipede Ommatoiulus sabulosus
- 1 *Striped Millipede Ommatoiulus sabulosus
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
The two (pair?) of Mute Swans that "appeared" on the water. I did not see them earlier and I did not notice them fly in.
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Ahead of the sunrise mist rolled in from the East and especially the south-east.
The sun just peeling over the hill to the East of Castle Farm Way.
Yep: it is rising OK.
Later the mist was only to the West of the water before it lifted in to low cloud everywhere.
Alerted by the alarm calls of two rapidly departing Mistle Thrushes I was able to capture a tussle between a Sparrowhawk and a Magpie attempting to chase it away. The more manoeuvrable Sparrowhawk has veered away and caused the Magpie to overshoot.
Nothing daunted the Magpie sets off again...
...with similar result.
The unidentified ichneumon wasp on a West end street lamp pole pre-dawn.
The only identified insect post-dawn was this Muscid fly Phaonia errans.
Also slightly spattered with dew was this springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type.
And the FlightRadar24 data for its flight today.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- 1 !* Red-line Quaker Agrochola lota.
- 1 !* Red-line Quaker Agrochola lota.
Four-winged flies:
- 1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
- 1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
True flies:
- 4 midges of several species
- no moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 *cranefly Tipula lateralis
- 4 midges of several species
- no moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 *cranefly Tipula lateralis
Arthropods:
- 3 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
- 2 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber
- 3 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
- 2 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 7 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 *Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 7 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
My first Red-line Quaker moth Agrochola lota of the year. Moth species #47 for me in the tunnel this year.
Stout Sac Spiders Clubiona sp. seem to be increasing in frequency in the tunnel. I do not have the expertise to identify them to species level.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:50
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:50
(228th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- no Greylag or feral-type geese but plenty of Canada Geese arriving.
- I noted eight Mute Swans one of which was a first-winter cygnet. The resident cob was giving chase to what I presume was the new adult arrival. It and the cygnet may have departed as I could only see six adults by the time I left.
- now nine Tufted Duck.
- not so many Goosander and these well-scattered. No drakes seen. One of the fishermen told me there are many fewer fish fry than there were a few weeks ago.
- one full adult Great Crested Grebe with one dependent juvenile. Two other juveniles together with no adult seen nearby.
- the often elusive Great (White) Egret "appeared" at the edge of the island and a minute later had "disappeared", presumably back inside the island.
- down to just(!) three Little Egrets.
- a Chiffchaff heard calling.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 12 Wood Pigeons flew South together, probably a migrant group
- 1 Skylark
- 8 Jackdaws together
Noted on / around the water:
- 80 Canada Geese: of these 76 arrived in five groups
- no Greylag Geese
- 8 Mute Swans: see notes
- 40 (22♂) Mallard
- 9 (>1♂) Tufted Duck
- 30+ (0♂) *Goosander
- 2 Moorhens only
- 23 Coot
- 1 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 21 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly
- 8 Cormorants
- 3 Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 3 Little Egrets
Warblers noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff: calls only
Noted around the area:
Mostly cloudy. The Ivy patch was in the breeze and not well attended.
Butterflies and moths:
none
none
Bees, wasps etc.:
- >1 *German Wasp Vespula germanica
- >30 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- >1 *German Wasp Vespula germanica
- >30 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- 1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax [Common Drone Fly]
- 1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax [Common Drone Fly]
Other true flies:
- 1 *Common Housefly Musca domestica
several species of fly not identified
- 1 *Common Housefly Musca domestica
several species of fly not identified
Flowers:
- *Red Dead-nettle Lamium purpureum
- *Red Dead-nettle Lamium purpureum
A brownhead Goosander almost looking cross-eyed.
This one looking surprised with its hair standing on end!
An unusual view of a Common Housefly Musca domestica
(Ed Wilson)
