4 Sep 26

No sightings today

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2012
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson/ John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
2 Hobby's chasing Swallows and martins
1 Common Redstart
2 Meadow Pipits - first autumn birds
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Teal
14 Cormorants
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
Hobby chasing Swallows
1 Wheatear
2 Raven
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Little Egret
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
2 Swifts
1 Meadow Pipit - first autumn bird
(Ed Wilson)

3 Sep 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

16.0°C > 19.0°C: A few breaks in low cloud early. Then a short spell of light drizzle c.06:30 after which cloud gradually lifted and broke with some sun after c.09:00. Increasing south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility except during drizzle.

Sunrise: 06:23 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 – 09:15

(199th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- for some while I could only see one Mute Swan. The other "appeared" later from?
- eight Tufted Duck noted: at least three drakes.
- the first 15 Black-headed Gulls had arrived by 05:45. c.105 were present by 06:00 when a large group of at least 350 arrived from the south-east (historically early arrivals tended to be from the West).
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls visited early. None later.
- at c.06:45 I checked the football field finding c.350 Black-headed Gulls, an *adult Herring Gull and single *second year and *adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Strangely no Wood Pigeons were on the grass.
- a Little Egret was flying around the East end at 06:15. I did not see it arrive or depart.
- no Swifts were noted.
- with much low cloud still c.07:30 at least 50 Barn Swallows were low over the water. As the cloud lifted and the wind increased many of these were flying around over the dam as insects were blown up from the lake. It was hard to tell whether birds were moving on or just away and back again [I noted that the resident swallows had departed from Sleap Airfield since Monday]
- twelve House Martins were high overhead the football field at 06:45. A few minutes later there were more than 30 swirling around.
- a Willow Warblers noted in song.
- three of at least 14 Chiffchaffs were noted singing.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 14 Canada Geese: a duo flew East; a sextet flew North and another sextet flew West.
- 14 Greylag Geese: a trio flew East; a single and a group of 10 flew West
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 57 Wood Pigeons
- 83 Jackdaws
- 110 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 10 *Canada Geese: arrived
- 1 *Canada x Greylag Goose: arrived
- 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- 41 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 (3♂?) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 25 Coot only
- 17 Great Crested Grebes
- c.450 *Black-headed Gulls
- 1 *Herring Gull [on the football field]
- 19 *Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Egret, briefly

Hirundines etc. noted:
- >50 Barn Swallows
- >30 House Martins

Warblers noted:
- 1 Willow Warbler
- 14 *Chiffchaffs: of these three in song
- 1 Blackcap

Also noted:
My new schedule limits the number of insects I am likely to see.

Butterflies:
none

Moths:
- 1 *Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana

Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
none

Damsel / Dragon-flies:
none

True flies:
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
very few other unidentified flies seen.

Bugs:
none

Beetles:
none

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none

On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:

Moths:
- 1 Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >10 *Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris
- 1 ! *European Hornet Vespa crabro

Flies:
- 1 midge

Springtails:
- 1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type

Slugs, snails etc.:
- 1 ! *Greenhouse Slug Ambigolimax valentianus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1* Large House Spider-type from the Eratigena group

Mammals:
- several pipistrelle-type bats were flying above the south-west grass c.05:30.
- a larger bat species (Noctule?) was flying Swift-like over the North side trees c.05:45

Fungus:
- ! *Parasola species.

Through a gap in the cloud this is the best I could manage of the almost half-moon.

Not a sunrise to get out of bed for.

In the foreground a hybrid Canada x Greylag Goose. There have been a number of these around over the years, subtly different in markings. Last Winter they were strangely absent and then one turned up at The Flash on 31 May for just one day as the geese were beginning to assemble ahead of their annual wing-moult.

Among the c.350 Black-headed Gulls on the football field was this adult Herring Gull [I know it is not "crisp" but it was only c.06:40].

Also this second year Lesser Black-backed Gull (with a first-winter Black-headed Gull showing off behind it).

And an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.

A warbler with an obvious supercilium that I thought at the time might be a Willow Warbler. Not so: the dark bill and especially the all-dark legs identify it as a Chiffchaff.

This may, or may not, be the same bird – there were a number of Chiffchaffs travelling with a party of...

...Long-tailed Tits. I am sure AI would be able to erase the annoying out of focus twig in the foreground.

This tiny moth on an Ivy leaf is a Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana. Last year I recorded over 40 of this species. This is only my sixth this year.

 "Come in number three"; a Square-spot Rustic moth Xestia xanthographa.

How to stop Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris annoying you – when you are a European Hornet Vespa crabro!

Take that!!

Distinctively marked: a Greenhouse Slug Ambigolimax valentianus.

A Large House Spider-type from the Eratigena group running away.

A delicate fungus that probably will not last the day before it collapses. It is one of the Parasola species that are almost impossible to specifically identify from photos even if you are an expert.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

An early visit again c.05:00

Moths:
- 1 *Flounced Rustic Luperina testacea
- 1 Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Flies:
- 4 midges
- no moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]

Arthropods:
- 4 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 4 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

A dark specimen of a Flounced Rustic moth Luperina testacea. I separate this species from other moths with this shape at rest by the dark area where the inner edges of the wings join. My 42nd species of moth found in the tunnel this year.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:15

(196th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the Canada Goose count was boosted by the arrival of a group of 61.
- seven Mute Swans: six keeping together with Billy-no-mates at the top end.
- a duck Tufted Duck flew in.
- a brownhead Goosander was by the island again
- one adult Great Crested Grebes was seen carrying fish on two separate occasions. *A different immature (still with head stripes) was at the bottom end.
- a trio of Cormorants arrived and went directly to the task of finding breakfast.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 72 Canada Geese
- 6 Greylag Geese:
- 7 Mute Swans
- 31 (?♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Tufted Duck: arrived
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 8 Moorhens
- 20 Coot
- 2 *Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 21 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Warblers noted:

None

Noted around the area:

A later visit means more insects (but fewer moths)

Butterflies:
- 1 Small White Pieris rapae
- 2 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- 1 *Comma Polygonia c-album

Moths:
none

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >5 Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- 3 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- 1 *Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens [Common Compost Fly; Thick-legged Hoverfly]

True flies:
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
very few other unidentified flies seen.

Bugs:
- 1 ! *Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum [Sloe Bug]
- 1 *Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina: instar

Beetles:
- 1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

The immature Great Crested Grebe still with head stripes. Possibly from one of the early broods at the Balancing Lake where some have departed.

Very smart: a Comma butterfly Polygonia c-album.

This is a Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens. One of this species' other names of Thick-legged Hoverfly is pertinent here though there are other hoverflies to which that epithet could equally well apply. My logs suggest that I have not previously seen this species around The Flash.

This is a Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum also known as a Sloe Bug. The photo is somewhat over-blown as I had to use full zoom to avoid the camera focussing on vegetation around the insect. My first of the year.

An early instar of a Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Nedge Hill
2 Yellow Wagtails
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2 Sep 26

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

14.0°C: Cloudy with spells of rain and drizzle. Light south-easterly breeze. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 06:19 BST

Unsuccessfully avoiding the rain. As usual with a late start I visited The Flash first.

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 11:20 – 12:20

(197th visit of the year)

Only viewing from the dam-top area. The model boat club were using the West end.

Bird notes:
- only one Mute Swan seen.
- when the weather briefly cleared two Swifts appeared over the North side and after a few minutes seemed to leave to the East.
- well over 50 Barn Swallows were over the water in rain at 11:20. During the brief clear spell many of them left, some at least seen heading East. Several aerial food passes seen suggesting some juveniles.
- four House Martins were high overhead during the clearance.

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

Counts from the lake area:
All counts affected by poor light-levels and limited access
- 1 Mute Swan: see notes
- >25 (?♂) Mallard
- no Tufted Duck
- no Moorhens
- >32 Coot
- 17? Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- no Grey Herons

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 *Swifts: see notes
- >>50 Barn *Swallows
- >4 House Martins

Warblers noted:

None

Nothing else noted:

One of the two Swifts noted at a strange angle with tail-feathers spread.

That is more like what you expect a Swift to look like.

A few just-about-passable photos of Barn Swallows in the melee of more than fifty individuals.

A juvenile with the gape line still visible.

Could be sharper(!!) this swallow has just plucked an insect from the water surface.

The best of the bunch.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:20 – 11:10

(195th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- some geese were inside the island and hard to see. Likely more than my totals show, particularly for the Canada Geese.
- now only six Mute Swans.
- I did my best to sex the Mallard from the bill colour – not all the drakes are easily identified from plumage as yet. A few birds were too distant to check.
- nine Tufted Duck were new in.
- *a single brownhead Goosander seen.
- *one adult Great Crested Grebes was on the open water with four juveniles. Another full adult was well-apart at the South end. A third bird was at the top end but diving continually and I could not see whether it was a full adult or the recently seen sub-adult.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- >56 Canada Geese
- >44 *Greylag Geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- 28 (16+♂) Mallard
- 9 (3?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 2 Moorhens yet again
- 15 Coot
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) *Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 26 *Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants
- no Grey Herons

Warblers noted:

None

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 Chevron Grass-moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]
Most moths likely hiding from the rain.

Flowers:
- *Sowbread Cyclamen hederifolium

One of the adult Great Crested Grebes with the four juveniles.

Today's brownhead Goosander threatened to be another "now you see me, now you don't" but I did eventually relocate it. It is in the middle of the view, climbing on to the island. Greylag Geese and winter-plumage Black-headed Gulls for company.

Usual caveat: I am not a botanist (or a gardener). Growing alongside the path in squirrel alley I found what I believe to be Sowbread Cyclamen hederifolium.

(Ed Wilson)

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2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
c.65 House Martins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
Swifts
(Ed Wilson)

1 Sep 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

11.0°C > 18.0°C: Fine with well-scattered high cloud. Light breeze. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 06:19 BST

I will be avoiding the school-run from tomorrow meaning that on weekdays I will be remaining at the Balancing Lake until c.09:00 and then visiting The Flash.

* = 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 – 06:40 // 07:40 – 09:55

(196th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a Mute Swan flew East overhead as I walked down Teece Drive back from The Flash: perhaps a bird from there? When I could see the lake there were two additional birds being chased by the residents. One of these was eventually put to flight. The other was attacked and forced on to the south-west grass.
- at least two Tufted Duck were seen departing c.05:30.
- *a new second-brood of three Great Crested Grebes was noted.
- the first 23 Black-headed Gulls had arrived by 05:30. c.65 were present by 06:00. 22 were on the football field c.06:30 along with a single Lesser Black-backed Gull.
- 36 Lesser Black-backed Gulls visited early with two after 08:30.
- two Swifts were over the North side wooded area by 06:20. These or another two were present between 08:30 and 09:00. Only one was noted c.09:15.
- the first three Barn Swallows were noted at 06:20. Many more later with at least 25 seen. There did not seem to me much, if any, suggestion that birds were passing through.
- a group of at least six House Martins were high overhead c.08:45 with juveniles heard calling [the local birds around my Newport home seem to have departed. This is several weeks earlier than usual].
- no fewer than six of at least 18 Chiffchaffs were noted singing. Almost like Spring with three songsters audible at one time. No other warbler species was noted.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 20 Canada Geese: flew West together
- 10 Greylag Geese: flew West together
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 41 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Starlings
- 148 Jackdaws
- 169 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 8 Canada Geese: arrived in two groups
- 4 *Mute Swans: see notes
- 51 (?♂) Mallard
- 2 (♂?) Tufted Duck departed
- 5 Moorhens again
- 49 Coot
- 18 *Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- c.65 Black-headed Gulls
- 38 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2+ Swifts: see notes
- >25 Barn Swallows
- >6 House Martins

Warblers noted:
- 18 *Chiffchaffs: of these six in song
- no Blackcaps

Also noted:
Strong sun but not too much noted

Butterflies:
- 1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

Moths:
- 2 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- *Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]

Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
- *Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum

True flies:
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
very few other unidentified flies seen.

Bugs:
none

Beetles:
none

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:

Moths:
- 2 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris

Flies:
none

Arthropods:
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- 1 *unidentified male spider

An even more lopsided Sturgeon Moon.

A pellucid sky to start the morning.

Now some colour. The clarity this morning was such that on checking a distant contrail inbound from the East it turned out to be a Qatar Airlines flight from Doha to Dublin that was approaching Skegness! I could clearly see the dot of the aircraft at the front of the trail in binoculars.

The back bird is the resident cob Mute Swan. It may be the pen chasing an interloper or the two interlopers.

One decides to depart.

The other one probably wishes it had before in became pinned down by the resident cob.

It managed to break free and escape in to the south-west grass.

Another new brood of Great Crested Grebes has appeared: a trio of juveniles. It is a second brood for this pair with three young successfully raised from their first brood.

A fluffy Chiffchaff appears to be dozing.

A more alert Chiffchaff, still slightly fluffy. New feathers from the post-breeding moult I guess.

What is this ball of feathers having a good preen?

A clue here: a thin yellow line on the crown.

Big eyes in an otherwise unmarked face. Note the pale area in the wing.

Almost all is revealed here. A juvenile Goldcrest.

A juvenile Grey Wagtail.

This convolvulus was just about the only flower still extant and was home to a trio of Chequered Hoverflies Melanostoma scalare.

One of two puzzling Common Carder Bees Bombus pascuorum. This one does not look rotund-enough and at the time I was suspecting a mining bee Andrena sp. even though most species in this group have long since ceased activity for the year.

This one is well-rotund but why does it have a ginger band near the tip of its tail? Obsidentify was 100% sure it is a Tree Bumblebee B. hypnorum and I am 100% sure it isn't. That species has an all-black body, usually with a striking white tail.

On safer ground with this Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris on the Butterfly-bush Buddleja davidii.

A female Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum...

 ...in close-up.

This spider looks distinctive. Obsidentify and Google Lens disagreed and neither of their suggestions was supported by photos in NatureSpot. Clearly a male spider with the "boxing gloves".

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

An early visit again c.05:00

Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 Yellow Shell Camptogramma bilineata
- 1 ! *Green Carpet Colostygia pectinataria
- 1 *Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 *Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Flies:
- 7 midges
- 1 ! *cranefly, probably Euphylidorea lineola
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]

Arthropods:
- 2 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *Large House Spider-type from the Eratigena group
- 7 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii

A Green Carpet moth Colostygia pectinataria. Very distinctive when fleshly-emerged but as with all green moths the colour soon fades and they are more of a puzzle.

Square-spot Rustic moths Xestia xanthographa are appearing everywhere. My first here this year.

A Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris against the backdrop of one of the lit strip lights in the tunnel.

This brown-toned cranefly is probably Euphylidorea lineola

A Large House Spider-type from the Eratigena group

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:45 – 07:35

(194th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
A surprise was an apparently very brief visit by six *Goosander – all brownheads at this date. I looked through a gap in the vegetation and there they were. I looked again from the next gap and there they weren't. My previous earliest "second-winter" sighting of this species was 10 September in 2024.

Other bird notes:
- a single Greylag Goose present when I arrived flew off. Then a party of 27 flew in.
- eight Mute Swans: but did (at least) one leave later for the Balancing Lake?
- one adult Great Crested Grebes was on the open water. The other adult was on the nest with feathers fluffed and two of the juveniles visible.
- a trio of Cormorants arrived and went directly to the task of finding breakfast.
- a Kingfisher was heard and then seen.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese
- 28 Greylag Geese: see notes
- 8 Mute Swans: perhaps one of these departed later
- 25 (?♂) Mallard
- 6 (?♂) *Goosander, briefly
- 3 Moorhens yet again
- 19 Coot: where have the others gone? There were more at the Balancing Lake today
- 2 + 2? (1 brood) *Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Kingfisher

Warblers noted:
- no Chiffchaffs
- 1 Blackcap

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 3 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 3 Chevron Grass-moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]
- 1 ! *Flounced Rustic Luperina testacea
- 1 *Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

There they were and there they weren't. The six brownhead Goosanders that appeared briefly without me noticing them arriving or leaving. The question arises: have I previously seen Goosander and Swift (at the Balancing Lake) on the same day? Unlikely.

The Great Crested Grebe on the nest with one juvenile visible on her back and one in the water. I expect the other two juveniles are tucked up under the fluffed up feathers of the adult.

A posing adult-winter Black-headed Gull. Note the adults retain the bright red colour to their legs.

This worn moth (note the bald head) is my first Flounced Rustic Luperina testacea of the year. I found it on one of the street lamp poles in squirrel alley which has been a poor location for moths this year. Obsidentify was 95% sure it is a True Lover's Knot Lycophotia porphyrea and I have no idea why as that is a very strongly patterned species.

There was also a Square-spot Rustic moths Xestia xanthographa on the same pole in squirrel alley. This one has the decency to look "rusty" if not exactly "rustic".

(Ed Wilson)

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2012
Nedge Hill
1 Hobby
1 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl
5 Swifts
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
2 Swifts
(Ed Wilson)