9.0°C > 15.0°C: Area of cloud to E and N took until 07:30 to clear and for the sun to emerge. Then cloudless. Essentially calm. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:21 BST
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 04:59 – 06:50 // 07:55 – 09:52
(180th visit of the year)
Two highlights this morning
- A party of four Shelduck flew high W overhead and then circled to pitch in for a few minutes before leaving back to the E. All adults. My first Shelduck here this year (species #99) and on a very unusual date. Typically the odd one or two drop in early in Spring as they look for breeding sites – they often use old Rabbit burrows near water. Occasionally they occur in mid-Winter in hard weather when their normal sites are frozen. It was once thought that all European birds flew to Heligoland Bight to moult – at which time they all become flightless for a while. In researching the dates for this moult I now learn that other moulting aggregations have been found on the River Dee and The Forth estuary. It seems juveniles are left in crèches with a few adults in charge whilst most adults congregate to moult. It is noted that moulting is completed by late August. Thus it seems likely they were on a post-moult recce.
- A large mixed party of tits and warblers contained at least one Willow Warbler as well as at least five Chiffchaffs, two of which were singing intermittently. In the shrubby area below them were single Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and Reed Warbler though I am unsure whether these were travelling with the others.
A report from one of the local dog-walkers of a small Pheasant chick found in the grass in the SW area, close to where I flushed an adult four days ago. This seems a rather late date for breeding – well after the so-called 'Glorious Twelfth' (of August for commencement of grouse shooting). I read that pheasant shooting cannot start until 1st October so perhaps they do breed quite late.
Other bird notes:
- Two Greylag and ten Canada Geese stopped off briefly while inbound.
- Back to seven 'spare' adult Great Crested Grebes.
- A small passage of Lesser Black-backed Gulls with 36 logged passing SW between 06:00 and 06:25. A few groups of up to four birds but mostly singles. Later 12 flew N together. Three of the four logged at the lake did no more than 'gas and go'.
- A single Swift over at 06:25. Any September records of this species are notable.
- Again no large early arrival of House Martins – four from the SW at 06:05 and two more at 06:10. By 06:40 there were c.40 high over the football field and the estate area. Later no more than c.20 over the lake.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 3 Greylag Geese (single with Canadas and duo, all outbound)
- 34 Canada Geese (32 outbound in two group; duo inbound).
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 49 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Feral Pigeons
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 1 Swift
- 1 Barn Swallow
- >40 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 14 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
- *1 (0) Common Whitethroat
- 3 (0) Reed Warblers again
Counts from the lake area:
- *2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese for a while
- 10 Canada Geese, also for a while
- *4 Shelduck, briefly
- 10 (?♂) Mallard
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron
- *17+ 7 (5 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 73 adult and juvenile Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull: three (near) adults and one immature, all briefly
Gulls on the football and academy playing fields c.06:40:
- 97 Black-headed Gulls on the football fields.
- 59 Black-headed Gulls on the academy playing fields.
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
Moths:
- 5 Pale-streak Grass-veneer (Agriphila selasella)
- 1 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer (Agriphila geniculea)
- *1 Centre-barred Sallow (Atethmia centrago): same lamp pole, different orientation.
Yesterday's sallow moth was not present when I rechecked the lamp at c.09:00. Whether it returned or this was a different specimen is therefore unclear.
Other things:
- 10 Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 1 male Chironomus plumosus (plumed midge)
- 1 Orb-web spider, presumed Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 unidentified spider
- *1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman
Insects / other things etc. noted later:
A better morning:
- Large White (Pieris brassicae)
- Small White (Pieris rapae)
- Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- *Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Tapered Drone-fly (Eristalis pertinax)
- *Common Drone-fly (Eristalis tenax)
- 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata)
- *Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)
- *Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
- 1 Pipistrelle-type bat yet again
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Additional flowering plant species recorded for the year at this site:
I noted both *barley (Hordeum sp.) and *wheat (Triticum sp.) growing on the dam. I assume these are escapes from the fields to the E of Castle Farm Way rather than genuine wild flowers.
Three of them on the water.
Quickly off again. All have at least a partial chestnut breast-band. I would suggest the leading bird is a duck and the other three are drakes.
Say ah! The last of the five nesting pairs of Great Crested Grebes have just one juvenile and this is the smallest.
Not my best-ever photo of a Common Whitethroat but perhaps my best-ever September photo of this summer visitor.
One of the many Long-tailed Tits with a big party of warblers and tits.
A juvenile Goldfinch. Will be at least another month before the red face develops.
Oops: too close to this one.
That's better. Zoomed out a bit.
And its other side.
A fresh-looking specimen of Speckled Wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria).
"Behind you!" This Centre-barred Sallow moth (Atethmia centrago) needs to watch out for the spider.
Thanks to a moth expert via Martin Adlam this rather strange insect is another sallow moth (species not able to be determined). It has freshly emerged and is still pumping up its wings. It had gone later. Perhaps it will reappear...
The very small antennae (where are they?) means this is a fly and not a bee. It is a drone-fly and the dark front legs means it is a Common Drone-fly (Eristalis tenax). Note the long tongue poking deep in to the Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris).
A sunny Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis), here on the head of Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris). This umbellifer has finished flowering and the seeds are ripening.
There seem to have more shieldbugs of different species than usual this year. Here is the what is usually most frequently seen – a Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina).
This harvestman was initially rather a puzzle – apart from only having six legs that is. The only harvestmen with long and forked pedipalps are the Dicranopalpus ramosus group. They usually sit flat against their chosen resting spot with the legs all bunched together. Seems this is just one on the move and with legs spread to do so.
Two species here. An ear of wheat (Triticum sp.) and the shadow of a barley plant (Hordeum sp.). Likely escapes from the fields to the E of Castle Farm Way.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:55 – 07:50
(165th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Almost all the geese arrived in one huge group, scattering all the rest of the birds on the open water. I was not well placed to immediately count the arrivals and I suspect some, especially Canada Geese, were already 'round the back' of or inside the island. After yesterday's dominance by Canada Geese today there were more Greylags.
- Only one Greylag x Canada Goose located. It did not match any of the 'usual trio' and is therefore another hybrid.
- The lower number of Coots likely because the arriving geese scattered them in to the nooks and crannies and to the inside of the island.
- Not sure whether the Carrion Crows were chasing the Sparrowhawk – or the other way around. Perhaps they were just enjoying themselves.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 8 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 3 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 7 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *c.227 Greylag Geese: all but one of these arrived
- *1 Greylag x Canada Goose: arrived
- *c.154 Canada Geese: all but six of these arrived
- 42 (26?♂) Mallard again
- 31 (10?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 8 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 62 adult and juvenile Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
On a single lamp pole:
- >20 Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris): all together
nothing else noted
Otherwise:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Bird notes:
- Almost all the geese arrived in one huge group, scattering all the rest of the birds on the open water. I was not well placed to immediately count the arrivals and I suspect some, especially Canada Geese, were already 'round the back' of or inside the island. After yesterday's dominance by Canada Geese today there were more Greylags.
- Only one Greylag x Canada Goose located. It did not match any of the 'usual trio' and is therefore another hybrid.
- The lower number of Coots likely because the arriving geese scattered them in to the nooks and crannies and to the inside of the island.
- Not sure whether the Carrion Crows were chasing the Sparrowhawk – or the other way around. Perhaps they were just enjoying themselves.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 8 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 3 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 7 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *c.227 Greylag Geese: all but one of these arrived
- *1 Greylag x Canada Goose: arrived
- *c.154 Canada Geese: all but six of these arrived
- 42 (26?♂) Mallard again
- 31 (10?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 8 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 62 adult and juvenile Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
On a single lamp pole:
- >20 Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris): all together
nothing else noted
Otherwise:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
A few photos from the mass geese arrival, though I was not ideally situated. Just part of them.
Here two slightly smaller Greylag Geese fly above two Canada Geese.
"Nice tight formation guys".
In the middle the Greylag x Canada Goose – different from any of the usual trio.
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
Of note
- 1 Chiffchaff calling by the upper pool
- 1 Blackcap calling at the lower pool
- 1 Grey Squirrel again
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........