13.0°C > 14.0°C: Clear start albeit with mist patches in the area. Low cloud soon spread over and apart from a few brighter spells it stayed cloudy. Very light wind mainly from E. Moderate visibility.
Sunrise: 04:49 BST again
*** No time to sort out most of the photos today. There will be no report tomorrow. Will catch up with highlights Friday
Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 05:25 // 06:20 – 09:10
(134th visit of the year)
The contractors have removed the Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) and a few Common Hogweeds (Heracleum sphondylium) as well. Last year I recall they dug them out much earlier in the year then: this year they have chopped them off about three inches above the ground.
Bird notes:
- For some reason the Mute Swans spent almost all the time on the nest.
- Both duck Mallards with broods of three and five ducklings found.
- Swifts not noted before 07:20 with at least 10 present shortly afterwards. These did not stay long.
- Two local Common Buzzards were sitting on a goal post cross-bar on the academy playing field around sunrise.
- A rather unusual sight of a Jay bouncing around on the front lawn of a house in Teece Drive.
Overhead:
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: ages not determined
- 6 Cormorants: together
- 2 Jackdaws again
- 2 Rooks
- 3 Starlings
Hirundines etc., noted:
- >10 Swifts
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 13 (12) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 8 (7) Reed Warblers
- 11 (11) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warblers
- 2 (2) Common Whitethroats yet again
Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 9 (7♂) + 8 (2 broods) Mallard
- 3 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 34 + 16 (7 broods) Coots again
- 1 Black-headed Gull: adult briefly on football field
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Grey Heron: again it soon departed
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- 1 Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli): a female of the form humuli dead in a spider's clutches.
- 1 Plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides cornutus) eating the moth?
Noted later today:
***Mainly a list of confirmed sightings. I have a number of photos yet to check. I will provided a separate entry on Friday on any additions.
Butterflies:
- Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
- Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
Moths:
- Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
- Timothy Tortrix (Zelotherses paleana)
- Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)
- Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella): dozens
- Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
- Timothy Tortrix (Zelotherses paleana)
- Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)
- Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella): dozens
Bees/Wasps etc.:
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Tiger Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus)
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Tiger Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus)
Damselflies:
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
Other Flies:
- Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- Grouse Wing (Mystacides longicornis) [caddis fly]
- Black Bean Aphid (Aphis fabae)
- Large Thistle Aphid (Uroleucon cirsii)
- Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- Grouse Wing (Mystacides longicornis) [caddis fly]
- Black Bean Aphid (Aphis fabae)
- Large Thistle Aphid (Uroleucon cirsii)
Beetles:
- as yet unidentified species
- as yet unidentified species
Bugs:
- as yet unidentified species
- as yet unidentified species
Spiders:
- Crab spider Philodromus sp
- Money spider perhaps Walckenaeria acuminata
- Crab spider Philodromus sp
- Money spider perhaps Walckenaeria acuminata
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- one as yet to be identified
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- one as yet to be identified
Not seen the moon too often recently.
The sunrise, such as it was. It soon clouded over.
This is a Small Fleck-winged Snipefly (Rhagio lineola).
I cannot provide any ID for this small snail. Most glass snails are black and my best guess would be a young Brown-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis).
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash:
- The Chiffchaff intermittently singing alongside the lower pool.
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Between the lake and The Flash:
- The Chiffchaff intermittently singing alongside the lower pool.
On the roof of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 05:30 – 06:15
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The Flash: 05:30 – 06:15
(119th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A new brood of six Mallard ducklings. Yesterday's singleton not located.
- The Tufted Ducks are now beginning to moult and it is becoming difficult to sex some of them.
- Two juvenile Coot were seen in the nest alongside Derwent Drive; the well-grown juvenile was by the nest next to one of the bridges; and another well-grown juvenile was by the island.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc., noted:
Bird notes:
- A new brood of six Mallard ducklings. Yesterday's singleton not located.
- The Tufted Ducks are now beginning to moult and it is becoming difficult to sex some of them.
- Two juvenile Coot were seen in the nest alongside Derwent Drive; the well-grown juvenile was by the nest next to one of the bridges; and another well-grown juvenile was by the island.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc., noted:
None
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (3) Blackcaps
On /around the water:
- 131 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 31 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 25 (16♂) + 6 (1 brood) Mallard
- 19 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 + 3 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 4 juvenile Coots (3 broods): see notes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only located
Also noted:
- 1 Small Fan-footed Wave moth (Idaea biselata) on the same street lamp pole as yesterday though differently positioned.
- 1 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) on a 'Scoop The Poop' sign.
- 1 Engrailed moth (Ectropis crepuscularia) on another street lamp pole.
I forgot to check the St John's Wort (Hypericum sp.) in squirrel alley.
(Ed Wilson)
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (3) Blackcaps
On /around the water:
- 131 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 31 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 25 (16♂) + 6 (1 brood) Mallard
- 19 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 + 3 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 4 juvenile Coots (3 broods): see notes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only located
Also noted:
- 1 Small Fan-footed Wave moth (Idaea biselata) on the same street lamp pole as yesterday though differently positioned.
- 1 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) on a 'Scoop The Poop' sign.
- 1 Engrailed moth (Ectropis crepuscularia) on another street lamp pole.
I forgot to check the St John's Wort (Hypericum sp.) in squirrel alley.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2020