17.0°C > 16.0°C: Clear early with low cloud arriving from the E by 05:30. Light / moderate E breeze. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:15 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 06:00
(155th visit of the year)
A shorter than usual visit with just a single lap before leaving for The Flash and then away.
Bird notes:
- One or more Swifts heard screaming overhead but not seen in clear hazy sky. Later a single bird low over.
- A small number of House Martins heard calling high overhead at 05:15 but also not visible against the hazy sky
- No Blackbird song heard.
Overhead:
- 4 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Rooks
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 4 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warblers still
- 6 (3) Reed Warblers
- 6 (5) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 10 (9♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- Great Crested Grebes not counted
- 17 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 2 Grey Herons
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
A shorter than usual visit with just a single lap before leaving for The Flash and then away.
Bird notes:
- One or more Swifts heard screaming overhead but not seen in clear hazy sky. Later a single bird low over.
- A small number of House Martins heard calling high overhead at 05:15 but also not visible against the hazy sky
- No Blackbird song heard.
Overhead:
- 4 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Rooks
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 4 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warblers still
- 6 (3) Reed Warblers
- 6 (5) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 10 (9♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- Great Crested Grebes not counted
- 17 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 2 Grey Herons
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla)
- *1 unidentified grey (Scoparia/Mercurella sp.)
- 1 Round-winged Muslin (Thumatha senex)
- *1 Willow Ermine (Yponomeuta rorrella)
- *1 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)
- *1 Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia)
- *1 Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla)
- *1 unidentified grey (Scoparia/Mercurella sp.)
- 1 Round-winged Muslin (Thumatha senex)
- *1 Willow Ermine (Yponomeuta rorrella)
- *1 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)
- *1 Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia)
- *1 Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)
And
- *1 Caddis fly sp.
- 2 Rough-haired Lagria Beetle (Lagria hirta)
- *1 Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- 1 Cucumber Green Orb Spider sp. (Araniella cucurbitina?)
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus agg. [harvestman]
In the sailing club shelter pre-dawn:
- *1 Caddis fly sp.
- 2 Rough-haired Lagria Beetle (Lagria hirta)
- *1 Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- 1 Cucumber Green Orb Spider sp. (Araniella cucurbitina?)
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus agg. [harvestman]
In the sailing club shelter pre-dawn:
Spiders:
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
Other things seen later:
- Hawker sp. Dragonfly flushed at 05:20
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
Other things seen later:
- Hawker sp. Dragonfly flushed at 05:20
Nothing else seen
Later it turned around for another view.
(Ed Wilson)
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-
1 Blackcap singing by the lower pool again.
(Ed Wilson)
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- 1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- *2 craneflies, one a Tipula lateralis.
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- *2 craneflies, one a Tipula lateralis.
There were two craneflies, this one being Tipula lateralis. It is unusual in having a pale line down the centre of its abdomen. The pale mark on the leading edge of the wing is present in several other species. It is associated with running water and of course the Wesley Brook runs through the tunnel. Like many species of crane fly it has a long flight-period from April to October. Shown clearly here are the halteres: in true flies the hind-wings are reduced to small pin-shaped bodies that are used like gyroscopes to help them maintain orientation.
(Ed Wilson)
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(140th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- All the Moorhen juveniles seemed to be out on the water despite the now overcast conditions.
- The pesky Great Crested Grebe back again.
- A Grey Heron: my first here since 28th June.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc., noted:
Bird notes:
- All the Moorhen juveniles seemed to be out on the water despite the now overcast conditions.
- The pesky Great Crested Grebe back again.
- A Grey Heron: my first here since 28th June.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc., noted:
None
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap
On /around the water:
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap
On /around the water:
- 96 Canada Geese
- 38 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose still
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 18 (?♂) Mallard
- 30 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Tufted Duck
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 11 juvenile Coots (7 broods)
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 13 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 1 Grey Heron
On various lamp poles:
- 1 Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 1 Grouse Wing (Mystacides longicornis) [caddis fly]
- 2 other different caddis fly sp.
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus agg. [harvestman]
- 3 Leiobunum rotundum-type harvestmen
Neil Nash agrees with my identification yesterday of the Grey Ermine (Yponomeuta sedella).
(Ed Wilson)
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose still
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 18 (?♂) Mallard
- 30 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Tufted Duck
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 11 juvenile Coots (7 broods)
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 13 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 1 Grey Heron
On various lamp poles:
- 1 Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 1 Grouse Wing (Mystacides longicornis) [caddis fly]
- 2 other different caddis fly sp.
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus agg. [harvestman]
- 3 Leiobunum rotundum-type harvestmen
Neil Nash agrees with my identification yesterday of the Grey Ermine (Yponomeuta sedella).
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2020