15.0°C: Low cloudy tended to lift somewhat and even threatened to break as I was leaving – but didn't. Light / moderate ENE wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:16 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 06:00 // 06:55 – 09:00
(156th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Some adult Coots presumably hiding in the reeds? Low number today.
- A second pair of Great Crested Grebes have at least one juvenile. The original pair had both their juveniles on the water this morning.
- A Peregrine blasted through at 05:35 scattering the Black-headed Gull (which I am sure it wasn't interested in) and disappeared.
- The 'new' Sedge Warbler was not seen or heard. One of the breeding pair was seen carrying food, with another seen in flight close-by.
- Two Blackbirds heard in brief song.
- One of the breeding pairs of Bullfinches was seen with at least two fledged juveniles.
Overhead:
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Stock Dove
- 33 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Peregrine
- 1 Rook
Hirundines etc., noted:
- House Martins heard only
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 8 (1) Chiffchaffs
- *2 (0) Sedge Warblers
- 6 (2) Reed Warblers
- 7 (5) Blackcaps
- *4 (2) Common Whitethroats
Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 11 (11♂) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 26 + 14 (8 broods) Coots
- *6 + 3? (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Common Sandpipers
- 29 Black-headed Gulls: 2 juveniles
- 1 Grey Heron
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 White Plume (Pterophorus pentadactyla)
- *1 Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)
- *1 Dun-bar (Cosmia trapezina)
and
- 2 Rough-haired Lagria Beetles (Lagria hirta)
- 2 Candy-stripe Spider (Enoplognatha sp., probably E. ovata)
- 3 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)
- *1 Noble False Widow spider (Steatoda nobilis)
- 1 Walnut Orb Web (Nuctenea umbratica)
Other things seen later:
Moths:
- Straw Grass-veneer (Agriphila straminella)
- *Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)
- Cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae) caterpillar
- 2 Rough-haired Lagria Beetles (Lagria hirta)
- 2 Candy-stripe Spider (Enoplognatha sp., probably E. ovata)
- 3 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)
- *1 Noble False Widow spider (Steatoda nobilis)
- 1 Walnut Orb Web (Nuctenea umbratica)
Other things seen later:
Moths:
- Straw Grass-veneer (Agriphila straminella)
- *Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)
- Cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae) caterpillar
Bees / Wasps:
- *Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- *Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
Other flies:
- Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- Grouse Wing (Mystacides longicornis) [caddis fly]
- Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- Grouse Wing (Mystacides longicornis) [caddis fly]
Beetles:
- Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
- Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Mammals:
- Fox: ran across the football field 05:45
Fungus
- I have been unable to relocate the fungus I photographed on Thursday to update the identification
- Fox: ran across the football field 05:45
Fungus
- I have been unable to relocate the fungus I photographed on Thursday to update the identification
Our nesting Sedge Warbler trying to sneak in to feed its young with a big beakful.
I stood stock-still and it started to move around again.
One more photo and I retreated to let it get on with feeding its off-spring.
A rear-end view of one of the Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestman. The black saddle means this is a female. Those are not eyes on stalks they are the palps sticking out at the front of the insect.
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
- 1 Chiffchaff calling by the upper pool
(Ed Wilson)
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On the roof of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel
Nothing with the wind blowing straight through.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:05 – 06:50
(141st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The four Tufted Ducklings still doing well.
- Some Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the move (also at the lake): what do they know about the coming weather?
Birds noted flying over here:
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (2 more stopped off briefly – see below)
Hirundines etc., noted:
Bird notes:
- The four Tufted Ducklings still doing well.
- Some Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the move (also at the lake): what do they know about the coming weather?
Birds noted flying over here:
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (2 more stopped off briefly – see below)
Hirundines etc., noted:
None
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 4 (1) Chiffchaffs
- no Blackcaps
On /around the water:
- 91 Canada Geese
- 32 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose once again
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 26 (?♂) Mallard
- 35 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Tufted Duck
- 3 + 3 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 10 juvenile Coots (5 broods)
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 30 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: briefly; too scruffy to reliably age though not adults
On various lamp poles
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- 1 Grouse Wing (Mystacides longicornis) [caddis fly]
- 3 Dicranopalpus ramosus agg. [harvestmen]
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum-type harvestman
(Ed Wilson)
- 4 (1) Chiffchaffs
- no Blackcaps
On /around the water:
- 91 Canada Geese
- 32 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose once again
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 26 (?♂) Mallard
- 35 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Tufted Duck
- 3 + 3 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 10 juvenile Coots (5 broods)
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 30 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: briefly; too scruffy to reliably age though not adults
On various lamp poles
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- 1 Grouse Wing (Mystacides longicornis) [caddis fly]
- 3 Dicranopalpus ramosus agg. [harvestmen]
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum-type harvestman
(Ed Wilson)