12.0°C > 14.0°C: Early scattered mostly medium cloud. Later low cloud patches, still with some sunny intervals. Moderate SSE wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:38 BST
Priorslee Lake: 04:25 – 05:55 // 06:55 – 09:20
(168th visit of the year)
A delayed start due to rain
Bird notes:
- Another large count of Wood Pigeons overhead, almost all W-bound between 07:30 and 08:00 with a very loose party of c.110 at c.07:55..
- The surviving juvenile from the second pair of Great Crested Grebes was seen on the water for the first time this morning.
Overhead:
- 27 Canada Geese: 15 outbound in three groups; 12 inbound together
- 60 Greylag Geese: 30 outbound together; presumably the same 30 inbound together
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose: outbound alone
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 5 Stock Doves: single and two duos
- 252 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull again
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 4 Cormorants together
- no Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow: flew through
- 10 House Martins
Warblers noted: not too much should be read in to the lower numbers of some species – soaking wet undergrowth limited my exploration.
- 12 Chiffchaffs
- 1 Sedge Warbler
- 1 Reed Warbler
- 3 Blackcaps
- 1 Common Whitethroat
Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 11 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhen
- 49 Coots: adults and immatures
- 6 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 93 Black-headed Gulls: at least two juveniles – same as yesterday
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult
- 1 Cormorant: arrived and departed
- 1 Grey Heron again
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 2 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 White Plume (Pterophorus pentadactyla)
- 1 Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata)
- 1 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)
- 1 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens)
- 1 Small Fan-foot (Herminia grisealis): ** a new moth species for me in Shropshire
and
- 1 Plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- 2 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestmen.
- 2 Leiobunum rotundum harvestmen
Sailing club shelter
- 1 Plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- 2 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestmen.
- 2 Leiobunum rotundum harvestmen
Sailing club shelter
Not visited pre-dawn:
Things seen later:
The dull, cool and windy conditions meant a small haul.
Moths:
- Straw Grass-veneer (Agriphila straminella)
Things seen later:
The dull, cool and windy conditions meant a small haul.
Moths:
- Straw Grass-veneer (Agriphila straminella)
Bees / Wasps etc.:
- Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Female ichneumon sp., perhaps Lissonota sp.
- Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Female ichneumon sp., perhaps Lissonota sp.
Hoverflies:
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
Other flies:
- Unidentified picture-winged fly
- Owl midge (Psychodidae sp.)
- Unidentified gnat species
- Unidentified picture-winged fly
- Owl midge (Psychodidae sp.)
- Unidentified gnat species
Bugs:
- Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina): instar
- Mirid bug, perhaps Plagiognathus arbustorum
- Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina): instar
- Mirid bug, perhaps Plagiognathus arbustorum
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snails (Cepaea hortensis) as ever
- White-lipped Snails (Cepaea hortensis) as ever
Mammals:
- 4 Pipistrelle-type bats
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- 4 Pipistrelle-type bats
- 1 Grey Squirrel
A portend of rain and increasing wind was this red sunrise.
Was reasonably bright for a while.
I found this Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) lurking in the undergrowth pre-dawn.
New for the year is this Common Wainscot moth (Mythimna pallens). I see this species most years.
An ichneumon and with the long ovipositor clearly a female.
Another view. Note the twin spurs in a 'V' shape at the second leg-joint.
I suspect this is a pair of flies mating but I cannot really make out what is going on. A very unusually-marked fly.
A tiny midge with a proportionately long body (or short wings) and striped antennae. No idea of species.
A different specimen of probably the same species.
The large palps and pedipalps on this Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.) identify as a male.
Well this is annoying. I remembered to photograph the flowers associated with the leaves that I recorded as Oxford Ragwort (Senecio squalidus) on Friday. However it is clear that the flower- bracts are not black-tipped so it must be a different species. I am now thinking Hoary Ragwort (S. erucifolius) but I now need to investigate the lower leaves more closely.
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
On various lamp posts:
- 1 Small Grey (Eudonia mercurella)
- 1 Dun-bar moth (Cosmia trapezina)
- 1 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestman.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- 1 Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata)
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:00 – 06:50
(153rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A duck Mallard with three ducklings seen in the open so the number of ducklings will be correct.
- The Great Crested Grebe pair stayed too far away for me to see how many juveniles there are.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc., noted:
On various lamp posts:
- 1 Small Grey (Eudonia mercurella)
- 1 Dun-bar moth (Cosmia trapezina)
- 1 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestman.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- 1 Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata)
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:00 – 06:50
(153rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A duck Mallard with three ducklings seen in the open so the number of ducklings will be correct.
- The Great Crested Grebe pair stayed too far away for me to see how many juveniles there are.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc., noted:
None
Warblers noted:
- 8 Chiffchaffs
On /around the water:
- 18 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 47 (?♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 41 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Tufted Duck
- 2 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 9 juvenile Coots (5 broods)
- 2 + ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Black-headed Gull no juveniles
On various lamp poles:
- 1 Swallow Prominent moth (Pheosia tremula)
- 2 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestmen.
- 8 Chiffchaffs
On /around the water:
- 18 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 47 (?♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 41 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Tufted Duck
- 2 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 9 juvenile Coots (5 broods)
- 2 + ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Black-headed Gull no juveniles
On various lamp poles:
- 1 Swallow Prominent moth (Pheosia tremula)
- 2 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestmen.
Also:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
(Ed Wilson)
- 1 Grey Squirrel
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2020