14.0°C: Early broken cloud and light showery rain. After 07:00 a spell of heavy rain. Light / moderate SW wind. Moderate visibility, poor in rain.
Sunrise: 05:39 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:25 – 06:00 // 07:05 – 07:50
(169th visit of the year)
Abandoned early due to persistent heavy rain
Bird notes:
- The wayward Mute Swan cygnet was even more wayward this morning. It was asleep at the opposite end of the lake from its parents and siblings. When it woke and paddled toward them it veered off and went somewhere else. Everyone was back together much later.
Overhead:
- 136 Canada Geese: all outbound in ten groups
- 6 Greylag Geese: all outbound in two groups: more heard
- 29 Wood Pigeons
- 9 Starlings: together
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 4 House Martins
Warblers noted:
No meaningful count was possible.
Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 13 (?♂) Mallard
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhen
- Coots not counted
- 6 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 147 Black-headed Gulls: at least two juveniles
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 Pale Straw Pearl (Udea lutealis)
- 1 Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)
- 1 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata)
A Pale Straw Pearl moth (Udea lutealis) attracted to the street lights but sitting on the vegetation. Hard to avoid 'blowing out' the markings when close-up under torch light. The brown along the leading edge of the wing and the almost circular mark are sufficient to identify it.
Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 13 (?♂) Mallard
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhen
- Coots not counted
- 6 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 147 Black-headed Gulls: at least two juveniles
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 Pale Straw Pearl (Udea lutealis)
- 1 Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)
- 1 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata)
and
- 1 cranefly sp.
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestman.
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum harvestman
The sailing club shelter
- 1 cranefly sp.
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestman.
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum harvestman
The sailing club shelter
Not visited pre-dawn
Nothing seen later apart from:
Mammals:
- 10 Pipistrelle-type bats
Nothing seen later apart from:
Mammals:
- 10 Pipistrelle-type bats
A slightly different view.
A very plain-looking female cranefly. Without a better view of the thorax I cannot attempt an identification.
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash:
Moorhen calling on the lower pool also included sounds that seemed to be small juveniles. A third brood would be unusual. Too overgrown to confirm.
On various lamp poles:
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestman.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:05 – 07:00
(Ed Wilson)
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Moorhen calling on the lower pool also included sounds that seemed to be small juveniles. A third brood would be unusual. Too overgrown to confirm.
On various lamp poles:
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestman.
(Ed Wilson)
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- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
(Ed Wilson)
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(154th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- No Mallard ducklings noted.
- It is likely the other Great Crested Grebe and juvenile(s) were sheltering from the rain somewhere.
- The single Barn Swallow was my first a few were noted since Spring passage (my previous sighting was on 2nd May). Long gone are the days when this species bred locally on the smallholding across what I still think of as the A5.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow
Warblers noted:
- 1 Willow Warbler: intermittently singing
- 10 Chiffchaffs: one in occasional spluttering song
- 1 Blackcap
On /around the water:
- 14 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 47 (?♂) Mallard
- 40 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 10 Black-headed Gull no juveniles
On various lamp posts:
- 1 Swallow Prominent moth (Pheosia tremula) again
- 1 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestman.
Bird notes:
- No Mallard ducklings noted.
- It is likely the other Great Crested Grebe and juvenile(s) were sheltering from the rain somewhere.
- The single Barn Swallow was my first a few were noted since Spring passage (my previous sighting was on 2nd May). Long gone are the days when this species bred locally on the smallholding across what I still think of as the A5.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow
Warblers noted:
- 1 Willow Warbler: intermittently singing
- 10 Chiffchaffs: one in occasional spluttering song
- 1 Blackcap
On /around the water:
- 14 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 47 (?♂) Mallard
- 40 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 10 Black-headed Gull no juveniles
On various lamp posts:
- 1 Swallow Prominent moth (Pheosia tremula) again
- 1 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestman.
The four Tufted Ducklings are growing fast now, here with ever-attentive mum.
(Ed Wilson)
NOTE:
For Ed Wilson's visit to Venus Pool on 7 Aug 21 click HERE.
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On this day
2020