8.0°C > 9.0°C: Scattered below high overcast. Cloud increasing and occasional light rain after 07:15. Moderate SE wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:12 BST
* = a photo today
An appointment with a 'flu jab precluded a visit to The Flash.
Priorslee Lake: 05:40 – 09:00
An appointment with a 'flu jab precluded a visit to The Flash.
Priorslee Lake: 05:40 – 09:00
(218th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- I counted 153 large gulls arriving from the N / NW / W before it was light-enough to positively ID any. No more than five of these seemed to pass without stopping.
- The passage Jackdaws and Rooks passed over a protracted period. There was no big flock of Rooks as there had been at the start of the week.
- A loose group of 10 Barn Swallows flew S across the football field at c.08:55. I record this species on passage in to October most years.
- A large thrush sp. flew W c.08:10. The flight did not look 'lazy'-enough for a Mistle Thrush. My thought is that it could be an early Fieldfare arriving but I did not hear any call-notes and I could not see enough details to confirm its identity.
Overhead:
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 129 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 112 Jackdaws
- 89 Rooks
- 10 Barn Swallows
- 1 possible Fieldfare: see notes
- 9 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 6 Goldfinches
Warblers noted:
- 4 Chiffchaffs: no song
Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (1♂) Mallard only
- 8 Moorhens
- 75 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.475 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls again
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 153 large gulls: see notes
- no Grey Herons
- 1 Kingfisher
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Bird notes:
- I counted 153 large gulls arriving from the N / NW / W before it was light-enough to positively ID any. No more than five of these seemed to pass without stopping.
- The passage Jackdaws and Rooks passed over a protracted period. There was no big flock of Rooks as there had been at the start of the week.
- A loose group of 10 Barn Swallows flew S across the football field at c.08:55. I record this species on passage in to October most years.
- A large thrush sp. flew W c.08:10. The flight did not look 'lazy'-enough for a Mistle Thrush. My thought is that it could be an early Fieldfare arriving but I did not hear any call-notes and I could not see enough details to confirm its identity.
Overhead:
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 129 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 112 Jackdaws
- 89 Rooks
- 10 Barn Swallows
- 1 possible Fieldfare: see notes
- 9 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 6 Goldfinches
Warblers noted:
- 4 Chiffchaffs: no song
Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (1♂) Mallard only
- 8 Moorhens
- 75 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.475 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls again
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 153 large gulls: see notes
- no Grey Herons
- 1 Kingfisher
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *1 Notch-wing Button (Acleris emargana)
- *1 Notch-wing Button (Acleris emargana)
Other things:
- *1 ichneumon sp.
- *1 fly, perhaps Clusia flava
- *1 'Greenbottle', perhaps a Lucilia or Neomyia species
- 2 cranefly Tipula pagana
- 1 Common or European Earwig (Forficula dentata)
- *3 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica)
- 1 Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
Also noted:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- *1 ichneumon sp.
- *1 fly, perhaps Clusia flava
- *1 'Greenbottle', perhaps a Lucilia or Neomyia species
- 2 cranefly Tipula pagana
- 1 Common or European Earwig (Forficula dentata)
- *3 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica)
- 1 Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
Also noted:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Ahead of the promised rain just a hint of colour in the eastern sky.
By far the best specimen of a Notch-wing Button moth (Acleris emargana) I have seen this year.
This spider has the markings of a Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius) bur is much browner-toned than those I usually see. I will get it checked.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
(Ed Wilson)
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Moths:
None
With:
- *1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
- 1 cranefly Tipula pagana
- 4 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- plus various midges and the usual other unidentified spiders
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2013
Candles Landfill Site
1st winter Caspian Gull
2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull.
(Tom Lowe)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Redwing
Swallow
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Mike Cooper)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Swallow
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)