15.0°C > 18.0°C: Another mixed bag. Clear to South otherwise a low overcast. This produced a spell of light drizzle c.06:00. After c.07:00 cloud began to lift and break with some sun after 08:30. Light NW breeze increasing somewhat. Very good visibility, less so in drizzle but excellent once the sun came out.
Sunrise: 04:57 BST
Apologies: no time to sort the photos at the moment. Watch this space.
Priorslee Lake: 04:40 – 05:50 // 06:50 – 09:35
(156th visit of the year)
I was shown pictures of a Great White Egret taken here by one of the fishermen on Friday 01 July.
Bird notes:
- A lone Greylag Goose flying over was my first since their moult.
- A Common Sandpiper was heard only when it was flushed by dog-walkers and I was not positioned to be able see the water. There may have been more.
- After yesterday's silence I heard two Blackbirds singing today.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Greylag Goose: inbound
- 2 Feral Pigeons: together
- 1 Stock Dove
- 77 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 24 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook again
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts: one very high over 05:20; three high over 08:30
- 1 House Martin
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 10 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (1) Sedge Warblers
- 9 (5) Reed Warblers
- 7 (6) Blackcaps
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 17 (?♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens: all adults
- 67 adult and juvenile Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Black-headed Gulls again: all adults: none on the football field
- 1 Common Sandpiper: see notes
Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella)
- 1 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 Common Emerald (Hemithea aestivaria)
- 1 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella)
- 1 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 Common Emerald (Hemithea aestivaria)
also:
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
Noted later:
New for this year:
Flowers:
- Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
Repeat sightings:
Butterflies:
- Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
- Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)
- Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
- Comma (Polygonia c-album)
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
Noted later:
New for this year:
Flowers:
- Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
Repeat sightings:
Butterflies:
- Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
- Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)
- Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
- Comma (Polygonia c-album)
Moths:
- as yet unidentified micro moth
- Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)
- Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- as yet unidentified micro moth
- Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)
- Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
Bees, wasps etc.:
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Pellucid Fly (Volucella pellucens) [Pied Plumehorn]
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Pellucid Fly (Volucella pellucens) [Pied Plumehorn]
Dragon/Damselflies
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
Other flies:
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
Beetles:
- Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
- darkling beetle Lagria hirta
- pollen beetles as usual.
- Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
- darkling beetle Lagria hirta
- pollen beetles as usual.
Snails / Slugs etc.
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 05:55 – 06:45
(152nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Several groups of geese of both species were flying strongly around the water and some may have departed – hence the slightly lower numbers?
- A Kingfisher was seen again both in the NW area and presumably the same bird later along the East side.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: singles
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 Swifts
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 5 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap only
Noted on / around the water:
- 187 Canada Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 70 Greylag Geese
- 5 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 23 (?♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 15 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 + 2 (? broods) Moorhens: so where were the youngsters?
- 19 + 9 (? broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Kingfisher
Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- 1 Garden Grass-veneer moth (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 click beetle sp.
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash:
- Moorhen(s) heard only at the upper pool again.
- One juvenile Moorhen at the lower pool.
- A Chiffchaff decided to sing alongside the lower pool after several days of being quiet.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- 1 Small Fan-footed Wave moth (Idaea biselata)
(Ed Wilson)
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(152nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Several groups of geese of both species were flying strongly around the water and some may have departed – hence the slightly lower numbers?
- A Kingfisher was seen again both in the NW area and presumably the same bird later along the East side.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: singles
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 Swifts
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 5 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap only
Noted on / around the water:
- 187 Canada Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 70 Greylag Geese
- 5 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 23 (?♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 15 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 + 2 (? broods) Moorhens: so where were the youngsters?
- 19 + 9 (? broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Kingfisher
Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- 1 Garden Grass-veneer moth (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 click beetle sp.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Moorhen(s) heard only at the upper pool again.
- One juvenile Moorhen at the lower pool.
- A Chiffchaff decided to sing alongside the lower pool after several days of being quiet.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- 1 Small Fan-footed Wave moth (Idaea biselata)
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2012
Priorslee Lake
Grasshopper Warbler reeling
(Ed Wilson)