11.0°C > 15.0°C: Cloudy early, breaking after 08:15 with some good sunny intervals. Persistent cool-feeling moderate north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:00 BST
* = a photo of this species today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:20 // 07:25 – 09:35
(109th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Blackcaps seemed to be singing everywhere this morning – as many as when they first arrived.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: two duos outbound
- 2 Stock Doves
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Cormorants: together
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults
- 3 Jackdaws
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 9 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 11 (11) Reed Warblers
- 16 (15) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- no Lesser or Common Whitethroats
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 4 Swifts
Counts from the lake area: it remains very quiet
- 4 Canada Geese: departed as two duos separately
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 28 + 27 (8 broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
On the street lamp poles around dawn: too breezy?
Still nothing noted
Noted later: a moderate breeze kept the numbers down somewhat
+ = my first sighting of this species this year
++ = my first-ever record
Well this won't win prizes. I had one chance at this male Holly Blue butterfly (Celastrina argiolus) before it flew off to who knows where. Only males show the black wing borders. A not infallible way of separating Holly and Common Blue butterflies in flight is that Common Blues rarely fly above shoulder height
At dawn I found this moth. I am fairly certain it is a Large Long-horn (Nematopogon swammerdamella). There are similar species but with the antennae more than twice the length of the wing this should clinch the identity. Not a moth I have ever noted before.
Amazingly this is my first Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) of the year. It was on Hawthorn just outside Simon's garden so perhaps it is one of his bees.
Two insects here. The larger is a species of mason wasp. There are several similar species though studying the photos on Steven Falk's Flickr gallery suggests only male Early Mason Wasp (Ancistrocerus nigricornis) fits the bill with five yellow bands towards the base of the abdomen. The smaller insect looks to be a Yellow Swarming Fly (Thaumatomyia notata).
This is a young male Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) with the thorax and anti-humeral stripe green rather than blue (as it will become in a few days).
This is annoying. At last I have photographed a female of the Syrphus (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis) pair. However I can't see either hind leg, the colour of which is the distinguishing feature between these two species.
A fly that for some reason or other I failed to identify yesterday. It is the dagger fly Empis tessellata recognisable by the striped thorax and red-brown wings. I did check this group yesterday but was under the impression that they were not hairy. It was Martin Adlam who, again, put me back on the right track.
Just a few of the many Grouse Wing caddis fly (Mystacides longicornis) that were dancing over the vegetation at the edge of the lake. The long antennae are just about visible on the middle two.
Sometimes known as the Common Crane-fly this is Tipula oleracea recognisable by the dark line down the centre of the abdomen. Also a female with an ovipositor at the tip of her abdomen.
Don't you just love them? Well I do. Yellow Dung Flies (Scathophaga stercoraria) are so gross they are attractive.
Probably a Common Green Capsid bug (Lygocoris pabulinus). It ran away before I could improve on this photo.
As I walked past a nettle bed dozens of midges scattered and this one flew in to the web of a stretch spider Tetragnatha sp. The spider rushed out and grabbed it.
Well it was a long way away! A record shot of the drake Shoveler. A most unusual date to see this species in the Midlands.
A spotty juvenile Robin in characteristic pose. Until it moults and gets a red breast it is safe from attack by territorial adults.
(Ed Wilson)
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2012
Nedge Hill
2 Ravens mobbing Kestrel.
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Ringed Plover
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Red Kite
(Ed Wilson)
Noted later: a moderate breeze kept the numbers down somewhat
+ = my first sighting of this species this year
++ = my first-ever record
Butterflies:
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- +*Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- +*Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)
Moths:
- ++*Large Long-horn (Nematopogon swammerdamella)
- ++*Large Long-horn (Nematopogon swammerdamella)
Bees / wasps etc.:
- +*Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
+*possible Early Mason Wasp (Ancistrocerus nigricornis)
- +*Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
+*possible Early Mason Wasp (Ancistrocerus nigricornis)
Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella)
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- *Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
- Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella)
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- *Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
Hoverflies:
- Early or Late Buttercup Cheilosia Cheilosia ranunculi (Early ...) or C. albitarsis (Late ...)
- *Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- *Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)
- Early or Late Buttercup Cheilosia Cheilosia ranunculi (Early ...) or C. albitarsis (Late ...)
- *Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- *Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)
Other flies:
- +*Empis tessellata (dagger fly)
- *Grouse Wing caddis fly (Mystacides longicornis)
- Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens)
- *another cranefly (Tipula lunata)
- *Common Crane-fly (Tipula oleracea)
- Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- *Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- *Yellow Swarming Fly (Thaumatomyia notata)
-. *unknown fly
- +*Empis tessellata (dagger fly)
- *Grouse Wing caddis fly (Mystacides longicornis)
- Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens)
- *another cranefly (Tipula lunata)
- *Common Crane-fly (Tipula oleracea)
- Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- *Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- *Yellow Swarming Fly (Thaumatomyia notata)
-. *unknown fly
Beetles:
- Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea)
- Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)
- Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea)
- Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)
Bugs:
- Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)
- +*Common Green Capsid (Lygocoris pabulinus)
- Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)
- +*Common Green Capsid (Lygocoris pabulinus)
Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
- +*flowers of Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor)
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
- +*flowers of Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor)
Probably my best-ever photo of a Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus).
Another for good measure.
A female cranefly, probably Tipula lunata.
There has to be at least one unidentified fly every day. This is one.
Probably the last thing the midge remembers seeing!
My first flowers of Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) this year. Apparently all blue irises are horticultural escapes and should really be categorised as Iris sp. as they are cultivars of the real thing.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:25 – 07:20
(100th visit of the year)
No sight or sound of the Sedge Warbler.
Other bird notes:
- *A pair of Canada Geese were seen with one very new gosling. Just one!
- I can confirm there are now only seven Mute Swan cygnets.
- *A drake Shoveler was unexpected at this date.
- As at the main lake Blackcaps seemed to be everywhere this morning.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (6) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 5 Swifts
- 1 House Martin
Noted on / around the water
- *21 + 1 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 3 + 7 Mute Swans
- *1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 20 (17♂) Mallard: no ducklings
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 22+ 3 (1 brood) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni): it still thinks lamp poles are Alder trees apparently.
Noted elsewhere:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:25 – 07:20
(100th visit of the year)
No sight or sound of the Sedge Warbler.
Other bird notes:
- *A pair of Canada Geese were seen with one very new gosling. Just one!
- I can confirm there are now only seven Mute Swan cygnets.
- *A drake Shoveler was unexpected at this date.
- As at the main lake Blackcaps seemed to be everywhere this morning.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (6) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 5 Swifts
- 1 House Martin
Noted on / around the water
- *21 + 1 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 3 + 7 Mute Swans
- *1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 20 (17♂) Mallard: no ducklings
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 22+ 3 (1 brood) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni): it still thinks lamp poles are Alder trees apparently.
Noted elsewhere:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
Proud(?) parents with their single Canada gosling.
What you again. Loud...
...louder...
...loudest. Now let's see...
...what did you have for breakfast?
(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
2012
Nedge Hill
2 Ravens mobbing Kestrel.
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Ringed Plover
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Red Kite
(Ed Wilson)