11.0°C > 17.0°C: Mostly clear early; increasing fair-weather clouds later. Calm start with mist over the lake; light southerly breeze later. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:52 BST
+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a photo today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:20 // 07:30 – 10:00
(164th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Normally the geese go outbound in small groups and return en masse. Today many also returned in small groups.
- A Swift briefly seen again.
Counts of birds noted flying over here:
- 205 Canada Geese: 101 outbound in 19 groups; 104 inbound in 12 groups.
- 51 Greylag Geese: duo outbound; 49 inbound in nine groups.
- 2 Stock Doves: singles
- 111 Wood Pigeons
- 16 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
- 1 Rook
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 13 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Reed Warblers
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 1 Swift: over North side trees 05:50 – 05:55.
- 2 House Martins high over football field c.06:10
Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese: one departed; four stopped off while inbound
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 14 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 83 Coots
- *2 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 58 Black-headed Gulls on the football field area c.06:10: three juveniles. No more than 12 at the lake.
- *1 Yellow-legged Gull: juvenile
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: one adult; three juveniles
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived
On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
Moths:
- *1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- 3 other grass moths covered in dew and unidentifiable
Other things
- *2 European Hornets (Vespa crabro)
- *1 spider sp., probably a Common Candy-striped Spider (Enoplognatha ovata)
- 1 other spider sp. from the Clubiona group
A pipistrelle-type bat was seen flying over the West end at c.05:30. My first of the Autumn.
Noted later:
Butterflies:
- *Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)
- Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus)
- Peacock (Aglais io)
- *Comma (Polygonia c-album)
- *Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)
Moths:
- *Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
- Satin Grass-veneer (Crambus perlella): many
- Pale Straw Pearl (Udea lutealis)
**I did not check most of the grass moths flying today.
Bees / wasps etc.:
- Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
- *Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- *ichneumon sp.
Hoverflies:
- *possible Late Buttercup Cheilosia (Cheilosia albitarsus)
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- *Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum)
- *Stripe-faced Dronefly (Eristalis nemorum)
- Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Dead-head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea) [aka Batman Hoverfly]
- *Common Twist-tail (Sphaerophoria scripta) [was Long Hoverfly]
- Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)
Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- hawker sp. seen in flight before 06:00
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
Other flies:
- Grouse Wing caddis fly (Mystacides longicornis)
- *Red-eyed Eriothrix (Eriothrix rufomaculata)
- ***several unidentified flies
Beetles:
- 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata)
Bugs:
- none
Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Not so pristine as a week ago but Comma butterflies (Polygonia c-album) are always a delight.
A grass moth with a wide pale area, cleanly edged is a Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella).
Many Common Carder Bees (Bombus pascuorum) are looking very pale and worn. Not this one.
A small ichneumon that briefly stayed still-enough for a "grab shot".
A male Plain-faced Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum).
The unidentified species start with this small fly sitting a grass seed-head.
A different individual of the same species.
My what red eyes you have! Apparently another Sarcophaga sp.
This one is broad in the beam.
A greyer species.
Some flies are nectar-feeders. A greenbottle tucks in.
Plane of the day: this is a Diamond Aircraft DA 62 owned by the Morson Group who are major supporters of the Sale Sharks Rugby club - hence 'SALE' in the registration. The '2-' indicates this Austrian-designed and built aircraft is registered in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, probably for tax purposes.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:25 – 07:25
(152nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The immature white Mute Swan seemed to have been forced off the water and was sitting in the lay-by along Derwent Drive.
- Another late record of a Swift flying around. Just one today and that briefly.
- Further to my observation that the 'Merlin' app. does not always get the identity correct: today it suggested I was listening to a calling Spotted Flycatcher though it did quickly identify the calls correctly as a Tree Creeper.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 7 (0) Chiffchaffs
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 1 Swift, briefly
- 2 House Martins, also briefly and distantly
Noted on / around the water
- 5 Canada Geese
- *3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 18 (?♂) Mallard
- [all-white feral duck not noted]
- 27 (>8♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 54 Coots
- 4 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Cormorant: arrived and almost immediately departed.
- *2 Grey Herons
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles around the water etc.:
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 7 (0) Chiffchaffs
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 1 Swift, briefly
- 2 House Martins, also briefly and distantly
Noted on / around the water
- 5 Canada Geese
- *3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 18 (?♂) Mallard
- [all-white feral duck not noted]
- 27 (>8♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 54 Coots
- 4 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Cormorant: arrived and almost immediately departed.
- *2 Grey Herons
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles around the water etc.:
Moths:
- +*1 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer (Agriphila geniculea)
- *1 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata); of the nominate ribboned form
Other things
- 1 Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- *1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni): larvae
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
- fungus, perhaps Peppery Milkcap (Lactarius piperatus)
A Grey Heron practising to be a dancing crane.
My first Riband moth Wave (Idaea aversata) this year of the nominate ribboned form.
A Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes).
The Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is in full bloom now. For some reason this plant, growing all around here, is not found at the Balancing Lake.
Between the lake and The Flash on / around street lamp poles:
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash on / around street lamp poles:
Moths:
- 1 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata)
(Ed Wilson)
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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- *1 Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata)
- +*1 Red Underwing (Catocala nupta)
Other things
- several midges
- 7 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
(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
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Location
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Egret
Common Sandpiper
Common Gull
Hobby
Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)