14.0°C > 17.0°C: Clear to the East early otherwise cloudy. Occasional light rain after 07:00. Light south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:05 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: 05:05 – 06:25 // 07:35 – 09:40
+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a photo today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:05 – 06:25 // 07:35 – 09:40
(169th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A continuing dearth of juvenile Black-headed Gulls. There have been reports that many local breeding sites were badly affected by avian flu with both dead birds and abandoned locations.
Counts of birds noted flying over here:
- 72 Canada Geese: all outbound in ten groups
- 16 Greylag Geese: all outbound in two groups
- 4 Feral Pigeons: singles
- 202 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 11 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (0) Reed Warblers
- 3 (0) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 8 House Martins
Counts from the lake area:
- 17 Canada Geese: arrived together
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 90 Coots
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 71 Black-headed Gulls on the football field area c.06:15: still no juveniles. Just two (of these?) noted at the lake later.
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
Moths:
- *+1 Dingy Dowd (Blastobasis adustella)
- *3 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- *1 Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla)
- +1 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata) [my first here this year despite all the others seen in the area]
Other things
- 1 Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 1 fly sp.
- *1 beetle sp.
- *1 spider, probably Missing Sector Orb-web Spider (Zygiella x-notata) [aka Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- *3 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestmen
In the sailing club shelter around dawn:
- *1 caddis fly, perhaps Molanna angustata
- *spiders of at least three species.
Noted later:
Butterflies:
- none
Moths:
- none
Bees / wasps etc.:
- *Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies:
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Common Twist-tail (Sphaerophoria scripta)
Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- *Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
Other flies:
- *greenbottle Lucilia sp. and also possibly Neomyia cornicina
- *plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
- owl midge Psychodidae sp.
Beetles:
- larva and adult of Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
Bugs:
- none
Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *another snail sp., possibly a Wrinkled Snail (Xeroplexa intersecta; also as Candidula intersecta)
...to the lake in time to capture this.
The only bees active were Common Carder Bees (Bombus pascuorum).
This one head buried and feeding on a Buddleia spike.
A caddis fly, perhaps Molanna angustata, in the sailing club shelter.
A sad end but a good photo opportunity of a male plumed midge Chironomus plumosus.
I think this is a Wrinkled Snail (Xeroplexa intersecta). My less-than-clean thumb-nail gives it scale.
This spider on one of the street lamp poles is probably a Missing Sector Orb-web Spider (Zygiella x-notata)
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:30
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:30 – 07:30
(157th visit of the year)
Highlight today was the presence of a pair of Common Teal. This is unusually early for this species to reappear after the breeding season elsewhere.
Bird notes:
- The third white Mute Swan was not seen today. It may have been hiding away inside the island. I noted the adult cob fly the length of the water to settle near where it has been for that last two as if he expected it might be there. I was told that Cuan would only be interested in recovering any injured swan, otherwise they prefer to see nature take its course.
- Only one brood of six Mallard ducklings noted.
- The all-white feral duck reappeared after nearly a week's absence.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Jackdaw
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 6 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
- c.20 House Martins
Noted on / around the water
- 9 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *32 (?♂) + 6 (1 brood) Mallard
- *2 (1♂) Common Teal
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 34 (>7♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 60 Coots
- 5 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Black-headed Gulls: all flew off
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.
Highlight today was the presence of a pair of Common Teal. This is unusually early for this species to reappear after the breeding season elsewhere.
Bird notes:
- The third white Mute Swan was not seen today. It may have been hiding away inside the island. I noted the adult cob fly the length of the water to settle near where it has been for that last two as if he expected it might be there. I was told that Cuan would only be interested in recovering any injured swan, otherwise they prefer to see nature take its course.
- Only one brood of six Mallard ducklings noted.
- The all-white feral duck reappeared after nearly a week's absence.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Jackdaw
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 6 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
- c.20 House Martins
Noted on / around the water
- 9 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *32 (?♂) + 6 (1 brood) Mallard
- *2 (1♂) Common Teal
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 34 (>7♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 60 Coots
- 5 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Black-headed Gulls: all flew off
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.
Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
Other things
- 1 larva of Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- *1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
Elsewhere around The Flash:
Nothing of note
The only Mallard ducklings I saw today were these six with their mother.
A Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus).
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash on / around street lamp poles:
Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
Other things:
- 1 Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- 2 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestman
(Ed Wilson)
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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel
Moths:
- *1 Brindled Flat-body (Agonopterix arenella)
- 1 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata)
Other things
- several unidentified midges
- 17 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger) at least!
- 7 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- several unidentified spiders, one a probable Missing Sector Orb-web Spider (Zygiella x-notata)
- 3 Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestmen
- several unidentified midges
- 17 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger) at least!
- 7 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- several unidentified spiders, one a probable Missing Sector Orb-web Spider (Zygiella x-notata)
- 3 Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestmen
(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
Nedge Hill
1 Redstart
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Common Terns
(Ed Wilson)