14.0°C: A high overcast with variable amounts of cloud below. Often dull. Storm Agnes failed to produce any gales and it was almost calm around dawn. A light / moderate southerly breeze later. Very Good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:06 BST
+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today
Highlights today were:
- A juvenile Mediterranean Gull, moulting in to first-winter, at the lake. My first record here this year: bird species #96
- A Lesser Redpoll fly-over at The Flash. Also my first record at the site this year: bird species #75
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:30 – 09:20
(198th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A Tawny Owl was calling from the Ricoh copse at 05:30.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Canada Geese: South together 06:45
- 68 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 22 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 22 Jackdaws
- 145 Rooks
- 3 Pied Wagtails
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 7 Barn Swallows: six flew south-west 08:20; 1 flew South 09:00
- ? House Martins: heard high to North of the football field 07:20 but not seen
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: two arrived together 06:45; a third arrived and departed several times later
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 118 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.125 Black-headed Gulls: 96 counted on the football field c.07:20. At least 24 more on the lake at that time.
- 7 Herring Gulls: one (near?) adult; six first winters
- 61 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived c.06:40 and soon chased away by gulls
On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
Bird notes:
- A Tawny Owl was calling from the Ricoh copse at 05:30.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Canada Geese: South together 06:45
- 68 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 22 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 22 Jackdaws
- 145 Rooks
- 3 Pied Wagtails
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 7 Barn Swallows: six flew south-west 08:20; 1 flew South 09:00
- ? House Martins: heard high to North of the football field 07:20 but not seen
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: two arrived together 06:45; a third arrived and departed several times later
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 118 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.125 Black-headed Gulls: 96 counted on the football field c.07:20. At least 24 more on the lake at that time.
- 7 Herring Gulls: one (near?) adult; six first winters
- 61 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived c.06:40 and soon chased away by gulls
On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
Moths:
- none
Other things:
- 1 fly Dryomyza anilis
- 4 Spotted-winged Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)
- 1 female mosquito Culiseta annulata
- 1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- 1 leafhopper, possibly Ribautiana tenerrima
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
For the third day running I saw no bats flying around. It would seem mild-enough for them to still be around.
Noted later in dull conditions.
- 1 fly Dryomyza anilis
- 4 Spotted-winged Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)
- 1 female mosquito Culiseta annulata
- 1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- 1 leafhopper, possibly Ribautiana tenerrima
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
For the third day running I saw no bats flying around. It would seem mild-enough for them to still be around.
Noted later in dull conditions.
Bees / wasps etc.:
- presumed Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies:
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
Other Flies etc.:
- unidentified flies
- unidentified flies
Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
As an antidote to the dearth of birds and insects I made a note of all the plants that I could find still in flower as we come to the end of September. Many species survive as just one or two battered remnants. With the proviso that I do not pretend to be anything other than a very amateur self-taught botanist (amongst most other things) here is today's list in the taxonomic order of my Flora. It was published in 1989 so it is probably well-out of date with latest taxonomic thinking.
Common or Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Red Campion (Silene dioica)
Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens)
Bramble [Blackberry] (Rubus fruticosus agg.)
Meadowsweet [or Mead Wort] (Filipendula ulmaria)
Wood Avens or Herb Bennet (Geum urbanum)
Bush Vetch (Vicia sepium)
Meadow Vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis)
Black Medick (Medicago lupulina)
White Clover (Trifolium repens)
Hop Trefoil (Trifolium campestre)
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
Imperforate St John's-wort (Hypericum maculatum)
Ivy (Hedera helix)
Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris)
Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)
Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)
Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
Common Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)
Creeping [or Field] Thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Dandelion sp. (Taraxacum officinale agg.)
Common Hawkweed (Hieracium vulgatum)
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
As an antidote to the dearth of birds and insects I made a note of all the plants that I could find still in flower as we come to the end of September. Many species survive as just one or two battered remnants. With the proviso that I do not pretend to be anything other than a very amateur self-taught botanist (amongst most other things) here is today's list in the taxonomic order of my Flora. It was published in 1989 so it is probably well-out of date with latest taxonomic thinking.
Common or Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Red Campion (Silene dioica)
Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens)
Bramble [Blackberry] (Rubus fruticosus agg.)
Meadowsweet [or Mead Wort] (Filipendula ulmaria)
Wood Avens or Herb Bennet (Geum urbanum)
Bush Vetch (Vicia sepium)
Meadow Vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis)
Black Medick (Medicago lupulina)
White Clover (Trifolium repens)
Hop Trefoil (Trifolium campestre)
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
Imperforate St John's-wort (Hypericum maculatum)
Ivy (Hedera helix)
Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris)
Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)
Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)
Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
Common Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)
Creeping [or Field] Thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Dandelion sp. (Taraxacum officinale agg.)
Common Hawkweed (Hieracium vulgatum)
My initial thought was it was a Common Gull but that should not have an all-dark bill.
A thankfully easier-to-identify gull. A first winter Herring Gull.
The long proboscis identifies this as a female mosquito. The banded abdomen is just about visible so this is a Culiseta annulata.
A stretch spider Tetragnatha sp. scuttling in to cover.
The only flower of Red Campion (Silene dioica) I noted.
Another 'one only' was this late flower of Meadowsweet [or Mead Wort] (Filipendula ulmaria).
This is Hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum).
And Creeping [or Field] Thistle (Cirsium arvense).
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:30
(184th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
Warblers noted:
None
Hirundines etc., noted:
Hirundines etc., noted:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 53 Canada Geese: of these 43 arrived in two groups.
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 32 (19♂) + 4 Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 43 (>20♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 brownhead Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 52 Coots
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Noted on / around the water:
- 53 Canada Geese: of these 43 arrived in two groups.
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 32 (19♂) + 4 Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 43 (>20♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 brownhead Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 52 Coots
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Bees / wasps etc.:
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Flies:
- several unidentified flies
Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
Fungus:
- Perhaps one of the Arcyria slime moulds
Also:
Two flowering plants I noted here which I did not see at the Balancing Lake (ignoring apparent garden escapes):
- White Dead-Nettle (Lamium album)
- Honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.) probably Woodbine Honeysuckle (L. periclymenum)
- White Dead-Nettle (Lamium album)
- Honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.) probably Woodbine Honeysuckle (L. periclymenum)
Not enough light! One of the well-grown Mallard ducklings exercises its still-growing wings.
It is clear here how much the wings still have to grow.
Not easy to see: three brownhead Goosanders hauled out on the island.
My best attempt. Identification of fungus is hard. All web sites show perfect, fresh specimens whereas I usually see battered remnants. I think this might be one of the Arcyria slime moulds. This might explain why the last inflorescence vanished quickly.
(Ed Wilson)
Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- none
Other things:
- 1 cranefly Tipula pagana
- 8 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- usual array of unidentified spiders
(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
2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Skylarks
3 Meadow Pipits
26 Pied Wagtails
7 Siskins
2 Redpolls
142 Greylag Geese
320 Canada Geese
Common Sandpiper
45 Robins
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Cormorant
A pair of Wigeon
220 Coots
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
2007
RAF Cosford
Juvenile Gannet flew over RAF Cosford at about 30 metres off the ground
(Martin R Adlam)
2005
Priorslee Lake
3 Redpoll
Siskin
5 Chiffchaffs
Blackcap
Kingfisher
Buzzard
2 Kestrel
Meadow Pipit
(Ed Wilson)