10.0°C > 12.0°C: Clear to the far East. Increasing cloud from the West. Light drizzle after 06:15. Almost calm. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:18 BST
+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 07:25
(177th visit of the year)
An abbreviated visit ahead of other commitments for the day.
Best bird today was a Little Egret that I flushed off the North Shore. It was not present earlier and I had not seen it arrive.
Bird notes:
- I assume that with the bright super blue moon last evening the geese were able to spend the night feeding in the fields and this is why I did not see any flying outbound.
- Just an adult Great Crested Grebe was seen and no begging juvenile was heard. I forgot to mention yesterday that the adult and the begging juvenile were seen early. Later there was a brief skirmish after which one bird was seen in flight while an adult was noted on the water. I could positively age the flying bird: my impression was of an adult. A begging juvenile was heard only later. This was not in the area occupied by the adult.
Counts of birds noted flying over here:
- no geese
- 1 (?♂) Mallard
- 55 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 unidentified large gulls
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 13 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (0) Reed Warblers
- 6 (0) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 4 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 81 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe: adult only
- 118 Black-headed Gulls: these all on the football field c.06:30; 13 at the lake later
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults, one of which was on the football field c.06:30
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
- *1 Little Egret: briefly
On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 4 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 81 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe: adult only
- 118 Black-headed Gulls: these all on the football field c.06:30; 13 at the lake later
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults, one of which was on the football field c.06:30
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
- *1 Little Egret: briefly
On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
Moths:
- 1 Common Roller (Ancylis badiana)
- 2 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- *1 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)
- +*1 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)
Other things
- 1 Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- 1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
Noted around the sailing club HQ.
- 4 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
Noted in the sailing club shelter.
- *1 Grouse Wing caddis fly (Mystacides longicornis)
- +*1 Walnut Orb Weaver spider (Nuctenea umbratica)
- many Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
Noted later: very little before I left
- 1 Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- 1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
Noted around the sailing club HQ.
- 4 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
Noted in the sailing club shelter.
- *1 Grouse Wing caddis fly (Mystacides longicornis)
- +*1 Walnut Orb Weaver spider (Nuctenea umbratica)
- many Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
Noted later: very little before I left
Beetles:
- adult and larva of Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- adult and larva of Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
The clear skies rapidly disappearing to the East as the red dawn suggests that rain is on the way.
Another 'winner'! A record shot of the Little Egret flying off!
My first Square-spot Rustic moth (Xestia xanthographa) of the year. The second commonest macro moth currently flying according to the West Midlands Moths web site here. [Snout is rated the 30th]
A Grouse Wing caddis fly (Mystacides longicornis) in the sailing club shelter.
Also a first for me here this year: a Walnut Orb Weaver spider (Nuctenea umbratica) also in the sailing club shelter.
Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(Ed Wilson)
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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- none
- none
Other things
- 56(1!) White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- several unidentified spiders
(Ed Wilson)
- 56(1!) White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- several unidentified spiders
(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
Possible Little Ringed Plover
Raven
(John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Nedge Hill
Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Little Grebe
Shoveler
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
58 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)