15.0°C > 19.0°C: Clear skies. Mainly light mainly easterly breeze. Moderate visibility and rather hazy.
Sunrise: 06:27 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 – 06:35 // 07:40 – 09:40
+ = 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 – 06:35 // 07:40 – 09:40
(181st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Yesterday three of the four Mallard were drakes. None of the six noted today was a drake. Four of them, rather paler than usual, seemed likely to be fledged juveniles from elsewhere and with their mother.
- Fewer warblers again today. Having got blisters from wet feet yesterday I stayed on dry ground and did not visit all the nooks and crannies.
- House Martins were heard high to the North of the football field at 06:20: two were located although there sounded like more. Later two seen over the estate.
- A Greenfinch at the West end was my first record of this species here for several weeks. Apart from Goldfinches and the resident Bullfinches other finches have been few in number this year.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 51 Canada Geese: 20 outbound together; 31 in four groups inbound
- 6 Feral Pigeons: together
- 55 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 89 unidentified large gulls
- 5 Cormorants: together
- 1 Jackdaw
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets): a bumper morning!
- 16 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Reed Warblers
- 3 (0) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins at least
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- *6 (0♂) Mallard
- 5 Moorhens
- 96 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 171 Black-headed Gulls on the football field c.06:20. Up to 32 on the lake later presumed some of these birds
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
Bird notes:
- Yesterday three of the four Mallard were drakes. None of the six noted today was a drake. Four of them, rather paler than usual, seemed likely to be fledged juveniles from elsewhere and with their mother.
- Fewer warblers again today. Having got blisters from wet feet yesterday I stayed on dry ground and did not visit all the nooks and crannies.
- House Martins were heard high to the North of the football field at 06:20: two were located although there sounded like more. Later two seen over the estate.
- A Greenfinch at the West end was my first record of this species here for several weeks. Apart from Goldfinches and the resident Bullfinches other finches have been few in number this year.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 51 Canada Geese: 20 outbound together; 31 in four groups inbound
- 6 Feral Pigeons: together
- 55 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 89 unidentified large gulls
- 5 Cormorants: together
- 1 Jackdaw
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets): a bumper morning!
- 16 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Reed Warblers
- 3 (0) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins at least
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- *6 (0♂) Mallard
- 5 Moorhens
- 96 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 171 Black-headed Gulls on the football field c.06:20. Up to 32 on the lake later presumed some of these birds
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
Moths:
- everything but...
- everything but...
Other things:
- *1 ichneumon sp. probably Ophion scutellaris
- 2 plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- *2 plumed midge (Microtendipes pedellus)
*1 another plumed midge sp.
- 1 owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- *1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- *1 cranefly Limonia nubeculosa
- *2 springtails Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- *1 Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus)
- *1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- *1 ground beetle Nebria sp.
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- *1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestman
- *1 ichneumon sp. probably Ophion scutellaris
- 2 plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- *2 plumed midge (Microtendipes pedellus)
*1 another plumed midge sp.
- 1 owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- *1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- *1 cranefly Limonia nubeculosa
- *2 springtails Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- *1 Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus)
- *1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- *1 ground beetle Nebria sp.
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- *1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestman
And at this time
- at least five of the larger direct flying species of bat again. Two of them came so close together on two occasions I wondered whether they were making a food pass.
Around the sailing club HQ or in the sailing club shelter:
- at least five of the larger direct flying species of bat again. Two of them came so close together on two occasions I wondered whether they were making a food pass.
Around the sailing club HQ or in the sailing club shelter:
Nothing unusual
Noted later:
Noted later:
Butterflies:
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- *Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)
Moths:
- none
Bees / wasps etc.:
- *Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies:
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
Other flies:
- greenbottles
- Common Crane-fly (Tipula oleracea)
Beetles:
- *Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni); adults
Bugs:
- Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina): instar
Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
The continuing saga of the waning super blue moon.
A hazy sunrise with little to commend it.
A Holly Blue butterfly (Celastrina argiolus) feeding on flowers of Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus).
Here with wings held open sitting on a Snowberry fruit.
A very pale Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum).
Another. On this one the thorax appears green as well.
A Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea).
The striking cranefly Limonia nubeculosa.
A Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus). Not a species I see too often.
Whoever named this species "Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)" was about right!
A Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) even though there is the almost complete absence of any 'cross' - formed by a line across the abdomen towards the front.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:40 – 07:35
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:40 – 07:35
(167th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A duck Mallard appeared with four very well-grown ducklings – well hardly ducklings; more like juveniles.
- Significant increase in the number of Tufted Ducks since yesterday. Some of them seemed very 'jumpy', flying around.
- A Common Buzzard flew low over the trees in squirrel alley scattering the Wood Pigeons. Buzzards have been very scarce in the area this year. Begging juveniles have been heard here and at the Balancing Lake but sightings have been few and far between. Thermalling birds have been almost entirely absent.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Common Buzzard
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 5 (1) Chiffchaffs
Hirundines etc., noted:
None
Noted on / around the water: better visibility than yesterday, but still dull.
- 2 Canada Geese: one of these arrived
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *17 (13♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 76 (>19♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 68 Coots
- 3 + 2 (1 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
Noted on / around the water: better visibility than yesterday, but still dull.
- 2 Canada Geese: one of these arrived
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *17 (13♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 76 (>19♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 68 Coots
- 3 + 2 (1 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
Moths:
- *1 Poplar Sober (Anacampsis populella) micro-moth: to be confirmed
- 1 Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata)
Other things
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestman
Elsewhere around The Flash:
- The fungus I noted growing on the dead tree stump a few days ago is no more.
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestman
Elsewhere around The Flash:
- The fungus I noted growing on the dead tree stump a few days ago is no more.
Another in the lengthening series of "no publicity" shots, here of a Long-tailed Tit.
This is the stump of the tree that three days ago was covered in small toadstools. No sign of them now. The most densely-covered area looks to have been scraped. Most odd.
(Ed Wilson)
Noted between the lake and The Flash on / around street lamp poles:
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noted between the lake and The Flash on / around street lamp poles:
Moths:
- *1 Acleris laterana/comariana
Other things
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestman
This micro-moth is one of the species pair Acleris laterana/comariana, not separable without genitalia examination.
(Ed Wilson)
Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- none
Other things:
- *1 grass bug, most likely Stenodema laevigata
- 31 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- the usual array of mostly unidentified spiders though some of them are Garden Spiders (Araneus diadematus)
(Ed Wilson)
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2013
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Yellow-legged Gull
(John Isherwood)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson))
2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
- *1 grass bug, most likely Stenodema laevigata
- 31 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- the usual array of mostly unidentified spiders though some of them are Garden Spiders (Araneus diadematus)
Thanks to Obsidentify I can I identify this as a grass bug, most probably Stenodema laevigata.
(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
2013
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Yellow-legged Gull
(John Isherwood)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson))
2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)