15.0°C > 17.0°C: Just a few thin high clouds early though hazy. Misty after 07:00, clearing somewhat after 08:15. Very light easterly breeze. Moderate visibility but poor for a while.
Sunrise: 06:28 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 – 06:45 // 07:50 – 09:00
+ = 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 – 06:45 // 07:50 – 09:00
(182nd visit of the year)
An abbreviated visit so not many insects seen later.
Bird notes:
- There were c.200 Black-headed Gulls on the football field c.06:30: moving around too much to get an accurate count. These dispersed to places unknown but were perhaps many of at least 160 birds that flew in low from the East (with large gulls) at 08:25, though very few stayed.
- 116 large gulls were noted flying East before 06:00 when it was too dark to identify them. 34 of these stopped off at the lake for a wash and brush up. Many of them flew over very low almost as if they had been on the football field.
- At least 80 large gulls (five Herrings and 75 Lesser Black-backs) arrived, as with the Black-headed Gulls, low from the East at 08:25 and may have included some of the unidentified large gulls seen earlier.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 67 Canada Geese: 43 outbound in four groups; 24 inbound together
- 4 (?) Tufted Duck: together
- 4 Stock Doves: single and trio
- 29 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 82 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets): a bumper morning!
- 13 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (2) Blackcaps: very quiet song
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 6 House Martins
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (1♂) Mallard
- 6 Moorhens
- 92 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- >200 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- *5 Herring Gulls
- >*75 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 34 unidentified large gulls
On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
An abbreviated visit so not many insects seen later.
Bird notes:
- There were c.200 Black-headed Gulls on the football field c.06:30: moving around too much to get an accurate count. These dispersed to places unknown but were perhaps many of at least 160 birds that flew in low from the East (with large gulls) at 08:25, though very few stayed.
- 116 large gulls were noted flying East before 06:00 when it was too dark to identify them. 34 of these stopped off at the lake for a wash and brush up. Many of them flew over very low almost as if they had been on the football field.
- At least 80 large gulls (five Herrings and 75 Lesser Black-backs) arrived, as with the Black-headed Gulls, low from the East at 08:25 and may have included some of the unidentified large gulls seen earlier.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 67 Canada Geese: 43 outbound in four groups; 24 inbound together
- 4 (?) Tufted Duck: together
- 4 Stock Doves: single and trio
- 29 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 82 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets): a bumper morning!
- 13 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (2) Blackcaps: very quiet song
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 6 House Martins
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (1♂) Mallard
- 6 Moorhens
- 92 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- >200 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- *5 Herring Gulls
- >*75 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 34 unidentified large gulls
On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
Moths:
- everything but again...
Other things:
- *1 Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- *1 unidentified fly with brown wings
- 1 plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- 2 plumed midges (Microtendipes pedellus)
- *2 wood gnats, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- 1 owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- *1 small beetle, probably Paradromius linearis
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- 1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- *3 Clubiona sp. spiders of very different sizes
- 1 Common House Spider (Eratigena atrica)
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 Walnut Orb Weaver spider (Nuctenea umbratica)
- *2 female Leiobunum rotundum harvestmen
and at this time
- at least four of the larger direct flying species of bat.
Around the sailing club HQ or in the sailing club shelter:
- *1 Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- *1 unidentified fly with brown wings
- 1 plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- 2 plumed midges (Microtendipes pedellus)
- *2 wood gnats, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- 1 owl midge Psychodidae sp.
- *1 small beetle, probably Paradromius linearis
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- 1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- *3 Clubiona sp. spiders of very different sizes
- 1 Common House Spider (Eratigena atrica)
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 Walnut Orb Weaver spider (Nuctenea umbratica)
- *2 female Leiobunum rotundum harvestmen
and at this time
- at least four of the larger direct flying species of bat.
Around the sailing club HQ or in the sailing club shelter:
Nothing unusual
Noted later:
Noted later:
Butterflies:
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
Moths:
- none
- none
Bees / wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies:
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
Other flies:
- greenbottles
- greenbottles
Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni); adults
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni); adults
Bugs:
- none
- none
Also
- stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
The continuing saga of the waning super blue moon. Less moon; fewer craters visible.
Not much of a sunrise.
Another juvenile / first winter Herring Gull from below and...
An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull showing three yet to be dropped outer-most primaries.
Apologies that the nearer bird – a juvenile / first winter Herring Gull – is not quite in focus but the comparison of the upper-wing with that of the juvenile / first winter Lesser Black-backed Gull is diagnostic.
I have been unable to identify this unusual fly with brown wings.
Obsidentify pointed me to the ground beetle Paradromius linearis as the identity of this small beetle.
The largest of what I believe to be three Clubiona sp. spiders.
The medium-sized Clubiona sp. spider apparently munching a midge.
At the top of a street lamp pole was this Walnut Orb Weaver spider (Nuctenea umbratica).
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:50 – 07:45
(168th visit of the year)
A generally quiet morning. Rather misty so all numbers 'best effort'
Bird notes:
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 6 (1) Chiffchaffs
Hirundines etc., noted:
- House Martin(s) heard but lost in mist
Noted on / around the water: better visibility than yesterday, but still dull.
- 3 Canada Geese: one of these departed
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 18 (11♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 59 (>18♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 67 Coots
- 4 + 2 (1 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 6 (1) Chiffchaffs
Hirundines etc., noted:
- House Martin(s) heard but lost in mist
Noted on / around the water: better visibility than yesterday, but still dull.
- 3 Canada Geese: one of these departed
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 18 (11♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 59 (>18♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 67 Coots
- 4 + 2 (1 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
Moths:
- *1 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata)
- +*1 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata)
- +*1 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)
- +*1 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)
Other things
- *1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- 2 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestmen
- 1 White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Elsewhere around The Flash:
- *1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- 2 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestmen
- 1 White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Elsewhere around The Flash:
Nothing of note
Easy to access was this Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata).
The Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa).
Would you believe a White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)? The markings on the shell are very variable.
(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:
- none
Other things
- 1 cranefly Limonia nubeculosa
(Ed Wilson)
Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- 1 cranefly Limonia nubeculosa
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- none
Other things:
- 16 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 6 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- the usual array of mostly unidentified spiders including
Garden Spiders (Araneus diadematus)
*stretch spiders Tetragnatha sp.
- 16 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 6 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- the usual array of mostly unidentified spiders including
Garden Spiders (Araneus diadematus)
*stretch spiders Tetragnatha sp.
Also neatly standing out against the white wall is this stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
(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
2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
2 Yellow Wagtails
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Spotted Flycatcher
(Ed Wilson)