6.0°C > 14.0°C: Clear skies. Some early mist over the water. Light and variable breezes. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:21 BST
* = a species photographed today. Photos will appear later.
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 06:20 // 07:20 – 09:25
(118th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the pair of Canada Geese still with a single gosling
- the pair of Greylag Geese still with four goslings.
- the pair of Gadwall present early. Later an unidentified duck was seen hastening in to cover pursued by four (?) small ducklings. The brief view I had of the adult suggested the possibility of it being a Gadwall family. Neither adult Gadwall was seen subsequently.
- the duck Pochard in her usual place.
- no Great Crested Grebe juvenile confirmed though the adult was behaving as if one or more juveniles might be riding on its back.
- one Common Sandpiper noted at 05:40 only.
- two Reed Warblers were heard singing from the new-growth reeds alongside the dam-face.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Stock Dove
- 4 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 1 Raven
Counts from the lake area:
- 6 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan: the pen assumed to be hidden away on the nest
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall: see notes
- 2 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard as ever
- 5 Moorhens
- 30 + 11 (5 broods) Coots
- 7 + ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 18 (17) Chiffchaffs
- 12 (11) Reed Warblers
- *13 (12) Blackcaps again
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 18 (17) Chiffchaffs
- 12 (11) Reed Warblers
- *13 (12) Blackcaps again
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *$ 1 Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata : moth species #12 for me here this year
- *$ 1 Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata : moth species #12 for me here this year
Flies:
- 1 plumed midge sp.
Noted later:
- 1 plumed midge sp.
Noted later:
Butterflies:
*Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines : female
*Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
*Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines : female
*Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Moths
none
none
Bees, wasps etc.:
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Hoverflies:
Cheilosia albitarsus agg. either C. ranunculi [Early Buttercup Cheilosia] or C. albitarsis [Late Buttercup Cheilosia]
Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata [Bumblebee Blacklet]
Spring Epistrophe Epistrophe eligans [Spring Smoothtail]
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus
*Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
*Parhelophilus sp., likely P. frutetorum
*$ probable Common Marsh Boxer Platycheirus clypeatus: a new species for me
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
Cheilosia albitarsus agg. either C. ranunculi [Early Buttercup Cheilosia] or C. albitarsis [Late Buttercup Cheilosia]
Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata [Bumblebee Blacklet]
Spring Epistrophe Epistrophe eligans [Spring Smoothtail]
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]
Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus
*Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
*Parhelophilus sp., likely P. frutetorum
*$ probable Common Marsh Boxer Platycheirus clypeatus: a new species for me
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
Alder Flies:
Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella
Other flies
*Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
some more unidentified flies
*Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
some more unidentified flies
Bugs:
Red-and-Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
Red-and-Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
Beetles:
Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
New flowers for the year:
*Charlock Sinapsis arvensis
The sunrise much as yesterday though with different atmospherics meaning no persistent contrails. The aircraft were still there.
A female Orange-tip butterfly Anthocharis cardamines. Here you can see clearly why it is a butterfly and not a moth: it has clubbed antennae.
A battered-looking Speckled Wood butterfly Pararge aegeria. This is a feisty species with strong territorial instincts and males can often be seen sparring and tumbling around. Probably with this result.
At the top of just about the tallest street lamp pole was this Small Phoenix moth Ecliptopera silaceata : moth species #12 for me here this year.
"Only" a male Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax . This reminds me: where are all the Common Droneflies E. tenax this year?
One of two frustrating small hoverflies from this morning. This female with more-or-less square spots could be a Common Marsh Boxer Platycheirus clypeatus which would be a new species for me. This genus of hoverflies is tricky and I need to spend more time with Steven Falk's Flickr collection to be happy.
Here is the other, also a female. The angled yellow marks on tergites (body segments) two and three would normally mean "Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare". But they are much smaller than usual: the mark on tergite one is round rather than the usual square mark: while the markings on tergite four are larger than usual. So...?
Although the marks are partially hidden by the closed wings this is what I expect a female Chequered Hoverfly to look like.
As yesterday one of the Parhelophilus species of hoverfly and likely P. frutetorum. I usually see only one each year. There were at least three today without searching.
From this angle I cannot tell which species of Scorpion Fly Panorpa this is. However it shows clearly both the mouthparts and the "scorpion" tail – the male genitalia.
Obsidentify was 96% certain this is Charlock Sinapsis arvensis. I wonder whether it not more likely to be Oil-seed Rape Brassica napus, a close relative and a crop grown extensively in fields to the East of the lake.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:25 – 07:15
(115th visit of the year)
Bird notes
An addition to my bird species list for here in 2025. While I was photographing a spider I head a Common Sandpiper call and then saw one fly low, the length of the water. I did not see where it came from or where it went to. Species #69.
Other bird notes:
- a Pied Wagtail was again on the roof of a house in Derwent Drive
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan: the other resident presumed to be on the island.
- 24 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 18 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
Hirundines etc. noted:
A may fly in May – and my second: whatever next. Previously I have seen them mainly in October. Species? Well Obsidentify thought Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum and I am in no position to disagree.
A "money spider". Likely a different species to the one I photographed yesterday as that one had white legs.
This tiny critter was making its way up a street lamp pole. I thought a spider which is more likely to be correct than Obsidentify's call of "fungus". Even after editing I can only see three pairs of what might be legs but I am not entirely convinced they might be the "horns" of a snail whose shell has yet to harden.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Great White Egret
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
*Charlock Sinapsis arvensis
A disgruntled-looking Song Thrush.
There is always a branch in the way, though in this instance more like half a tree obscuring a singing male Blackcap.
With bloodshot eye?
Zoomed in...
..and singing away.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
none
none
Flies
3 Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly, Moth Fly or Owl Fly]
11 midges of various species.
3 Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly, Moth Fly or Owl Fly]
11 midges of various species.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
*1 unidentified spider
*1 unidentified spider
A change from all the usual unidentified midges here: an unidentified spider.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:25 – 07:15
(115th visit of the year)
Bird notes
An addition to my bird species list for here in 2025. While I was photographing a spider I head a Common Sandpiper call and then saw one fly low, the length of the water. I did not see where it came from or where it went to. Species #69.
Other bird notes:
- a Pied Wagtail was again on the roof of a house in Derwent Drive
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan: the other resident presumed to be on the island.
- 24 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 18 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps only
Noted around the area:
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps only
Noted around the area:
Flies:
*1 probable Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum.
*1 unidentified Muscid fly
*1 dagger fly, probably Rhamphomyia crassirostris
*numerous different midges
*1 probable Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum.
*1 unidentified Muscid fly
*1 dagger fly, probably Rhamphomyia crassirostris
*numerous different midges
Beetles:
many Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni
many Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
*1 money spider-type
*1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
*1 tiny spider sp.?
*1 money spider-type
*1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
*1 tiny spider sp.?
Unusually a Muscid fly sitting in the shade.
A dagger fly, probably Rhamphomyia crassirostris.
What appears to be a male plumed midge Chironomus plumosus.
A midge with markings on its wings is unusual. It does little to help with identification.
Another unusual midge with a jet black body.
A Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. trying to camouflage itself against the street lamp pole.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Priorslee Lake
Great White Egret
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)