7.0°C > 13.0°C: Clear skies initially with patchy low-medium cloud after 06:30. Moderate / fresh northerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:34 BST
* = a species photographed today.
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:05 – 06:05 // 07:10 – 09:25
(111th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the pair of Greylag Geese still with just four goslings.
- what again seemed to be the same visiting pair of Mute Swans made two attempts to stay but were not allowed to.
- the pair of Gadwall were on the south-west grass by 05:40
- the duck Pochard still present.
- a pair of Tufted Duck was present briefly.
- four adult and two immature Lesser Black-backed Gulls were having their usual dispute on the football field at 06:00. Three adult visited the lake later.
- a Common Kestrel was noted hovering over the field to the East of Castle Farm Way at 05:40.
- significant changes with the warblers today were:
no Sedge Warbler heard
no Lesser Whitethroat seen
- for some reason the local Starlings are not feeding on the football field at the moment and are overflying from the estate toward the East.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair outbound again
- 2 Greylag Geese: a pair inbound
- 1 Wood Pigeon only
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Common Kestrel
- 70 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 2 Starlings
Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese still
- *2 + 4 (1 brood) Greylag Geese again
- *4 Mute Swans: see notes
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 26 + 10 (2 broods) Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes still
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: six on the football field; three on the lake
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 martins flew through 05:40: species?
- 6 Barn Swallows
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 18 (14) Chiffchaffs
- no Sedge Warblers
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers
- 18 (17) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Garden Warbler still
- no Lesser Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat still
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
*$1 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata
*$1 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata
Flies:
several different species of midge.
Noted later:
several different species of midge.
Noted later:
Butterflies:
*$ Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
*$ Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
Moths:
none
none
Bees, wasps etc.:
*Andrena sp. either Tawny Mining Bee A. fulva or Grey-patched Mining Bee A. nitida
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
*Andrena sp. either Tawny Mining Bee A. fulva or Grey-patched Mining Bee A. nitida
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Hoverflies:
Cheilosia albitarsus agg. either C. ranunculi [Early Buttercup Cheilosia] or C. albitarsis [Late Buttercup Cheilosia]
*$ Dimorphic Bearfly Criorhina berberina [Dimorphic Bumblefly]
*$ Broad-barred Fleckwing Dasysyrphus venustus
Spring Epistrophe Epistrophe eligans [Spring Smoothtail]
*$ Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
*Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus [Grey-spotted Sedgesitter or White-footed Hoverfly]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
Cheilosia albitarsus agg. either C. ranunculi [Early Buttercup Cheilosia] or C. albitarsis [Late Buttercup Cheilosia]
*$ Dimorphic Bearfly Criorhina berberina [Dimorphic Bumblefly]
*$ Broad-barred Fleckwing Dasysyrphus venustus
Spring Epistrophe Epistrophe eligans [Spring Smoothtail]
*$ Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
*Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus [Grey-spotted Sedgesitter or White-footed Hoverfly]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
Alder Fly:
Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
Other flies
*$ daggerfly Empis concolor
*cranefly Tipula varipennis
many unidentified flies
*$ daggerfly Empis concolor
*cranefly Tipula varipennis
many unidentified flies
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
none
none
Bugs:
*$ Red-and-Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata
*$ Red-and-Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata
Beetles:
Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
*$ possible flower beetle Dasytes aeratus
Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
*$ possible flower beetle Dasytes aeratus
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
*money spider Neriene peltata
*Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus
*$ harvestman Opilio parietinus
Stepping out are two of the four Greylag Goose goslings. Their stubby wings are evident. Also note how much they have grown as the legs and feet no longer look so out of proportion.
Still collecting nest material? Although the same location I cannot see the white feather in the back of this female Blackbird. Could it be a different bird?
This Andrena mining bee is either Tawny Mining Bee A. fulva or Grey-patched Mining Bee A. nitida. ID is made difficult as it had been feeding in the flowers of Ramsons [or Wild Garlic] Allium ursinum and was covered in white pollen as a result.
This is the hoverfly Criorhina berberina that Obsidentify calls Dimorphic Bumblefly and Steven Falk calls Dimorphic Bearfly. The other form is buff all over. A new species for me.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(108th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Canada Goose numbers returned to a more normal value though nine of them flew off.
- the pair of Greylag Geese had but a single gosling and they were being relentlessly pursued by the cob Mute Swan.
- yesterday's Gadwall no seen.
- no Mallard with ducklings seen.
- can the number of Tufted Duck get any lower?
- two Great Crested Grebes for two days!
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
- 1 Jackdaw again
Noted on / around the water:
- 28 Canada Geese only
- 4+ 1 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan: the other resident presumed to be on the island.
- no Gadwall
- 20 (16♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard x ?
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 5 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Blackcaps
On street lamp poles:
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Nedge Hill
7 Wheatear
2 Fieldfare
(John Isherwood)
Wrekin
2 Wood Warbler
2 Tree Pipit
Pied Flycatchers
Common Redstarts
(Jim Almond)
2012
Nedge Hill
4 Wheatear
Hobby
(Martin Grant / Arthur Harper)
2010
Nedge Hill
20 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Sandpipers
2 Ruddy Ducks
*money spider Neriene peltata
*Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus
*$ harvestman Opilio parietinus
The cob visiting Mute Swan on one of its departures.
The pair here with the pen with the blue Darvic ring in the lead. I cannot confirm it is '7JSS' but I would be surprised if it were any other.
Still no white feather.
Not at all what I was expecting: a Small Copper butterfly Lycaena phlaeas. It is only two years ago since I recorded my first here.
A Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet moth Xanthorhoe ferrugata.
This view did not help either.
This hoverfly is a Broad-barred Fleckwing Dasysyrphus venustus. My first of the year.
My first Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus of the year. I was wondering where this very common species had got to.
And my second showing the abdomen pattern better.
Another hoverfly: a Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus.
A very small dagger fly and probably Empis concolor. All the dagger flies use their beak to such the contents out of their prey. It amazes me that this tiny creature can find prey – indeed that something so small can function at all.
The cranefly Tipula varipennis.
No positive ID for this fly. It may be a female St Mark's Fly or Hawthorn Fly Bibio marci.
Nor for this. I am out of time to do the book-work today.
The same species.
No ID for this either.
Or even this with its battered wings.
The first of what I am sure will be many Red-and-Black Froghoppers Cercopis vulnerata.
This small beetle may be the flower beetle Dasytes aeratus.
The spider on the left seems to be the money spider Neriene peltata. No idea about the other that I failed to notice at the time so have no sharp photo.
My second Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus of the year.
I am sure it is wrong time of year for any harvestman. This is a harvestman Opilio parietinus.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Flies
4 midges of at least two species
4 midges of at least two species
Arthropods:
White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:10 – 07:05
White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(108th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Canada Goose numbers returned to a more normal value though nine of them flew off.
- the pair of Greylag Geese had but a single gosling and they were being relentlessly pursued by the cob Mute Swan.
- yesterday's Gadwall no seen.
- no Mallard with ducklings seen.
- can the number of Tufted Duck get any lower?
- two Great Crested Grebes for two days!
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
- 1 Jackdaw again
Noted on / around the water:
- 28 Canada Geese only
- 4+ 1 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan: the other resident presumed to be on the island.
- no Gadwall
- 20 (16♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard x ?
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 5 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Blackcaps
On street lamp poles:
Flies:
*small midge sp.
*small midge sp.
Alder Fly:
*1 Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
Bug:
*$ plant bug: a male Harpocera thoracica (no vernacular name)
*$ plant bug: a male Harpocera thoracica (no vernacular name)
A small-than-usual plumed midge with one of my less-than-pristine finger nails to give it scale.
An Alder Fly Sialis lutaria with the sunlight shining through its wings.
A new insect for me. It is a male of the plant bug Harpocera thoracica (no vernacular name). Males are very different from females (the species is sexually dimorphic). They only live for a few days.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Nedge Hill
7 Wheatear
2 Fieldfare
(John Isherwood)
Wrekin
2 Wood Warbler
2 Tree Pipit
Pied Flycatchers
Common Redstarts
(Jim Almond)
2012
Nedge Hill
4 Wheatear
Hobby
(Martin Grant / Arthur Harper)
2010
Nedge Hill
20 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Sandpipers
2 Ruddy Ducks