16.0°C > 21.0°C: A few wisps of high cloud otherwise wall-to-wall sun. Very light wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:00 BST
Photographs later
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area
A short report today with once around the Balancing Lake and once around The Flash not stopping for much en route. Some photos later – maybe.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:15
(169th visit of the year)
Bird notes
From a single walk around:
- all the Canada Geese now gone.
- just three groups of Mallard ducklings seen: a single; a group of four; and another of seven.
- a single Swift again.
- the Cetti's Warbler was only heard calling.
- no Garden Warblers or Common Whitethroats seen or heard.
- 33 Starlings were on the academy's own playing field at 05:55
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Stock Doves
- 34 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 62 Jackdaws
- 48 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- no Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 Mute Swans
- 20 (?♂) + 12 (3 broods) Mallard: see notes
- 3 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- Great Crested Grebes not counted
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Swift again
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (0) Cetti's Warbler
- 10 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers
- 9 (7) Blackcaps
- no Garden Warblers
- no Common Whitethroats
Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
- all the Canada Geese now gone.
- just three groups of Mallard ducklings seen: a single; a group of four; and another of seven.
- a single Swift again.
- the Cetti's Warbler was only heard calling.
- no Garden Warblers or Common Whitethroats seen or heard.
- 33 Starlings were on the academy's own playing field at 05:55
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Stock Doves
- 34 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 62 Jackdaws
- 48 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- no Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 Mute Swans
- 20 (?♂) + 12 (3 broods) Mallard: see notes
- 3 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- Great Crested Grebes not counted
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Swift again
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (0) Cetti's Warbler
- 10 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers
- 9 (7) Blackcaps
- no Garden Warblers
- no Common Whitethroats
Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
Moths:
1 $ Common Footman Eilema lurideola [species #68]
1 $ Common Footman Eilema lurideola [species #68]
Hoverflies:
1 Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
1 Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
1 Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
1 Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
NB: yesterday's moth on the lamps was a Common Zebra Moth Helcystogramma rufescens [was Orange Crest] [species #67]
Nothing else noted apart from:
>5 Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella around a different tree to those noted yesterday.
I did not revisit the lake after the early lap.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
NB: yesterday's moth on the lamps was a Common Zebra Moth Helcystogramma rufescens [was Orange Crest] [species #67]
Nothing else noted apart from:
>5 Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella around a different tree to those noted yesterday.
I did not revisit the lake after the early lap.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
NB: on my return from The Flash to retrieve my car a council worker was repainting one wall of the tunnel to cover the "artwork" AKA graffiti. The other wall will be done when his mate returns next week – Health and Safety requires two workers present when the other side of the Wesley Brook is accessed. His brush will not reach the ceiling!
Before the wall was painted...
Before the wall was painted...
Moths: [27 species here before today; no additions]
2 Brown House-moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella : one on the wall; one on the ceiling
1 Early Thorn Selenia dentaria : on the wall for a change
2 Single-dotted Waves Idaea dimidiata : one on the wall; one on the ceiling
2 Brown House-moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella : one on the wall; one on the ceiling
1 Early Thorn Selenia dentaria : on the wall for a change
2 Single-dotted Waves Idaea dimidiata : one on the wall; one on the ceiling
Hoverflies:
1 Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]: on the ceiling.
1 Meadow Field Syrph Eupeodes latifasciatus [Broad-banded Aphideater]: on the ceiling.
Other Flies:
1 cranefly from the Limonid group
7 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
10 midges of various species.
1 cranefly from the Limonid group
7 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
10 midges of various species.
Beetles:
1 unidentified small beetle
1 unidentified small beetle
Arthropods:
1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 small unidentified spider
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:20 – 07:25
1 small unidentified spider
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:20 – 07:25
(165th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the geese were milling about in several overlapping groups and hard to count accurately.
- four of the six Mute Swans were sitting happily together on the island. The other two seemed to be a pair, staying at the top end.
- no Mallard duckling noted and adults remain at historically low levels.
- 17 Tufted Duck again and I thought 12 appeared to be drakes in various stages of moult. Three birds seen in flight as I arrived might have been coming, going or merely passing by.
- the figure of juvenile Coots relates to dependent birds at or near nest sites. There will be some now fully-fledged juveniles mingling with the main group by the island and impossible to separate at that distance.
- back to two Great Crested Grebes with a single at each end.
- a Grey Heron present throughout.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 (?♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
Noted on / around the water:
- 128 Canada Geese
- 33 Greylag Geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- 7 Mallard: see notes
- 17 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 + 3 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 77 + 5 (2 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 8 (5) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Butterflies:
none
none
Moths [on street lamp poles and in the grass] [52 species here before today; three additions today]
>10 Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella [species #53]
1 Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis [species #54]
1 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
1 Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata [species #55]
>10 Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella [species #53]
1 Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis [species #54]
1 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
1 Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata [species #55]
Bees, wasps etc.:
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
none
none
Lacewings, caddis flies etc.:
1 dead caddisfly
1 dead caddisfly
Other flies:
numerous different midges and flies
numerous different midges and flies
Bugs:
unidentified leafhopper
unidentified leafhopper
Beetles:
larvae of Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
larvae of Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
1 female harvestmen Leiobunum rotundum
1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
1 female harvestmen Leiobunum rotundum
New flowers for the year:
None
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Nedge Hill
Redstart
(John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Sandwich Tern
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
5 Shelduck
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Nedge Hill
Redstart
(John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Sandwich Tern
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
5 Shelduck
(Ed Wilson)