15.0°C > 19.0°C: Clear skies. Light / moderate easterly breeze. Excellent visibility.
Sunrise: 05:02 BST
no photographs today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area
A full lap of the Balancing Lake early; then a walk to and around The Flash finishing before I had to leave with a look at the uncut vegetation around the top end of Teece Drive. I intend to show some photos of the last three days at some time.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:15 // 07:35 – 08:00
(171st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a Pheasant was heard calling in the distance at 06:00. It is many weeks since I last heard one here.
- now ten Canada Geese.
- five broods of Mallard noted: broods 1, 2, 4, 5 and seven (not ordered on size of the ducklings). Strangely many fewer adults.
- two Tufted Duck flew over early.
- the Coot count is probably in complete. For some reason they are mainly amassed around the dam area rather than where they usually congregate on the south-west grass. Whether this is because the dry weather means the grass is not providing food or whether they have chosen to exploit the abundant weed at the East end is unclear.
- I did not spend time searching for the adult Great Crested Grebes. The two long-term single juveniles from different broods were noted as was the recent trio. The pair that recently appeared with two juveniles seem to have lost one.
- two Cetti's Warblers were heard calling (not singing) at the same time along the South side. This is the first time since January that I have proof-positive there is more than one bird present. Whether they are breeding or not is a different question.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Tufted Duck: together
- 12 Feral Pigeons: together
- 18 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 49 Jackdaws
- 25 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 10 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 Mute Swans
- 9 (?♂) + 19 (5 broods) Mallard: see notes
- 6 Moorhens
- 79 Coots at least: see notes
- 6 juvenile Great Crested Grebes: adults not counted: see notes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
song now much diminished
- 2 (0) Cetti's Warbler
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (4) Reed Warbler
- 4 (2) Blackcaps
Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
Moths:
$ 1 Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa : moth species #69 here in 2025; last recorded 2021
$ 1 Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa : moth species #69 here in 2025; last recorded 2021
Flies:
1 Muscid fly, Phaonia errans or similar
1 Muscid fly, Phaonia errans or similar
Bugs:
1 Lygus sp., perhaps L. pratensis
1 Lygus sp., perhaps L. pratensis
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
Noted later alongside the top end of Teece Drive:
1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
Noted later alongside the top end of Teece Drive:
Butterflies:
Large White Pieris brassicae
Small White Pieris rapae
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
$ Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
Large White Pieris brassicae
Small White Pieris rapae
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
$ Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
Moths
none
none
Bees, wasps etc.:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Hoverflies:
Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata [Bumblebee Blacklet]
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
Common Spotted Field Syrph Eupeodes luniger [Lunuled Aphideater]
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata [Bumblebee Blacklet]
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae [Migrant Hoverfly; Migrant Aphideater]
Common Spotted Field Syrph Eupeodes luniger [Lunuled Aphideater]
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
none
none
Other flies:
none of note
none of note
Bugs:
Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum
Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum
Beetles:
7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. spectabilis
7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. spectabilis
Amphibians:
Common Frog Rana temporaria
I did not revisit the lake itself after the early circuit.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Common Frog Rana temporaria
I did not revisit the lake itself after the early circuit.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths: [27 species here before today; no additions]
none
none
Other Flies:
1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
9 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
28 midges of various species.
1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
9 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
28 midges of various species.
Arthropods:
7 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
7 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:20 – 07:30
1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:20 – 07:30
(167th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a new brood of six Mallard ducklings notes. No sign of any others.
- back to 17 Tufted Duck which for some reason were flying around.
- two Great Crested Grebes again. One was sitting on a nest site at the top end: the other around the island.
- a Grey Heron present throughout again.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 5 Jackdaws again
Noted on / around the water:
- 93 Canada Geese
- 39 Greylag Geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- 9 (?♂) + 6 (1 brood) Mallard: see notes
- 17 (13?♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Moorhens
- 73 + 8 (3 broods) Coots: one of broods new and not noted previously
- 2 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 1 Black-headed Gull: adult; throughout
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 5 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Butterflies:
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Moths [on street lamp poles and in the grass] [55 species here before today; no additions today]
1 Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella
1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata
1 Black Arches Lymantria monacha
1 Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella
1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata
1 Black Arches Lymantria monacha
Bees, wasps etc.:
none
none
Hoverflies:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Common Spotted Field Syrph Eupeodes luniger [Lunuled Aphideater]
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Common Spotted Field Syrph Eupeodes luniger [Lunuled Aphideater]
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
none
none
Other flies:
numerous different midges and flies
numerous different midges and flies
Bugs:
Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes
Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius
Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes
Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius
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.:
none
none
New flowers for the year:
None
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2007
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 drake Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2007
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 drake Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)