16.0°C > 27.0°C: Cloudy. A spell of light rain c.05:35 and again c.09:00. Moderate easterly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:11 BST
* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:10 // 07:35 – 09:10
(176th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a Pheasant was heard calling to the East of Castle Farm Way.
- eight Canada Geese when I arrived: eventually 45.
- four Greylag Geese arrived.
- two broods of two (very well-grown) and seven Mallard ducklings.
- the duck Pochard not noted
- all seven juvenile Great Crested Grebes from the four broods were found again. The true number of adults present remains elusive as parents continually dive for food.
- six Lesser Black-backed Gulls (two adults) were on the football field at c.05:55. There were no Black-headed Gulls there today.
- almost back to historic numbers of Jackdaws and Rooks passing early. A scattered mixed group of c.150 Jackdaws and c.80 Rooks precluded an accurate count.
- I came the closest so far to determining the probability of successful breeding by the Cetti's Warblers. Up to five birds were jumping around mainly inside a bush at the bottom of the concrete ramp. Multiple calling birds were heard. The problem was there was also several Dunnocks in the same bush and I never managed clear-enough views to confirm there were more than two Cetti's.
- Just one Blackbird heard singing and that doing so more or less throughout the time I was in the area.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 10 Canada Geese: a duo and an octet inbound
- 7 Greylag Geese: inbound together
- 3 Stock Doves: a single and a duo
- 89 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- c.200 Jackdaws
- c.175 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 45 Canada Geese: mostly arrived
- 4 Greylag Geese: arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- 33 (?♂) + 9 (2 broods) Mallard: see notes
- no Pochard
- 9 Moorhens
- 102 Coots
- ? + 7 (4 broods) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- *2 Herring Gulls
- 9 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: immature, arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: seen arriving but not noted subsequently
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 Barn Swallows
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 2+(0) Cetti's Warblers: see notes
- 6 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (0) Reed Warbler
- 4 (3) Blackcaps
- no Common Whitethroat
Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
Moths:
*1 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla
1 Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa : on a different street lamp pole to Friday's individual.
*1 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla
1 Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa : on a different street lamp pole to Friday's individual.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
2 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum
Noted later:
Very little in damp and overcast conditions. Also the Common Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium has almost finished flowering depriving many insects of nectar.
1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
2 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum
Noted later:
Very little in damp and overcast conditions. Also the Common Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium has almost finished flowering depriving many insects of nectar.
Butterflies:
none
none
Moths
just three unidentified grass moths flying in to the middle distance
just three unidentified grass moths flying in to the middle distance
Bees, wasps etc.:
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
*braconid wasp sp.
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
*braconid wasp sp.
Hoverflies:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
none
none
Caddis etc. flies:
none
none
Other flies:
*dagger fly Empis livida
otherwise only unidentified fly species
*dagger fly Empis livida
otherwise only unidentified fly species
Bugs:
Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus
Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes
Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus
Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes
Beetles:
*Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
unidentified pollen beetle
*unidentified short-winged flower beetle - family Kateretidae
*Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
unidentified pollen beetle
*unidentified short-winged flower beetle - family Kateretidae
Amphibians:
none
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none
none
New flowers for the year:
None
An adult Herring Gull. Note the white area in the folded wing where some of the feathers are now very worn and bleached. It should just be starting its post-breeding moult.
I think this moth has to be a Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla. It looks wider-bodied than I would expect. I can't find any other plume moth species that would be a better fit.
The same individual. The light and dark areas on the front legs are the same on males and females and are the best separation feature for the less tapered-bodied females from female Common Droneflies E. tenax.
The dagger fly Empis livida here with its tongue sticking well beyond its "dagger" beak to reach in to a Knapweed(?) flower for nectar.
I think this is a short-winged flower beetle from the family Kateretidae. The white bits scattered around my palm are the petals from the flower of Common Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium.
These paired Common Red Soldier Beetles Rhagonycha fulva were racing up the grass stem. It was not clear what they would do when they reached the top. Answer: stop!
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
There were four pug moths on the ceiling of the tunnel and I am not 100% happy with any identification. This was 100% Slender Pug Eupithecia tenuiata for Obsidentify. It does not look "slender" to me.
This was 85% a Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata. The other two, neither of which I could get directly underneath, were no more than Eupithecia sp.
(172nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a single Mallard duckling was on the island.
- a Black-headed Gull was seen to dive down at a Coot feeding a juvenile. Whether it had designs on the juvenile or was just after the food was unclear: the juvenile Coot wisely dived.
- four Great Crested Grebes noted: the "extra" bird was tucked up beneath overhanging trees at the North end of the island. It did not look to be nesting there.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 60 Canada Geese
- 19 Greylag Geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- 16 + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 17 (?♂) Tufted Duck again
- 5 Moorhens [NB: Friday's figure should have read "5 + 1 (1 broods)"]
- 79 + 8 (4 dependent broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Black-headed Gulls: adults
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
A mirid bug Orthops sp. probably Orthops campestris resting on my unusually long but typically dirty finger-nail. In my defence I had been doing some litter picking...
A different specimen. Google Lens want to name it Tarnished Plant Bug Lygus lineolaris but none of the examples on the web of that species are anywhere near so green-toned.
Only small creatures seemed to be out and about. This leafhopper Edwardsiana sp., perhaps E. rosae which is what Google Lens was sure it was. The species is not illustrated in NatureSpot for me to check. eakringbirds.com suggests this group cannot be distinguished externally.
Another creature crawling along one of my fingers is what looks to me a tiny rove beetle. Obsidentify would not offer a sensible suggestion.
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)
Easy to ID this as a male Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax.
Obsidentify called this a braconid wasp. According to Mr. Google "braconids" are small dark "ichneumons" with no strict defining characteristic.
A Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus on the back of my hand.
A Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes at rest on the Priorslee Avenue fence.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths: [28 species here before today; no additions]
1 Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata
*1 Slender Pug Eupithecia tenuiata
2 undetermined pugs Eupithecia sp.
1 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata
1 Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata
*1 Slender Pug Eupithecia tenuiata
2 undetermined pugs Eupithecia sp.
1 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata
Flies:
1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
2 other undetermined craneflies
2 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
20 midges of various species.
1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
2 other undetermined craneflies
2 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
20 midges of various species.
Arthropods:
2 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
2 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
*1 Garden Spider Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
*1 Garden Spider Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
A Garden Spider Araneus diadematus or as Obsidentify calls it "Garden Cross Spider" because of the marking at the front of the abdomen.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:15 – 07:30
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:15 – 07:30
(172nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a single Mallard duckling was on the island.
- a Black-headed Gull was seen to dive down at a Coot feeding a juvenile. Whether it had designs on the juvenile or was just after the food was unclear: the juvenile Coot wisely dived.
- four Great Crested Grebes noted: the "extra" bird was tucked up beneath overhanging trees at the North end of the island. It did not look to be nesting there.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 60 Canada Geese
- 19 Greylag Geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- 16 + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 17 (?♂) Tufted Duck again
- 5 Moorhens [NB: Friday's figure should have read "5 + 1 (1 broods)"]
- 79 + 8 (4 dependent broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Black-headed Gulls: adults
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 6 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 6 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Butterflies:
none
none
Moths [on street lamp poles and in the grass] [59 species here before today: no additions]
*1 Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella
*1 Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis
1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata f. remutatas
*1 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata
*2 Swallow Prominents Pheosia tremula:
*1 Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella
*1 Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis
1 Riband Wave Idaea aversata f. remutatas
*1 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata
*2 Swallow Prominents Pheosia tremula:
Bees, wasps etc.:
*1 unidentified very small ichneumon
*1 unidentified very small ichneumon
Hoverflies:
none
none
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
none
none
Caddis etc. flies:
none
none
Other flies:
a few different midges and flies
a few different midges and flies
Bugs:
*mirid bug Orthops sp. probably Orthops campestris
mirid bug Plagiognathus arbustorum
*leafhopper Edwardsiana sp., perhaps E. rosae
*mirid bug Orthops sp. probably Orthops campestris
mirid bug Plagiognathus arbustorum
*leafhopper Edwardsiana sp., perhaps E. rosae
Beetles:
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
*presumed tiny rove beetle sp.
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
*presumed tiny rove beetle sp.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
4 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
*1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii
New flowers for the year:
None
It has been a bumper year for these Bird-cherry Ermine moths Yponomeuta evonymella perhaps in a very small part by Obsidentify being better at pattern-recognition than I am to separate it from several confusion species. It is the number and layout of the black dots that are important.
Another moth I am not 100% sure of its identity. From the difficult "grey" group I think this a Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis. It might have helped had it not been slightly worn.
Two Swallow Prominent moths Pheosia tremula. I cannot recall seeing two together before. Neither can I recall having seen any on this particular street lamp pole previously even if it is only one pole away from one of two where they usually occur.
A tiny ichneumon wasp crawling along one of my fingers. Given its small size why did Obsidentify not call it a "braconid" as it did a larger ichneumon at the Balancing Lake?
4 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
*1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii
New flowers for the year:
None
Lurking in vegetation I found this Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata.
This is the harvestman Opilio canestrinii. Not a species I note very often.
(Ed Wilson)
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2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)