17.0°C: A few early breaks in the cloud; then a spell of drizzle between 07:00 and 08:15. A very few bursts of sun as I was about to leave. Light north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility except in drizzle when poor.
Sunrise: 05:20 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: 05:05 – 06:25 // 07:35 – 10:00
(182nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- apart from one Greylag Goose that stayed put and one Canada Goose that soon departed any other overnighting geese had left before I arrived. Upon my return from The Flash geese were still arriving with eventually 68 Canada Geese and 10 Greylag Geese present.
- two groups of four well-grown Mallard ducklings seen. I may have logged these previously with the adults as had they been on the grass I doubt I could have recognised them as anything other than adults.
- the duck Pochard still here.
- only three juvenile Great Crested Grebes found during the poor visibility. One full-grown juvenile from the second brood: and just two of the trio from the third brood.
- a lone Blackbird still singing away.
- early on a Cetti's Warbler was calling along the South side with a bird simultaneously heard singing along the North side. This was the first song I have heard since 10 July. Later two birds were calling along the North side.
- two Garden Warblers were heard calling and seen in flight along the South side. I presume from a second brood of a nesting pair here.
- *a Lesser Whitethroat was seen at the West end with two birds, probably of this species, heard calling close-by. It suggests this skulking species stayed to breed even though I have neither seen nor heard it since mid-April.
- during my attempt to find the calling warblers I heard a tit calling just twice. I was using the Merlin app to see whether it could confirm the warblers' identity (it couldn't) and it thought the tit was a Willow Tit. I am fairly sure it wasn't and I suspect it was a Marsh Tit. I have decided to "let it go".
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: two duos outbound
- 6 Greylag Geese: outbound together
- 99(!) Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 10 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 75 Jackdaws
- 37 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 68 Canada Geese: see notes
- 10 Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 28 (?♂) + 8 (2 broods) Mallard: see notes
- 9+ 3 (2 dependent broods) Moorhens
- 107 Coots
- 5 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls only: no juveniles
- 5 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- *2 Grey Herons
Hirundines etc. noted:
- House Martin(s) heard high overhead at 05:10: nothing seen
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 3? (1) Cetti's Warblers: see notes
- 10 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (0) Reed Warblers
- 6 (0) Blackcaps
- 2 (0) Garden Warblers: see notes
- *3? (0) Lesser Whitethroats: see notes
Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
Nothing at all
Noted later:
A few things starting to emerge as the sun broke through briefly
Noted later:
A few things starting to emerge as the sun broke through briefly
Butterflies:
Large White Pieris brassicae
*Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
Large White Pieris brassicae
*Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
Moths
*8 Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella
*7 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
10+ unidentified grass moths, possibly all this species
1 Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis
*1 Shaded Broad-bar Scotopteryx chenopodiata : very faded
*8 Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella
*7 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
10+ unidentified grass moths, possibly all this species
1 Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis
*1 Shaded Broad-bar Scotopteryx chenopodiata : very faded
Bees, wasps etc.:
*Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
*Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
*Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
*Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
Four-winged flies – Lacewings, Caddisflies etc.:
none
none
Other flies:
only unidentified fly species
only unidentified fly species
Bugs etc.:
*Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
*planthopper, probably Eupteryx urticae
Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes
*Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
*planthopper, probably Eupteryx urticae
Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes
Beetles:
7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
Amphibians:
none
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none
none
New plants for the year
None
Little and large. A juvenile Moorhen and two Canada Geese. Note the size of the foot on the Moorhen. How does that fit in to the egg?
Definitely my photo of the day. It is not often a Lesser Whitethroat will pop out of cover for a photo. Most probably because the calls I could hear nearby were juveniles wanting to be fed.
A clever trick if you can do it – a Grey Heron has managed to land on one of the buoys. When I first saw this from a distance in the drizzle I assumed it was an immature Cormorant.
A photo to give some idea of scale with a Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella trying to hide on a flower bud of Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra.
A very faded Shaded Broad-bar moth Scotopteryx chenopodiata right at the end of this species' flight period.
I was berated if I ate my food with my mouth open. No-one has told this Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris.
This Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans was the only damselfly I noted. The blue tail was almost glowing in the vegetation.
A tiny planthopper, probably Eupteryx urticae. There are several similar species and it is difficult to get a photo that shows the precise pattern of the markings.
Another and better(?) view of presumably the same White-spotted Pug moth Eupithecia tripuntaria as yesterday.
Not such a crisp photo. Obsidentify was 100% sure this is a Golden-rod Pug Eupithecia virgaureata. Most pug moths look the same to me: it is the subtle difference in wing shape as well as markings that helps identification.
(178th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- all six Mute Swans present and correct. How could I have overlooked one?
- *another sighting of a single Mallard duckling with a parent. At least half-grown and probably seen before.
- 15 Tufted Duck counted on the water. As I arrived a group of six was flying around and then a lone bird looked like it might be flying away. The island was blocking my view of most of the water and any or all of these may have landed-back.
- only two juvenile Great Crested Grebes seen with one of the parents from the brood by the island. Perhaps the other juvenile was with the other adult – wherever that was? The pair at the top end still had any young unseen on the back of one of the adults.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 32 Canada Geese
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- *21 (?♂) + 1 (i brood) Mallard
- 15 (?♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 7 Moorhens
- 87 + 8 (6 dependent broods) Coots:
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 6 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
Expressing surprise at the camera perhaps?
Not many butterflies around this morning: a Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria at ease.
Perhaps a better attempt at a photo of a Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner moth Cameraria ohridella.
The distinctively-shaped Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
Plane of the day: this is an American-registered SOCATA TB.20 Trinidad, a French designed and built four-seater. Some countries, America among them, do not require the aircraft registration to be painted under the wing. Most American-registered aircraft based overseas are registered to a trustee company: this one is unusual in that its Ruislip owner appears on the Federal Aviation database. Despite that address it was here flying from a small airstrip near Kingston-Upon-Hull to Shobdon Airfield in Herefordshire. It flew back later.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths: [33 species here before today; one addition]
*1 White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripuntaria : as yesterday
*1 $ Golden-rod Pug Eupithecia virgaureata
3 Single-dotted Waves Idaea dimidiata
*1 White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripuntaria : as yesterday
*1 $ Golden-rod Pug Eupithecia virgaureata
3 Single-dotted Waves Idaea dimidiata
Four-winged flies – Lacewings, Caddisflies etc.:
*1 $$ caddisfly Stenophylax permistus
*1 $$ caddisfly Stenophylax permistus
Flies:
8 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
8 midges of various species.
8 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
8 midges of various species.
Arthropods:
3 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
3 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
2 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum
2 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum
A new species for me. A large orange-toned caddisfly covered in light speckling identifies it as a Stenophylax permistus.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:30
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:30
(178th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- all six Mute Swans present and correct. How could I have overlooked one?
- *another sighting of a single Mallard duckling with a parent. At least half-grown and probably seen before.
- 15 Tufted Duck counted on the water. As I arrived a group of six was flying around and then a lone bird looked like it might be flying away. The island was blocking my view of most of the water and any or all of these may have landed-back.
- only two juvenile Great Crested Grebes seen with one of the parents from the brood by the island. Perhaps the other juvenile was with the other adult – wherever that was? The pair at the top end still had any young unseen on the back of one of the adults.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 32 Canada Geese
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 6 Mute Swans
- *21 (?♂) + 1 (i brood) Mallard
- 15 (?♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 7 Moorhens
- 87 + 8 (6 dependent broods) Coots:
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 6 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 3 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 3 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Butterflies:
none
none
Moths [on street lamp poles and in the grass] [60 species here before today: no additions]
1 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
1 Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata
*1 Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula
1 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
1 Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata
*1 Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula
Bees, wasps etc.:
none
none
Hoverflies:
none
none
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
none
none
Four-winged flies – Lacewings, Caddisflies etc.:
none
none
Other flies:
*$$ fruit fly Anomoia purmunda (also also known as Phagocarpus purmundus)
only unidentified fly species
*$$ fruit fly Anomoia purmunda (also also known as Phagocarpus purmundus)
only unidentified fly species
Bugs etc.:
none
none
Beetles:
none
none
Arthropods:
none
none
Slugs / snails etc.:
*1 White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
*1 White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
8 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum
*2 harvestmen Opilio canestrinii
After several days with Swallow Prominent moths Pheosia tremula on street lamp poles at the top end I found none yesterday. Today this one was at the South end near the Medical Practice.
I can certainly agree with Obsidentify here: "unknown moth species". The spider that has entrapped it is also unknown.
Another new species for me. This a mating pair of fruit flies Anomoia purmunda. The female lays her eggs in unripe haws (hawthorn berries). Strangely the larger fly on top, which I therefore assume is the male, has its eyes more widely separated than those of the female. This is opposite to that found on hoverflies.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Willow Tit
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
8 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum
*2 harvestmen Opilio canestrinii
The duck Mallard with her lone duckling.
A White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
A harvestman Opilio canestrinii
(Ed Wilson)
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2013
Priorslee Lake
Willow Tit
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)