13.0°C > 16.0°C: Mostly cloudy. One or two brighter spells late on. Moderate north-westerly breeze, gusting fresh. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:29 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 – 06:25 // 07:35 – 10:00
(185th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the usual single Greylag Goose when I arrived. Again I am not sure any other geese had over-nighted: if so they had gone. After the usual arrival post-08:00 I noted 86 Canada Geese and but two Greylag Geese present.
- two Mute Swans flew West as I was walking up Teece Drive toward The Flash where I noted them. As far as I could tell they had not attempted to visit the lake.
- two groups of Mallard ducklings noted: two apparently without any accompanying adult; and four with a parent. A higher total of Mallard seen today both here and at The Flash.
- the duck Pochard was out of hiding.
- as in recent days four juvenile Great Crested Grebes noted.
- two Common Whitethroat were together around their breeding site. Ages / sex not determined.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- 3 Feral Pigeons: together
- 1 Stock Dove
- 91 Wood Pigeons
- 19 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 85 Jackdaws
- 67 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 86 Canada Geese: see notes
- 2 Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 29 (♂?) + 6 (2 broods) Mallard: see notes
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 13 + 3 (2 dependent broods) Moorhens
- 107 Coots
- *6 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
...its two siblings (seen here with Coots). I spent a while trying to prove they were from different broods but I could not.
My first Common Marble Celypha lacunana here since 05 July. This fresh-looking specimen is likely from a newly-emerged second generation.
A Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella behaving almost normally - head down on a grass stem. They usually manage to do so buried among multiple grass stems so they cannot be found.
I am getting help with this moth: it may be a Barred Grass-moth Agriphila inquinatella (or Barred Grass-veneer as it was previously known as).
I am also getting help on this moth. My best suggestion is a Small Goldenrod Plume Hellinsia osteodactylus which would be a new species for me. There are several similar species, none of which I am familiar with.
The only damselfly I noted today was this immature female Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum.
An instar of a shieldbug. At the time I thought a Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina but looking at the photo the red around the "shoulders" means it has to be a Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale.
I think this harvestman is a Paroligolophus agrestis despite Obsidentify suggesting Lopopilio palpinalis. It is the characteristic thickening of the legs part-way to the abdomen combined with the pale stripe down the abdomen that leads me to my conclusion.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:30
(182nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- two extra Mute Swans. There was some mild dispute between them but I have no idea which birds might have been involved.
- still no Mallard ducklings seen: it seems the latest brood must have perished
- four adult Great Crested Grebes again. One juvenile in the water with the pair at the top end. The three juveniles from the brood by the island were being fed in the open water.
- I was shown a video taken just before I arrived (thank you Mike) of the Grey Heron chasing away a Great (White) Egret.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Noted on / around the water:
- 15 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- *8 Mute Swans
- 31 (?♂) Mallard
- 11 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 83 + 3 (1 dependent brood) Coots:
- 4 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Hirundines etc. noted:
* = 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 – 06:25 // 07:35 – 10:00
(185th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the usual single Greylag Goose when I arrived. Again I am not sure any other geese had over-nighted: if so they had gone. After the usual arrival post-08:00 I noted 86 Canada Geese and but two Greylag Geese present.
- two Mute Swans flew West as I was walking up Teece Drive toward The Flash where I noted them. As far as I could tell they had not attempted to visit the lake.
- two groups of Mallard ducklings noted: two apparently without any accompanying adult; and four with a parent. A higher total of Mallard seen today both here and at The Flash.
- the duck Pochard was out of hiding.
- as in recent days four juvenile Great Crested Grebes noted.
- two Common Whitethroat were together around their breeding site. Ages / sex not determined.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- 3 Feral Pigeons: together
- 1 Stock Dove
- 91 Wood Pigeons
- 19 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 85 Jackdaws
- 67 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 86 Canada Geese: see notes
- 2 Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 29 (♂?) + 6 (2 broods) Mallard: see notes
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 13 + 3 (2 dependent broods) Moorhens
- 107 Coots
- *6 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (0) Cetti's Warbler
- 10 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (1) Reed Warblers
- 6 (1) Blackcaps
- 2 (0) Common Whitethroats
Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (0) Cetti's Warbler
- 10 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (1) Reed Warblers
- 6 (1) Blackcaps
- 2 (0) Common Whitethroats
Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
Moths:
- *1 $ possible Small Goldenrod Plume Hellinsia osteodactylus: to be confirmed
- *1 $ possible Small Goldenrod Plume Hellinsia osteodactylus: to be confirmed
Bugs etc.:
- *1 mid instar Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale
- *1 mid instar Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders Larinioides sclopetarius
- *1 unidentified spider
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted later:
Another poor log in windy and cloudy conditions
- 3 Bridge Orb-web Spiders Larinioides sclopetarius
- *1 unidentified spider
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted later:
Another poor log in windy and cloudy conditions
Butterflies:
Large White Pieris brassicae
Large White Pieris brassicae
Moths
*1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
*7 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
1 Straw Dot Rivula sericealis
*1 Common Marble Celypha lacunana
*7 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
1 Straw Dot Rivula sericealis
Bees, wasps etc.:
Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus: only one individual!
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus: only one individual!
Dragon-/Damsel-flies:
*Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]: only one individual!
*Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]: only one individual!
Four-winged flies – Lacewings, Caddisflies etc.:
none
none
Other flies:
*unidentified Ensign Fly Sepsis sp.
other unidentified fly species
*unidentified Ensign Fly Sepsis sp.
other unidentified fly species
Bugs etc.:
none
none
Beetles:
none
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none
none
New plants for the year:
None
One of the trio of juvenile (humbug) Great Crested Grebes. It looks significantly larger than...
While this one is, unusually, the wrong way up!
An unidentified Muscid fly that I am sure I have seen and identified previously.
This small fly is one of the Ensign Fly Sepsis group, characterised by the dark mark in the wing. Specific identification requires microscopic examination. The white dots are not markings on the legs but the halteres which all true flies have instead of hindwings.
An unidentified spider at the top of a street lamp pole surrounded by the legs of its victims.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths: [37 species here before today; no addition [one ID still pending]]
none
none
Flies:
1 Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
14 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
17 midges of various species.
1 Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
14 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
17 midges of various species.
Arthropods:
1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
2 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
*1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii
2 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
*1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii
The camera flash has given this harvestman Opilio canestrinii the appearance of having 16 legs.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:30
(182nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- two extra Mute Swans. There was some mild dispute between them but I have no idea which birds might have been involved.
- still no Mallard ducklings seen: it seems the latest brood must have perished
- four adult Great Crested Grebes again. One juvenile in the water with the pair at the top end. The three juveniles from the brood by the island were being fed in the open water.
- I was shown a video taken just before I arrived (thank you Mike) of the Grey Heron chasing away a Great (White) Egret.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Noted on / around the water:
- 15 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- *8 Mute Swans
- 31 (?♂) Mallard
- 11 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 83 + 3 (1 dependent brood) Coots:
- 4 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Moths:
*1 Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula: remains of!
*1 $ Red Underwing Catocala nupta
*1 Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula: remains of!
*1 $ Red Underwing Catocala nupta
Bugs:
*1 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes
*1 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
7 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
*1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii: dead?
Two Mallards, both drakes (the pale bills confirm) in very different stages of moult back in to breeding plumage.
The remains (wings only) of a Swallow Prominent moth Pheosia tremula. Would have made a substantial meal for the spider involved in its dismemberment.
My first Red Underwing moth Catocala nupta of the year. When disturbed the red on the underwing alarms a potential predator allowing the moth time to get away and hide. Moth species #62 for me here this year. I see this species every year, usually only in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.
This looks to be a harvestman Opilio canestrinii. I assume it hasn't wrapped itself up to keep warm and is in fact dead.
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Tern
(John Isherwood)
7 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
*1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii: dead?
Look: eight Mute Swans!
A Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Tern
(John Isherwood)