17.0°C > 21.0°C: Once again not the wall-to-wall clear forecast. Mostly cloudy at medium / high level. A shower to the West produced a few spots c.06:10. Very light easterly wind after calm start. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:47 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 – 06:40 // 07:35 – 09:55
(198th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- many fewer geese noted: the smaller numbers were late out and probably late back after I departed.
- four Canada Geese were on the water at dawn leaving to the East. Just 39 flew outbound in six groups. A trio flew inbound. Only three pitched back in the water.
- the usual single Greylag Goose was present throughout. No others were present at dawn. None was seen flying outbound. Eight flew inbound together. Another 25 pitched back in the water.
- no Gadwall seen.
- the duck Pochard was still present.
- several sizeable groups of mainly Lesser Black-backed Gulls stopped off for a wash and a drink.
-*two Grey Herons again and for a short while both were standing on buoys.
- a single Swift made a "blink and you will miss it" appearance over the dam at 05:50 and was presumably one of the four over North side trees at 06:00.
- four House Martin were high overhead the lake at 08:25 with at least 14 overhead at 08:40.
- at least 35 Goldfinches were at the West end.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 42 Canada Geese: 39 outbound: three inbound: see notes
- 8 Greylag Geese: all inbound: see notes
- 7 Feral Pigeons: excludes the 23 flying around and around over the estate
- 1 Stock Dove
- 99 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 41 Jackdaws
- 138 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 (or 7) Canada Geese: see notes
- 25 Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- no Gadwall
- 39 (♂?) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 9 + 1 (1 dependent brood) Moorhens
- 116 adult and juvenile Coots
- 6 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 23 Black-headed Gulls: no confirmed juveniles
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 77 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- *2 Grey Herons
- 1 Kingfisher: heard only
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts
- 14+ House Martins
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- no Cetti's Warbler
- 9 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Reed Warblers
- 5 (0) Blackcaps
Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
Moths:
- *1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
- *1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 unidentified sawfly
- 1 unidentified sawfly
Flies:
- *1 Muscid fly, possibly House-fly Musca domestica
- *1 Muscid fly, possibly House-fly Musca domestica
Bugs:
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 unidentified spider
Noted later:
No sun, warm and humid. Very little activity (me and the insects)
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 unidentified spider
Noted later:
No sun, warm and humid. Very little activity (me and the insects)
Butterflies:
Green-veined White Pieris napi
*Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
Green-veined White Pieris napi
*Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
Moths
1 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [previously Straw Grass-veneer]
1 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [previously Straw Grass-veneer]
Bees, wasps etc.:
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
*Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
*Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
*Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
*Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
Damsel- /Dragon- flies:
*Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
*Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
Other flies:
Greenbottle Lucilia caesar or similar
*Awkward Clusterfly Pollenia rudis
*Sarcophaga sp., including possible S. carnaria
and the usual many unidentified fly species
Greenbottle Lucilia caesar or similar
*Awkward Clusterfly Pollenia rudis
*Sarcophaga sp., including possible S. carnaria
and the usual many unidentified fly species
Bugs:
*nymph of Nettle Groundbug Heterogaster urticae
*nymph of Nettle Groundbug Heterogaster urticae
Beetles:
none
...I can do too. Both this morning's Grey Herons spent some while standing on buoys. There was precious little wind to test their balancing skills.
Apart from one grass moth in the grass this Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella on a street lamp pole at dawn was the only other moth seen.
When I first glimpsed this large (queen?) bumblebee I thought it was carrying a heavy pollen load. Not so: it is just the end of the midriff band.
It is a Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris, the "buff" being the small band between the white tail and the black of the abdomen and clearly visible here. Hard to see "in the field".
Until the last few days Dead-head Hoverflies Myathropa florea have not been common. They are at the moment.
An immature female Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum. There have been many damselflies this year though I have seen very few larval cases on the "boxing ring" where many have clambered up to emerge in previous years.
This fly looks to be a good candidate for a House-fly Musca domestica though a street lamp pole pre-dawn is hardly a "house".
This example of a flesh fly Sarcophaga is less "chequered" than the one I photographed yesterday. This is possibly S. carnaria.
I think I will go along with Obsidentify's 100% assurance this is a nymph of the Nettle Groundbug Heterogaster urticae. Google Lens was equally sure it is a Plant bug Nysius sp., suggesting False Chinch Bug N. raphanus. However that species is not mentioned in NatureSpot and there are very few photos of other members of the genus. Although not on a nettle I can attest that there are plenty of nettles in the area - stinging me while I was picking the blackberries.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
A new species for me. Obsidentify suggested Euphylidorea lineola. NatureSpot describes it thus: "a medium sized cranefly with an orange body and noticeably shaded brownish wings". Seems to fit.
Another new species for me even if not fully resolved. It is a Mirid bug in the Stenodema group, perhaps S. laevigata. NatureSpot cautions against identifying at species level from photos.
(193rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- council workers arrived (c.06:50!) to take away the reported dead goose. I did not see it yesterday and have no idea whether they found it.
- the duck Mallard with the single well-grown duckling seen again.
- both pairs of Great Crested Grebes and their juveniles were, unusually, close together and showing no sign of hostile interaction as they have sometimes done in previous years.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 8 Mute Swans
- 18 (?♂) + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 17 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 87 adult and juvenile Coots
- 4 + 5 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 House Martin
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs
- no Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
none
The Sturgeon moon is definitely waning.
Another winner for the weather apps. Not wall-to-wall clear.
Even a touch of rain – a small segment of a rainbow visible here attests to that.
Anything you can do...
I nearly trod on this Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria before 07:45. It then just looked at me as I took its photo.
An Awkward Clusterfly Pollenia rudis characterised by the short golden hairs on its thorax.
One of the Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp. Not further identifiable from photos.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths: [41 species here before today; no additions]
none
none
Flies:
*1 $$ cranefly, probably Euphylidorea lineola
*1 unidentified mayfly
2 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
17 midges of various species
*1 $$ cranefly, probably Euphylidorea lineola
*1 unidentified mayfly
2 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
17 midges of various species
Bugs:
*1 $$ Mirid bug Stenodema sp., perhaps S. laevigata
*1 $$ Mirid bug Stenodema sp., perhaps S. laevigata
Arthropods:
1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
*2 Garden Spiders Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
3 other unidentified spiders
*2 Garden Spiders Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
3 other unidentified spiders
Inverted for easy(?) viewing. This unidentified mayfly was on the ceiling of the tunnel.
This looks to be the same Garden Spider Araneus diadematus I have seen the previous two days while...
...this is one I haven't seen before. It illustrates the variability of colour and markings that bedevils identification of spiders.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:40 – 07:30
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:40 – 07:30
(193rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- council workers arrived (c.06:50!) to take away the reported dead goose. I did not see it yesterday and have no idea whether they found it.
- the duck Mallard with the single well-grown duckling seen again.
- both pairs of Great Crested Grebes and their juveniles were, unusually, close together and showing no sign of hostile interaction as they have sometimes done in previous years.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 8 Mute Swans
- 18 (?♂) + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 17 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 87 adult and juvenile Coots
- 4 + 5 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 House Martin
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs
- no Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Moths:
none
none
Bees, wasps etc.:
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Hoverflies:
*Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
*Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
4 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
A juvenile Wood Pigeons. At this age they lack the white neck patch. They can be separated from other pigeons by the white on the bend in the wing.
Very few insects here but I did find this female Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare with the abdomen markings just about visible through her folded wings.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Sandpipers
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Ruddy Duck
1 Common Sandpiper
>50 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Egret
(Ed Wilson)
4 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Sandpipers
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Ruddy Duck
1 Common Sandpiper
>50 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Egret
(Ed Wilson)