14.0°C > 18.0°C: Partly cloudy with the cloud tending to increase. Light south-easterly breeze increasing moderate to fresh and veering southerly. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:13 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 – 06:50 // 07:45 – 09:45
(211th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- four visiting Mute Swans were still present at dawn with the residents asleep at the other side of the water. Later two of them departed while I was away at The Flash.
- *a pair of Gadwall were new arrivals.
- at least 45 Mallard present.
- no Common Teal found.
- *a duck Tufted Duck was present.
- at least ten Barn Swallows and two House Martins were noted hunting insects over the water. I again noted the swallows making an aerial food-pass to one of the juveniles.
- one or more Marsh Tits were heard alongside Teece Drive.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 43 Canada Geese: 32 outbound in two groups; 11 inbound together
- 60 Greylag Geese: all outbound in five groups [inbounds arrived while I was at The Flash]
- 3 Stock Doves
- 91 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 16 Jackdaws
- 147 Rooks
- 3 Pied Wagtails: together
Counts from the lake area:
- 17 Canada Geese: arrived together
- 6 > 4 Mute Swans
- *2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 45 (♂?) Mallard
- no Pochard
- *1 (0♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens only
- 163 adult and juvenile Coots
- 7 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 45 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 58 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- c.10 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (0) Cetti's Warbler
- 15 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Reed Warbler again
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
Moths:
- 6 Common Grass-moths Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
- 6 Common Grass-moths Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
Flies:
- *1 Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum
- *1 Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 Garden Spiders Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
- *1 possible Furrow Orbweaver Larinioides cornutus [Furrow Spider]
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- *1 male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
Noted later:
Much as yesterday: slightly fewer sightings in the breezy conditions.
- 2 Garden Spiders Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
- *1 possible Furrow Orbweaver Larinioides cornutus [Furrow Spider]
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- *1 male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
Noted later:
Much as yesterday: slightly fewer sightings in the breezy conditions.
Butterflies:
- Green-veined White Pieris napi
- *Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- Green-veined White Pieris napi
- *Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Moths:
- *2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana
- *2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana
Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- *Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- *Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
Damsel-/Dragonflies
- *Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
- *Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
Beetles:
- none
- none
Flies:
- *Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *possible Minettia longipennis
- *Flesh fly Sarcophaga sp., possibly S. carnaria
- otherwise no interesting identified or unidentified flies
- *Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *possible Minettia longipennis
- *Flesh fly Sarcophaga sp., possibly S. carnaria
- otherwise no interesting identified or unidentified flies
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 Garden Spider Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
- *1 Garden Spider Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
Mammals:
- *1 dead Bank Vole Myodes glareolus
- *1 dead possible Pygmy Shrew Sorex minutus
The pair of Gadwall were close together when I raised the camera. They of course promptly paddled off in different directions. Here is the drake still with the orange bill acquired during its moult.
Slightly clearer than the photo I took yesterday is today's photo of a Common Nettle-tap moth Anthophila fabriciana.
Persuading the camera to focus all the way down the trumpet to the stamens of the flower of a Field Bindweed Convolvulus arvensis in order to the identify the insect was a challenge. It proved that the insect feeding there was a female Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare, with triangular yellow markings.
Extending my "latest sighting" date by another day was this male Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum.
And for good measure I saw this darker marked female as well. Not all females acquire blue colouration.
This fly may be Minettia longipennis . That species is characterised by a pale orange tone to wings that extend well beyond the abdomen. I have a slight concern that the antennae look longer than they seem in the photos on the NatureSpot web site.
Both Obsidentify and Google Lens suggested Furrow Orbweaver Larinioides cornutus for this spider. It doesn't look like any of the photos of the species on NatureSpot. So ...
Another spider conundrum. Obsidentify and Google Lens gave different suggestions neither of which seemed entirely correct. Obsidentify suggested Garden Spider Araneus diadematus and I can see why. But where is the cross marking?
This is what a Garden Spider is supposed to look like. Not sure why it is holding its front two pairs of legs thus.
A male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum. These are harder than females to separate from L. blackwalli. The identification feature here is the lack of a white surround to the oculum (the raised eyes that harvestmen have near the front of their body).
Explain this. This is how I found these two dead mammals juxtaposed on the West end path, used by many dog-walkers and joggers. How did they get here?
This is / was possibly a Pygmy Shrew Sorex minutus. Obsidentify suggested (Greater) White-toothed Shrew Crocidura russula but that species is a very recent alien species in the UK and seems improbable. Pygmy Shrew has red-tipped teeth. I did not check!
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
A Small Dusty Wave moth Idaea seriata. It is over six weeks since my last sighting of this double-brooded species so this is from the second brood.
(206th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- *a large group of Greylag Geese flew in containing one hybrid Greylag x Canada and one Canada Goose.
- just nine Mute Swans remain after six departed to the Balancing Lake yesterday.
- *a small arrival of Tufted Duck: five, possibly all fledged juveniles, were noted keeping close together.
- two Cormorants arrived.
- only one Grey Heron.
- four Starlings were sitting on a roof in Everglade Road alongside the path beside the Wesley Brook – at least they were until the Sparrowhawk arrived overhead. An unusual date for Starlings to be around the estate?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- *1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- *5 Canada Geese: of these one arrived in the large group of Greylag Geese; and another together with...
- *1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- *90 Greylag Geese: of these 83 arrived together
- 9 Mute Swans
- 26 (?♂) Mallard
- 25 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 93 adult and juvenile Coots: again
- 3 + 5 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Black-headed Gulls: no confirmed juveniles
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, briefly again
- 2 Cormorants: arrived together
- 1 Grey Heron
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs
- no Blackcaps again
Noted around the area:
- *1 dead Bank Vole Myodes glareolus
- *1 dead possible Pygmy Shrew Sorex minutus
And here is the contrary duck Gadwall.
The duck Tufted Duck was camera shy.
An unusually dark Speckled Wood butterfly Pararge aegeria .
A male Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax here on Ivy which is apparently coming in to flower. This seems to be a very early date – September to November according to Mr. Google. I suppose it is nearly September. The hoverfly does not seemed to be as "tapered" as...
...this one having a rush of blood to the head.
The other end for good measure.
A Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum. Why do I see mayflies mostly in the Autumn and not in May?
A handsome fly: one of the Greenbottles in the genus Lucilia.
A different individual (perhaps even a different species of Greenbottle) tucking in to the Ivy blossom.
"A Flesh fly Sarcophaga a day keeps <what> away"?
This is / was a Bank Vole Myodes glareolus.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths: [43 species here before today; no addition]
*1 Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata: 2nd generation
*1 Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata: 2nd generation
Flies:
*3 unidentified craneflies
4 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
3 midges of various species only
*3 unidentified craneflies
4 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
3 midges of various species only
Arthropods:
3 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
3 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
1 Garden Spider Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
*1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
2 unidentified spiders
1 Garden Spider Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
*1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
2 unidentified spiders
From this angle it is easy to see how the Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata acquired the alternative name of "Silver-sided" Sector Spider.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:55 – 07:40
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:55 – 07:40
(206th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- *a large group of Greylag Geese flew in containing one hybrid Greylag x Canada and one Canada Goose.
- just nine Mute Swans remain after six departed to the Balancing Lake yesterday.
- *a small arrival of Tufted Duck: five, possibly all fledged juveniles, were noted keeping close together.
- two Cormorants arrived.
- only one Grey Heron.
- four Starlings were sitting on a roof in Everglade Road alongside the path beside the Wesley Brook – at least they were until the Sparrowhawk arrived overhead. An unusual date for Starlings to be around the estate?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- *1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- *5 Canada Geese: of these one arrived in the large group of Greylag Geese; and another together with...
- *1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- *90 Greylag Geese: of these 83 arrived together
- 9 Mute Swans
- 26 (?♂) Mallard
- 25 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 93 adult and juvenile Coots: again
- 3 + 5 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Black-headed Gulls: no confirmed juveniles
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, briefly again
- 2 Cormorants: arrived together
- 1 Grey Heron
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs
- no Blackcaps again
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
Nothing else
A group of over 75 Greylag Geese flew in and among them was the single Canada Goose at the top of the photo along with the bird to its right – a Canada x Greylag hybrid. Strangely none of the many hybrids that have been around for many years was among the moulting group of c.250 geese here during July.
Here are four of a group of five Tufted Duck, all with white at the base of their bill and not mixing with the other Tufties. They may well be from the same family and have recently arrived. I have not noticed many immatures / females recently. A Coot photo-bombed the group.
It was alarm-calling Long-tailed Tits that alerted me to the presence of this Sparrowhawk. Their life depends of them seeing it before it sees them. Mine doesn't.
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
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2013
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
3 eclipse Teal
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Greenshank
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Black Swan flew over
233 Canada Geese over
11 Greylag Geese over
123 Jackdaws
234 Rooks
143 Greenfinches
1 Willow Warbler
2 Blackcaps
Cormorant flew over
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
3 eclipse Teal
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Greenshank
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Black Swan flew over
233 Canada Geese over
11 Greylag Geese over
123 Jackdaws
234 Rooks
143 Greenfinches
1 Willow Warbler
2 Blackcaps
Cormorant flew over
(Ed Wilson)