13.0°C > 19.0°C: A very odd morning: sometimes clear and sometimes cloudy without any pattern. Early light southerly wind veering south-westerly and increasing moderate / fresh. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:42 BST
* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:10 – 06:35 // 07:40 – 10:00
* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:10 – 06:35 // 07:40 – 10:00
(195th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- no Canada Geese on the water at dawn. 93 flew outbound in ten groups. Four flew inbound together. 63 more pitched in to the water..
- the usual single Greylag Goose was again present throughout. Groups of four and 13 were present at dawn before flying off East. 12 flew outbound in three groups. Two landed on the lake later.
- the two unaccompanied Mallard ducklings are still doing well.
- the duck Pochard was seen again.
- all bar one of the 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls was a (near?) adult in marked contrast to most recent days when immatures have dominated.
- a second Grey Heron was again doing a balancing act on one of the buoys which seemingly deters the other one from chasing it away.
- a Hobby flew fast North over the academy at c.06:10. My third sighting this year.
- three sightings of four Swifts. A "blink and you missed it" single over the dam at 05:50. Perhaps the same above the North side trees at 06:05. Two over the dam at 08:40/
- one House Martin was with the Swift above the North side trees at 06:05. Two were over Teece Drive c.09:55.
- a single call from a Marsh Tit along the North side c.06:10. Are all the records here and from The Flash the same few birds using the Wesley Brook green corridor?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 97 Canada Geese: 93 outbound; 4 inbound: see notes
- 12 Greylag Geese: all outbound: see notes
- 4 Feral Pigeons: two duos
- 2 Stock Doves: singles
- 98 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 8 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 1 Hobby
- 159 Jackdaws
- 119 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 63 Canada Geese: see notes
- >18 Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 25 (♂?) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- *1 (0♂) Pochard
- 11 + 3 (2 dependent broods) Moorhens
- 109 adult and juvenile Coots
- 7 + 5 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 24 Black-headed Gulls: no confirmed juveniles
- no Herring Gulls
- 21 Lesser Black-baked Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons
Hirundines etc. noted:
- *4? Swifts: see notes
- 3 House Martins: see notes
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- no Cetti's Warbler
- 16 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (0) Reed Warblers
- 4 (0) Blackcaps again
Noted on the West end street lamp poles around-dawn:
Moths:
- *1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
Noted later:
- *1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
Noted later:
Butterflies:
Large White Pieris brassicae
*Green-veined White Pieris napi
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
*Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
Large White Pieris brassicae
*Green-veined White Pieris napi
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
*Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
Moths
*4 Straw Grass-moths Agriphila straminella [previously Straw Grass-veneer]
*1 Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis
*4 Straw Grass-moths Agriphila straminella [previously Straw Grass-veneer]
*1 Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis
Bees, wasps etc.:
no bees
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
no bees
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
*unidentified ichneumon
*$$ sawfly, possibly Athalia cordata or similar [not a blood bee Sphecodes sp.]
*$$ sawfly, possibly Athalia cordata or similar [not a blood bee Sphecodes sp.]
Hoverflies:
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
*Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
*Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
*Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus [Grey-spotted Sedgesitter or White-footed Hoverfly]
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
*Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
*Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
*Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus [Grey-spotted Sedgesitter or White-footed Hoverfly]
Damsel- /Dragon- flies:
*Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
*Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
*Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
*Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
*Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
*Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
Other flies:
Greenbottle Lucilia caesar or similar
Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
and the usual many unidentified fly species
Greenbottle Lucilia caesar or similar
Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
and the usual many unidentified fly species
Bugs:
*Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
*Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
Beetles:
none
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
*White Crab Spider Misumena vatia [Flower Spider]
*White Crab Spider Misumena vatia [Flower Spider]
Mammals
*(European) Mole Talpa europaea: deceased
A Green-veined White butterfly Pieris napi . This specimen must be some days old as most of scales that comprise the black edging to the veins which contrasts with the yellow wash to the under-wing, giving the "green" veined appearance have worn away.
A pesky grass moth. The cleaner pale streak in the wing with a darker area above and below identifies it as a Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella.
For comparison one of the many Straw Grass-moths Agriphila straminella I have seen over the last few days.
Luckily she opened her wings to reveal she is a Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus also known as Grey-spotted Sedgesitter.
Yesterday a male and here is a female Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum . She may stay this colour, or acquire either a green or the normal blue tone. Most of the abdomen of females is black.
A Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans. Having re-read the literature I am now longer sure how to sex this species. Females come in a number of colour forms when immature but when the blue form is adult there seems to be no difference in the sexes.
A Common Darter dragonfly Sympetrum striolatum. The red staining on the top of the abdomen suggests to me this is a teneral (immature) male. I am willing to be proven wrong.
A White Crab Spider Misumena vatia, also known as a Flower Spider, disappearing inside the dead head of Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra.
Hard to see in strong light on the West end footpath. A dead (European) Mole Talpa europaea. How did it get there and how did it get flattened?
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(190th visit of the year)
My Merlin app wins again. Bullfinch was today's target. Not too hard but not a species I record every day. I did today.
Bird notes:
- *a duck Mallard with four growing-fast ducklings
- the first hirundines for a while
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese only and two of these flew in
- 1 dead Greylag Goose
- 8 Mute Swans
- *16 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 14 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 92 + 3 (3 broods) Coots
- 4 + 5 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow flew though
- 1 House Martin over, briefly
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs again
- 1 (0) Blackcap yet again
Noted around the area:
*(European) Mole Talpa europaea: deceased
I found the duck Pochard again today.
Record shot of one of the Swifts still around today!
A battered and faded female Gatekeeper butterfly Pyronia tithonus
A Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis with the pattern on the wings faded away. It is identified by shape and also the slightly pale yellow on the wings leading edges towards the "shoulder" area.
This sawfly is possibly Athalia cordata or similar. Thanks to Google Lens for pointing me in the direction. The banded hind leg suggests this species though microscopic examination is the only sure way to give a positive identity. Obsidentify was down the blood bee Sphecodes species route: the head-shape is wrong for a bee.
The extent of brown marking on the abdomen of droneflies varies. This Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax is typical...
...whereas this Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax shows probably about the maximum extent. A very few have no brown.
A Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea also known as a Common Batman Fly and you can see why from this angle.
A pleasing shot of a hoverfly feeding on a willowherb flower. Not easy to ID the hoverfly with wings closed. It is clearly a Platycheirus species and a female which presents a problem. Males of this genus can be identified by the shape of the forelegs which are "broadened and bear hair tufts, fringes or other strange bristles" [per Steven Falk]. Females are not so-adorned.
A tiny ichneumon species with jaunty antennae.
A Dock Bug Coreus marginatus
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths: [39 species here before today; one addition]
*1 Red Underwing Catocala nupta: new here
*1 Red Underwing Catocala nupta: new here
Flies:
6 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
10 midges of various species
6 moth flies Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
10 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 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
*1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii
*1 Garden Spider Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]
1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
*1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii
Seen around The Flash but new inside the tunnel is this Red Underwing moth Catocala nupta.
A Garden Spider Araneus diadematus, also called a Garden Cross Spider for obvious reasons.
A harvestman Opilio canestrinii. This species seems to like it here. This one has all eight legs but seems to be missing one of its pedipalps.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:40 – 07:35
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:40 – 07:35
(190th visit of the year)
My Merlin app wins again. Bullfinch was today's target. Not too hard but not a species I record every day. I did today.
Bird notes:
- *a duck Mallard with four growing-fast ducklings
- the first hirundines for a while
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese only and two of these flew in
- 1 dead Greylag Goose
- 8 Mute Swans
- *16 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 14 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 92 + 3 (3 broods) Coots
- 4 + 5 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow flew though
- 1 House Martin over, briefly
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs again
- 1 (0) Blackcap yet again
Noted around the area:
Moths:
*1 Blood-vein Timandra comae
1 Marbled Beauty Bryophila domestica: same as yesterday
*1 Blood-vein Timandra comae
1 Marbled Beauty Bryophila domestica: same as yesterday
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
6 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
Cormorants have been infrequent here for many weeks. Here is an immature with white on the breast. Very contrasting light here: however the Black-headed Gull in front of the Cormorant looks to have much black in the folded wing suggesting it is a juvenile. I did not notice that at the time.
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Lapwings
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
4 Little Egrets
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine Falcon
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Redshank
(Ed Wilson)
6 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
The brood of four Mallard ducklings are doing well.
It has been a good year for this moth species with at least six sightings: a Blood-vein Timandra comae.
(Ed Wilson)
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2012
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Lapwings
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
4 Little Egrets
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine Falcon
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Redshank
(Ed Wilson)