9.0°C > 12.0°C: Areas of thin high cloud. Two short very light showers produced lower cloud as they passed. Moderate south-westerly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:00 GMT
* = 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: 05:45 – 08:55
(263rd visit of the year)
Another quiet morning. One medium-sized and four small parties of Wood Pigeon on passage. Otherwise very little flying over.
Bird notes:
- a visiting Mute Swan had to be "shown the door".
- no sign of yesterday's Shoveler.
- continued slow reduction in the number of Mallard.
- a Little Grebe seen in flight repositioning on the water c.06:45. Not seen again.
- no Black-headed Gulls seen on or around the football field.
- two Redwings flew out of trees on the South side. After a very small early passage of birds overhead this species has been unusually scarce.
- House Sparrows ventured from the estate area and were in the hedge alongside the academy. Perhaps they like the quiet of half-term.
- five Reed Bunting were seen to leave the south-side area and fly off West.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose lagging slightly behind...
- 187 Greylag Geese: all westbound: all more or less together in small groups and skeins.
- 1 mostly white goose with Greylags
- 283 Wood Pigeons: of these 268 counted in five migrant parties
- 2 Collared Doves: together
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 289 Jackdaws
- 157 Rooks
- 3 Pied Wagtails: singles
- 15 Siskins: three small groups
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Mute Swans: one of these visited for a while
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 31 (>13♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.250 Black-headed Gulls
- 21 Herring Gulls
- c.160 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.120 before 07:00: c.40 after 07:45
- 2 Grey Herons
Warblers recorded
None
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *6 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
- *6 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *1 unidentified small ichneumon
- *1 unidentified small ichneumon
Flies:
- 2 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- *5 flies of different species
- 2 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- *5 flies of different species
Bugs:
- *1 leafhopper Ribautiana tenerrima or similar
- *1 leafhopper Ribautiana tenerrima or similar
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted later elsewhere:
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted later elsewhere:
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 bumblebee sp. flew past me: probably a queen on size.
- 1 bumblebee sp. flew past me: probably a queen on size.
Flies:
- *1 cranefly Tipula pagana: on the Teece Drive fence
This fly is Dryomyza anilis or similar. Only one of the three similar species is illustrated on the NatureSpot web site. The wing venation looks slightly different on my photo. That could be sexual difference or suggest one of the other species.
A close-up of a cranefly Tipula pagana showing how it can hold the (relatively) long antennae folded back over its head and thorax, thereby changing appearance.
An unusual fly that I have not been able to get anywhere near identifying. The combination of clear wings with strongly banded abdomen is unusual. More so as the legs are banded. Obsidentify suggested a species of tiger beetle and Google Lens a blackfly.
These small (3mm) leafhoppers really need a camera with a dedicated close-up facility to come up with a specific identity. This looks to be a Ribautiana tenerrima or similar, a species associated with brambles which are certainly abundant nearby. When submitting records it is specified that the host plant should be noted. I am not sure "street lamp pole" would help!
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
Low numbers again except for spiders: the wind still whistling through the tunnel.
I thought after 13 days it was time for another look at the Mottled Umber moth Erranis defoliaria. It has been in this exact spot for nine of those 13.
With palps this size (boxing gloves) we must be looking at a male spider. I am almost certain it is a Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata (also known as the Silver-sided Sector Spider) even though it looks very different from....
(258th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- just eleven Mute Swans including the first winter bird again.
- no (Common) Teal found.
- the five drake Goosander stayed close together. The brownheads were scattered all around. It was impossible determine the precise number.
- *the Little Grebe noted again.
- another bumper count of Herring Gulls. I have no idea why.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Noted on / around the water:
- >33 Canada Geese: more inside the island?
- >16 Greylag Geese: more inside the island?
- no mainly white feral geese
- 11 Mute Swans: see notes
- 24 (16♂) Mallard
- 13 (4?♂) Tufted Duck
- *36 (5♂) Goosander again: see notes
- 10 Moorhens
- 97 Coots
- *1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- *29 Black-headed Gulls
- 25 Herring Gulls: all ages
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: two (near?) adults; one immature
- 7 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted around the area:
...this fly which flew off when I tried to get a different angle to better show the abdomen and hence remains unidentified. Fly species with white (grey?) at the base of their wings seem to be unusual. Once again the apps were no help. Obsidentify's best suggestion was a greenbottle species: Google Lens thought a picture-winged fly. Don't worry: we have nothing to fear from AI!
Not my best photo but it was a medium-sized spider some 20' feet up a street lamp pole. It is one of the Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders in the Metellina genus but I would not like to say which.
A female harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli identified as such by the dark, parallel-side saddle and the white around the oculum.
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
c.75 Starlings left roost at W end
118 Wood Pigeons
2 Skylarks
7 Meadow Pipits
478 Fieldfare
76 Redwings
9 Siskins
13 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
2 Cormorants
26 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
35 Fieldfares
3 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
4 Mistle Thrushes
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
Wigeon
Cormorant
300 Black-headed Gulls
40 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.75 Lapwings
2 Fieldfares
1 duck Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
200 Coot
(Ed Wilson)
- *1 cranefly Tipula pagana: on the Teece Drive fence
For once a good sunrise. Here is what my phone camera made of the progress from well before dawn...
...to just before sunrise...
...and sun-up.
My "big" camera's result taken at about the same time as the second phone camera image.
It was only when I looked at the photo I had taken of a November Moth type that I noticed a small and unidentified ichneumon sharing the same street lamp pole.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
Low numbers again except for spiders: the wind still whistling through the tunnel.
Moths:
- *1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: day thirteen
- *1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: day thirteen
Flies:
- 12 midges of various species
- 12 midges of various species
Arthropods:
- *2 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
- *2 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *11 spiders
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis again
- *11 spiders
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis again
...what is probably a female from a very different angle.
One of two White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger. I wonder why they have white legs? What is the evolutionary advantage in white legs?
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:00 – 10:20
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:00 – 10:20
(258th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- just eleven Mute Swans including the first winter bird again.
- no (Common) Teal found.
- the five drake Goosander stayed close together. The brownheads were scattered all around. It was impossible determine the precise number.
- *the Little Grebe noted again.
- another bumper count of Herring Gulls. I have no idea why.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Noted on / around the water:
- >33 Canada Geese: more inside the island?
- >16 Greylag Geese: more inside the island?
- no mainly white feral geese
- 11 Mute Swans: see notes
- 24 (16♂) Mallard
- 13 (4?♂) Tufted Duck
- *36 (5♂) Goosander again: see notes
- 10 Moorhens
- 97 Coots
- *1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- *29 Black-headed Gulls
- 25 Herring Gulls: all ages
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: two (near?) adults; one immature
- 7 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- 1 November Moth types Epirrita sp. only
in squirrel alley
- 1 November Moth types Epirrita sp. only
in squirrel alley
Bees, wasps etc.:
- >30 wasps: only Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris specifically identified
- >30 wasps: only Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris specifically identified
Hoverflies:
- *1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Other flies:
- *1 unidentified fly
- *1 unidentified fly
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Metellina sp.
- *1 female harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
A drake and brownhead Goosander. In this instance I suspect the brownhead is a duck: immatures seem to have a reddish tinge to the brown and would show some white in the area between the bill and the eye.
A pensive first-winter Black-headed Gull. Note that one of the juvenile dark feathers in the folded wing (greater coverts) looks to have been replaced by a new feather.
Apart from many wasps the only insects around the Ivy bank near the academy was this Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus...
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Metellina sp.
- *1 female harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
The Little Grebe is still here.
...again and...
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010
Priorslee Lake
c.75 Starlings left roost at W end
118 Wood Pigeons
2 Skylarks
7 Meadow Pipits
478 Fieldfare
76 Redwings
9 Siskins
13 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
2 Cormorants
26 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
35 Fieldfares
3 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
4 Mistle Thrushes
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
Wigeon
Cormorant
300 Black-headed Gulls
40 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.75 Lapwings
2 Fieldfares
1 duck Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
200 Coot
(Ed Wilson)