9.0°C > 18.0°C: Fine. Areas of mostly thin high cloud took the edge off the sun at times. Very light wind. Excellent visibility.
Sunrise: 04:53 BST
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:50 – 06:05 // 07:10 – 09:45
(126th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the Common Peafowl (Peacock) was heard again c.05:00. Also "foreign" was a cockerel heard crowing c.07:15 either from the Ricoh grounds or nearby properties.
- the seven Greylag Geese goslings present and correct. Their parents were the only other geese present until seven Canada Geese arrived from the North at c.09:35.
- just the trio of almost independent Mallard ducklings seen. Other hiding in the reeds?
- a pair of Tufted Duck here with none at The Flash.
- three juvenile Coots seen from a new-to-me brood.
- back to six Great Crested Grebes. However two birds were sitting alongside reeds and might have had a partner inside on a nest?
- a trio of Lesser Black-backed Gulls (two adults and very bleached and faded (near?) adult) were on the football field c.05:45.
- a Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen flying East over the Teece Drive gate c.09:20.
- a family party of Blackcaps was seen in the Ricoh hedge
- both Common Whitethroats noted singing again.
- a Garden Warbler was singing alongside the M54 today. The same bird?
- two Mistle Thrush flew out of the Ricoh grounds c.09:15. No song heard.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: four flew East as two pairs
- 15 Greylag Geese: all West as a single and seven pairs, loosely together
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Grey Heron
- 6 Jackdaws
Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: see notes
- 2 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans: the pen came off the nest, briefly
- 16 (12♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard: see notes
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 2 Moorhens
- 21 + 3 (1 brood) Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
Hirundines etc. noted:
- c.10 Swifts arrived c.05:10. Birds visible most of the time in variable numbers
- 2 Barn Swallows: a pair feeding at the West end
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 13 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 8 (8) Reed Warblers
- 18 (15) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Common Whitethroats again
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler still
Also noted:
Butterflies:
- 4 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- 1 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina: my first May record of this species
- 5 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
- 4 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- 1 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina: my first May record of this species
- 5 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
Moths:
- 1 Diamond-backed Moth Plutella xylostella: my only other record here was 04 June 2016
- 1 Mint Moth Pyrausta aurata [was Small Purple & Gold]
- 1 Brindled Tortrix Ptycholoma lecheana [Leche's Twist Moth]
- 2 Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata
- 1 Cinnabar Tyria jacobaeae
- 1 Diamond-backed Moth Plutella xylostella: my only other record here was 04 June 2016
- 1 Mint Moth Pyrausta aurata [was Small Purple & Gold]
- 1 Brindled Tortrix Ptycholoma lecheana [Leche's Twist Moth]
- 2 Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata
- 1 Cinnabar Tyria jacobaeae
Bees, wasps etc.:
- Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
- Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
many bumblebees not specifically identified
- Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis
- ichneumon sp., perhaps a male Ichneumon xanthorius
- Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
- Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
many bumblebees not specifically identified
- Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis
- ichneumon sp., perhaps a male Ichneumon xanthorius
Hoverflies:
- Buttercup Blacklet Cheilosia albitarsus
- Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- Tuberculate Stripe-back Parhelophilus frutetorum
- Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus
- Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens [Common Compost Fly; Thick-legged Hoverfly]
- Bumblebee Plume-horned Hoverfly Volucella bombylans var. plumata [Bumblebee Plumehorn]
- Buttercup Blacklet Cheilosia albitarsus
- Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- Tuberculate Stripe-back Parhelophilus frutetorum
- Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus
- Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens [Common Compost Fly; Thick-legged Hoverfly]
- Bumblebee Plume-horned Hoverfly Volucella bombylans var. plumata [Bumblebee Plumehorn]
Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella [Azure Bluet]
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
- Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
very many of the 100s of damselflies were not specifically identified
- Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella [Azure Bluet]
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]
- Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Common Bluetail]
very many of the 100s of damselflies were not specifically identified
Other flies:
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: many fewer: two females noted
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- otherwise many unidentified fly species
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: many fewer: two females noted
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- otherwise many unidentified fly species
Grasshoppers, crickets:
none
none
Bugs:
none
none
Beetles:
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis : larvae only
- False Blister Beetle Oedemera lurida or O. virescens
- Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis [False Oil Beetle or Thick-legged Flower Beetle]
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis : larvae only
- False Blister Beetle Oedemera lurida or O. virescens
- Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis [False Oil Beetle or Thick-legged Flower Beetle]
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- wolf spider Pardosa sp.
- Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- wolf spider Pardosa sp.
- Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
New flowers for the year:
- Pineappleweed or Wild Chamomile Matricaria discoidea
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Staying almost everything free!
- Pineappleweed or Wild Chamomile Matricaria discoidea
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Staying almost everything free!
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 3 Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp. all on the same pole
The tone of the back indicates this is a Lesser Black-backed Gull. Areas in the wing are very faded and / or bleached. When I saw it standing on the football field I thought it was a Herring Gull. From the bill colour this has to be an adult or perhaps a fourth year bird. Very unusual.
After spending ages trying to get a clearer shot it, or another in the brood, decided to break cover and sit on the fence around the sailing club's yachts. Juveniles of both sexes have brown caps like the female. Perhaps to stop aggression from males, though I have never read that as an explanation.
It was sitting in full sun and it was difficult to photograph this Diamond-backed Moth Plutella xylostella: and show the characteristic markings on the abdomen. This species is a fairly common resident and frequently occurs as a migrant, sometimes in huge numbers along the South Coast. It may be "common" but my only other record here was 04 June 2016.
I usually see a few of these day-flying Mint Moths Pyrausta aurata along the South scrubby area where there is plenty of Water Mint Mentha aquatica
This moth is a Brindled Tortrix Ptycholoma lecheana which used to be known as Leche's Twist Moth (why?). I see one or two of this species most years.
A slightly better photo of a Silver-ground Carpet moth Xanthorhoe montanata. It would help if I did not see them around dawn in shaded areas.
Not my best but a photo of a spectacular-looking ichneumon wasp, probably a male Ichneumon xanthorius
A female Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax. Not easy to separate females of this species from female Tapered Dronefly E. pertinax. The leg colour clinches the ID here.
And another female captured in flight. On fine days in woodland rides there can be dozens of males hovering to mark their territory, combining to make a droning sound which gives the species their name.
This hoverfly is a Tuberculate Stripe-back Parhelophilus frutetorum. All the species in this genus are similarity orange-toned – and hard to separate! It seems to be trying scratch its back (or clean its wings?)
It may look like a bumblebee but it isn't: the antennae are too short. It is a Bumblebee Plume-horned Hoverfly Volucella bombylans. This species has two forms: this the form plumata with a white tail. And the nominate form, bombylans, with a rufous tail. This individual seems to have body damage.
Here is a female Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: with a very different abdomen – more robust and with a bold pattern. As with many flies her eyes are further apart than those of the male.
On the basis of the large pedipalps these are two male Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. on a street lamp pole pre-dawn. It is possible they are in dispute over a third (a female?) on the extreme right. It occurs to me to wonder whether the species in this group can be further distinguished by habitat. Are those that inhabit lamp poles different from those that sit in webs in vegetation?
Plane of the day. A Boring 747 Series 400 Jumbo of Kalitta Air, based in Ypsilanti, not far from Detroit in Michigan. This 1997-built freighter operated with Korean Air Cargo for just over 20 years before being bought by Kalitta. Not easy to see is confirmation that it was built as a dedicated freighter: it has a shorter upper deck as there is no passenger space, only crew rest areas.
And, courtesy of FlightRadar24 here is the routeing from Anchorage, Alaska to Fairford in Gloucester. The CMB flight code indicates it is a US Military hire, no doubt bringing supplies to support the US Air Force bombers detached to Fairford as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(123rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the Canada Goose gosling reappeared.
- a lone Greylag Goose in the middle of the water.
- no Tufted Duck.
- eight juvenile Coots seen from five broods one which was a new-to-me brood of two.
- still a single Great Crested Grebes.
- an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull visited briefly
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 65 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese: of these 15 departed in two groups
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 7 Mute Swans: assuming the pen is on the hidden nest?
- 13 (12♂) Mallard only
- no Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 31+ 8 (5 broods) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts
- 2 House Martins: singles briefly in different locations
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Much cooler and little around
2013
Long Lane, Wellington
13 Ringed Plover
2 Dunlin
(JW Reeves)
- 3 Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp. all on the same pole
The sunrise this morning through the high cloud.
Peering out between the vegetation is a juvenile Blackcap – note the gape line.
And more visible here. I think that is vegetation around the bill-tip and not insect food.
A Speckled Wood butterfly Pararge aegeria. A particularly dark individual.
A Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina butterfly: my first May record of this species
I seemed to have seen many more of these Red Mason Bees Osmia bicornis this year.
One of the Syrphus species of hoverfly. Perm one of S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus.
Not at the best of an angle this is my first Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens of the year. The easiest identification feature of the swollen hind femur is just about visible.
This wolf spider Pardosa sp. is probably a female dragging its egg-sac full of spider-eggs.
This is Pineappleweed also known as Wild Chamomile Matricaria discoidea.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- 1 Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina [was Hepialus lupulinus]: probably the same as yesterday but moved from the ceiling to the wall.
- 1 Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina [was Hepialus lupulinus]: probably the same as yesterday but moved from the ceiling to the wall.
Flies:
- 14 midges of several species
- 2 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
The Flash: 06:10 – 07:05
- 14 midges of several species
- 2 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:10 – 07:05
(123rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the Canada Goose gosling reappeared.
- a lone Greylag Goose in the middle of the water.
- no Tufted Duck.
- eight juvenile Coots seen from five broods one which was a new-to-me brood of two.
- still a single Great Crested Grebes.
- an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull visited briefly
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 65 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese: of these 15 departed in two groups
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 7 Mute Swans: assuming the pen is on the hidden nest?
- 13 (12♂) Mallard only
- no Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 31+ 8 (5 broods) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts
- 2 House Martins: singles briefly in different locations
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Much cooler and little around
Flies:
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: all males
- Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus: all males
Beetles:
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
(Ed Wilson)
- Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Long Lane, Wellington
13 Ringed Plover
2 Dunlin
(JW Reeves)