14.0°C > 16.0°C: Early light rain and then broken cloud with a few sunny intervals. Light westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 04:52 BST
* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
An abbreviated visit today hampered by some early rain and very wet vegetation after yesterday evening's downpour.
I have been out most of the day and the very few photos from today will be incorporated into tomorrow's blog.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:50– 05:45 // 06:40 – 08:45
(129th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- eleven Canada Geese present when I arrived. A single visited and then what I assume were the same eleven returned from the East. All twelve later left to the West.
- the seven Greylag Geese goslings present and correct with another adult present throughout.
- the two independent Mallard ducklings and seven small ducklings with an adult as yesterday.
- a pair of Tufted Duck were here when I arrived. Two birds including at least one drake were seen flying low over the water before heading off South. Later just a drake was seen on the water. Confusing!.
- perhaps the juvenile Coots were sheltering from the rain: just four from three broods noted.
- a single adult Lesser Black-backed Gull fly-over was the only gull seen.
- both the new (South side) and regular (south-west area) Common Whitethroats were noted singing. A surprise was a third bird singing from bushes on the football field side of Teece Drive at 04:55 and then nearby from inside the academy ground at 05:35. It was not heard again.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Canada Geese: a trio flew East.
- 9 Greylag Geese flew West together
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants together
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw only again
Counts from the lake area:
- 12 Canada Geese: see notes
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swan: the pen assumed to be on the hidden nest
- 18 (15♂) + 9 (2 broods) Mallard
- 3 (2♂)? Tufted Duck: see notes
- 4 Moorhens once again
- 25 + 4 (3 broods) Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- c.10 Swifts again
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 1+ House Martins heard calling.
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
I did not make my complete early circuit so some of the "dawn chorus", such as it still is, went unrecorded.
- 8 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 8 (8) Reed Warblers
- 9 (9) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Common Whitethroats: see notes
Also noted:
Butterflies:
- 1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- 1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Moths:
- 1 Yellow-barred Longhorn Nemophora degeerella
- 1 Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata
- !1 Straw Dot Rivula sericealis
- 1 Yellow-barred Longhorn Nemophora degeerella
- 1 Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata
- !1 Straw Dot Rivula sericealis
Bees, wasps etc.:
- Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum
- Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
- Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum
- Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
- Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Hoverflies:
- Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata
- Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata
Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum
- Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma naja [Large Redeye]
- Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans
- Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum
- Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma naja [Large Redeye]
- Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans
Other flies:
Many flies around, mostly the species I cannot identify. No Black Snipe Flies seen despite being abundant yesterday. Wet vegetation the problem?
- !lacewing Chrysopa perla
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- otherwise many unidentified fly species
Many flies around, mostly the species I cannot identify. No Black Snipe Flies seen despite being abundant yesterday. Wet vegetation the problem?
- !lacewing Chrysopa perla
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- otherwise many unidentified fly species
Bugs:
none
none
Beetles:
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
This is getting tedious! yet another almost blank day.
- Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
This is getting tedious! yet another almost blank day.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- !1 Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata
- $1 Spectacle Abrostola tripartita
- !1 Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata
- $1 Spectacle Abrostola tripartita
Flies:
- 21 midges of several species
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 cranefly
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 05:50 – 06:35
- 21 midges of several species
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 cranefly
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 05:50 – 06:35
(126th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- I could not locate the Canada Goose gosling.
- eight Greylag Geese all together.
- the Mute Swan numbers as yesterday.
- Mallard more normal today.
- seven juvenile Coots found from four broods. Another brood of begging juveniles heard. More adults on the open water today.
- the two Great Crested Grebes were close together throughout. No display or calls heard.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 60 Canada Geese
- 8 Greylag Geese
- 6 Mute Swans: assuming the pen is on the hidden nest?
- 22 (19♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 35+ >7 (>4 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts
- 1 House Martin
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps only
Noted around the area:
The rain had only recently ceased and it was still overcast. I was slightly earlier than usual and combined with the very wet vegetation I was unable to find even an unidentified fly to report.
(Ed Wilson)
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2006
Priorslee Lake
Cuckoo
(Ed Wilson