13.0°C > 19.0°C: A clear start with low cloud soon arriving from the East. This started to break soon after 08:30 with good sunny spells and mostly thin high cloud. Moderate easterly breeze again. Good visibility with haze.
Sunrise: 05:06 BST
* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:45– 06:00 // 07:05 – 09:55
(161st visit of the year)
Bird note:
Unexpected today was a pair a Lapwings on the south-west grass c.08:45.
Other bird notes:
- again initially six Canada Geese with ten joining them at various times. The lone adult Greylag remains.
- *a small Mallard duckling noted. Another bumper number of adults.
- as yesterday the trio of juvenile Great Crested Grebes still with their parents. However the single similar-aged juvenile seemed to be with only one of its parents.
- Black-headed Gulls were commuting between the lake and the football field. Difficult to be sure exactly how many.
- no Swifts were overhead early again. At least ten during the cloudy spell.
- two Common Whitethroats were heard calling and then seen at the West end.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Canada Geese: flew East together
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 96 Wood Pigeons
- 109 Jackdaws
- 31 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 16 Canada Geese: see notes
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 Mute Swans
- *42 (?♂) + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 34 Coots only
- 5 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 2 Lapwings: arrived
- c.20 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles noted
- *1 Herring Gull
- *3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Hirundines etc. noted:
- >10 Swifts
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 6 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (1) Reed Warblers
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
- *2 (0) Common Whitethroats
Also noted:
More sun did not lead to many more insects, even butterflies were not so abundant as I expected.
* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:45– 06:00 // 07:05 – 09:55
(161st visit of the year)
Bird note:
Unexpected today was a pair a Lapwings on the south-west grass c.08:45.
Other bird notes:
- again initially six Canada Geese with ten joining them at various times. The lone adult Greylag remains.
- *a small Mallard duckling noted. Another bumper number of adults.
- as yesterday the trio of juvenile Great Crested Grebes still with their parents. However the single similar-aged juvenile seemed to be with only one of its parents.
- Black-headed Gulls were commuting between the lake and the football field. Difficult to be sure exactly how many.
- no Swifts were overhead early again. At least ten during the cloudy spell.
- two Common Whitethroats were heard calling and then seen at the West end.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Canada Geese: flew East together
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 96 Wood Pigeons
- 109 Jackdaws
- 31 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 16 Canada Geese: see notes
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 Mute Swans
- *42 (?♂) + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 34 Coots only
- 5 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 2 Lapwings: arrived
- c.20 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles noted
- *1 Herring Gull
- *3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Hirundines etc. noted:
- >10 Swifts
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 6 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (1) Reed Warblers
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
- *2 (0) Common Whitethroats
Also noted:
More sun did not lead to many more insects, even butterflies were not so abundant as I expected.
Butterflies:
- 1 "white" Pieris sp.
- 1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- 4 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
- 2 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
- >29 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
- 2 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
- 4 Peacock Aglais io
- *2 ! Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
- 1 "white" Pieris sp.
- 1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- 4 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
- 2 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
- >29 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
- 2 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
- 4 Peacock Aglais io
- *2 ! Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
Moths:
- 1 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
so many flying away to hide.
- 1 Garden Grass-moth Chrysoteuchia culmella [was Garden Grass-veneer]
so many flying away to hide.
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *female ichneumon, perhaps Cryptus sp.
- *smaller female ichneumon, different species
- *yet another different ichneumon
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *female ichneumon, perhaps Cryptus sp.
- *smaller female ichneumon, different species
- *yet another different ichneumon
Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Common Copperback Ferdinandea cuprea [Bronze Sap Hoverfly; Eurasian Copperback]
- Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens [Pied Plumehorn; Great Pied Hoverfly]
- *Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria [Hornet Plumehorn]
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Common Copperback Ferdinandea cuprea [Bronze Sap Hoverfly; Eurasian Copperback]
- Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens [Pied Plumehorn; Great Pied Hoverfly]
- *Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria [Hornet Plumehorn]
Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]: one female
- Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum
at least one other species of dragonfly seen in flight only
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]: one female
- Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum
at least one other species of dragonfly seen in flight only
True flies:
more today including...
- *$ muscid fly perhaps Coenosia tigrina
- *long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Awkward Clusterfly Pollenia rudis
- Flesh fly Sarcophaga sp., possibly S. carnaria
- *marsh fly Tetanocera ferruginea
other unidentified flies
more today including...
- *$ muscid fly perhaps Coenosia tigrina
- *long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Awkward Clusterfly Pollenia rudis
- Flesh fly Sarcophaga sp., possibly S. carnaria
- *marsh fly Tetanocera ferruginea
other unidentified flies
Earwigs:
- *$ possible earwig nymph
- *$ possible earwig nymph
Bugs:
none
none
Beetles:
- 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- *Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
- 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- *Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
Mammals:
- *Brown Hare Lepus europaeus
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
- *Brown Hare Lepus europaeus
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 spider Clubiona sp.
- *2 Common Candy-striped Spider Enoplognatha ovata or similar
- 1 harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus
The immature Herring Gull in the water had just failed to dislodge the adult Lesser Black-backed Gull standing on the buoy.
Obsidentify seemed to be having a bad day. It told me this Honey Bee Apis mellifera was a Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax!
A smaller female ichneumon of a different species with a, proportionately, very long ovipositor. There are about 2500 species of ichneumon in the UK and very few are illustrated and many of those are difficult to separate from similar species.
"Another chance to see..." a Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax with tongue extended as it gets nectar from Knapweed.
This appears to be a long-legged fly but seems about two-thirds size of those I have been logging as "Dolichopus ungulatus or similar".
I am not sure what this is. Google Lens came up with a plausible suggestion of an earwig nymph. I have never seen one previously.
The larger of two Common Candy-striped Spiders Enoplognatha ovata (or similar) I found on different street lamp poles around dawn.
I espied this Brown Hare Lepus europaeus on the football field c.05:30. It got inside the fence and seems to have got out again: it wasn't there later.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
This moth is a Common Masoner Blastobasis adustella. Another questionable result from Obsidentify that suggested Bee Moth Aphonia sociella: which it isn't.
The markings on this moth have faded away. Luckily the shape is distinctive-enough to identify it as a Dun-bar Cosmia trapezina resting with its feet on one of the tunnel lamps.
The mayflies in the tunnel are in a different location each day so are they different individuals? This certainly is as it is a male with the "turbinate" eyes and the only one I have seen on the ceiling. As far as I can tell possibly also a Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum.
This is a species of wood gnat, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis. Only one species in this genus is easily identifiable as it lacks a dark smudge on the wing tip. I usually only record wood gnats in late Winter.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:05 – 07:00
- 1 spider Clubiona sp.
- *2 Common Candy-striped Spider Enoplognatha ovata or similar
- 1 harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus
Mrs. Mallard with her lone duckling. On size I doubt I have seen this duckling previously.
A Common Whitethroat (with a berry). One of two that popped out of the Ricoh hedge.
New for the year today was Small Copper butterfly Lycaena phlaeas.
Google Lens suggested this female ichneumon (with ovipositor) was from the genus Cryptus.
Yet another different ichneumon. This a male.
Another Common Copperback hoverfly Ferdinandea cuprea. My best year for this species.
It looks alarming but is quite harmless: a Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria.
This may, or may not, be a muscid fly and perhaps Coenosia tigrina. If so this species catches its prey in flight.
This was another.
"Yet another chance to see..." the marsh fly Tetanocera ferruginea.
A Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva showing well against the blade of grass.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- *1 Common Masoner Blastobasis adustella [was Dingy Dowd]
- 1 Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata
- *1 ! Dun-bar Cosmia trapezina
- *1 Common Masoner Blastobasis adustella [was Dingy Dowd]
- 1 Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata
- *1 ! Dun-bar Cosmia trapezina
Flies:
- 4 midges of several species
- *3 mayfly, possibly Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum
- 7 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]: one a day but never in the same place on the wall
- *1 wood gnat, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis
- 1 cranefly Tipula confusa
- 4 midges of several species
- *3 mayfly, possibly Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum
- 7 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]: one a day but never in the same place on the wall
- *1 wood gnat, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis
- 1 cranefly Tipula confusa
Bugs:
- *1 ! grass bug Stenodema calcarata or similar
- *1 ! grass bug Stenodema calcarata or similar
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 4 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 2 harvestman Phalangium opilio
- 4 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 2 harvestman Phalangium opilio
A strange place to find a grass bug. It is likely to be Stenodema calcarata or similar.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:05 – 07:00
(159th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- still 18 Mute Swans though it is amazing how many times I have to count them to find all 18.
- some Canada and Greylag Geese have now departed. A group of ten was seen in the air: I was unsure whether they were leaving, arriving or just flying over.
- only nineteen of the 38 Coots were on the edge of the island. There seem to be many "missing". One pair has just hatched at least two juveniles from their third brood. I cannot recall noting a third brood previously.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 129 Canada Geese
- 79 Greylag Geese
- 18 Mute Swans again
- 19 (?♂) Mallard
- 30 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 38 Coots only: of these seven were dependent juveniles
- 1 Great Crested Grebe: again
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
Hirundines etc. noted:
Bird notes:
- still 18 Mute Swans though it is amazing how many times I have to count them to find all 18.
- some Canada and Greylag Geese have now departed. A group of ten was seen in the air: I was unsure whether they were leaving, arriving or just flying over.
- only nineteen of the 38 Coots were on the edge of the island. There seem to be many "missing". One pair has just hatched at least two juveniles from their third brood. I cannot recall noting a third brood previously.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 129 Canada Geese
- 79 Greylag Geese
- 18 Mute Swans again
- 19 (?♂) Mallard
- 30 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 38 Coots only: of these seven were dependent juveniles
- 1 Great Crested Grebe: again
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- no Chiffchaffs again
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- no Chiffchaffs again
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus
- 1 female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
- 1 harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus
- 1 female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
Nothing else in the, at the time, cloudy conditions.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Flash
Oystercatcher
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 drake Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Priorslee Flash
Oystercatcher
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 drake Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)