14.0°C > 18.0°C: Clear for about 10 minutes and then cloud which threatened to break after 08:30 but never did. Moderate north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:14 BST
* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
Back from a trip South to the trade event at the Farnborough Air Show and then visiting elderly relatives.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:45– 06:05 // 07:15 – 09:45
(164th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- two Tufted Duck flew in: the first of Autumn
- all five juvenile Great Crested Grebes seen: only five adults located.
- at least 25 House Martins were calling while swirling high over Teece Drive c.06:00. Had it been six weeks later I would have suggested it was a group gathering ahead of setting off on their migration. I could not detect any begging juvenile calls. Later four were over the lake, briefly.
- two Common Whitethroats were heard making contact calls at the West end with one of these seen working the scrubby vegetation.
- a group of seven Starlings was noted low over the football field heading toward the estate was perhaps unusual at this date.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: flew East together
- 1 Greylag Goose: flew West
- 1 Herring Gull
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 82 Wood Pigeons
- 115 Jackdaws
- 12 Rooks
- 7 Starlings
Counts from the lake area:
- 32 Canada Geese: of these 31 arrived in three groups
- 11 Greylag Geese: one present early departed; ten arrived together
- 2 Mute Swans
- 52 (?♂) Mallard
- 2 (?♂) Tufted Duck: arrived
- 4 Moorhens
- 49 Coots
- 5 + *5 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- *11 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 *Grey Herons: departed separately
Hirundines etc. noted:
- >12 Swifts
- >25 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 5 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (1) Reed Warblers
- 3 (0) Blackcaps
- 2 (0) Common Whitethroats
Also noted:
Not much in the cloudy conditions.
Butterflies:
- 1 Green-veined White Pieris napi
- 5 *Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
Moths:
- >10 ! *Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella
- >10 *Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
many other unidentified grass moths flying away to hide.
- >10 ! *Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella
- >10 *Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
many other unidentified grass moths flying away to hide.
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- *Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria [Hornet Plumehorn]
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria [Hornet Plumehorn]
Damsel / Dragon-flies:
none
True flies:
even fewer today including...
- *possible $ Dung Fly Cordilura albipes
- *long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- *long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi or similar with swollen mid-tarsi
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Awkward Clusterfly Pollenia rudis
- Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- marsh fly Tetanocera ferruginea
a few unidentified flies
none
True flies:
even fewer today including...
- *possible $ Dung Fly Cordilura albipes
- *long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- *long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi or similar with swollen mid-tarsi
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Awkward Clusterfly Pollenia rudis
- Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- marsh fly Tetanocera ferruginea
a few unidentified flies
Bugs:
none
Beetles:
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 female harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- *1 female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
none
Beetles:
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 female harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- *1 female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Moths:
- *1 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
- *1 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla
- *1 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
- *1 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla
Beetles:
- *1 Clover Weevil Sitona hispidulus
- *1 Clover Weevil Sitona hispidulus
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
The oldest and single-survivor from the first pair of Great Crested Grebes to hatch young. Still very stripey-headed but with a hint of adult brown feathers appearing.
An adult Black-headed Gull pouncing on a morsel probably dropped when the Magpies raided one of the litter bins. Note this bird is in post-breeding moult with only eight of the normal ten primary feathers showing, the inner two having been dropped prior to regrowing.
...on this dancing couple the left-hand bird is rapidly losing the dark feathers as it moults in to Winter plumage.
A Swift and from the shape of the head one with cheek-pouches full of insects. This species will not be with us much longer. Swifts are the last migrant to arrive and the first to leave. Most will have gone by the end of the month though a few birds may linger to mid-August. Any later sightings will almost certainly be of migrants from Scandinavia passing through.
This tiny moth is a Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella. It is the larvae that make the blotches on the leaves of Horse-chestnut tree Aesculus hippocastanum. The scientific name of the species "ohrid" refers to Lake Ohrid straddling the North Macedonia–Albania border and near where the first specimens were identified c.1985. Subsequent investigations have found affected leaves in herbaria specimens dating back to the 1880s. It is unknown why it has gone through such rapid range-expansion to arrive in the UK in 2002 and to now be present over most of the UK where its food-plant is found.
A Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella at a typical head-down attitude but on a street lamp pole around dawn and not on a grass stem.
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus was the only species of butterfly I noted until a Green-veined White Pieris napi appeared at the very last minute.
A Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria tucking in to another of the few Knapweed flowers. I have seen more of this species this year than I can recall from previous years.
An unusual-looking fly. It is possibly the Dung Fly Cordilura albipes: a species I have not previously recorded.
What I suspect is an unusual sighting. These are both females from the Leiobunum genus of harvestmen but are of different species. The upper individual is L. blackwalli identified by the dark on her body widening posteriorly and then ending abruptly. The lower individual is L. rotundum with the dark on her body parallel-sided. Males of these species have an unmarked and more circular body and are difficult to separate.
This is a male Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata. It has the a long proboscis like the female but he also has very feathered antennae. It is only the female that needs the blood-meal to develop the eggs for the next generation.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
From bill-colour both these birds are drake Mallard. They are undergoing post-breeding moult.
One cruises by. Note the head still looks to be in breeding plumage whereas....
"I'm coming to get you"!
The second of the two Grey Herons present earlier now leaving.
That's slightly better. On vegetation if not a grass-stem.
A Common Plume moth Emmelina monodactyla. This species in more or less continuously brooded and can be seen flying in almost any month of the year.
A Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum battling to find a way to the Knapweed nectar.
A long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar. Compare with....
...this long-legged fly Dolichopus wahlbergi or similar with swollen mid-tarsi.
This critter is a Clover Weevil Sitona hispidulus.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- *1 Brindled Poplar Tortrix Epinotia nisella [was Grey Poplar Bell]
Flies:
- 6 midges
- *1 male Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
- *1 female mayfly, possibly Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum
- *1 fly possibly Heteromyza rotundicornis from the Heleomyzidae family
- 2 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
Arthropods:
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- *1 Brindled Poplar Tortrix Epinotia nisella [was Grey Poplar Bell]
Flies:
- 6 midges
- *1 male Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
- *1 female mayfly, possibly Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum
- *1 fly possibly Heteromyza rotundicornis from the Heleomyzidae family
- 2 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
Arthropods:
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
A Brindled Poplar Tortrix Epinotia nisella one day later than last year's sighting here.
Still here some ten days after I first noted two of these possible Pond Olive mayflies Cloeon dipterum.
On the ceiling of the tunnel was this fly with the striped thorax and banded orange abdomen. The best I can suggest is Heteromyza rotundicornis from the Heleomyzidae family.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:10 – 07:10
(162nd visit of the year)
New bird species:
Another addition to my 2026 bird list at this site: two Little Egrets were seen together on the East side, briefly. Later one was seen flying off West with the other by the island. Species #72 for me here this year.
Bird notes:
- I could find only 17 Mute Swans.
- many fewer Tufted Duck than on my previous visit.
- none of the 26 Coots were on the edge of the island. The new brood of three juveniles was seen again. I read that there are currently over 800 Coots "just down the road" at Belvide Reservoir which may be where our birds have gone. Why: they did not depart last year? How did they know where to gather?
- a Cormorant was noted flying to the island. I am not sure whether it had been fishing in the water and made a short hop or whether it was flying from elsewhere.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 31 Canada Geese: some of these departed and / or repositioned
- *16 Greylag Geese
- 17 Mute Swans
- 17 (?♂) Mallard
- 6 (?♂) Tufted Duck only
- 5 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *12 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adults, arrived as a duo and single: did not stay
- 1 Cormorant
- *2 Little Egrets: see notes
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs
Noted around the area:
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:10 – 07:10
(162nd visit of the year)
New bird species:
Another addition to my 2026 bird list at this site: two Little Egrets were seen together on the East side, briefly. Later one was seen flying off West with the other by the island. Species #72 for me here this year.
Bird notes:
- I could find only 17 Mute Swans.
- many fewer Tufted Duck than on my previous visit.
- none of the 26 Coots were on the edge of the island. The new brood of three juveniles was seen again. I read that there are currently over 800 Coots "just down the road" at Belvide Reservoir which may be where our birds have gone. Why: they did not depart last year? How did they know where to gather?
- a Cormorant was noted flying to the island. I am not sure whether it had been fishing in the water and made a short hop or whether it was flying from elsewhere.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 31 Canada Geese: some of these departed and / or repositioned
- *16 Greylag Geese
- 17 Mute Swans
- 17 (?♂) Mallard
- 6 (?♂) Tufted Duck only
- 5 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *12 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adults, arrived as a duo and single: did not stay
- 1 Cormorant
- *2 Little Egrets: see notes
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- 2 caterpillars of Cinnabar Tyria jacobaeae
nothing else!
These two Little Egrets seemed to be having a dispute when I first saw them, here along the East side. Later I saw one (of these, I assume) flying away with...
...this one settling among the Black-headed Gulls with two Greylag Geese looking on. Note the absence of Coots on the edge of the island. Two weeks ago I counted over 40 there.
(Ed Wilson)
- 2 caterpillars of Cinnabar Tyria jacobaeae
nothing else!
(Ed Wilson)