10.0°C > 18.0°C: Clear to the East and South early. An area of cloud soon arrived from the West before clearing again after 07:30 to wall-to-wall blue. A few puffy clouds after 09:15. Initially flat calm with a light westerly breeze developing. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:25 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– 06:10 // 07:15 – 09:30
(171st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- no third Mute Swan today.
- at 05:15 I noted 14 Mallard flying off East; 20 adults and the four juveniles on the water. How these relate to the 51 I counted on the south-west grass and the water at 07:45 is hard to say!
- the Great Crested Grebes were typically problematic, moving around and diving. There seemed to be a fourth pair with two young, some days old, in the more difficult to view south-west area. Also the two now independent juveniles from different broods were spending time together (or close-by).
- a single Swift was briefly over the East end at 05:30. A trio was over the South side for a while c.07:45.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 12 Canada Geese: ten flew East together; two flew West together.
- 49 Greylag Geese: 29 flew East in two groups; 20 flew West in two groups.
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 32 Feral Pigeons flew West as an all-white single and groups of eight and 23
- 4 Stock Doves flew West as two singles and a duo
- 84 Wood Pigeons
- 159 Jackdaws
- 53 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: arrived together
- 12 Greylag Geese: 10 departed together followed by two singles
- 5 Mute Swans: see notes
- 51 (?♂) Mallard: see notes
- 1 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 67 Coots
- 6 + 10? (5 broods) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts: see notes
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 3 House Martins
Warblers noted (no song):
- 5 Chiffchaffs
- 1 Reed Warbler only
- 4 Blackcaps
Also noted:
cooler than of late: very dry
Butterflies:
- 1 Green-veined White Pieris napi
- 1 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
- 4 *Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
- 1 Green-veined White Pieris napi
- 1 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
- 4 *Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
Moths:
- 5 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
- 5 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
Bees, wasps etc.:
- Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- *Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris : just one; also one unidentified fly-by of a bumblebee
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- *Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris : just one; also one unidentified fly-by of a bumblebee
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
- *Wasp Plumehorn Volucella inanis [Lesser Hornet Hoverfly]
- Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens [Pied Plumehorn; Great Pied Hoverfly]
- *Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria [Hornet Plumehorn]
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
- *Wasp Plumehorn Volucella inanis [Lesser Hornet Hoverfly]
- Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens [Pied Plumehorn; Great Pied Hoverfly]
- *Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria [Hornet Plumehorn]
Damsel / Dragon-flies:
- *Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum
- *Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
also another species of dragonfly seen in flight only
- *Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum
- *Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
also another species of dragonfly seen in flight only
True flies:
- long-legged fly Dolichopus sp.
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
only a few unidentified flies
- long-legged fly Dolichopus sp.
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
only a few unidentified flies
Bugs:
none
none
Beetles:
none
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *White Crab Spider Misumena vatia [Flower Spider]
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
- *White Crab Spider Misumena vatia [Flower Spider]
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Moths:
- 1 !*Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
It seems a long while since I managed to photograph an almost full moon. This is the just waning Buck Moon, the eighth full moon of 2026. It was full at 15:36 on Wednesday.
The number of butterflies is declining fast. Those that are still flying are looking care-worn as epitomised by this Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus.
A new moth for the year on a street lamp pole pre-sunrise. It is a Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella.
"Brothers in Arms?" Two Red-tailed Bumblebees Bombus lapidarius share one of the few extant Knapweed flowers.
Not many hoverflies again today: mostly singletons once more. This Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax has more orange-brown on the abdomen than many. A variable feature on many Eristalis species.
This is a Wasp Plumehorn Volucella inanis, a species where all three bands across the abdomen are yellow...
- 1 !*Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
It is some weeks since I saw my previous Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea.
...more clearly seen here.
A Hornet Hoverfly V. zonaria with the upper band on the abdomen orange rather than yellow.
Close up and personal with a different Hornet Hoverfly.
Probably the same White Crab Spider Misumena vatia I photographed a few days ago.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- 1 $ *White-speckled Fungus Moth Nemapogon koenigi
- 1 *Red Underwing Catocala nupta
- 1 $ *White-speckled Fungus Moth Nemapogon koenigi
- 1 *Red Underwing Catocala nupta
Flies:
- no midges!
- 1 female presumed Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum
- no midges!
- 1 female presumed Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum
Arthropods:
none
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 3 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 3 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
Very much not a micro-moth was this, my second Red Underwing Catocala nupta of the year, unhelpfully silhouetted against one of the strip lights that, vaguely, illuminate the tunnel.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:15 – 07:10
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:15 – 07:10
(169th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- 18 Mute Swans when I arrived. One flew off West.
- no Mallard duckling seen.
- a Great Crested Grebe was seen at the top end. Ten minutes later it, or another, was back at the bottom end where I usually see one.
- the Little Egret still here. Also the Grey Heron again.
- a fly-over Pied Wagtail heard only. This species is much less common than it was a few years ago.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Noted on / around the water:
- 18 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 18 Mute Swans: one departed: see notes
- 29 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 *Moorhens again
- 49 Coot
- 1? Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 21 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 1 Little Egret again
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (no song):
- 2 Chiffchaffs
Nothing of note around the area:
I do believe this Moorhen has taken over a Coot nest and looks to be brooding eggs or young.
(Ed Wilson)