14.0°C > 17.0°C: Some early breaks but mostly cloudy. Moderate north-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:51 BST
* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:50– 06:25 // 07:25 – 09:35
(181st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- again the only geese this morning were fly-overs.
- only a single Mallard noted at 05:15. By 09:00 there were 48 including at least three unfledged juveniles.
- a quartet of Tufted Duck today.
- yesterday's apparently lone and previously unseen juvenile Great Crested Grebe was close-by an interested adult today.
- at least 125 Black-headed Gulls were scattered on the water by 05:10. Two groups flew directly over soon after.
- the early arrival of Lesser Black-backed Gulls was later than the last few days and birds were flying from the West after 05:05 until 05:40 in a scattered and continuous stream. Until c.05:30 all flew over: thereafter some visited the lake for a drink and wash. At least 220 flew straight over with c.70 on the water. As far as I could see there were no Herring Gulls with them: certainly no (near) adults, with some of the first year bird indeterminate in the low light. Two Herring Gulls visited later. Otherwise it was small numbers both over and visiting briefly.
- no Swifts seen.
- a Ring-necked Parakeet was calling from the Ricoh area again.
a male (on size) Peregrine was seen powering away to the West c.08:50
- a Kingfisher heard flying across the water.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 10 Canada Geese: 8 flew East as a single and two quartets; a duo flew West later
- 1 Greylag Goose: flew East
- 53 Black-headed Gulls
- >225 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 94 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Peregrine
- 42 Jackdaws
- 40 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- no geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 48 (?♂) *Mallard: see notes
- 4 (3?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens again
- 48 Coots
- 6 + 9 (5 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- >125 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 88 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Herons
- 1 Kingfisher
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (no song):
- 14 Chiffchaffs
- 3 Reed Warblers
- 4 Blackcaps
Also noted:
Only a few more things on a cloudy morning:
Butterflies:
- 1 unidentified butterfly in flight only
- 1 unidentified butterfly in flight only
Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Common Copperback Ferdinandea cuprea [Bronze Sap Hoverfly; Eurasian Copperback]
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Common Copperback Ferdinandea cuprea [Bronze Sap Hoverfly; Eurasian Copperback]
Damsel / Dragon-flies:
none
none
True flies:
- $ *Muscid fly Lispe tentaculata or similar
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *cluster fly Pollenia sp.
a few other unidentified flies
- $ *Muscid fly Lispe tentaculata or similar
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- *cluster fly Pollenia sp.
a few other 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:
- 2 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 2 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 *Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
A small group of Mallard caused me to double-check their identity. They were spinning around in a group with bills on or slightly under the water, reminiscent of the behaviour of Shoveler ducks. The photo confirms from the bill pattern that these are both drake Mallard. They are in the so-called "eclipse" plumage they acquire after the breeding season and when they become flightless as they moult their wing feathers. They need to be less conspicuous. A few new adult feathers are visible - the breast of the left-hand bird has some.
These Mallard were conspicuously slightly smaller than usual. Note the wings folded on the back barely go beyond half-way. They are immatures but where were they hiding as ducklings?
A Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris explores one of the street lamp poles pre-dawn. Why do they do this?
A Common Copperback hoverfly Ferdinandea cuprea against the white background of a convolvulus petal.
Obsidentify says "unknown fly, mosquito etc." Not strictly "unknown", more "unidentified" by Obsidentify despite the spotting on the abdomen flanks. Google Lens put me on the right track with the Muscid fly Lispe tentaculata with NatureSpot adding the caution of "similar confusion species" in the genus.
Yet another Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella. The markings differ slightly from the example I noted two days ago,
I inverted the photo for easier viewing. It is the caddis fly Limnephilus lunatus. A typical caddisfly shape with long antennae pointing forward and wings held tent-wise over the body. This species is unusual in having distinctively marked wings. Many species have plain wings when the arrangement of spurs on each pair of legs needs to be checked to obtain specific identification.
With or without the camera flash I could not obtain enough detail on this cranefly on the ceiling of the tunnel to go beyond Tipula sp.
(178th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- 1 *Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
As good as it got with cloud spilling in from the West to eventually cover the sky.
A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
This is a cluster fly from the Pollenia genus. I cannot say which species. Too many look-a-likes.
A White Crab Spider Misumena vatia also known as a Flower Spider. It will surely have a long wait for a prey-item to stumble past. There were very few insects around this morning.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- 1 *Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella
- 1 *Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella
Flies:
- 2 midges
- 2 female Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
- 1 *caddis fly Limnephilus lunatus
- 1 *cranefly Tipula sp.
- 17(!) *moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 2 midges
- 2 female Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
- 1 *caddis fly Limnephilus lunatus
- 1 *cranefly Tipula sp.
- 17(!) *moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
Arthropods:
- none
- none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 2 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
A moth fly Psychodidae sp. Since there were seventeen this morning I felt I ought to photograph one of them. Several looked smaller than others but then there are about 100 different species, none of which is separable from photos.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:20
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:30 – 07:20
(178th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
Surprise this morning was finding *two Little Grebe here. This is a species I have yet to record this year at the Balancing Lake though I noted bird(s) here frequently in January and February.
Other bird notes:
- 13 Mute Swans: one then departed.
- no sign of yesterday's Little Grebes: not too surprising as this shy species would not be too impressed with the fishermen.
- perhaps three Great Crested Grebes: one still sitting; another full adult close-by at the bottom end; also a full adult near the top end that could well have been a different bird. Not easy to be sure when the water in not visible as I walk along the path through the wood.
- two Cormorants perched in trees on the island; another fishing in the water.
- one Grey Heron only
- the Little Egret was present again.
- a Ring-necked Parakeet was heard yet again. I will only report this in future if behaviour changes.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 13 Mute Swans: one of these departed
- 27 (?♂) Mallard again
- 6 Moorhens
- 31 Coot only: where were the others?
- 3? Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Egret
Hirundines etc. noted:
Other bird notes:
- 13 Mute Swans: one then departed.
- no sign of yesterday's Little Grebes: not too surprising as this shy species would not be too impressed with the fishermen.
- perhaps three Great Crested Grebes: one still sitting; another full adult close-by at the bottom end; also a full adult near the top end that could well have been a different bird. Not easy to be sure when the water in not visible as I walk along the path through the wood.
- two Cormorants perched in trees on the island; another fishing in the water.
- one Grey Heron only
- the Little Egret was present again.
- a Ring-necked Parakeet was heard yet again. I will only report this in future if behaviour changes.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 13 Mute Swans: one of these departed
- 27 (?♂) Mallard again
- 6 Moorhens
- 31 Coot only: where were the others?
- 3? Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Egret
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (no song):
- 4 Chiffchaffs
- 2 Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Warblers noted (no song):
- 4 Chiffchaffs
- 2 Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 *Dun-bar Cosmia trapezina
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 *Dun-bar Cosmia trapezina
Bugs:
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes : as yesterday, trapped in a web
This is a Dun-bar moth Cosmia trapezina. A faded specimen with the "bar" neither obvious or particularly "dun" coloured. The shape of the two cross-lines that enclose the "dun" area are diagnostic.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Egret
Common Sandpiper
Common Gull
Hobby
Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes : as yesterday, trapped in a web
(Ed Wilson)
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2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Egret
Common Sandpiper
Common Gull
Hobby
Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)