16.0°C > 18.0°C: Early drizzle with cloud lifting after 06:30 and some bright interludes. Feeling humid. Very light breeze. Very good visibility; only good during drizzle.
Sunrise: 05:54 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 // 07:15 – 09:35
(183rd visit of the year)
Another very quiet morning.
Bird notes:
- a noisy Canada Goose was present early only.
- a group of five Tufted Duck early matched my memory of those at The Flash yesterday (not present today). Later there were two more.
- many of the immature Great Crested Grebes are more or less fending for themselves and it is difficult to work out who is from which brood.
- the Black-headed Gulls confuse me. As soon as it was light-enough to see them there were c.75 scattered around the water which suggests they had not roosted by flown in under cover of darkness. By 05:55 there were at least 250 on the water though I had not seen the usual tight groups arriving. Unusually these did not disperse so quickly as usual and there were still c.150 present at 07:30.
- a small early arrival of Lesser Black-backed Gulls with c.60 arriving together c.05:35 though I had heard calls from unseen gulls after c.05:15. Two Herring Gulls with them.
- no Swifts seen.
- just two Barn Swallows flew high South.
- as yesterday House Martin(s) were heard high overhead or distantly but not seen.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- no Canada Geese
- 22 Greylag Geese flew West together
- 1 Herring Gull
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 37 Wood Pigeons
- 10 Jackdaws
- 11 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Canada Goose: departed
- 2 Mute Swans
- 37 (?♂) *Mallard
- 7 (2?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 47 *Coot
- 6 + 9 juvenile Great Crested Grebes
- >250 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 65 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons: mostly at peace
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Barn Swallows
- ? House Martins: see notes
Warblers noted (no song):
- 11 Chiffchaffs
- 2 Reed Warblers
- 4 Blackcaps
Also noted:
very few insects again:
Butterflies:
- 1 Green-veined White Pieris napi
- 1 Green-veined White Pieris napi
Moths:
none
none
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- *Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
just singles of each species
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
just singles of each species
Damsel / Dragon-flies:
none
none
True flies:
- greenbottle Lucilia sp. many
- *possible Muscid fly Musca autumnalis aka Face Fly
a few other unidentified flies, mainly all-black flies.
- greenbottle Lucilia sp. many
- *possible Muscid fly Musca autumnalis aka Face Fly
a few other unidentified flies, mainly all-black flies.
Bugs:
none
none
Beetles:
none
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- White Crab Spider Misumena vatia [Flower Spider]: same place for the third day
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
- White Crab Spider Misumena vatia [Flower Spider]: same place for the third day
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Moths:
- 3 *Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
probably other had gone to cover as the drizzle started
- 3 *Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
probably other had gone to cover as the drizzle started
Flies:
- 1 *possible Fannia lustrator
- 1 *possible Fannia lustrator
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- 1 *female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
A Coot investigates a banana skin. It did not do so for long! Note the small red mark at the top of the visible part of the leg. Not something you notice unless you look hard.
A well-posed Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella showing the clean pale streak in the folded wing splitting in to two (some split in to three) ahead of wing-tip which is edged in gold-colour (though it very quickly wears away and is barely visible here).
This fly, that I found braving the drizzle on a street lamp pole pre-dawn, is just possibly Fannia lustrator. I needed to see the abdomen tone under normal light to be certain.
A Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp. All members of this genus have a velvety-look to their distinctively-shaped abdomen. Identification to species-level is not possible from photos.
A female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum. Identify by the parallel-sided dark area down part of the abdomen. On females of the closely allied species L. blackwalli the black area widens toward the rear of the abdomen.
In close-up note the two eyes (on top at the front of the body) look all-black. They do so on both sexes of this species. On males, where L. rotundum and L. blackwalli are identically shaped and marked, the two species can best be separated because L. blackwalli has a white ring around the eye.
Plane of the day??? A brave soul up in a para-motor. A quick search of the internet suggests you could pay over £3500 for the wing and the same or more for the engine, fan and harness. Gulp! I think even British Airways is a better way to travel.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
A bumper number of moths in the tunnel, perhaps hiding from the drizzle. This is an Orange Swift Triodia sylvina. Not a species I see every year and not a good photo. It was sitting at an acute angle on the ceiling.
Did I mention "not a good photo?". The best I could do with this Chevron Grass-moth Agriphila geniculea, half on and half off one of the strip-light covers. The old name of Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer refers to the angled cross line toward the tip of the wing.
This is a Light Emerald Campaea margaritaria. As with most "green" moths the colour quickly fades. Note the small red tip to the fore-wings. My first seen in the tunnel any year and it takes this year's moth species count from the tunnel to #33.
One of two Red Underwing moths Catocala nupta. Both were resting on the surround of the ceiling lights.
The other one. Some day I will find one with its wings held partially open showing that it does indeed have a red underwing.
(180th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- 12 Mute Swans again.
- no Tufted Duck. Perhaps flown back to the Balancing Lake.
- I flushed a Little Grebe from beside the sluice. Perhaps the birds seen three days ago are lurking here. As so often after it dived for cover it never reappeared in view.
- just an adult Great Crested Grebe in the water by the island with another still sitting.
- an adult Herring Gull was leaving as I arrived.
- seven Cormorants were perched in trees on the island.
- only one Grey Heron seen. Enough noise while I was walking along the wood-path to suggest a dispute with another might be taking place.
- the Little Egret still here.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
(Ed Wilson)
- 1 *Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- 1 *female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
Not many insects out and about later. Always a few marauding Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris.
It made a change from all the black-looking flies of several sizes that were everywhere today. This may be the Muscid fly Musca autumnalis aka Face Fly.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
A good haul of moths no doubt hiding from the drizzle
Moths:
- 1 ! Orange Swift Triodia sylvina
- 1 *Chevron Grass-moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]
- 1 ! *Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata
- 1 *Light Emerald Campaea margaritaria
- 2 *Red Underwing Catocala nupta
- 1 ! Orange Swift Triodia sylvina
- 1 *Chevron Grass-moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]
- 1 ! *Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata
- 1 *Light Emerald Campaea margaritaria
- 2 *Red Underwing Catocala nupta
Flies:
- 2 midges
- 2 female Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
- 8 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 2 midges
- 2 female Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
- 8 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
Bugs:
- 1 *Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes
- 1 *Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes
Arthropods:
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 5 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 5 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
A species I see every year is Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata
It was not quite all moths in the tunnel. Here is a Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes displaying its red legs to good effect.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:10
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:10
(180th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- 12 Mute Swans again.
- no Tufted Duck. Perhaps flown back to the Balancing Lake.
- I flushed a Little Grebe from beside the sluice. Perhaps the birds seen three days ago are lurking here. As so often after it dived for cover it never reappeared in view.
- just an adult Great Crested Grebe in the water by the island with another still sitting.
- an adult Herring Gull was leaving as I arrived.
- seven Cormorants were perched in trees on the island.
- only one Grey Heron seen. Enough noise while I was walking along the wood-path to suggest a dispute with another might be taking place.
- the Little Egret still here.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 12 Mute Swans
- 28 (?♂) Mallard
- no Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 36 Coot
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: adult, departed
- 7 Cormorants
- 1? Grey Heron: see notes
- 1 Little Egret
Hirundines etc. noted:
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 12 Mute Swans
- 28 (?♂) Mallard
- no Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 36 Coot
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: adult, departed
- 7 Cormorants
- 1? Grey Heron: see notes
- 1 Little Egret
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (no song):
- 3 Chiffchaffs
Noted around the area:
Warblers noted (no song):
- 3 Chiffchaffs
Noted around the area:
Bugs:
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes: fourth day, trapped in a web
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes: fourth day, trapped in a web
(Ed Wilson)