12.0°C > 19.0°C: Early medium-level cloud provided a fiery sunrise before fading away. Hazy sun through thin high cloud. A light easterly breeze started up after a calm start. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:29 BST
* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:55– 06:20 // 07:25 – 10:00
(173rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- bumper number of Canada Geese, especially arrivals.
- I attempted to clarify the Great Crested Grebe situation. I now believe there are three dependent broods of two, three and four juveniles respectively. Two more almost full-grown and independent juveniles are present. It still a mystery as to what happened to the recent brood of three juveniles. Perhaps just two survive though that family is in a very different part of the water.
- two Swifts were seen over the South side briefly c.05:45. There were four in the same area, also briefly c.08:00. Then a singleton dashed through c.08:45.
- at least two and very probably three Common Whitethroat were seen in the Ricoh hedge c.09:45.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 13 Canada Geese: nine flew East in three groups; a quartet flew West
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull yet again
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 54 Wood Pigeons
- 211 Jackdaws
- 90 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 108+ Canada Geese: 31 departed in two groups; later 108 arrived in seven groups
- 10+ Greylag Geese: 10 departed together; later one arrived among the Canadas
- 2 Mute Swans
- 51 (?♂) *Mallard
- 6 Moorhens
- 70 Coots
- 6 + >11 (5 broods) *Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 29 Black-headed Gulls: 12 (of these?) were on the football field c.06:00
- 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 7? Swifts
- 4 Barn Swallows
Warblers noted (no song):
- 6 Chiffchaffs
- 2 Reed Warblers
- 3 Blackcap
- 2 (3?) *Common Whitethroats
Also noted:
Butterflies:
- 1 *Small White Pieris rapae
- 3 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
- 3 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
- 1 *Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
- 1 Comma Polygonia c-album
- 1 *Small White Pieris rapae
- 3 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
- 3 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
- 1 *Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
- 1 Comma Polygonia c-album
Moths:
- 4 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
other grass moths mostly too faded to confirm their identity
- 4 Straw Grass-moth Agriphila straminella [was Straw Grass-veneer]
other grass moths mostly too faded to confirm their identity
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- $ *female ichneumon Buathra laborator or similar
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- $ *female ichneumon Buathra laborator or similar
Hoverflies:
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea [Common Batman Fly]
- *Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus
- *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]
- *Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis / S. torvus
- *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]: just one female
- Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Common Bluet]: just one female
True flies:
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
very few unidentified flies
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
very few unidentified flies
Bugs:
none
none
Beetles:
none
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
none
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Moths:
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [previously Common Grass-veneer]
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 *Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris
Another view of the duck Mallard with five well-grown ducklings. The bird flapping its wings shows the flight feathers are not yet fully-grown. In the last few days there has been a dramatic increase in the blue-green algae in the water.
What may be the same juvenile – a gape line and a dark eye, though the bill looks dark here. This group of warblers – known as scrub-warblers - have much thicker and shorter bills that, say, Chiffchaffs that belong to a group known as leaf-warblers.
An unfortunate shadow mars this photo of a Small White butterfly Pieris rapae, the only "white" I saw today.
Always good to see: a Painted Lady Vanessa cardui. The epithet "Vanessa" was derived from a pseudonym created by Jonathan Swift for his mistress and the subject of some of his poetry. It was later adopted by the Danish entomologist responsible for naming the genus. Mr. Google will give you more details. Do not believe texts that tell you it is derived from the Greek name for butterfly [which is "petaloúda"].
Strange: a Honey Bee Apis mellifera apparently trying to get nectar (water?) from the seed-head of a grass.
Find of the day. It is likely a female ichneumon Buathra laborator. Obsidentify was sure though NatureSpot cautions that there are similar species – without illustrating any of these others. A long ovipositor on this large ichneumon species.
And a female Syrphus sp. It is, of course, hiding its hind legs which makes further identification impossible.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Another Red Underwing moth Catocala nupta. This one was not easy to spot as it was on the "other" wall across the Wesley Brook from the footpath.
A White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger. I was not expecting to see this species again until we had some rain.
One of three Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata that wandered away from their usual hiding place in the crevice between the wall and the ceiling.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:25 – 07:20
(170th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- only 15 Mute Swans today apparently
- notable arrival of Greylag Geese. Earlier just two had been present, one of which flew off
- a trio of Cormorants flew in to perch in trees on the island.
- *certainly one and possibly a second Little Egret.
- after weeks of not seeing any Swifts here there were two overhead today – now that they are on the move. It seems probable that they did not nest in St Georges this year.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 *Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris
One of the best sunrises of the year (so far). A few photos from different locations.
In this some of the 51 geese present at dawn can be seen.
A very fiery start.
Here looking along the dam as the colour began to fade.
One of two or three Common Whitethroats in the Ricoh hedge. This one seems to have a hint of a gape line suggesting it is a juvenile most likely from a nest in the area. Note the pale bill and dark eye.
This looks to be an adult with a horn coloured bill with a dark tip. It has a pale eye.
One of two Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris on the West end street lamp poles before sunrise.
The other one. What are they doing up so early?
And day-time one as well. Definitely more wasps around these last few days.
I found very few hoverflies again today. This is a male Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.
This, another Dead-head Hoverfly Myathropa florea.
Lastly a Pellucid Fly Volucella pellucens.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- 1 *Red Underwing Catocala nupta
- 1 *Red Underwing Catocala nupta
Flies:
- 1 midge
- 1 female presumed Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum: is this dead?
- 3 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 midge
- 1 female presumed Pond Olive mayfly Cloeon dipterum: is this dead?
- 3 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
Arthropods:
- 2 *White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
- 2 *White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 3 *Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 *harvestman Phalangium opilio
- 3 *Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 *harvestman Phalangium opilio
On the ceiling a different harvestman: it is Phalangium opilio.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:25 – 07:20
(170th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- only 15 Mute Swans today apparently
- notable arrival of Greylag Geese. Earlier just two had been present, one of which flew off
- a trio of Cormorants flew in to perch in trees on the island.
- *certainly one and possibly a second Little Egret.
- after weeks of not seeing any Swifts here there were two overhead today – now that they are on the move. It seems probable that they did not nest in St Georges this year.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 12 Canada Geese
- 59 *Greylag Geese: of these 57 arrived in two groups
- 15 Mute Swans
- 27 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 46 Coot
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1? *Little Egret
- 3 *Cormorants: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
Warblers noted (no song):
- 2 Chiffchaffs again
- 3 Blackcaps
Of note around the area:
Noted on / around the water:
- 12 Canada Geese
- 59 *Greylag Geese: of these 57 arrived in two groups
- 15 Mute Swans
- 27 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 46 Coot
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1? *Little Egret
- 3 *Cormorants: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
Warblers noted (no song):
- 2 Chiffchaffs again
- 3 Blackcaps
Of note around the area:
Moths:
none
none
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris: yesterday's still trapped in spider's web. Another free-flying
- 2 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris: yesterday's still trapped in spider's web. Another free-flying
Bugs:
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes: yesterday's still trapped in spider's web
Three Cormorants arrived together. One flew straight to a perch on the island while these circled around for a while making sure it was safe. With white on their breast these are both immatures possibly first and third summers (born 2025 and 2023).
Little Egret #2 in a tree on the island. Or did #1 fly down unseen while I was taking the footpath through the wood?
(Ed Wilson)
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes: yesterday's still trapped in spider's web
Difficult to be certain: I think 48 Greylag Geese area arriving in this group.
This is easy! Just nine in the second group.
Little Egret #1 in a tree at the top end.
(Ed Wilson)
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2012
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
4 Common Tern
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
4 Common Tern
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)