13.0°C > 16.0°C: Broken cloud with a clearer spell c.07:30 – 08:30. A calm start with a light westerly breeze developing. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:59 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– 06:25 // 07:35 – 09:40
(186th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- ten Canada Geese on the lake departed together at 05:40 to the East.
- five Tufted Duck were at the West end of the water with at least one of them a drake.
- I did not manage to establish how many juveniles were in the new brood of Great Crested Grebes first seen yesterday.
- a Common Sandpiper was calling and seen flying around c.05:30 but not seen or heard thereafter.
- about 250 Black-headed Gulls were present by 05:25 with some of these noted as having arrived from the South. Later I counted 63 on the football field.
- The first of many fewer Lesser Black-backed Gulls were heard overhead at 05:10. Just a dozen or so were on the water by 05:30 when 42 more were noted arriving from the south-west. Very few visited later.
- a lone Swift flew over the North side trees at 05:55 and was not seen again. It is close to my latest-ever date for this species here.
- a lone Barn Swallow flew East at 08:45.
- a few House Martin were heard overhead at 05:35 and apparently heading South. Not seen.
- a respectable count of Rooks on roost dispersal. Jackdaw numbers remain very low.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 10 Greylag Geese flew south-east together
- 1 Herring Gull
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 36 Wood Pigeons
- 19 Jackdaws
- 97 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 42 (?♂) *Mallard
- 5 (1?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 52 Coot again
- 16 *Great Crested Grebes (adults and juveniles)
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- c.250 Black-headed Gulls
- c.60 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Swift
- 1 Barn Swallow
- ? House Martins heard only
Warblers noted (no song):
very quiet today
- 5 Chiffchaffs
- 5 Blackcaps again
Also noted:
Bird notes:
- ten Canada Geese on the lake departed together at 05:40 to the East.
- five Tufted Duck were at the West end of the water with at least one of them a drake.
- I did not manage to establish how many juveniles were in the new brood of Great Crested Grebes first seen yesterday.
- a Common Sandpiper was calling and seen flying around c.05:30 but not seen or heard thereafter.
- about 250 Black-headed Gulls were present by 05:25 with some of these noted as having arrived from the South. Later I counted 63 on the football field.
- The first of many fewer Lesser Black-backed Gulls were heard overhead at 05:10. Just a dozen or so were on the water by 05:30 when 42 more were noted arriving from the south-west. Very few visited later.
- a lone Swift flew over the North side trees at 05:55 and was not seen again. It is close to my latest-ever date for this species here.
- a lone Barn Swallow flew East at 08:45.
- a few House Martin were heard overhead at 05:35 and apparently heading South. Not seen.
- a respectable count of Rooks on roost dispersal. Jackdaw numbers remain very low.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 10 Greylag Geese flew south-east together
- 1 Herring Gull
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 36 Wood Pigeons
- 19 Jackdaws
- 97 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 42 (?♂) *Mallard
- 5 (1?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 52 Coot again
- 16 *Great Crested Grebes (adults and juveniles)
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- c.250 Black-headed Gulls
- c.60 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Swift
- 1 Barn Swallow
- ? House Martins heard only
Warblers noted (no song):
very quiet today
- 5 Chiffchaffs
- 5 Blackcaps again
Also noted:
Butterflies:
none
none
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
- *ichneumon wasp probably Pimpla rufipes [Black Slip Wasp]
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- *ichneumon wasp probably Pimpla rufipes [Black Slip Wasp]
Hoverflies:
singles of each species
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
singles of each species
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta [Long Hoverfly; Common Globetail]
Damsel / Dragon-flies:
none
none
True flies:
- *Common Green Bottle Fly Lucilia sericata
- other greenbottle Lucilia sp.
very few other unidentified flies seen.
- *Common Green Bottle Fly Lucilia sericata
- other greenbottle Lucilia sp.
very few other unidentified flies seen.
Bugs:
none
none
Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: pupa only
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis: pupa only
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
none
This family of Great Crested Grebe seems to be thriving. In my experience it is unusual for a brood of four to survive this long.
A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus flying in to the depths of a convolvulus flower (which already has an occupant). No hint of an orange tone anywhere on the body of this specimen. A variable species.
A Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare in flight showing clearly the triangular yellow marks on the abdomen that identify the female of this species. Males have square yellow marks. I rarely seem to see males.
A Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta. The alternative name of Long Hoverfly is not so apposite here as this is a female with a noticeably shorter body.
I have been reporting "greenbottle Lucilia sp." here for many weeks and in the absence of many other insects I thought I ought to try harder. This is a Common Green Bottle Fly Lucilia sericata. That said there were other noticeably smaller individuals present as well so my caution was deserved.
There were many things on the street lamp poles pre-dawn: I did not have much luck identifying them with either Obsidentify or Google Lens. I will get this checked but I think it is a Brown Moss-moth Bryotropha terrella. Pre-dawn it was difficult to discern as it was resting on a lichen-covered part of the pole. I took this photo later when it had moved and was better-lit.
This small moth is just possibly a Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, the only species in the group that seems to be flying at this date. It would be a new species for me. I will not be claiming it as the photo – of a small moth a long way up the pole – is not clear-enough.
I am on safe(r) grounds with this Square-spot Rustic moth Xestia xanthographa. The "square-spot" is the (not very obvious) dark area between what are known as "the oval" and "the kidney spot" that are present on the forewings of most moths that have this general shape at rest – the Noctuid group.
Another millipede to confuse. As with the specimen I photographed in the tunnel yesterday I thought at the time it was a White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger. But that species has a black body and this brown. It is possibly Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus though photos on the web show that species with short antennae.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(182nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- still nine Mute Swans.
- no Little Grebe seen.
- a pair of adult Great Crested Grebe were close together with an unknown number of juveniles on the back of one of them. A sub-adult was fishing in the middle of the water.
- no Cormorants noted.
- two Grey Herons and the Little Egret still here.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
none
This ichneumon wasp is probably Pimpla rufipes which is sometimes known as a Black Slip Wasp.
A female Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.
This is a pupa of a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis. I am not entirely sure anyone is at home. It seems a long while since I saw any ladybirds at any stage of their lifecycle. I guess the hot and dry conditions are not to their liking.
(Ed Wilson)
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
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On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Moths:
- 4 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 *probable Brown Moss-moth Bryotropha terrella [was Cinerous Neb]
- 1 *just possibly Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella
- 1 *Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa
- 4 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 *probable Brown Moss-moth Bryotropha terrella [was Cinerous Neb]
- 1 *just possibly Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella
- 1 *Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa
Flies:
- 1 *long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- 1 *possible Muscid fly Mintho rufiventris
- 1 unidentified fly
- 1 *long-legged fly Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
- 1 *possible Muscid fly Mintho rufiventris
- 1 unidentified fly
Arthropods:
- 1 *millipede possibly Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus
- 1 *millipede possibly Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *lace-weaver spider Amaurobius sp.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- 1 harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus
- 1 *lace-weaver spider Amaurobius sp.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- 1 harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus
This is one of the long-legged flies Dolichopus ungulatus or similar
Google Lens was most help here and its suggestion of the Muscid fly Mintho rufiventris looks possible.
This is a lace-weaver spider from the Amaurobius group.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- 1 Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella
- 1 Common Carpet Epirrhoe alternata [it took exception to my torch light and escaped before I could photograph it]
- 1 Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella
- 1 Common Carpet Epirrhoe alternata [it took exception to my torch light and escaped before I could photograph it]
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris [unusual here]
- 1 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris [unusual here]
Flies:
- 1 midge
- 4 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 midge
- 4 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
Arthropods:
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 6 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 *harvestman Opilio canestrinii
- 6 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 *harvestman Opilio canestrinii
A harvestman species that seems to like the tunnel. It is Opilio canestrinii characterised by very long legs usually held splayed. Like all harvestmen there is no separate head or thorax.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:30
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:30 – 07:30
(182nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- still nine Mute Swans.
- no Little Grebe seen.
- a pair of adult Great Crested Grebe were close together with an unknown number of juveniles on the back of one of them. A sub-adult was fishing in the middle of the water.
- no Cormorants noted.
- two Grey Herons and the Little Egret still here.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese still
- no Greylag Geese
- 9 Mute Swans again
- 31 (?♂) Mallard again
- 6 Moorhens
- 31 Coot only
- 1 Little Grebe
- 3 + ? (1 brood) *Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- no Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 1 Little Egret again
Hirundines etc. noted:
Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese still
- no Greylag Geese
- 9 Mute Swans again
- 31 (?♂) Mallard again
- 6 Moorhens
- 31 Coot only
- 1 Little Grebe
- 3 + ? (1 brood) *Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- no Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 1 Little Egret again
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (no song):
- 2 Chiffchaffs
- 1 Blackcap again
Noted around the area:
Warblers noted (no song):
- 2 Chiffchaffs
- 1 Blackcap again
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- 6 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 ! *Centre-barred Sallow Atethmia centrago
- 6 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 ! *Centre-barred Sallow Atethmia centrago
Bugs:
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes: seventh day, trapped in a web. Looked about to drop out.
Somewhere under the fluffed-up feathers are one or more juvenile Great Crested Grebes. Lets hope this brood is more successful than the previous attempt back at the end of May when the juveniles disappeared the day after they took to the water. I am not sure whether these are the same parents.
Meanwhile the immature Great Crested Grebe has caught a fish and doesn't seem to know what to do with it, carrying it about.
This Centre-barred Sallow moth Atethmia centrago was tucked up under the overhang on a street lamp pole. Sallow moths always hint at Autumn – there are several different species and none is on the wing before mid-August. My only previous record of this species in the area was at the Balancing Lake in 2020.
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)
- 1 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes: seventh day, trapped in a web. Looked about to drop out.
(Ed Wilson)
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2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)