9.0°C > 15.0°C: Clear skies. A calm start with a very light and variable breeze developing. Very good visibility if hazy early.
Sunrise: 06:04 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– 06:30 // 07:40 – 09:35
(189th visit of the year)
New bird species:
*A new bird species for the year here was a (Common) Teal found among a group of c.50 Mallard feeding in the middle of the water. Species #93
Bird notes:
- no Tufted Duck today.
- no more than c.75 Black-headed Gulls noted today. None was seen on the football field again.
- fewer Lesser Black-backed Gulls with many flying straight over and not stopping off at the lake. Of c.250 counted I would judge no more than c.175 visited the lake.
- a very small number of Lesser Black-backs dropped in later with a few flying over. A single Herring Gulls were noted at this time.
- *unusual was a lone Racing Pigeon feeding on the dam-top.
- *a family party of Barn Swallows seen with juveniles being fed with food pass seen both in the air and with perched juveniles.
- a Common Whitethroat was alarm calling from a breeding site in the south-west area c.05:50.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Canada Geese: flew East in two groups: several other groups heard only – below tree-level.
- no Greylag Geese
- 1 Herring Gull
- c.80 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 3 Feral Pigeons
- 30 Wood Pigeons
- 22 Jackdaws
- 41 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 51 (?♂) *Mallard
- 1 (0♂) *(Common) Teal
- no Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 50 Coot
- 17 Great Crested Grebes (adults and juveniles)
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- >175 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 2 Grey Herons
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 6 *Barn Swallows
- 3 House Martins
Warblers noted:
- 11 Chiffchaffs: one sang briefly again
- 6 Blackcaps
- 1 Common Whitethroat
Also noted:
Insects remain scarce
Butterflies:
- 1 *Comma Polygonia c-album
- 1 *Comma Polygonia c-album
Moths:
none
none
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
singles of each species
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
singles of each species
- *Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Damsel / Dragon-flies:
none
none
True flies:
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Flesh fly Sarcophaga sp., possibly S. carnaria
very few other flies seen.
- greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Flesh fly Sarcophaga sp., possibly S. carnaria
very few other flies seen.
Bugs:
none
none
Beetles:
none
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
- harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus
On the West end street lamp poles around dawn:
Moths:
- 12 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla: same place as yesterday
- 1 *unidentified micromoth
- 12 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 1 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla: same place as yesterday
- 1 *unidentified micromoth
Flies:
- 1 female Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
- 1 female Banded Mosquito Culiseta annulata
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *many Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris at their nest and adjacent poles
- *many Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris at their nest and adjacent poles
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
The disturbance in the middle of the water is due to the first Lesser Black-backed Gulls bathing. A hazy sunrise.
Unusually there had been only four Mallard sitting on the south-west ramp and grass. Here was a whole gang (collective noun for Mallard?) milling about. The only way I could count them was to take a photo. 49 I reckoned but then...
...that one in the middle is smaller. Could it be a still-growing Mallard duckling? But it is a different tone – greyer and not rufous.
Zoomed in: it has an all-black bill. It is a duck (or perhaps immature) (Common) Teal. My first here this year. Checking my records is seems my first record most years is in the Autumn rather than the early part of the year.
An adult Black-headed Gull now in winter plumage. The dark hood has gone leaving just "ear-muffs" and an eye smudge. The deep red bill and legs have turned orange. This bird has yet to complete its post-breeding wing moult with the outermost primaries still regrowing.
A family party of Barn Swallows was overhead. With almost no tail streamers this is likely to be a juvenile.
This will have to remain an unidentified micromoth. Both Obsidentify and Google Lens would only suggest a family to consider – different families and both large families!
A Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris exploring one of the street lamp poles pre-dawn. It is not far from its nest and I am suitably careful about a close approach.
A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus. The leaf edge makes it look as if the hoverfly has a long right antennae.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
This cranefly, one of three in the tunnel this morning, has the well-patterned wings held in line with the body at rest. It seems to be cranefly Tipula confusa.
Another cranefly in the same genus with the wings held apart at rest showing a pale area is T. lateralis. This species has long (for a cranefly) antennae.
(185th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- still ten Mute Swans.
- a duck Tufted Duck was a new arrival
- no Little Grebes seen.
- the pair of adult Great Crested Grebe were at the island with one again on the nest again. The recent sub-adult was playing submarines at the top-end.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese: of these a duo departed
- no Greylag Geese
- 10 Mute Swans
- 15 (?♂) Mallard only [there were more at the Balancing Lake today]
- 3 Moorhens only
- 34 Coot
- 3 + ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Egret
Warblers noted (no song):
- 2 Chiffchaffs
Noted around the area:
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
A Racing Pigeon that won't win many races if it stops to feed en route. Here on the dam top where I almost trod on it..
Part of the ring number. I could not get a picture of the rest.
A handsome bird and as with most Racing Pigeons easy to approach. They are used to humans.
I was fortunate to have two juveniles perch on an Alder tree close to me. Note the gape line.
Here searching the sky for a parent to bring food.
Food sighted!
Adult arriving.
Adult manoeuvring
Adult leaving and juvenile now has food
The other juvenile Barn Swallow.
I was trying to photograph an uncooperative Chiffchaff. Second best was a perky Blue Tit.
A Comma butterfly Polygonia c-album showing how it got its name.
A Honey Bee Apis mellifera feasting on a Blackberry.
Another Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
none
none
Flies:
- 1 midge
- 17 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 *cranefly Tipula confusa.
- 1 *cranefly Tipula lateralis
- 1 *unidentified cranefly
- 1 midge
- 17 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 *cranefly Tipula confusa.
- 1 *cranefly Tipula lateralis
- 1 *unidentified cranefly
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]
The third cranefly will have to remain unidentified: a small brown-toned species and there are several to choose from.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:35 – 07:30
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:35 – 07:30
(185th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- still ten Mute Swans.
- a duck Tufted Duck was a new arrival
- no Little Grebes seen.
- the pair of adult Great Crested Grebe were at the island with one again on the nest again. The recent sub-adult was playing submarines at the top-end.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese: of these a duo departed
- no Greylag Geese
- 10 Mute Swans
- 15 (?♂) Mallard only [there were more at the Balancing Lake today]
- 3 Moorhens only
- 34 Coot
- 3 + ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Egret
Warblers noted (no song):
- 2 Chiffchaffs
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- 9 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 3 Chevron Grass-moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]
- 1 ! *Yellow-barred Brindle Acasis viretata
- 1 Yellow Shell Camptogramma bilineata : same place as yesterday
- 9 Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella [was Common Grass-veneer]
- 3 Chevron Grass-moth Agriphila geniculea [was Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer]
- 1 ! *Yellow-barred Brindle Acasis viretata
- 1 Yellow Shell Camptogramma bilineata : same place as yesterday
Four-winged flies:
- 1 *Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea
A new species of moth for the year: a Yellow-barred Brindle Acasis viretata. It seems an oddly named species: it is not the barring that is yellow but the ground colour (though very faded on this specimen).
Neighbours on the neighbourhood watch sign near the academy. On the left a Common Grass-moth Agriphila tristella and on the right a Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea.
(Ed Wilson)
- 1 *Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea
(Ed Wilson)
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2013
Nedge Hill
1 Redstart
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Common Terns
(Ed Wilson)
1 Redstart
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Common Terns
(Ed Wilson)