20 Nov 24

The Flash: 10:35 – 11:25

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 11:35 – 13:15


1.0°C > 3.0°C: Mostly sunny. Lying snow melting. Light westerly wind.
Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:42 GMT]


I wimped out of the early snowy and icy roads. As usual with a later
start it was to The Flash first.


* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information.


Priorslee Balancing Lake:

(252nd visit of the year)


A few changes with the cold weather. Notable was the arrival of a
splendid drake Goldeneye. Bird species #103 for me here this year.


And a comment about species #101 logged as Red-legged Partridge. A
local resident from the new estate across Castle Farm Way showed me a
photo he had taken of a feral Red-legged Partridge x Chukar in the
lanes to the East. These cross-breeds are raised game birds that have,
so far, escaped the gun and are possibly breeding in the wild. I did
not get a clear-enough view to eliminate this possibility. It was an
addition to my year list but perhaps of doubtful origin.


Other bird notes:

- the drake Eurasian Wigeon was not found.

- an influx of Tufted Ducks amongst which was a duck Pochard.


Counts from the lake area:

- 44 Canada Geese

- 1 Greylag Goose

- 21 + 2 Mute Swans

- 1 (0♂) Gadwall

- 4 (3♂) Mallard

- 1 (0♂) Pochard

- 51 (27♂) Tufted Duck

- *1 (1♂) Goldeneye

- 1 Water Rail: heard only

- 2 Moorhens

- 219 Coots

- 5 Great Crested Grebes

Gull counts taken at one point in time. Large gulls were coming and
going all the while

- 82 Black-headed Gulls

- *16 Herring Gulls

- *92 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

also

- 2 Cormorants: arrived together


Nothing else of note:



The Flash:

(255th visit of the year)


Bird notes:

- three drake Shoveler in full breeding plumage. Just two others
found, both ducks I think.

- with the Greylag Geese congregating on and around the island it was
almost impossible to see what else might be lurking there.

- a Common Buzzard flew low across the water, apparently with food in
its talons, pursued by Carrion Crows and Magpies.


Bird(s) noted flying over here:

- 1 Common Buzzard


Noted on / around the water:

- 33 Canada Geese

- 61+ Greylag Geese

- 2 'feral' Snow Geese

- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans

- 5 (3♂) Shoveler

- 22 (13♂) Mallard

- *35 (23♂) Tufted Duck

- 1 (0♂) Goosander

- 15 Moorhens

- 98 Coots

- 23 Black-headed Gulls

- 1 Herring Gull: adult

- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, departed


Nothing noted around The Flash

(Ed Wilson)

19 Nov 24

 No sightings in today.

18 Nov 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake:  06:05 – 09:15

The Flash:  09:20 – 10:25

5.0°C:  Weird weather: broken cloud early with two light showers: clear for a while: the low cloud rolled in and descended in to fog for a while before lifting and breaking. Very light northerly wind. Very good visibility except very poor during foggy spell.
Sunrise:  07:39 GMT

* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(251st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the drake Eurasian Wigeon was, as yesterday, calling while it was still dark. I saw it soon thereafter but not later. Did it leave?
- a brownhead Goosander dropped in at 08:35, staying less than 10 minutes.
- this year most of the Coots seem to be roosting in the north-east reeds. Previously more have been in the north-west area.
- yet another change with the early gull arrival. The first tranche of c.75 Black-headed Gulls arrived c.06:45. Conversely there was but a lone Lesser Black-backed Gull late in at 07:15 (with just 13 others flying over).

Birds noted flying over:
- 3 Stock Doves: a single and a duo
- 22 Wood Pigeons
- 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 70 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 1 Siskin

No birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:

Counts from the lake area:
- 56 Canada Geese: five present at dawn departed; a group of 51 flew in with...
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 21 + 2 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Eurasian Wigeon: departed?
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- *8 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0) Goosander: came and went
- 7 Moorhens
- 227 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.180 Black-headed Gulls
- *8 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Cormorant: arrived

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
-        *1 Northern Winter Moth Operophtera fagata
-        *2 Winter Moths Operophtera brumata
Bees, wasps etc.:
-        *1 small ichneumon
Flies:
-        2 winter craneflies
Springtails:
-        1 globular springtail
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
Flies:
-        1 cranefly
Barkflies:
-        1 Valenzuela flavidus
Slugs, snails etc.:
-        1 'small black slug'
-        *1 possible Hairy Snail Trochulus hispidus
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        7 spiders of several species not identified

Nothing noted later:


The Flash:
(254th visit of the year)

The changing visibility levels hampered the counting and there may be some under-recording.

Bird notes:
- three drake Shoveler in full breeding plumage. I was not sure about the other immature-types as the mist was too thick to see them properly.
- it was a duck Common Teal lurking by the island and the mist cleared. Where was/were the drake(s)?
- also a brownhead Goosander by the island. The one seen at the Balancing Lake earlier?

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water:
- 44 Canada Geese
- *6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 (3?♂) Shoveler
- 39 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Common Teal
- 41 (24?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 23 Moorhens
- 109 Coots
- *21 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted around The Flash:
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        2 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

(Ed Wilson)

17 Nov 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake:  06:05 – 09:10

The Flash:  09:15 – 10:45

7.0°C > 8.0°C:  Early cloud with breaks developing. A shower c.08:15. Light westerly wind. Excellent visibility.
Sunrise:  07:37 GMT

* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(250th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I assume the tight group of 'Feral' Pigeons that flew fast and direct were Racing Pigeons. Strangely they were heading East whereas Racing Pigeons are usually seen flying north-west. Nevertheless Feral Pigeons from local roofs are usually seen circling and in ragged groups.
 - a high number of Jackdaws noted. Most of them were passing very far to the East and only visible because the sky was clear in that direction and the visibility was very good.
- a Cetti's Warbler was heard calling along the North side and then gave a long trilling alarm call very close to me [I can find no recordings of such a call on the xeno-canto web site). About 20 minutes later one was heard singing at the West end. Much later one was heard giving its sharp 'tack' call as it moved around in the north-west reeds. All the same bird?

Birds noted flying over:
- 20 Racing Pigeons: together
- 34 Wood Pigeons: of these just 8 heading north-west in one group
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- >315 Jackdaws
- 16 Rooks
- 1 Siskin

No birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:

Counts from the lake area:
- 23 Canada Geese: 15 throughout; a quintet and single departed
- 21 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 1 (1♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 7 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 3 Moorhens
- 222 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 83 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Flies:
-        2 plumed midges
-        2 winter craneflies
-        *1 male Tipula pagana
-        2 other craneflies
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
-        1 male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum


Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
Flies:
-        1 cranefly
Springtails:
-        *2 unidentified springtails
Barkflies:
-        *1 barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi agg.
-        *21 Valenzuela flavidus
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        11 spiders of several species not identified
-        1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Nothing noted later:


The Flash:
(253rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *apparently now four drake and only one duck Shoveler. Two of the drakes first winter birds.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (0♂) Gadwall
- *5 (4♂) Shoveler
- 38 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Common Teal
- 49 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 18 Moorhens
- 115 Coots
- *36 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: adult, departed
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted around The Flash:
If the forecast of cold weather is correct then this may be the last we see of the hoverflies this year.
Bees, wasps etc.:
-        *1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
-        *c.8 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
-        *1 German Wasp Vespula germanica
Hoverflies:
-        *1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
-        *1 Stripe-faced Dronefly Eristalis nemorum [previously E. interruptus]
-        1 Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
-        1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Other flies:
-        *1 cranefly Limonia nubeculosa
-        **many flies of at least three species
Bugs:
-        1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
Beetles
-        1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        2 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
-        1 female harvestman Leiobunum rotundum

(Ed Wilson)

16 Nov 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake:  06:05 – 09:20

The Flash:  09:25 – 10:45

9.0°C > 11.0°C:  Mostly cloudy with a few blue bits but no real sun. Calm early with light south-westerly breeze later. Very good visibility.
Sunrise:  07:35 GMT

* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(249th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- two recent adult Mute Swans 'missing'.
- three sightings of Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Two at the same time in different parts of the wooded areas. The third seen bounding high South over the M54 and away much earlier.
- no Redwings were roosting in their traditional north-east area.
- three Reed Buntings heard calling around dawn: two on the South side and one on the North side. I did not see any of these leave suggesting they were at a roost site. None was heard in the traditional West end roost area.

Birds noted flying over:
- 1 Stock Dove: in with Wood Pigeons
- 197 Wood Pigeons: of these 170 heading north-west in four groups)
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 36 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
- 129 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Siskin

No birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:

Counts from the lake area:
- 15 Canada Geese: 12 throughout; a trio flew in
- 21 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 1 (1♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- 15 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 223 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 14 Herring Gulls
- 125 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *3 Cormorants: arrived together; two of them soon departed

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
pressed for time to research things I cannot immediately identify: just summary information for these.
Flies:
-        *4 flies of different species
-        8 winter craneflies
-        3 other craneflies
Springtails:
-        3 unidentified springtails of different species
Bugs:
-        *1 Mirid bug of the Lygus group
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
-        *1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
-        2 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
-        4 male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum
-        2 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
A note on the street lamps along footpath at West side. Well over a year ago one of the lamps failed. Some weeks after that I reported it on the Telford & Wrekin web site. It was weeks after that before a different street lamp, one that was working OK, was completely replaced, pole and all. That too failed several moths ago. This morning both were working with new LED arrays on the existing poles. A bit late to attract many more moths this year but hey ho! And thanks to whomever was more successful than I was in getting any action.


Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
Flies:
-        1 Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
-        *1 midge Psectrotanypus varius
-        2 other male small midges
-        3 other unidentified flies
Springtails:
-        2 unidentified springtails
Barkflies:
-        19 Valenzuela flavidus
Bugs:
-        *1 instar(?), perhaps of the leafhopper Issus coleoptratus
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        9 spiders of several species not identified
-        *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Noted later:
Springtails:
-        *1 springtail Orchesella cincta
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        3 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus


The Flash:
(252nd visit of the year)

The large broken tree in squirrel alley has been chopped down.

Bird notes:
- the four non-resident adult Mute Swans went for a short flight together and returned.
- now at least three drake and two duck Shoveler. One of the drakes a first winter bird.
- seeing ducks against the island was a challenge with 50+ geese in the way.
- Coot numbers seem to be slowly declining.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Noted on / around the water:
- 63 (gulp) Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- *6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (0♂) Gadwall
- 5 (3♂) Shoveler
- 41 (26♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Common Teal
- 59 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- 18 Moorhens
- 108 Coots
- 56 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: two adults; a second winter arrived
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted around The Flash:
If the forecast of cold weather is correct then this may be the last we see of the hoverflies this year.
Bees, wasps etc.:
-        4 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
-        *2 Marmalade Hoverflies Episyrphus balteatus
Other flies:
        *1 Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly, Moth Fly or Owl Fly]
-        *1 probable Muscid fly
Springtails:
-        *1 springtail Dicyrtomina saundersi
-        2 other unidentified springtails
Bugs:
-        *1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
Beetles
-        1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

(Ed Wilson)