Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash10.0°C > 11.0°C: Some bright intervals though no sun. More cloud later. Moderate south-westerly wind. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:14 GMT
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:25 – 08:35
(40th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- nine Goosanders today: two full adult and one immature drake; six brownheads. Four birds seen later in flight were probably some of these: whether they were leaving or just flying around was unclear from my vantage point. Certainly a different adult drake flew West at 08:00
- back to five (two pairs and a single) Great Crested Grebe.
- a single Black-headed Gull and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull arrived together at 06:56. A steady arrival of Black-heads followed in dribs and drabs. A second Lesser Black-backed Gull was the only other large gull on the water and none flew over until a small passage after c.07:45.
- two large groups of Jackdaws each containing at least 150 birds passed well to the East. Smaller groups flew over the water and / or over adjacent fields.
- an unusual sighting was a group of c.45 Rooks flying North at 06:35. The usual roost dispersal number was, in contrast, very low.
- three Mistle Thrushes flew East loosely together: two carried on, across Castle Farm Way; the other stopped in trees on the lake side of Castle Farm Way.
- yesterday's Reed Bunting along the South side was singing its full song today. *What was almost certainly another was giving a partial song on the North side and was then seen to fly off East..
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair flew West.
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 20 Wood Pigeons again
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 34 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.400 Jackdaws
- c.75 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
Counts from the lake area:
- 8 Canada Geese: the resident pair with a pair and a quartet arriving.
- 8 (4♂) Mallard
- 21 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 (4♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens again
- 27 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 95 Black-headed Gulls: 78 on the water and 17 on the football field
- no Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- *2 Grey Herons: the second chased away
- *1 Great (White) Egret: arrived 06:47; departed East 07:40
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Flies:
- 2 small plumed midges
- *1 unidentified fly
Bugs:
- *1 plant bug either Drymus ryei or D. brunneus
Springtails:
- >2 globular springtails, some perhaps Dicyrtomina saundersi-type
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp.
Disappointing: I hoped the mild weather might bring out some moths.
This was about as good as it got this morning. No traffic on Castle Farm Way: it was closed!
A Grey Heron leaving after being chased away by the other one present. Note the length of the legs beyond the tail and compare...
...with the very long projection of the Great (White) Egret.
A disgruntled-looking male Blackbird similar to one I photographed at The Flash recently. Ostensibly an adult but with retained first-year brown primary feathers.
I hope to do better! A male Reed Bunting photographed hiding amongst twigs. An out-of-focus foreground twig blurring the bird's eye.
I can't get an ID for this fly. The best suggestion of Obsidentify was the Lesser Dung Fly
Sphaerocera curvipes. There is a strong resemblance though NatureSpot suggests that this fly would not be on the wing at this date.
This is a plant bug, probably either Drymus ryei or D. brunneus.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Between the Balancing Lake and The Flash:
I walked between the two today and noted:
On the lower pool:
- 4 Moorhens having a dispute.
On the upper pool:
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 2 Moorhens
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 08:45 – 10:25
(37th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the single Mute Swan still present.
- a group of eight Tufted Duck was seen circling over while I was inside the wooded area. I could not tell whether these were coming, going or just flying around.
- *a third Great Crested Grebe noted: one with very few head plumes.
- *a male Blackcap again at the feeding station: there were many fewer birds at the feeding station, possibly due to the milder weather?
- *only three Siskins noted: a pair as the feeders and a single in flight.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Noted on / around the water:
- 31 Canada Geese
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- 33 (22♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 40 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 Moorhens
- *38 Coots
- *3 Great Crested Grebes
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first-year
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adults
- no Cormorants
- no Grey Heron
Around the area:
Nothing else of note
"Mud, mud, glorious mud". These Mallard apparently find it delicious?
"I am the King of my Castle" - or perhaps the Queen. How can I tell?
This Great Crested Grebe seemed to be hiding away from the two birds with adult head plumes.
A close-up reveals a soggy-looking bird.
Long-tailed Tits were at the feeders....
... and in the vegetation.
I wonder what it is thinking?
A challenge: two Goldcrests were dashing about high in the trees along the shaded squirrel alley. Here is one singing.
This species shows a relatively large and staring eye.
The best of a mediocre bunch showing the "gold crest". When excited it can raise the crown feathers and then the crest looks red, inviting confusion with the scarce (in this area) Firecrest.
A chance to see the delicate feathering around the eye of a Dunnock.
A startled-looking female Blackbird, a first-year bird.
"I'm standing up straight". A male Chaffinch. The legs on this one look "clean" of parasites.
Whereas this female shows scaly growths, most obvious on it right leg.
A different female with healthy-looking legs.
Not many Siskins around this morning. A male here. "Is this my best side?"
"Or this?"
The daily male Blackcap shares the feeder with a male Siskin.
Plane of the day. A Eurocopter EC135 T2+ helicopter that is not, as you might imagine, operating for the Automobile Association but is an Air Ambulance. The red West Midlands Air Ambulance is away on annual maintenance and the company that provides the helicopters – Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore Ltd. – has brought its yellow-painted "spare" from Gloucestershire (Staverton as was) Airport to cover.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Priorslee Lake
5 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
7 Pochard
2 Tufted Duck
14 Redwing
c.600 Jackdaws
268 Rooks
17 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Greylag x Canada x ? Goose
180 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
The Wrekin
1 Raven
2 groups of Fallow Deer.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
1 Yellow-legged gull
(JW Reeves)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site / Buildwas
2 Caspian Gull
Herring x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid
A leucistic Herring Gull
8 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Common Gull
(Tom Lowe)
2012
Priorslee Lake
33 Tufted Duck
8 Pochard
175 Black-headed Gulls
160 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
11 Herring Gulls
5 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Iceland Gull
35+ Redwing
(Martin Grant, John Isherwood)
Holmer Lake
7 Goosander
1 Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)
2007
Priorslee Lake
12 Tufted Ducks
2 Buzzards
2 Kestrels
1 Water Rail
269 Wood Pigeons
25 Blackbirds
11 Song Thrushes
4 Redwings
58 Magpies
140 Jackdaws
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
5 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
116 Coots
1 Water Rail
1 Great Black-backed Gull
403 Wood Pigeons
Barn Owl
228 Jackdaws
88 Rooks
1 Skylark
35 Pied Wagtails
31 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
10 Song Thrushes
1 Redwing
2 Willow Tits
16 Greenfinches
49 Siskins
2 Redpolls
13 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
