12 Sep 15

Priorslee Lake: 05:44 – 09:20
Location

Telford sunrise: 06:38

12.5°C> 14.0°C. low cloud and rain until 07:00; drier for a while then heavy showers after 08:00. Light SE wind veering SW. Moderate visibility but poor in heaviest rain

Turning out to be my best-ever autumn for duck passage with 7 Shovelers and 1 Teal today

(114th visit of the year)

Other notes
- the normal geese flight line was out of my sight as I took cover in the shelter on the SW grass. Just 1 groups passed over
- now just 1 Teal this morning, but with 7 Shoveler. At least 2 of these showed the pale face mark of eclipse drakes
- 13 House Martins passed S high over at 07:10 in a tight group. Later 3 more passed SE also high over
- 13 Chiffchaffs (4 in song) with 3 Blackcaps again were the warblers located today
- a small group of House Sparrows were in the remnant bit of the hedge to the W of the new Holy Trinity Academy. My first here since 10 June and my 2nd record of the year

and
- no moths on the lamps or in the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel
- no butterflies or dragonflies: none was to be expected in the conditions

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 24 Canada Geese (1 group)
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 4 Stock Doves
- 210 Jackdaws
- 159 Rooks
- 9 Pied Wagtails

Count of hirundines etc
- 16 House Martins

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 (?♂) Common Teal
- 20 (?♂) Mallard
- 7 (2+♂) Shoveler
- 9 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Grey Herons again
- 3 Little Grebes again
- 6 + 8 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 6 + 18 Moorhens
- 184 Coots
- 31 Black-headed Gulls

The best I could do with the Common Teal in the dreadful weather: here at least we see the green in the speculum on the folded wing. It also shows, alongside the Common Coot, the smaller size of this duck.

Crane-fly sp., likely Tipula oleracea, caught in a web

Alarming-coloured slug sp. brought out by the rain. It seems it is likely from the Arion ater aggregate which forms a complex and difficult to distinguish group known generically as Large Black Slugs. One of the species in this group has the scientific name Arion rufus but just because this individual is red does not necessarily mean it is that species. All the species in the aggregate have reddish forms and dissection to look at the atrium in the genitals is needed: perish the thought!

(Ed Wilson)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trench Lock Pool:  09:38 – 09:48
Location

(40th visit of the year)

Just had time to make the briefest visit to check whether the rain had brought anything down: it hadn't. Totals may be under-recorded

Notes
- the House Martins were all in a single group heading SE

Birds noted flying over
None

Hirundines etc
- 16 House Martins

The counts from the water
- 3 Mute Swans
- 38 Canada Geese
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- [feral Mallard-type ducks not seen]
- 1 (0♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Great Crested Grebes only
- 3 + 1 Moorhens
- 107 Coots
- 5 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day in 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake

9 Ravens

(Ed Wilson)

2011

Priorslee Lake

1 immature Peregrine Falcon
Common Sandpiper

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
Location
3 Wheatear

Yellow Wagtail

(John Isherwood)

Trench Lock Pool
Location
1 Arctic Tern

(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake

Albino Wood Pigeon
3 Swifts
1 Sedge Warbler
Redpoll

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

Kingfisher

(Ed Wilson)