7 Sep 15

Priorslee Lake:  05:32 – 07:10 // 08:15 – 08:35
Location

Telford sunrise: 06:29

9.5°C > 14.0°C. Mainly clear with few clouds. Moderate NW dropped light. Very good visibility

(109th visit of the year)

Best this morning was the Common Snipe flushed from the SW grass pre-dawn

Other notes
- 89 Greylag Geese were on the lake when I arrived: 2 Canada Geese flew in to join them. All left at 06:05. The Greylag Geese seen over later may have been some of these returning from early feeding
- 6 Tufted Ducks seemed to fly out before 08:45 but may have returned – there were certainly 6 present much later
- a Kestrel hovering to the E was my first for almost 2 months
- even more Moorhens: 37 a new record
- most of the Rooks went out as usual just after 06:00 in two sizeable groups: but the Jackdaw group was not seen with only small parties all passing well to the E of the flight-line used recently
- 12 Chiffchaffs (1 in song), 4 Blackcaps again and just 1 Reed Warblers located today.

and
- 3 Pipistrelle bats this morning
- 1 Brown Hawker, c.5 Common Darters and a different hawker-type dragonfly all seen
- 1 Large White and 2 Speckled Wood butterflies
- just 1 moth on the lamps: an Acleris laterana (or Dark-triangle Button) on a different lamp today
- nothing in the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel
- 4 different hoverfly sp. this morning but mostly bees working the rather fading ragwort and hogweed flowers
- as befits autumn many crane flies / Daddy long-legs this morning

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 24 Greylag Geese (1 group)
- 18 Canada Geese (1 group)
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 12 Feral Pigeons (1 group)
- 3 Collared Doves (2 groups)
- 82 Jackdaws
- 131 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails

Count of hirundines etc
- 1 Sand Martin
- 5 Barn Swallows
- 6 House Martins again

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 89 Greylag Geese
- 2 Canada Geese
- 21 (?♂) Mallard
- 6 (0♂) Tufted Ducks (but see notes)
- 1 Common Snipe
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Little Grebes
- 5 + 8 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 15 + 22 Moorhens
- 185 Coots
- 43 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Another unidentified spider sp. for my collection of insects seen on the lamps at the W end of the lake.

This hoverfly is probably Helophilus pendulus. I am indebted to a friend in Cornwall who is an expert in his local hoverflies for supplementing my attempts at ID'ing all 4 species seen this morning. My literature is limited and it is a new book I am still finding my way around.

This hoverfly seems to be Eristalis pertinax showing pale tarsi.

This is another Eristalis hoverfly and because the eyes do not meet it is a female. Probably tenax with dark tarsi.

Another view of the same specimen.

And a different specimen of Eristalis tenax.

While this hoverfly is probably Eristalis nemorum, one a number with dark areas in the wings.

Thus is a great-looking fly sp. Possibly Tachina fera but ...

“does my bum look hairy in this?”: same specimen.

Another fly sp. Possibly Phaonia valida but limited information about this on the web.

and another view

and again.

A male Common Darter dragonfly

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 07:20 – 08:05

Location

(78th visit of the year)

Notes
- an additional pair of Mute Swans this morning: the two pens seemed to be getting along fine with the children: what was presumably the resident cob – I could not read the Darvic rings so cannot be sure – was chasing the other cob but only so far upon which he would swim back to join the rest of the group until chased away again

- most of the geese logged flew in while I was there

- the 3 Grey Herons were all together on the island [as I noted yesterday one of the local dog-walkers had seen 5 together]

- 3 Chiffchaffs (2 in song) and 1 Blackcap recorded"

Birds noted flying over
- 2 Cormorants

Hirundines etc
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 9 House Martins

The counts from the water
- 4 + 3 Mute Swans
- 27 Greylag Geese
- 64 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 29 (16♂) Mallard
- 31 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 3 Grey Herons
- 2 + 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 + 3 Moorhens
- 15 Coots only
- 10 Black-headed Gulls

2 Greylag Geese circling to land.

And a lone Greylag well-lit by the early sun.

(Ed Wilson)

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Devil's Dingle: 08:00
Location

1 Tree Pipit
1 Green Sandpiper

(John Isherwood)

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River Severn, Buildwas: 09:30
Location

1 Little Egret
2 Common Sandpiper

(John Isherwood)

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On this day in 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014

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

2013

Priorslee Lake

Little Grebe
3 Shoveler
Green Sandpiper
Tawny Owl
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Wrekin
Location
Firecrest.
(J Shutt)

2011

Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake
Snipe
(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)