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Botanical Report

Species Records

30 Sep 15

No Sightings in today.

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On this day in 2011

2011
The Flash
Location

This morning an adult Wryneck, popped up on a wall while I was walking along the footpath along the West side of The Flash at c.09:45. I managed a quick record shot and when I looked up from the camera the bird had gone - probably dropped in to the garden the other side. The gardens are higher than the path so looking over the wall is not possible. Hung around for some 10 minutes but nothing appeared. (Ed Wilson)

Wryneck - 2011 (Ed Wilson)

29 Sep 15

Priorslee Lake: 05:52 – 09:29
Location

Telford sunrise: 07:07

6.5°C > 11.5°C. Clear and fine with more in the way of high cloud and some ordinary cloud to N & E. Again rather hazy and patches of fog seen in the distance. Calm with very light SSE breeze later. Mainly good visibility

Best today was my first-ever newt sp. in the area, almost certainly a Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus)

Another surprising record was the first 2 Redwings of the Autumn flying out of trees around the lake

(129th visit of the year)

Other notes
- Greylag Geese: 1 present when I arrived and flew off; 98 flew outbound in 5 groups; then a group of 23 closely followed by a huge group of >180 flew inbound
- Canada Geese: as yesterday there were 79 present when I arrived which flew off; just 5 flew outbound. None seen later
- 6 Mallard flew off pre-dawn and were not sexed
- a few more Shoveler this morning: the drake was on its own today
- many of the Tufted Duck were continually diving and hard to sex, so I did not attempt to
- 7 + 9 was the result of the Great Crested Grebe count. In theory there should be 8 adults and there may well have been another fishing under water
- the Kestrel was on one of Severn Trent’s information posts again
- another relatively low count of Jackdaws and fewer Rooks: perhaps they have found another area to fly off to feed
- 1 calling Blackcap the only warbler noted (but see notes for The Flash where there were many Chiffchaffs)
- apart from the 9 fly-over Meadow Pipits (all singles) another bird was flushed from the long grass in the SW area

and
- no bats again
- the Palmate Newt as highlighted
- 1 Common Marbled Carpet moth on the lamps (with another probable ‘the wrong way around’ on the inside of one of the lamp shades
- nothing in the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- c.300 Greylag Geese (8 parties)
- 5 Canada Geese (1 party)
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Feral Pigeons
- 3 Stock Doves
- 191 Jackdaws
- 127 Rooks
- 11 Starlings
- 24 Pied Wagtails
- 9 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Siskin

Hirundines etc
None

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 79 Canada Geese
- 28 (>11♂) Mallard
- 4 (1♂) Shoveler
- 44 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 7 + 9 Great Crested Grebes – see notes
- 20 + 18 Moorhens
- 199 Coots
- c.175 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

A few wisps of mist again with more cloud to the NE.

 Fast-growing now: one of the juvenile Great Crested Grebes.

I was really struggling with these ducks but the camera reveals the bill-shape much more clearly than I could see with x10 binoculars. Three duck Shoveler (Black-headed Gulls behind).

Here one of them shows its green speculum – Mallard’s speculum is blue (drake Tufted Duck and Coot get in on the action).

Here is what is probably the same Kestrel rather closer. From this view the yellow cere is visible so it is a female and not an immature. Indeed I changed position and got to see the breast to confirm that but the instant I was about to press the shutter the bird flew!

A rather scruffy-looking Goldfinch. I think this is an adult in moult – some juveniles are starting to get adult bits and pieces but none is this far advances as yet.

I was rather puzzled by this – I thought a lizard. The only native species that could possibly occur in this area is the Common Lizard (Zootoca vivpara). However it is not common and the habitat around the lake seems rather improbable. I know that lizards are usually fast-moving but in cold weather perhaps not. However there were several other things that troubled me: the front foot does not have the five toes shown by a lizard; and the eyes bulged a bit. Then it fell in to place – it is a newt.

Here we see the whole newt sp. Separation of Smooth and Palmate Newts seems to be done mainly on size (10 cm. or 15 cm.) but I had nothing to measure it with (what is a cm. in old money?) and perhaps it was regrowing its tail anyway. But I think the stripe through the eye and the pale chin make it a Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus). You can get some idea of size – it is on a yellow-line the council have painted near the new academy.

Because at the time I thought it a lizard I was torn between leaving it where it was – exposed to danger but at least likely to get some warmth from the sun. And move it somewhere sheltered and hope it found somewhere to hibernate. The latter would have been the correct course of action for a newt.

A rather different-looking Common Marbled Carpet on one of the lamps this morning.

A new fungus that has just appeared around the lake.

While ‘gardening’ – removing some of the grass from in front of the fungus – I inadvertently uprooted one. So we can see the gill formation clearly: and yes that does seem to be a very small bug at the top of the stem.

An unexpected fly-over! A Royal Air Force Merlin helicopter. This is probably from 28 Squadron at RAF Benson. However I am puzzled by the crossed-sword badge on the tail which is not the squadron badge shown on the web.

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 09:31 – 10:10
Location
(89th visit of the year)

Notes
- usual caveat on geese numbers: I suspect the missing numbers are mainly Greylag Geese that were already inside the island when I arrived
- significant exodus of Tufted Duck since yesterday
- only single adult and juvenile Great Crested Grebe logged today
- all the Black-headed Gulls left towards the lake while I was there: I had noticed earlier that many of the birds at the lake seemed to come from this direction (usually they mostly arrive from the Ricoh grounds)
- the two Barn Swallows were clearly ‘on a mission’ and flying S without a pause
- after yesterday’s low counts and the total absence of Chiffchaffs at the lake it was unexpected to find at least 9 here with one singing and 2 seen that were not even calling
- Meadow Pipit overhead

Birds noted flying over
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Meadow Pipit

Hirundines etc.
- 2 Barn Swallows flew S

The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- >135 Greylag Geese
- 57 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 28 (15♂) Mallard
- 39 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 1 + 1 Great Crested Grebes only
- 5 + 1 Moorhens
- 19 Coots
- 31 Black-headed Gulls

I was trying to read the Darvic ring on the adult Mute Swan and failed – '7 something'. However we can see the ID of the two cygnets as '7IIV' and '7IIU' (the third cygnet ‘escaped’ and is unringed). Not bad from the opposite bank. Greylag Geese behind with orange bills and legs.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2005,  2008 and 2010
2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Pochard
2 Sparrowhawks
24 Swallows
Peregrine Falcon
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Redwing
(Ed Wilson)



2005
Priorslee Lake
Siskin
105 Greenfinches
Swallow
House Martin
3 Chiffchaffs
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

28 Sep 15

Priorslee Lake: 05:56 – 09:23
Location

(128th visit of the year)

Telford sunrise: 07:05

5.5°C > 14.5°C. Clear and fine with puffy clouds later. Wispy mist low over the lake again and rather hazy. Calm with light / moderate SE later. Mainly good visibility

Best today was the Red Kite that drifted over the lake c.07:05. New for me this year in Shropshire

A few unusual ducks again with a pair of Shoveler at the lake; a Wigeon at Trench Lock and two duck Teal at Middle Pool – my first at this site

Seems to have been an exodus of warblers with just single Chiffchaffs left calling at both the lake and The Flash. Of course a clear night is good for migration though I am not sure how the bright full moon might affect navigate by the stars – assuming it how they do it

Other notes
- 3 Mute Swans flew in, one wearing a blue Darvic ring and the other a deep orange ring (neither readable). These birds paddled across the lake apparently to make friends with the residents. When the residents woke up all idea of friendship vanished and they soon left. Later a single bird – one of the these? – landed for a short while; and 2 birds flew over
- Greylag Geese: 2 present when I arrived and flew off; 48 flew outbound in 3 groups; >180 flew inbound in 2 large groups; 1 landed back on the water with Canada Geese later but did not stay
- Canada Geese: 79 present when I arrived and flew off; 59 flew outbound in 4 groups; 15 flew inbound in 1 group; 55 landed back on the water with the Greylag Goose later but did not stay
- a small goose, probably the Cackling-type Canada Goose was seen leaving with other geese
- had many attempts to count the Great Crested Grebes with totals between 10 and 16. I am sure there are 16 but the ages of these is open to question. Some of the juveniles now need more than a quick glance to age accurately
- very few large gulls at all today: indeed low number of gulls period
- no idea where most of the Jackdaws were this morning: it was rather hazy at the time, but apparently not sufficiently so to ‘loose’ >100 birds
- 3 Ravens flew S. Shortly after bird(s) heard calling but I could not see the relevant bit of the sky to know whether they were the same birds
- 1 calling Chiffchaff the only warbler noted
- another good mix of small birds flying over with Meadow Pipit, Siskin, Redpoll and Linnet all logged

and
- no bats again
- no moths on the lamps or in the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel
- 1 Common Darter dragonfly

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Mute Swans – see notes
- >225 Greylag Geese (5 parties)
- 74 Canada Geese (5 parties)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Red Kite
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 2 Stock Doves
- 118 only Jackdaws
- 219 Rooks
- 3+ Ravens
- 2 Starlings
- 21 Pied Wagtails
- 5 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Siskin
- 2 Linnets
- 1 Redpoll

Hirundines etc
None

The counts from the lake area
- 5 or 6 Mute Swans – see notes
- 23 Greylag Geese
- 134 Canada Geese
- 1 Cackling-type Canada Goose
- 19 (10♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 37 (25?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Little Grebes
- 16 Great Crested Grebes – see notes
- 11 + 14 Moorhens
- 194 Coots
- c.70 Black-headed Gulls
- no large gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:26 – 09:58

(88th visit of the year)

Notes
- another ‘new’ cob Mute Swan had turned up by this morning – blue 7HLP. The two adults were seen displaying so they obviously are getting on together. And the cygnets were with them all the time
- usual caveat on geese numbers: even more that usual this morning with a real cacophony coming from inside the island
- no idea why there were so few Mallard today
- another high count of Tufted Duck: c.20 of these seemed to fly in while I was present
- just 1 calling Chiffchaff
- Meadow Pipits over again and another Redpoll

Also
- a different species of harvestman spider seen on the lamps here

Birds noted flying over
- 2 Meadow Pipits again
- 1 Redpoll

Hirundines etc.
None

The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- >90 Greylag Geese
- >100 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 18 (11♂) Mallard
- 93 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 + 2 Great Crested Grebes as usual
- 1 + 1 Moorhens
- 18 Coots

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 10:06 – 10:15 // 10:49 – 11:24

(42nd visit of the year)

Notes
- what I assume to be the resident pen Mute Swan was tucked up at the S end. What I assume to be the long-term interloper was again close to the N back. And what I assume to be the resident cob was going back and forth across the water, giving a half-hearted chase to the interloper and then moving closer, but not that close, to the pen. None of these birds is ringed so their identity cannot be confirmed
- where do the apparently non-flying feral ducks hide? 2 of them are big and white!
- two of the 3 Great Crested Grebes were behaving as if paired
- no warblers heard here

Also
- a Southern Hawker dragonfly’s territory was invaded by a Brown Hawker which was soon seen off. At least 1 other Brown Hawker
- at least 2 species of hoverfly
- 1 Small Tortoiseshell butterfly

Birds noted flying over
- 2 Meadow Pipits

Hirundines etc
None

The counts from the water
- 3 Mute Swans still
- 1 (0♂) Wigeon
- 3 (1♂) Mallard
- [no feral Mallard-type ducks]
- 7 (5♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 + 2 Moorhens
- 161 Coots
- no gulls at all

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 10:20 – 10:45

(17th visit of the year)

Notes
- the Greylag and 26 of the Canada Geese flew in as I was preparing to leave
- where do all the feral ducks hide? – inside the island somewhere I guess
- another high count of Tufted Duck
- all 3 Great Crested Grebes were adults today so assume the juveniles have fledged and gone
- Coal Tit was new for me here this year
- no warblers heard
- Grey Wagtail here as well to make it a clean sweep at all 4 sites

And
- no insects of note

Birds noted flying over
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Meadow Pipit

Hirundines etc
None

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans (one blue 7HSZ)
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 57 Canada Geese
- 2 (0♂) Teal
- 12 (8♂) Mallard
- [no feral Mallard-type ducks]
- 30 (>4♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Grey Heron
- 8 + 3 Moorhens
- 15 Coots
- 19 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

(Ed Wilson)

27 Sep 15

Priorslee Lake: 05:56 – 09:37
Location

Telford sunrise: 07:03

5.0°C > 12.0°C. Clear and fine with some puffy clouds later. Wispy mist low over the lake and grass for a while. Calm with light SE later. Good visibility

Main feature this morning was the ducks: Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Shoveler all at or over the lake, the Pintail being my first this year and my first at the lake for many a year. And there were Wigeon and a high number of Tufted Duck at The Flash

(127th visit of the year)

Other notes
- of the Greylag Geese over-flying there were 65 outbound and 55 inbound in parties of very different sizes, but there may have been some overlap
- pre-dawn I did a count of the geese on the water and thought c.180: I counted only 123 as they left. However I saw no Greylags leaving and I heard at least two calling earlier so perhaps more birds sneaked out
- many ducks today. A mixed party of 21 flew around and around and were then joined by 6 more. As far as I could tell none of these landed. Many of these were Wigeon (properly Eurasian Wigeon to distinguish them from the similar New World species of American Wigeon or Baldpate) and at the time I thought them all this species. But the photos I took of the flying group show both Shoveler and Pintail amongst them. There is certainly a single drake Shoveler and probably 4 duck Pintail
- duck Wigeon was already in the NW area and then 7 more Wigeon were found to be (already?) in the NE area (with a duck Teal)
- 4 of the Mallard logged flew off pre-dawn and seemed not to return
- 10 Tufted Ducks spent more than 10 minutes flying around, going high and then away to E and W: finally they decided to land back on the water
- an ‘extra’ Little Grebe off the NW reeds again (as well as 3 in the NE area)
- quite unable to make any meaningful count of the Great Crested Grebes as they were all continually diving
- very few large gulls seen until after 09:00 when several large groups flew N / NW. All the birds I could see clearly-enough were Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- almost all the Jackdaws passed in a single group a long way to the E about as far as I could see
- 3 Chiffchaffs (2 in song): and it was well after 09:00 before any of them called
- 2 Blackcaps heard, both calling pre-dawn and not later
- not a large number of smaller birds flying over but a good mix with Sky Lark, Meadow Pipit, Siskin and Linnet all logged: and in addition to the normal Pied Wagtail roost dispersal there were a few over later that seemed more likely to be migrants.

And
- no bats again
- a Fox on the N shore: unlikely as it seems my records show this is my first seen anywhere in the UK this year
- no moths on the lamps or in the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel
- 1 Speckled Wood butterfly
- an unidentified hawker dragonfly

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 120 Greylag Geese (4 parties)
- 4 Canada Geese
- 26 (8+♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 4 (0♂) Pintail”
- c.135 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Stock Dove
- 389 Jackdaws
- 241 Rooks
- 2 Sky Larks
- 22 Starlings
- 32 Pied Wagtails
- 6 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Siskin
- 1 Linnet

Hirundines etc
None

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2+ Greylag Geese
- 123 Canada Geese
- 8 (5♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 1 (0♂) Teal
- 15 (7♂) Mallard
- 42 (20♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 4 Little Grebes
- ? Great Crested Grebes
- 14 + 16 Moorhens
- 189 Coots
- c.120 Black-headed Gulls
- no large gulls

The morning’s misty lake at sunrise: the group of dots are the 10 restless Tufted Ducks that went round and round for >10 minutes before landing back.

A different perspective on the sunrise.

An instructive photo: I thought this group of ducks – 19 here but 21 in total – were all Wigeon but the photo reveals not so. The top left bird is clearly a Shoveler but even better the bird below it and to the right is a Pintail – look at the thin neck, the long tail and the white on the trailing edge of the secondaries. Above this is a classic Wigeon-shaped bird with the rounded head, but the bird in front of it is not a Wigeon either: and I am not sure about some of the others.

This helps a bit: the top bird is the Shoveler; and there are at least 2 birds that do not show the gleaming white belly of Wigeon (which most of them are).

Later when more birds had joined there were 27 birds and here we see what looks like the Shoveler (the bill-shape and dark belly of the bird second from the left); and 4 probable duck Pintails (the other ducks with obvious dusky bellies – it is only drakes in Pintail that have white bellies)

Here is a Wigeon on the lake – the dark green eye ‘mask’ of the adult can be made out. Note the rather long and pointed tail which made ID of some of the flying birds tricky.

Another group of ducks – all Tufted Ducks. It is not easy to sex flying Tufted Ducks unless they show their flanks which these don’t. Drakes have black, as opposed to dark brown, backs but in the strong light here I am not sure that can be seen reliably. Perhaps the lower right-most bird, which seems to have sullied flanks as well as a paler back, is a duck. All the others look like drakes.

Good lighting on this flying Jay. From this angle it looks as if it has a black eye (mask) so where is the dark moustachial stripe?

Another view shows the pale eye above what seemed to be the dark mask on the previous photo – it was indeed the moustachial stripe with the eye hard to discern.

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 09:40 – 10:35
Location

(87th visit of the year)

Notes
- the ‘new’ cob Mute Swan seems to have left [reports of it causing havoc near Shifnal recently]. Cygnets looking after themselves and the pen on the island
- usual caveat on geese numbers with some returned and inside the island before I could count them: many of the geese flew in while I was walking around
- 3 Eurasian Wigeon pitched in here as well: flew about a bit then settled. There were my first here this year
- big increase in Tufted Duck count – too many to take the time to sex / age
- the 2 Black-headed Gulls arrived just as I was about to leave
- Kingfisher again: 2nd sighting this year
- no hirundines: the local birds seem to have gone [there are still birds in Newport]
- 5 Chiffchaffs (2 in song) was a high number considering the poor total at the lake
- Meadow Pipits over here as well
Also
- 1 Speckled Wood butterfly: rather late but it was my first of the year here!

Birds noted flying over
- 10 Feral Pigeons
- 2 Meadow Pipits

Hirundines etc.
None

The counts from the water
- 1 + 3 Mute Swans
- 25 Greylag Geese
- 324 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 3 (2♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 39 (26♂) Mallard
- 108 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 + 2 Great Crested Grebes as usual
- 2 + 1 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls

A drake Wigeon: no mistaking the sex of this one with the prominent white wing patch clearly visible from the way this bird is holding its wing – not always this easy. Drake Tufted Duck asleep in the foreground.

This also a drake Wigeon on which it is harder to see the white in the wing. What we can see though is the hint of the yellow on the forehead that will be prominent when in full plumage. A duck Tufted Duck asleep here – note the white around the base of the bill, not so extensive or clearly defined as it would be on a Scaup. And a Coot of course.

Another instructive shot. From this angle and with the posture of the bird it has the pointed-tail and thin neck look of a Pintail. But the very rounded crown, the reddish tones in the flanks and the grey bill with a dark tip all mean it cannot be that species and must be a duck Wigeon.

These three Wigeon are easier to sex. We are looking up and as they glide in the wings are held up to reveal the flanks: two drakes with a duck in the middle.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2010, 2011 and 2013
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Teal
3 Wigeon
1 Kingfisher
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
13 Meadow Pipits
3 Redpoll
Siskin
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Juvenile Common Scoter
3 Little Grebes
Drake Pintail x Mallard
(Ed Wilson/Andy Latham)

26 Sep 15

Priorslee Lake: 05:52 – 08:30
Location

Telford sunrise: 07:01

5.0°C > 7.0°C. Clear and fine apart from 06:25 – 07:00 when fog rolled in and then out again. Calm. Moderate visibility but poor / bad for a while

(126th visit of the year)

Another frustrating day with the weather: the fog rolled in just as the corvids were about to fly over and the geese started to leave. Then when this was about done the fog rolled away again!

Other notes
- >300 geese on the lake early with at least 1 Greylag Goose calling. A few more geese flew in and parties of both Greylag and Canada Geese flew over later
- 7 of the Mallard logged flew off pre-dawn (with a drake Tufted Duck) and seemed not to return
- again a few Great Crested Grebes absent this morning – should be 8 + 9 and I could find only 7 + 7 again. The calm water ought to have made it easy to find all the birds this morning, so perhaps there really are a few missing?
- no hirundines again – possibly the weather was too clear to see them [at c.11:30 when I was at a farm pool near Newport a mixed group of c.35 Swallows and c.25 House Martins passed over without stopping to drink]
- 3 Chiffchaffs (2 in song): no other warblers heard today [later at the same farm pool there were still at least 2 Reed Warblers present, one of which gave a short burst of song]
- 1 Redpoll flew over and another pitched in to the hedge alongside the new academy where there were already Greenfinches and Goldfinches feeding. (The now regular small group of House Sparrows were there too)

And
- no bats seen: too cold? (was 2.5C en route)
- 1 Common Marbled Carpet moth on the lamps
- no moths in the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel
- no other insects seen: combination of low temperature and my early departure

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
Another fog affected day
- 11 Greylag Geese
- 19 Canada Geese
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 17 Jackdaws after the fog lifted
- 3 Rooks after the fog lifted
- 18 Pied Wagtails again
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Redpoll

Hirundines etc
None

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1+ Greylag Goose
- c.300 Canada Geese
- 22 (>8♂) Mallard
- 30 (16♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Little Grebes
- 7 + 7 Great Crested Grebes again
- 17 + 17 Moorhens
- 183 Coots
- c.275 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull again

The mist rolled in when it was still dark – here it is rolling away again!

Today’s ‘classic’ and unmistakeable Common Marbled Carpet

Turned out a nice morning – eventually

(Ed Wilson)

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Devil's Dingle: 07:30
Location

1 Wheatear
1 Snipe
12 Teal

(John Isherwood)

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On this day in 2011
2011
Priorslee Lake
115 Greylag Geese
420+ Canada Geese
Shoveler
Common Sandpiper
Kingfisher
3 Blackcaps
12 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

25 Sep 15

No Sightings in so far today.......................

24 Sep 15

Priorslee Lake:  05:46 – 09:18
Location

Telford sunrise: 06:58

10.5°C > 12.0°C. A few clouds and even the lightest of showers but mainly clear and fine. Calm start with light WSW breeze later. Very good visibility

(125th visit of the year)

Highlight was another Peregrine high over to the NW

Other notes
- no geese in the lake early: just 4 Canada Geese dropped in briefly
- Mallard counted as shown. Again were also noted both flying in and out before dawn and some of these may have been additional birds
- a 1st winter Kestrel used one of the ST information posts as a perch for some minutes. Apart from perhaps the same bird briefly on the mast of one of the yachts in the compound earlier this week this is the first time I have see a bird actually perched around the lake: usually they are just hovering over the grass or seen in the distance
- 4 Little Grebes this morning: one of these in the NW corner and not with the other long-term ‘residents’ along the E end of the N side
- a few Great Crested Grebes absent this morning but with the juveniles more and more independent and catching their own fish they were likely just diving away and hard to spot
- 5 Chiffchaffs (2 in song)
- 2 Blackcaps heard again
- again many of the smaller birds flying over were probably under-recorded

and
- 1 bat: not identified but not obviously a Pipistrelle-type
- 1 Comma butterfly
- 2 moths on the lamps, both Epiphyas postvittana (Light Brown Apple Moth). One of these was next to another lacewing sp.
- a different Common Marbled Carpet moth in the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel
- 1 hawker-type dragonfly
- one Episyrphus balteatus – a common small hoverfly

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
Another low-cloud affected day
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 2 Canada Geese
- 1 Peregrine
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Feral Pigeons
- 3 Stock Doves
- 403 Jackdaws
- 228 Rooks
- 18 Pied Wagtails
- 14 Meadow Pipits
- 2 Siskins

Hirundines etc
None

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese
- 22 (11♂) Mallard
- 33 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 Little Grebes
- 7 + 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 + 17 Moorhens
- 194 Coots
- c.180 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

The light shower passing through produced a brief attractive sunrise scene.

Another perspective.

A male Great Spotted Woodpecker – male because of the red patch on the nape.

The distant Peregrine: the breadth of the wing precludes all other falcons (apart from escaped falconers birds or even more unlikely vagrant Gyr Falcon!).

An Episyrphus balteatus hoverfly: a male because the eyes meet.

The Common Marbled Carpet on a lamp in the roof of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.

Sort this out! Two Black-headed Gulls were going after the same object that had been dropped by another. The adult on the right is averting its head to avoid the 1st winter on the left ...

... and they missed: just.

The Kestrel on the pole at the lake. I think it is a 1st winter bird: the breast is not that easy to see from this angle but looks rather diffusely streaked whereas as a female would be more spotted-looking. It also lacks any yellow cere at the base of the upper mandible.

Comma butterfly.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2011
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
Location
1 Wheatear
1 Yellow Wagtail
(John Isherwood)

23 Sep 15

Priorslee Lake: 05:49 – 09:02
Location

Telford sunrise: 06:56

8.0°C > 13.0°C. Fine, clear start with cloud increasing from the W later. Calm start with light W breeze later. Very good visibility.

(124th visit of the year)

Highlights today
- 3 Lapwings over were my first here this year! (none was seen late winter / spring).
- another Hobby raced through like the proverbial “bat out of hell” with no time to even raise the camera.

Other notes
- lake again packed with geese when I arrived. I estimate the geese this morning at c.370, remarkably close to the 384 counted yesterday. Only a single Greylag Goose was seen leaving though many of the geese left at an angle that made it hard to see / count. That said after this goose had left I heard no more Greylag calls from the lake. A very few more birds arrived and two small groups were seen over
- Mallard counted as shown. Birds were also noted both flying in and out before dawn and some of these may have been additional birds
- sexing some of the Tufted Ducks (1st year birds?) can be hard at this date and numbers of ♂♂ is my best effort from now until around the turn of the year when drakes become instantly separable
- one of the resident adult Great Crested Grebes was absent this morning – probably just below the surface whenever I did the count
- large count of Jackdaws this morning. >200 far to the E and only seen because of good visibility. >40 birds seen after 08:00 (almost all the others >07:00)
- 6 Chiffchaffs (2 in song) again
- 2 Blackcaps heard, one of them at a location I have not heard post-breeding birds previously this year
- numbers of fly-over wagtails, pipits and finches are likely to be under-stated as with clear blue sky the birds were often beyond (my) visual range. If found in the binoculars calling birds were often part of small parties. Many distant unidentified small birds were also noted
- all the Siskins were singles
- 2 of the Redpolls were flying together: in addition another Redpoll was noted briefly in with Goldfinches [Redpoll identification is now a nightmare with the humble ‘Redpoll’ now being split in to (at least) five species. Those that breed in the UK are now ‘Lesser Redpolls’ while slightly larger and paler birds that sometimes arrive in large numbers for the winter are ‘Mealy Redpolls’. The other three species are rare vagrants and even paler. The name ‘Common Redpoll’ is properly applied to the Mealy Redpoll but ‘common’ as far as we are concerned is typically ‘Lesser’ and this is what I suspect all these birds were, but none was seen (well enough) to be sure]
And
- no bats
- no moths on the lamps or in the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel
- 2 Common Darter dragonflies
- several Eristalis-type hoverflies not further identified

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
Another low-cloud affected day
- 8 Greylag Geese
- 15 Canada Geese
- 1 Kestrel
- 1 Hobby
- 3 Lapwings
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Collared Dove
- 428 Jackdaws
- 183 Rooks
- 2 Starlings
- 28 Pied Wagtails
- 11 Meadow Pipits
- 5 Siskins
- 4 Redpolls

Hirundines etc
None

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1? Greylag Goose
- c.370 Canada Geese
- 23 (12♂) Mallard
- 26 (7♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons yet again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 7 + 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 + 17 Moorhens
- 203 Coots
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls

A clear fine start to the day. Some of the geese can be seen in the distance on the water.

A few of the Canada Geese leaving c.07:00

In addition to some more departing geese there are six black specs which are Jackdaws on one of their many roost-dispersal routes.

Another of my less than stunning shots: enough to tell us this is not a male Kestrel which would show a grey upper tail. But we would have to be able to see the breast to separate a juvenile from a female at this age.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2013
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Whinchat
3 Snipe
1 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

2011

Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake
Ruddy Duck
Kingfisher
696 Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martin
55 Meadow Pipit
(Ed Wilson)

22 Sep 15

Priorslee Lake: 05:50 – 09:01
Location

Telford sunrise: 06:55

9.0°C > 9.5°C. Very low cloud and drizzly rain: rain more or less ceased by 06:15 but stayed very cloudy and dull. Calm start with moderate NNW later. Moderate / poor visibility

(123rd visit of the year)

Other notes
- the whole lake was packed with geese when I arrived. The count below comprises 372 Canada Geese that were counted leaving between 06:40 and 07:30 with another 18 that had flown in after 06:00. Then 2 more Canada Geese arrived after 08:30. With all these Canada Geese there were 10 Greylag Geese as singles / twos in the departing groups. And the small Cackling-type Canada Goose
- in addition to the fly-over Feral Pigeon two other birds were seen leaving the grounds of the new academy. It is most unusual to see these on the ground in the area
- 6 Chiffchaffs (2 in song) and 1 Blackcap noted
- in addition another warbler was heard calling: like a Blackcap but less ‘harsh’ than that species. I suspect it was a Lesser Whitethroat but I am insufficiently familiar with the call to make a positive ID. And it was not coming out of its shelter deep in a thick bush to let me have a look!
- the 3 Mistle Thrushes flew high overhead as part of one of the groups of Jackdaws (!)

And
- 2 Pipistrelle-type bats
- no moths on the lamps: just a Caddis fly sp.
- 1 Common Marbled Carpet and 1 Barred Sallow moths in the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
Another low-cloud affected day
- 1 Peregrine
- 47 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeons
- 78 Jackdaws
- 58 Rooks
- 13 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 3 Mistle Thrushes

Hirundines etc
None

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 10 Greylag Geese
- 392 Canada Geese (see notes)
- 1 Cackling Goose (small Canada Goose)
- 21 (10♂) Mallard
- 24 (16♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 3 Little Grebes again
- 8 + 9 Great Crested Grebes again
- 11 + 21 Moorhens
- 189 Coots
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

This is an exceptionally well-marked and presumably therefore very fresh specimen of a Barred Sallow moth in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.

This specimen of Common Marbled Carpet is rather easier to identify than several others I have photographed recently: the form here with the brown area in the middle of the wing is very common. The brown form is not known to occur in the otherwise similar Dark Marbled Carpet.

Superficially similar to several species of grass moth the long antennae point to this being a Caddis fly sp. Note that it lacks the ‘staring’ eye with the surprised look shown by grass moths. Nearly 200 species of Caddis fly are known from the UK. To start identification you need to look at the arrangement of small spurs on each pair of legs ... I’ll pass at the moment [the black mark also on the lamp is detritus].

Not a great shot but a record of a distant speeding Peregrine on a dull morning. Streaking on the breast is just visible which indicates it is a juvenile which possibly explains why there is no obvious black moustachial stripe. The most likely confusion species is Hobby but that would show longer, narrower wings which would be typically held more angled at the ‘elbow’. It would also show a ‘thinner’ profile with less of a ‘belly’.

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 09:04 – 09:34
Location

(86th visit of the year)

Other notes
- 1 Chiffchaff only (no song)

Birds noted flying over
- 1 Raven

Hirundines etc.
None

The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 14 Greylag Geese
- 3 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 40 (23♂) Mallard
- 48 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 + 2 Great Crested Grebes as usual
- 2 Moorhens
- 14 Coots
- no gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2007 and 2008
2008
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
Common Redstart
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
The drake Mallard x Pintail has returned for the 5th year at least 
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Redwing
(Ed Wilson)

21 Sep 15

Priorslee Lake: 05:46 – 09:05
Location

Telford sunrise: 06:53

11.5°C. Cloudy with rain 06:20 – 06:50 and then again after 08:20. Light SSE wind. Moderate / good visibility.

(122nd visit of the year)

Everything affected by the rain

Other notes
- a few geese arrived early but soon left
- higher number of Tufted Duck this morning
- the large gulls mostly dropped in and then moved on after a few minutes, so rather few ‘pure’ over-flights
- 2 parties of Barn Swallows flew through in the rain after 08:30
- the Rook count was as normal this morning: in the rain the Jackdaws were mainly hedge-hopping below my sight-line as I took cover in the Sailing Club shelter and therefore under-recorded
- 6 Chiffchaffs (3 in song) were the only warblers located this morning
- House Sparrows again in hedge alongside the new academy
and
- 1 or 2 Pipistrelle-type bats: I was wondering whether echolocation worked in the rain and not sure I found out – I had two glimpses of bats flying but both appeared to be flying in a straight line and might have been different animals flying directly to roost rather than feeding. (The web suggests that both the inability to echolocate and the additional energy needed to keep warm when wet means that bats do not fly in the rain)
- a Flounced Rustic moth on the lamps
- 1 Silver Y moth in the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel – a different specimen; also a lacewing sp. here

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
For what it is worth in the misty conditions
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Feral Pigeons
- 102 Jackdaws
- 136 Rooks
- 26 Pied Wagtails

Hirundines etc
- 24 Barn Swallows over

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose (briefly)
- 23 Canada Geese (2 parties: both briefly)
- 27 (14♂) Mallard
- 36 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 3 Little Grebes
- 8 + 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 + 11 Moorhens
- 203 Coots
- c.350 Black-headed Gulls
- 71 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls

Another rather faded moth. However the dark marks in the middle of wing where they meet at rest is enough of a clue that this is a Flounced Rustic moth – a very common species and my 2nd of the year here.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2007, 2008 and 2011
2011
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Wigeon
Water Rail
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)