Priorslee Lake: 06:05 – 09:08
Location
Telford sunrise: 07:09
7.5°C > 9.0°C Low overcast with mist / fog cleared. Light S breeze. Moderate visibility
Not much passage visible below the low cloud this morning
(133rd visit of the year)
Highlight would have been a very late / wintering Blackcap – IF I could have seen the bird to confirm that was what I heard call just once. In my experience it is unusual for wintering birds to call (though they sometimes sing quietly on fine days – which this was not!)
Notes
- Gadwall and Shoveler numbers as they were at the end of last week
- 4 Grey Herons disputing who should ‘own’ the fishing rights
- just 2 migrant groups of Wood Pigeons. I was surprised to see any but after 4 birds rather early a big party of >180 birds flew S c.08:35
- Magpie roost is starting to build in the NW area with at least 15 birds seen leaving. More accurate counts will have to await the fall of the rest of the leaves
- all but 9 of the Jackdaws in large group of c.330 at the much later time than usual (at 06:58)
- again no parties of Rooks seen
- Starling roost in NW reeds produced c.110 birds, with c.100 of these in a single group. 40 more logged flying over
- Cetti’s Warbler again very vocal early until c.07:30
- another brief snatch of song from one of the Song Thrushes
- very few passing Fieldfares and Redwings: also at least 11 more Redwings in the trees around the lake
- 15 Greenfinches at least seen leaving a roost at the W end. Others in the W end hedgerow
- at least 35 Goldfinches today
and
- a November Moth-type on the lamps – a species group only reliably separable by examining their genitalia
- another unidentified (and unidentifiable) moth wrapped in a spider’s web
- a few flowers left this mild Autumn: some rather sad Ragwort; a few Red Clover flowers; and at least 2 different species of umbellifer – probably Hogweed and Wild Angelica
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 15 Canada Geese (1 party)
- 27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 185 Wood Pigeons (2 migrant groups)
- 339 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 40 Starlings (3 groups)
- 2 Fieldfare (1 group)
- 10 Redwings (4 groups)
- 7 Pied Wagtails again
- 5 Siskins
- 2 Redpolls
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- >15 Magpies
- c.110 Starlings (4 groups)
- >15 Greenfinches
The counts from the lake area
all counts potentially rather limited visibility
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese
- 8 (5♂) Gadwall again
- 13 (7♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Shoveler again
- 3 (2♂) Pochard again
- 71 (33♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 Grey Herons
- 3 Little Grebe
- 7+ Great Crested Grebes
- 35 Moorhens
- 244 Coots
- 84 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
A late-flowering umbellifer: I think from the uneven nature of the petals of the outer flowers in each umbel that this has to be Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) even though the large and rather pointed leaves do not match most illustrations for this species. The literature suggests it should have stopped flowering in September
The multiplicity of small umbels and the pink tinge suggests Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris). The toothed leaves are barely visible (in this photo) but look good. It is noted as flowering as late as October so perhaps no surprise that this mild Autumn it is still present
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash: 09:11 – 09:44
Location
(93rd visit of the year)
Notes
- yesterday’s additional Mute Swans gone
- the 3 cygnets were teaching themselves how to fly as their parents ignored them (and each other)
- still very few Tufted Duck
Birds noted overhead
Location
Telford sunrise: 07:09
7.5°C > 9.0°C Low overcast with mist / fog cleared. Light S breeze. Moderate visibility
Not much passage visible below the low cloud this morning
(133rd visit of the year)
Highlight would have been a very late / wintering Blackcap – IF I could have seen the bird to confirm that was what I heard call just once. In my experience it is unusual for wintering birds to call (though they sometimes sing quietly on fine days – which this was not!)
Notes
- Gadwall and Shoveler numbers as they were at the end of last week
- 4 Grey Herons disputing who should ‘own’ the fishing rights
- just 2 migrant groups of Wood Pigeons. I was surprised to see any but after 4 birds rather early a big party of >180 birds flew S c.08:35
- Magpie roost is starting to build in the NW area with at least 15 birds seen leaving. More accurate counts will have to await the fall of the rest of the leaves
- all but 9 of the Jackdaws in large group of c.330 at the much later time than usual (at 06:58)
- again no parties of Rooks seen
- Starling roost in NW reeds produced c.110 birds, with c.100 of these in a single group. 40 more logged flying over
- Cetti’s Warbler again very vocal early until c.07:30
- another brief snatch of song from one of the Song Thrushes
- very few passing Fieldfares and Redwings: also at least 11 more Redwings in the trees around the lake
- 15 Greenfinches at least seen leaving a roost at the W end. Others in the W end hedgerow
- at least 35 Goldfinches today
and
- a November Moth-type on the lamps – a species group only reliably separable by examining their genitalia
- another unidentified (and unidentifiable) moth wrapped in a spider’s web
- a few flowers left this mild Autumn: some rather sad Ragwort; a few Red Clover flowers; and at least 2 different species of umbellifer – probably Hogweed and Wild Angelica
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 15 Canada Geese (1 party)
- 27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 185 Wood Pigeons (2 migrant groups)
- 339 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 40 Starlings (3 groups)
- 2 Fieldfare (1 group)
- 10 Redwings (4 groups)
- 7 Pied Wagtails again
- 5 Siskins
- 2 Redpolls
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- >15 Magpies
- c.110 Starlings (4 groups)
- >15 Greenfinches
The counts from the lake area
all counts potentially rather limited visibility
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese
- 8 (5♂) Gadwall again
- 13 (7♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Shoveler again
- 3 (2♂) Pochard again
- 71 (33♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 Grey Herons
- 3 Little Grebe
- 7+ Great Crested Grebes
- 35 Moorhens
- 244 Coots
- 84 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
The November Moth-type on one of the lamps.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Priorslee Flash: 09:11 – 09:44
Location
(93rd visit of the year)
Notes
- yesterday’s additional Mute Swans gone
- the 3 cygnets were teaching themselves how to fly as their parents ignored them (and each other)
- still very few Tufted Duck
Birds noted overhead
None
The counts from the water, as best as I could do
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 44 Canada Geese
- [the all-white feral goose not seen]
- 42 (26♂) Mallard
- 17 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 + 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens again
- 24 Coots
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
The counts from the water, as best as I could do
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 44 Canada Geese
- [the all-white feral goose not seen]
- 42 (26♂) Mallard
- 17 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 + 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens again
- 24 Coots
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in 2006, 2010, 2013 and 2014
Shifnal, Lizard Wood
Location
2 Hawfinch
(Arthur Harper)
Location
2 Hawfinch
(Arthur Harper)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Several Herons
>3800 Wood Pigeons
11 Sky Larks
2 Meadow Pipits
199 Fieldfare
32 Redwings
9 Siskins
1 Linnet
Brambling
>3800 Wood Pigeons
11 Sky Larks
2 Meadow Pipits
199 Fieldfare
32 Redwings
9 Siskins
1 Linnet
Brambling
2006
21 Pochard
58 Tufted Ducks
2 Buzzards
>900 Black-headed Gulls
176 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
807 Wood Pigeons
16 Pied Wagtails
26 Wrens
14 Dunnocks
34 Robins
24 Blackbirds
213 Fieldfares
6 Song Thrushes
150 Redwings
5 Mistle Thrushes
1 Blackcap
447 Starlings
2 Siskins
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
58 Tufted Ducks
2 Buzzards
>900 Black-headed Gulls
176 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
807 Wood Pigeons
16 Pied Wagtails
26 Wrens
14 Dunnocks
34 Robins
24 Blackbirds
213 Fieldfares
6 Song Thrushes
150 Redwings
5 Mistle Thrushes
1 Blackcap
447 Starlings
2 Siskins
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)