9 Oct 19

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

Priorslee Lake:  06:05 –09:10
The Flash:  09:15 – 09:55
Trench Lock Pool:  10:30 – 10:55
Trench Middle Pool:  10:00 – 10:25 // 11:00 – 11:10

9.0°C > 14.0°C:  Mostly medium / high overcast; a fewer lower clouds later. Calm start despite the forecast “blustery wind”; light / moderate SW wind developing. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:24 BST

Priorslee Lake:  06:05 –09:10

(241st visit of the year)

More signs of the change in the seasons: my first Lesser Redpoll of the Autumn overhead; and two Reed Buntings seen leaving a roost at the W end of the water

Other bird notes from today:
- Unclear how many Grey Herons involved. The only one I had seen flew off E. Later it, or another, flew in from the E before two birds seen chasing across the lake.
- No sign of the ‘missing’ Rooks. I started searching earlier: in mid-winter they typically pass while still very dark. The Jackdaws were ‘late’ again with many passing over or to the W of the water – usually they are mainly to the E.
- A tight group of at least 32 Goldfinches bounced and fought their way over the water and carried on W, apparently different from the local birds seen feeding in the Alders. Perhaps these were the birds seen at The Flash later?

No visit was made to the ‘football’ field until 09:00 when there just nine Wood Pigeons on the grass.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 2 Greylag Geese (outbound)
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: four of these a first-winter birds
- 25 unidentified large gulls: too dark to ID
- 16 Feral / Racing Pigeons
- 2 Stock Doves
- 38 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Collared Doves
- 234 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 3 Skylarks again
- 1 Redwing
- 7 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- >32 Goldfinches
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake
- 2 Song Thrushes
- 2 Redwings
- 2 Reed Buntings

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans: adults are Blue 7JNU and 7JSS
- 8 (?♂) Mallard: flew off while too dark to sex
- 19 (7?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 Cormorants
- 2 or 3 Grey Herons
- Little Grebe(s) heard only
- 7 adult + 4 immatures + 9 juvenile (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes again
- 9 Moorhens
- 118 Coots
- >60 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: five of these first-winter birds
- 5 Herring Gulls: four of these first-winter birds
- 1 putative second-winter Yellow-legged Gull

Pre-dawn sightings on the lamp poles:
- 1 possible Field Damsel Bug (Nabis ferus)
- 1 cranefly, perhaps the same as yesterday but more akin to Tipula pagana.
- several flies of different species
- 1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- 2 Nursery Web Spiders (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 1 Leiobunum blackwalli harvestman

Later sighting:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Yes well: The left-hand gull is a first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. The right hand larger bird is an immature Herring Gull-type. But why is its head so pale? It seems to be either a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull or an atypical third-winter Herring Gull with a rather late body-moult. The bill pattern favours the Yellow-legged Gull but as with most immature gulls it is unwise to rely on any single feature.

“MY buoy”! A first-winter Herring Gull (pale with all dark bill) sees off a first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull (very dark wings).

Oops. Missed!

A classic first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull with much contrast on the underwing and all-dark upperwing. Surprising is the illumination of the pale tips to the tail feathers.

Another view of the same bird.

And the same bird being put ‘under pressure’ by first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull and, er, venting its spleen (or something).

The best I can do with this critter on a lamp pole pre-dawn is a possible Field Damsel Bug (Nabis ferus)

If this is the crane fly I photographed yesterday it has been in the wars and lost two legs. This specimen is rather better lit and looks more like Tipula pagana than yesterday’s putative Limnophila schranki.

A spider on a lamp pole, also pre-dawn, seems to be a Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis). Note the camera flash is getting eye-shine from the ‘top deck’ of four eyes.

This seems to be another Nursery Web Spider.

At last! A species of spider I am reasonably confident about. The white cruciform marking and the zigzag edges to the central band all point to a Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus). Hanging by a thread from a lamp pre-dawn.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:15 – 09:55

(228th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- One Grey Wagtail flew in as I was leaving (with the Pied Wagtail overhead)
- A party of at least 32 Goldfinches flew from the island as I arrived (see notes from the lake, above).
Other things:
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus harvestman
- 1 Opilio saxatilis harvestman
all on the usual lamp pole. Also
- 1 wasp sp. the only insect on the Ivy flowers
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus harvestman on lamp pole in squirrel alley

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Jackdaws
- 2 Skylarks
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Warblers noted.
None

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 63 Greylag Geese – same as yesterday!
- 24 Canada Geese
- no hybrid / feral geese
- 33 (20♂) Mallard
- 30 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls: two of these first-winter birds

This harvestman seems to be Opilio saxatilis – it has the diagnostic pale line down the centre of the body. Note too the well-patterned legs. Naturespot notes it as a “ground living species preferring dry and sandy places”. If my ID is correct then this one has ‘not read the book’ and was most of the way up the dampest lamp pole around the water.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  10:30 – 10:55

(44th visit of the year)

Another rather depressing visit with very little to see.

Notes from here:
- The Mute Swan battle continues. According to one of the fishermen (who spends many days here) the bird being chased is the pen (female) with the male )cob) reportedly residing in a ‘nearby orchard’ and making occasional visits, only to be chased off.
- The juvenile Great Crested Grebes here are all now independent. There seemed to be only two from the latest brood here together with another full-grown juvenile, probably the bird that has been present for many weeks. So we are one juvenile missing.
- Coot numbers apparently further declined.
- A Grey Wagtail flew in.

Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws].
None

Warblers noted:
None

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 38 Canada Geese
- 4 (1♂) Mallard
- 2 + 3 (? broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 6 Coots only
- 15 Black-headed Gulls: two of these first winter birds

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  10:00 – 10:25 // 11:00 – 11:10

(44th visit of the year)

Work still continues to stabilise the N side embankment. It therefore remains more of a challenge than usual to get accurate counts.

Notes from here:
- Many fewer Canada Geese this week – about 125 fewer! Still out in the fields? Elsewhere?
- One suggestion is that Goosanders move to local pools when the River Severn is in spate and too muddy to locate fish. Apparently not so: just a single bird seen today
- Only one (of the three) juvenile Great Crested Grebes located. That was intermittently begging for food. Were the others advanced-enough to have left?
- Grey Wagtail yet again: a clean-sweep with this species at all four locations this morning
- Bullfinches heard in the trees: I do not log these very often here.
And
- no terrapins sp. today

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull (first-winter)

Warblers noted.
None

Counts from the water:
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 27 Canada Geese
- 26 (16♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white feral Mallard-type remains
- 4 (0♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 4 Black-headed Gulls: none of these first winter birds

The only real interest at Trench was this smart brownhead Goosander. Some white between the bill and the eye is supposed to indicate an immature (born this year) though the extensive crest suggests otherwise and that it is an adult duck (female).

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee lake
Today's Sightings Here

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Raven
13 Redwing first autumn birds
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear on the airfield - one of the latest dates have seen this species
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Goldeneye
2 Wigeon
1 Redwing
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Wigeon
1 Kingfisher
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
27 Robins
4 Pochard
(Ed Wilson)