25 Sep 20

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

6.0°C > 12.0°C: Clear start apart from bank of cloud to far E. A few areas of cloud at times. Stayed fine. Fresh / strong gusty NW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:02 BST

* = a photo today.

Priorslee Lake: 05:40 – 09:29

(202nd visit of the year)

An addendum to yesterday's log. A third adult Mute Swan was present briefly. It arrived while I was inside a wooded area. I tried to get in to position to check for any rings on the visitor. By the time I had a clear view of the lake again the bird was gone. I simply forgot to log it at the time.

Bird notes:

- The first group of inbound Canada Geese was at the very early time of 06:30.

- The Mallard and Tufted Ducks seen together before 06:00 when too dark to sex. Only four Mallard and no Tufted Ducks located later.

- Two adult and one full-grown juvenile Little Grebe seen briefly in the NE area. An adult flushed in the SW area later I assume was a different bird.

- Two pairs of adult Great Crested Grebes seen displaying. One pair was those with the oldest juveniles, now independent. The other pair were in the NE area where they have been almost constantly since June without any sign of nesting.

- A further increase in Coot numbers.

- 139 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew SE between 06:26 and 06:50. 91 of these stopped to drink and bathe. All departed by 07:30. Very few large gulls arrived / flew over later.

- Another sign of the change in the seasons. Two Pied Wagtails are back on the dam-top to scrounge crumbs from Paul's burger van.

Birds noted flying over / near here:

- 11 Canada Geese (two groups inbound)
- 53 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 36 Wood Pigeons
- 60 Jackdaws
- 10 Rooks
- 13 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Siskin

Hirundines etc. logged:

None

Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):

- 5 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap

Counts from the lake area:

- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 3 Canada Geese: briefly
- 13 (?♂) Mallard
- 2 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 2 Grey Herons: arrived and departed separately
- 3 + 1 Little Grebes
- 14 + 6 (5 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 9 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 176 adult and juvenile Coots
- >70 Black-headed Gulls
- 91 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

Birds on academy playing fields c.07:05:

[Wood Pigeons and Magpies excluded]

- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
I had counted 110 when >60 more birds arrived from the W, though some of these flew on.

On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:

- 1 Opilio canestrinii harvestman only

Insects / other things etc. noted later

In very breezy conditions

- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)

Fungus:

- yet another unidentified species

Mammals

- 3 Grey Squirrels

I am not going to get too many more opportunities to photograph Chiffchaffs this year. Some may stay around for another month or so, indeed one or two may turn up any time in the Winter. They will soon stop calling and therefore be harder to find. And as leaves come off the trees they will tend to forage closer to the ground. I'll take them while I can.

Also will not get too many more of these Common Carder Bees (Bombus pascuorum) either. This one was tucking in to one of the late flowering Common (or Black) Knapweeds (Centaurea nigra).

I did not attempt any 'gardening' around this fungus as it was already looking as if it was collapsing and rather fragile. It looks like one of the Boletes. Beyond that....

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:32 – 10:25

(186th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- Six of the Mute Swan cygnets went for a fly, managing turns despite the strong and gusty wind. No help or encouragement from their parents who were elsewhere. I could not locate the seventh cygnet.

- Three of the Canada Geese arrived high from the W, unusually. More uncounted geese inside the island as usual.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:

- 1 Common Buzzard

Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):

- 1 (0) Chiffchaff

Counts from the water:

- 3 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- >10 Greylag Geese
- >34 Canada Geese
- 23 (11♂) Mallard
- 59 (12?♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls

Nothing found on any of the lamp poles:

Elsewhere:

Bees / wasps:

- Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

A trio of Canada Geese arriving high from the West. Two of them, typically, calling.

Circling around and lowering their under-carriage.

One circling even lower. They seemed to have real difficulty interpreting the wind and how they should approach. Perhaps the council should erect a windsock to help them.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 10:34 – 10:55 // 11:30 – 11:38

(28th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- The Canada Geese flew off between my two visits.

- Just one adult Great Crested Grebe noted. No juveniles located.

- A Grey Wagtail seen.

Birds noted flying over / near here:

[The local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws not included]

- 1 Greylag Goose: somewhat surprisingly this was my first record here in 2020. #56 at this site.
- 4 Starlings

Hirundines etc. logged:

None

Warblers logged:

None

Counts from the water:

- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 14 Great Crested Grebes: departed
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Moorhen
- 18 Coots
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

I took this picture of a Grey Wagtail mainly to check whether any coloured rings had been added to the legs by the man netting wagtails at Shifnal Sewage Works. A naff photo but at least it shows there are no rings. 

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 11:00 – 11:25

(28th visit of the year)

Bird notes:

- Only two (of three) second-brood juvenile Great Crested Grebes seen.

Birds noted flying over / near here:

None

Hirundines etc. logged:

None

Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):

- 1 (1) Chiffchaff

Counts from the water:

- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 Greylag Geese
- 67 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose as ever
- 22 (12♂) Mallard
- 13 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 14 Moorhen
- 47 Coots
- 12 Black-headed Gulls

Also noted:

- Small White (Pieris rapae)

(Ed Wilson)

Note:

Click Here are a few Images from the Wirral - 18 Sep 20

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

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2018

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here