10.0°C > 11.0°C: Medium-high overcast, scattered below. Light / moderate W wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:29 BST
Things to do later today so an abbreviated visit to the lake only.
Priorslee Lake: 05:50 – 09:00
(228th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A high number of Mallard with the drakes well-outnumbering the ducks.
- I did not visit the playing fields at the time the gulls would have been present. At least 135 Black-headed Gulls were counted either on the water or passing over, apparently leaving the fields.
- The dull conditions are probably the reason for the lower Coot count.
- A party of 62 Jackdaws flew SW over the W end of the lake at least 30 minutes after the usual early passage had ceased.
- Many of the Rooks were also tardy in flying over: they took the usual line flying S just to the E of the lake.
- Two Chiffchaffs were in with a party of tits – mainly Long-tailed Tits. Neither of them was heard to call.
Overhead:
- 3 Canada Geese: single and duo inbound
- 17 Greylag Geese flew N together
- 119 Wood Pigeons: 45 of these in three passage groups passing S
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 278 Jackdaws
- 94 Rooks
- 2 Starlings|: together
- 5 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 3 Linnets: together
- 1 Siskin
Warblers noted:
- 2 Chiffchaffs
Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 18 (14♂) Mallard
- 12 (>5♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 61 Coots only
- 3 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- >135 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 58 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.200 large gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 micro-moth to be identified
- 1 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)
- 1 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota): my first in Shropshire
with:
- 2 cranefly Tipula confusa
- 1 Common or European Earwig (Forficula dentata)
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica)
- 1 Noble False Widow (Steatoda nobilis)
- 1 Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestman
- 2 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
Nothing noted later
Sunrise: 07:29 BST
Things to do later today so an abbreviated visit to the lake only.
Priorslee Lake: 05:50 – 09:00
(228th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A high number of Mallard with the drakes well-outnumbering the ducks.
- I did not visit the playing fields at the time the gulls would have been present. At least 135 Black-headed Gulls were counted either on the water or passing over, apparently leaving the fields.
- The dull conditions are probably the reason for the lower Coot count.
- A party of 62 Jackdaws flew SW over the W end of the lake at least 30 minutes after the usual early passage had ceased.
- Many of the Rooks were also tardy in flying over: they took the usual line flying S just to the E of the lake.
- Two Chiffchaffs were in with a party of tits – mainly Long-tailed Tits. Neither of them was heard to call.
Overhead:
- 3 Canada Geese: single and duo inbound
- 17 Greylag Geese flew N together
- 119 Wood Pigeons: 45 of these in three passage groups passing S
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 278 Jackdaws
- 94 Rooks
- 2 Starlings|: together
- 5 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 3 Linnets: together
- 1 Siskin
Warblers noted:
- 2 Chiffchaffs
Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 18 (14♂) Mallard
- 12 (>5♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 61 Coots only
- 3 Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- >135 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 58 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.200 large gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 micro-moth to be identified
- 1 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)
- 1 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota): my first in Shropshire
with:
- 2 cranefly Tipula confusa
- 1 Common or European Earwig (Forficula dentata)
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica)
- 1 Noble False Widow (Steatoda nobilis)
- 1 Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestman
- 2 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
Nothing noted later
A high overcast and some lower cloud with just a touch of 'red sky in the morning'.
A new moth for me in Shropshire – a Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota). There is a similar species Yellow-line Quaker (A. macilenta). Both have a yellow-bordered cross-line toward the wing tip. The Yellow-line Quaker is brown-toned rather then grey, the red line is often faint and / or broken and never contrasts so clearly as shown in the photo.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
- 3 Plumed midges (Chironomus plumosus?)
- 1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- 2 Owl Midges Psychodidae sp.
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- also the usual midges and unidentified spiders
I think these Owl Midges Psychodidae sp. are great. Here is one.
And here is the other. This one has striped antennae though that does not help its specific identification. As previously noted there are at least 80 to choose from in the UK.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Shoveler
1 Wigeon
2 Raven
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
12 Song Thrushes
Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Bittern
Redwing
Siskin
1 Chiffchaff
53 Swans
Wigeon
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl
Stonechat
Common Gull
29 Redwings
27 Fieldfare
6 Siskins
1 Redpoll
3 Chiffchaffs
29 Greenfinches
4 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
9 Pochard
18 Lapwings
17 Meadow Pipits
36 Robins
24 Blackbirds
8 Song Thrushes
9 Redwings
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)