11.0°C > 9.0°C > 11.0°C: Cloud starting to break after overnight rain. It was fter 09:00 before any sunny spells. Moderate NNW wind fell light for a while then a light / moderate E breeze sprung up after the clearance. Excellent visibility.
Sunrise: 07:35 BST
* = a photo today
No passage of Redwings today but a small movement of Wood Pigeons heading S.
Priorslee Lake: 05:55 – 09:25
(231st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A drake Goosander flew high S at 07:50
- >450 Black-headed Gulls were moving around between the football field and the academy playing fields at 07:25. As yesterday more were still drifting in with a few on the lake. An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was with them.
- The large gulls arrived, dropping down from high overhead after 07:05. They happily settled on the water today despite the continued absence of street-lights along Castle Farm Way.
- For the last few days a raft of c.40 Coots has been in the middle of the water at 06:30. In previous year almost all the Coots have roosted in the reeds and only started to emerge in dribs and drabs once it begins to get light.
Overhead:
- 1 Greylag Goose: inbound again
- 4 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 3 Feral Pigeons: together
- 2 Stock Doves together
- 310 Wood Pigeons: 173 of these were passing S in eight groups
- 3 Black-headed Gulls: very high N
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- c.280 Jackdaws
- 26 Rooks only
- 3 Skylarks again
- 1 Song Thrush
- 16 Redwing: one group of 11 flying W; all others singles in various directions
- 9 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Greenfinch
- 1 Siskin
Warblers noted:
None
Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 11 (8♂) Mallard
- 11 (>4♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 76 Coots
- no Little Grebes
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.500 Black-headed Gulls once more
- 11 Herring Gulls again
- 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.90 unidentified large gulls at the usual early time: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 6 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)
with:
- *1 Mayfly sp., probably a Pond Olive (Cloeon dipterum)
- 1 Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- *1 unidentified fly sp.
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
Nothing noted later:
Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 11 (8♂) Mallard
- 11 (>4♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 76 Coots
- no Little Grebes
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.500 Black-headed Gulls once more
- 11 Herring Gulls again
- 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.90 unidentified large gulls at the usual early time: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 6 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)
with:
- *1 Mayfly sp., probably a Pond Olive (Cloeon dipterum)
- 1 Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- *1 unidentified fly sp.
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
Nothing noted later:
This fly looked rather distinctive. It was sitting with its wings rather more open than most flies: the eyes seemed proportionately large: and the wings are brown-toned with prominent venation. I have not had any luck identifying it though.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
- *1 Yellow-line Quaker moth (Agrochola macilenta)
- 1 cranefly Tipula confusa
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- also the usual midges and unidentified spiders
Nearby noises from the Ricoh copse were probably made by Foxes. I heard the same noises a few days ago shortly followed by a Tawny Owl calling from the same general area. I thought at the time it was an unlikely noise for an owl.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
- *1 Yellow-line Quaker moth (Agrochola macilenta)
- 1 cranefly Tipula confusa
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
- also the usual midges and unidentified spiders
Nearby noises from the Ricoh copse were probably made by Foxes. I heard the same noises a few days ago shortly followed by a Tawny Owl calling from the same general area. I thought at the time it was an unlikely noise for an owl.
A Yellow-line Quaker moth (Agrochola macilenta). It is at least eight years since I recorded this species in Shropshire. Insects on the roof are hard to photograph. The zoom on the camera will not focus that close and even on tippy-toes with arm out-stretched I cannot get close. My only option is to back-away and try an angled shot, as here. I then inverted it for easier viewing.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:35
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:35
(208th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The pair of Teal was again tucked up against the island.
- The group of Wood Pigeons seemed to be just setting off with stragglers climbing fast to join in.
- All six – three adult and three juvenile – Great Crested Grebes seen at the same time. Was there even a fourth adult? Not sure.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Feral Pigeon again
- 28 Wood Pigeons: one group flew S
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Siskin
Warblers noted:
Bird notes:
- The pair of Teal was again tucked up against the island.
- The group of Wood Pigeons seemed to be just setting off with stragglers climbing fast to join in.
- All six – three adult and three juvenile – Great Crested Grebes seen at the same time. Was there even a fourth adult? Not sure.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Feral Pigeon again
- 28 Wood Pigeons: one group flew S
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Siskin
Warblers noted:
None
On /around the water:
- 40 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 29 (20♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Teal still
- 24 (9+♂) Tufted Duck
- 25 (0♂) Goosander
- 11 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 59 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons
On the lamp poles:
- 40 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 29 (20♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Teal still
- 24 (9+♂) Tufted Duck
- 25 (0♂) Goosander
- 11 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 59 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons
On the lamp poles:
Nothing found on any of them
Noted elsewhere:
The ivy was busy but rather few species involved.
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax)
- *Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)
- *Syrphus sp. hoverfly (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis), possibly a Humming Syrphus (Syrphus ribesii)
- Grey Squirrel
Noted elsewhere:
The ivy was busy but rather few species involved.
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax)
- *Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)
- *Syrphus sp. hoverfly (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis), possibly a Humming Syrphus (Syrphus ribesii)
- Grey Squirrel
And here getting down to the important job of looking for food.
(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
2013
Nedge Hill
2 Fieldfare
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Gulls
Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
12 Pochard
87 Tufted Ducks
1 Kingfisher
23 Pied Wagtails
32 Robins
12 Blackbirds
8 Song Thrushes
11 Redwings
c.130 Starlings
(Ed Wilson)