6.0°C > 9.0°C: Very mixed. Started with medium-level cloud and a few breaks to the E. More breaks developed then c.09:00 low cloud descended, covering the tops for a while before clearing to mainly blue skies. Light NNW wind, becoming moderate at times. Mainly good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:09 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 05:40 – 09:15
(249th visit of the year)
Many fewer and smaller groups of Wood Pigeons with slight renewed activity later at The Flash when the skies cleared.
Other bird notes:
- No Mute Swans over-nighted. Two (near?) adults arrived low from the E at 07:30.
- About 430 Starlings came out of the reeds together: even more difficult to gauge the number as they left low to the W staying below the tree-line. It was over minutes later that another c.125 departed together. A few stragglers thereafter. Two groups flew over much later.
- The Cetti's Warbler gave one almost complete burst of song from the W end of the N side at 06:35. It gave several more spluttering notes shortly thereafter but was then silent. At 09:00 presumably the same bird was heard persistently calling and then seen in long grass behind the sailing club shelter.
- Siskins again heard in the W end trees very early, apparently flying off. More overhead. Then at least 15 in Alders by the Teece Drive gate, with Goldfinches, at 09:00.
- In the winter period I usually see Reed Buntings leaving the W end roost and flying far away. I heard one only in the roost area this morning but later I saw four together alongside the S side 'path'.
Overhead:
- Canada Geese: heard only outbound
- 1 Greylag Goose: outbound
- 363 Wood Pigeons: 307 of these in 15 migrant group
- 2 Collared Doves: together
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 28 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 unidentified large gulls'
- 1 Cormorant again
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 314 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks only
- 1 Skylark
- 67 Starlings: two groups
- 8 Redwings
- 1 Mistle Thrush
- 11 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Linnet
- 23 Siskins: four groups
Birds leaving roosts around the lake:
- c.570 Starlings
Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler
Count from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans: arrived
- 17 (12♂) Mallard: arrived in four groups
- *3 (2♂) Gadwall again
- 16 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 56 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- *9 Herring Gulls
- 95 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 45 unidentified large gulls
- no Grey Heron
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
None
with:
- 1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- *1 froghopper sp.
- 1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 1 Tetragnatha sp. Stretch spider
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
- 2 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestmen
Noted later:
- 1 Grey Squirrel again
Another view.
A different drake Gadwall shown amongst a group of Mallard.
I found this froghopper on a lamp pole pre-dawn. I am taking advice, but this group is challenging to identify.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:30
(226th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Number of Mallard recovered but lower number of Tufted Duck, Goosander and Moorhens!
Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Feral Pigeons
- 64 Wood Pigeons in four migrant groups
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Skylark
- 26 Starlings (two groups)
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 2 Siskins
On /around the water:
- 21 Canada Geese again
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- *34 (24♂) Mallard
- 23 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosander only
- 6 Moorhens only
- 25 Coots
- *3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: third winter
- *2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adult and first winter
- no Grey Herons
On a lamp pole:
- 1 Tetragnatha sp. Stretch spider
Noted elsewhere:
- Only a few Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:30
(226th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Number of Mallard recovered but lower number of Tufted Duck, Goosander and Moorhens!
Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Feral Pigeons
- 64 Wood Pigeons in four migrant groups
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Skylark
- 26 Starlings (two groups)
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 2 Siskins
On /around the water:
- 21 Canada Geese again
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- *34 (24♂) Mallard
- 23 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosander only
- 6 Moorhens only
- 25 Coots
- *3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: third winter
- *2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adult and first winter
- no Grey Herons
On a lamp pole:
- 1 Tetragnatha sp. Stretch spider
Noted elsewhere:
- Only a few Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
The Mallard formation flying team passes by. One of their number is not in 'team livery'!
Note how it twists its tail as it manoeuvres.
(Ed Wilson)
Also
Elsewhere
Not from 'around here' – indeed very much not from around here. I was at the Shropshire Wildlife Trust reserve at Wood Lane near Ellesmere yesterday and came across this rather distant puzzle. On the left is a drake Shoveler . The other bird is a drake Cape Shelduck. That's 'Cape' and in 'Cape of Good Hope' - South Africa. It is non-migratory so this bird has escaped from a wildlife collection.
(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
Shifnal, Lizard Wood
2 Hawfinch
(Arthur Harper)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Several Herons
>3800 Wood Pigeons
11 Skylarks
2 Meadow Pipits
199 Fieldfare
32 Redwings
9 Siskins
1 Linnet
Brambling
(Ed Wilson)
Wrekin
Location
1 Crossbill
Several Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
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)