30 Nov 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 10.0°C: Medium/low overcast unexpectedly started to break after 08:45 with a few sunny spells. Moderate WSW breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:57 GMT

* = a photo today

The milder weather seemed to have led to an exodus of, in particular, Tufted Duck.

Priorslee Lake: 06:30 – 09:30

(275th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Just the one Mute Swan. It spent a lot of time asleep near the nest area. I rather assume it is the local pen left behind yesterday though I could not see whether or not it was ringed.
- Initially I could only find the 'spare' drake Gadwall. Eventually two pairs paddled in to join it at the E end. Some 15 minutes later there were two pairs at the W end. Had they paddled back? It was too distant to see whether the others were all still by the dam. So perhaps four pairs.
- Many of the Tufted Duck were very mobile. I managed to complete a 'total' count but was unable to ever get a full count of the number of drakes.
- A Water Rail was heard calling at 08:50. A rather unusual time as I normally only hear them around first light. My first of the winter.
- At least 350 Black-headed Gulls were on the water by 07:00: perhaps they roosted? They stayed quiet until a blue-light ambulance went along Castle Farm Way when they all went up, a prelude to them starting to leave.
- At least two Reed Buntings were heard calling in the W end scrubby area but none was seen to leave.

Overhead:
- 29 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 37 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: singles
- 133 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks again
- 3 Ravens: together
- 1 Starling
- 14 Fieldfare: together
- 8 Redwing: group of three and five singles
- 7 Pied Wagtails heard
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 3 Siskins

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:

None

Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: calls only again

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Mute Swan: presumed the local pen
- 5 (3♂) Gadwall: see notes
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard again
- 52 (>21♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 7 Moorhens
- 48 Coots
- >350 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull: adult
- *12 Herring Gulls
- *2 Common Gulls: first winters, together
- 53 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived and departed

At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 6 Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)

And:
- *1 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
- *1 possible Phaonia pallida (Muscid fly)
- 2 craneflies
- many 'winter midges'

Spiders and Harvestman:
- 3 Tetragnatha sp. stretch spiders
- *Two other spiders of different species to be identified.

Noted later:
- 1 wasp sp. in flight(!)
- 1 Grey Squirrel

An unexpected sunny spell produced this stunning effect as the low winter sun shone on the reeds and trees with a very dark cloud as backdrop.

This photo highlights the difficulty of gull identification from photos taken in strong cross-lighting. The upper wing is clearly of a Herring Gull-type being pale grey. Yet the dark along the whole underwing trailing edge is typical of Lesser Black-backed Gull, especially as it shows no paler area at the inner primaries. The bill and pale eye indicate this is a full adult. The top-side of the outer primary on the right wing appears to show an extensive white area ahead of the normal small white 'mirror' as well as a white tip. That too is puzzling. However the extent of the black on the outer wing more or less rules out and species other than Herring Gull.

Well the bird on the right is a first-winter Common Gull. Note the rather thin pale bill with extensive dark tip; the rounded head-shape; the dark-eye; the slightly darker grey mantle; and, as a first winter, extensive brown in the wings. That leaves the bird on the left. Much the same size also with a dark eye. However the mantle looks slightly paler and the bill more robust, perhaps with a pale tip?

Thoughts of anything more interesting are dispelled here. The pattern of the dark feathers on the back show this is the left-hand bird from the previous shot and here, the bill in particular, shows it is another first-winter Common Gull. Despite its name this is an unusual gull species in this part of Shropshire. Go to the gull roost at Ellesmere in winter and you will find at least 100. There have been up to 30 noted roosting at nearby Belvide Reservoir recently so I have been on the lookout for them here.

One of 'our' Common Buzzards in the same tree. Note the barring on the upper tail.

And here flying about.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker surveying the scene.

Red on the nape so it is a male.

Two of the three Ravens that flew over. One appears to be calling though I did not hear the distinctive sound. The overall size, large head and bill and wing-tips with well-separated primaries (fingers) all help identify this species in the absence of the calls.

Alarmingly close, bit a too close really; a Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) in winter 'plumage'.

 I think this is a Phaonia pallida (a Muscid fly).

This spider has some resemblance to a Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider but looks rather hunched up. I am checking its identity.

A strange one. The size of a money spider but the photo shows no separation between the thorax and the abdomen as is usual in spiders. It does seem to have at least seven legs though. Another for Nigel.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:30

(251st visit of the year)

No ice!

Bird notes:
- There was likely a seventh Canada Goose present – as there seems to be these days. I failed to find the bird with 'angel wings' but since it cannot fly it should have been around somewhere.
- Two drake Teal were together at the top end and then flew to hide beside the island. No ducks seen.
- The only drake Pochard I noted was lurking underneath overhanging vegetation at the top end. It is possible other(s) were there too. I could not check without flushing this sleeping bird.
- This is the first year that I have consistently noted as many drake Goosander as brownheads: indeed more drakes today.
- A Coal Tit noted singing: a bit early?

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Common Buzzard

On /around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 28 (18♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Teal
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 30 (14♂) Tufted Duck only
- 9 (5♂) Goosander
- 11 Moorhens again
- 24 Coots
- *2 Great Crested Grebes
- 20 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: third winter, briefly
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, departed
- 2 Grey Herons

Around the Ivy: amazing what the milder weather brings out!
- *>5 Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
- *1 Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- *2 Common Drone Flies (Eristalis tenax)
- 1 possible Phaonia pallida (Muscid fly)
- Many other flies of at least four species

Of note:

Nothing else

The two first-winter Great Crested Grebes are often close together and often, as with this one, asleep. Birds can sleep with 'one-eye open'.

The Herring Gull that briefly dropped in. The dark marks along the front of the wings indicate this is a third-winter bird.

From this angle an interesting 'hooded' effect from the winter head markings. Rather atypical – but then aren't they all!

The local Common Buzzard here was also up for a fly-about.

A Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris) having a good gnaw at one of the few remaining Ivy flowers.

I just managed a quick shot of this Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) before it flew away. I wonder where these delicate-looking insects hid during the cold and windy weather of the last few days?

As the eyes do not meet this Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax) is a female. I hope the hoverflies stay around for a while: it is always good to get them on the December list.

(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

9 Pochard

3 Gadwall

1 duck Goldeneye

1750 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

370 Black-headed Gulls

76 Herring Gulls

1 adult Great Black-backed Gull

1 adult Yellow-legged Gull

Redpoll

Siskin

Willow Tit

(John Isherwood / Martin Grant)

Holmer Lake

3 Goosander

1 Pochard

(John Isherwood)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site

11 Yellow-legged Gulls

An adult Caspian Gull

3,000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

30-40 Waxwings

2 Common Gulls

(Tom Lowe)

2010

Madeley

3 Waxwings

(Pete Nickless)

2006

Priorslee Lake

3 Cormorants

20 Pochard

56 Tufted Ducks

6 Buzzards

1 Kestrel

>1050 Black-headed Gulls

451 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

188 Wood Pigeons

18 Blackbirds

166 Fieldfares

62 Redwings

187 Jackdaws

80 Rooks

4 Siskin

6 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

2005

Priorslee Lake

1 Wigeon again

3 Pochard

47 Tufted Duck

215 Coot

4000 Black-headed Gulls

2500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

3 Herring Gulls

1 Fieldfare

1 Skylark

168 Jackdaws

72 Rooks.

19 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)