7 Nov 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

9.0°C: Broken cloud under thin high overcast. Moderate W wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:17 GMT

* = a photo today

A busy start tended to fade away again. There seems to be few Wood Pigeons still to pass: those that did were mainly going N or NE!

However the highlight of the morning was the Woodcock that flew past me and dropped in to cover at 06:40 – my first of this Winter's season.

Priorslee Lake: 05:50 – 09:05

(253rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A third pair of Gadwall noted. Also an extra drake.
- As I was about to leave a group of 17 Tufted Duck flew low W. I suspect there were birds flushed off the lake by the sailing club starting its activities. They probably boosted the number I logged at The Flash later.
- Unlike yesterday there was no early arrival of Black-headed Gulls and only about 100 turned up after 06:45.
- Most of the early unidentified large gulls arrived from the E (rather than the usual N / NW direction). Nearly all left to the S.
- A Tawny Owl was giving its wavering hoot at 06:20 alongside Teece Drive. My first record since 10th October.
- The Cetti's Warbler sang at least six times though it was later starting at 06:45. It was calling in the NW area at 08:45.
- Many more Starlings leaving roosts this morning. At least 130 from a roost at the E end of the N side were the first birds to depart, leaving to the S. The main area in the NW reeds went out as nine separate groups mainly leaving to the SW and W.

Overhead:
- 6 Greylag Geese: inbound, together
- 12 Goosander: groups of four and eight concurrently W: all brownheads?
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 3 Stock Doves: single and duo
- 207 Wood Pigeons: 133 of these in 10 migrant groups
- 1 Herring Gull
- 82 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 unidentified large gulls
- 3 Cormorants: together
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 135 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 1 Skylark
- 5 Starlings: together
- 126 Fieldfare: six groups
- 106 Redwings: 13 groups
- c.17 Pied Wagtails
- 3 Chaffinches
- 1 Greenfinch
- 4 Siskins

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- c.825 Starlings
- 11 Redwings
- 5 Reed Buntings

Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: song heard

Count from the lake area:
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall
- 14 (11♂) Mallard
- 23 (13♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 5 Moorhens
- 48 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls only
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: adult
- *15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 42 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria)
- *1 Sprawler (Asteroscopus sphinx)
with:
- 1 Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale)
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 2 Tetragnatha sp. Stretch spider
- *1 Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestman
- *4 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen

Noted later:
- 2 Grey Squirrels

A winter-plumaged Lesser Black-backed Gull with extensive head-streaking. Looking at the extent of black on the bill I suspect this might be a third-, or more likely, a fourth-winter bird. I would expect a third-winter to show some remnant dark feathering in the tail. The white 'mirror' in the outer primary looks rather too small for a full adult.

This splendid moth is a Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria) - dig those bushy antennae (it is a male). I see this species most years in late October or early November and my first of the year.

I found two of these Sprawler moths (Asteroscopus sphinx) on the lamp poles yesterday. Today one stayed so I could get a natural light photo of it. It was a new species for me in Shropshire yesterday. I am not sure why they are so-called. Certainly they are often seen at rest with the front pair of legs apart in front of them, but such posture is not uncommon in moths.

Adult Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli harvestmen are rather imposing with their very long legs. On all species of harvestmen the second and fourth pairs of legs are always longer than the first and third pair.

Here is a close-up of the body from which we can see that there is no dark saddle so it is a male; and the eyes have a black (not white) surround and hence it is a male L. rotundum. Note the short spiny projections along the length of the legs.

I had some difficulty working this shape out. It is two Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen. Nigel, the spider man, has confirmed these are a harvestman and a harvestwoman, the male being the smaller. They are mating. This is the harvestman species where the inner part of the legs is noticeably thicker than the outer part.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:10 – 10:10

(229th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- It was the turn of a duck Teal to appear beside the island this morning.
- I suspect the increase in Tufted Ducks numbers was partly due to refugees from the Balancing Lake – see the notes from there.
- *In addition to the fly-over Redwings there were two singles seen leaving the island; and at least three more feeding on Hawthorn berries near the academy.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Jackdaws
- 4 Starlings: together
- 6 Fieldfare: together
- 2 Redwing: singles

On /around the water:
- 22 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 31 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Teal
- 59 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- no Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 36 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adult and first winter
- 2 Grey Herons

On the lamp poles:
Nothing found on any of them

Around the Ivy:
- 1 Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- *2 Tapered Drone Flies (Eristalis pertinax)
- Many Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
- More flies of at least two species.
- 2 Grey Squirrels

Redwings are notoriously shy birds unless forced in to gardens in very hard weather. This one of several feeding on Hawthorn berries above the Ivy bank near the Priorslee Academy. 'Grab shots' as someone was walking down the footpath and predictably the Redwings disappeared. Note the very obvious creamy eye-stripe and the red on the flanks (also visible on the 'armpits' when in flight. There is no red on the wings themselves).

This back view shows the red more clearly. It also shows the pale fringes to some of the folded flight feathers which Song Thrushes, the thrush most similar in size, never show. Song Thrushes are a much lighter brown on the back (and of course lack the eye-stripe and red flanks).

A Tapered Drone Fly(Eristalis pertinax) on the Ivy flowers.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2013

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

4 Wigeon

4 Gadwall

1 Teal

1 Pochard

56 Tufted Duck

23 Moorhens

233 Coots

600+ Wood Pigeons

6 Song Thrush

55 Fieldfare

55 Redwings

532 Jackdaws

167 Rooks

(Ed Wilson)

2012

Priorslee Lake

c.150 Greylag Geese

2 Gadwall

9 Pochard

28 Tufted Ducks

1 Water Rail

166 Coots

c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Great Black-backed Gull

c.300 Wood Pigeons

29 Blackbirds

63 Redwings

120 Fieldfares

709 Jackdaws

182 Rooks

c.70 Starlings

(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

The Flash

10 Goosander

(Ed Wilson)

2009

Wrekin

Location

Firecrest 

1 Crossbill

(Andy Latham)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

26 Pochard

86 Tufted Ducks

1 drake Ruddy Duck

1 Water Rail

1 Redshank

c.750 Black-headed Gulls

128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

1 Kingfisher

20 Pied Wagtails

34 Robins

32 Blackbirds

16 Redwings

41 Greenfinches

1 Siskin

(Ed Wilson)