8 Nov 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 9.0°C: Mainly medium overcast. Some breaks to the E early on: later a few breaks from the W. Light and variable, mainly SE breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:19 GMT

* = a photo today

Quiet today with most things in low numbers and many having a Monday morning lie-in

Priorslee Lake: 05:50 – 09:15

(254th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Coot remain in very low numbers this Autumn / Winter. A post-breeding build-up often peaks at c.200 birds, dropping away somewhat by December and especially if the lake freezes over. This year numbers reached a maximum of c.80 in early October and have declined to fewer than 60 at present. There were probably c.15 breeding pairs and most had multiple broods. Losses are always high. I judge c.20 juveniles reached maturity.
- The fly-over Reed Bunting did seem to come from far away as if it were not any of the birds from the roost (seven) or along the S side (three).

Overhead:
- 1 Stock Dove
- 127 Wood Pigeons: 65 of these in eight small groups of ≤17 birds
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 67 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 25 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 152 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 1 Starling
- 8 Fieldfare: together
- 28 Redwing: eight small groups
- 8 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Greenfinch
- 1 Linnet
- 6 Goldfinches
- 9 Siskins
- 1 Reed Bunting

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- >300 Starlings
- 1 Redwing
- 7 Reed Buntings

Warblers noted:
None and the Cetti's Warbler was not heard

Count from the lake area:
- 5 (3♂) Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 19 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens again
- 54 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls only
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: immature
- 36 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 24 unidentified large gulls

At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 probable Privet Tortrix (Clepsis consimilana)
- 1 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)
with:
- 2 Hawthorn Shieldbugs (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale)
- 1 Meta sp. spider, probably Metellina segmentata
- 1 Neriene montana spider
- 1 Tetragnatha sp. Stretch spider
- 2 Leiobunum rotundum harvestmen
- 3 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen

Noted later:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Although mainly cloudy this morning some early breaks to the E provided the ingredients for a colourful sunrise. The camera has slightly enhanced the contrast, probably because it was still quite dark – 0.4 seconds exposure. Luckily a Severn Trent sign is more or less handily placed to provide support for my shaking hands!

Not quite enough support to stop all the shaking at high zoom.

This is an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. They of course have yellow legs – er? They are noted as brighter yellow in the breeding season but to my eyes these are flesh-pink. I cannot explain why.

Another Tortrix moth this morning. The most common species at this date is the Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana). That is a very variable moth both in base colour and marking thought most examples show a distinct contrast between the front and back of the wing and even where there is no such contrast a darker 'dividing line' is usually present. This shows no such marks and to my eye this moth is wider and shorter than the apple moth. After research in the literature and on the web I believe it to be a Privet Tortrix (Clepsis consimilana). It is almost certainly the same species that I photographed on 4th November. My remaining concern is that I am unaware of any Privet hedges in the area.

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash: 09:20 – 10:25

(230th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- These days it seems unusual for any number of Canada Geese to be flying in. Numbers of all geese in the area seem to be well-down, though there were plenty here during their annual wing-moult. Where have they all gone?.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- 1 Jackdaws
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

On /around the water:
- 43 Canada Geese: 31 of these flew in
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 33 (21♂) Mallard
- 36 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 20 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, departed
- 2 Grey Herons

On the lamp poles:
Nothing found on any of them

Around the Ivy:
- Many Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Rather fewer flies than recently

Also
- Two species of fungus, one possibly Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes).
- 2 Grey Squirrels again

One of the two Grey Herons, this one standing on the top of the sluice exit.

Staring intently for passing fish, though it will have a problem reaching down to them from here.

I noted this large group of fungus in squirrel alley. Were they not there yesterday (and the day before....) or did I overlook them?

Despite the colour variation I think these are all the same species.

The best I could do of the 'stem shot' even after extensive 'gardening'. I think they may be Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes). These are usually seen sprouting from decaying wood. There is much fallen and cut wood in squirrel alley and while I could not see any fallen or rotting wood the area is rather overgrown and who knows what lies beneath.

This fungus appeared alongside the previous cluster and from the thin stem and the way the top is rolled under at the edges it is clearly a different species. No idea what though.

Not the best picture in the world of a Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris) but it does show that the yellow bars on the 'shoulders' (sides of the thorax) are parallel-sided, unlike on German Wasp (Vespula germanica) where they are slightly triangular. It is probably a better photo of the tiny 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
10 Mute Swans 
4 Wigeon 
4 Gadwall 
3 Teal 
1 Pochard 
53 Tufted Duck 
1 Water Rail 
223 Coots 
c.3500 Wood Pigeons
78 Fieldfare
34 Redwings
433 Jackdaws
135 Rooks 
c.155 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
18 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
70 Greylag Geese
Pink-footed Goose 
2 Gadwall 
7 Pochard 
35 Tufted Ducks 
149 Coots 
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
Great Black-backed Gull
c.320 Wood Pigeons
166 Redwings
31 Fieldfares
889 Jackdaws
126 Rooks
200+ Starlings left roost
1 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Wrekin
Location
Firecrest
(Jim Almond)

2006
Priorslee Lake
20 Pochard
108 Tufted Ducks
15 Lapwings
c.587 Black-headed Gulls
938 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
161 Wood Pigeons
36 Robins
25 Blackbirds
7 Song Thrushes
13 Redwings
4 Mistle Thrushes
202 Jackdaws
163 Rooks
29 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)