7.0°C > 10.0°C: Low cloud and dampness in the air / very light drizzle. A few brighter spells came to nothing. Calm / very light W wind. Moderate visibility.
Sunrise: 08:14 GMT
* = a photo today
I avoided the wet and dull weather yesterday. It was not much better today!
Priorslee Lake: 06:45 – 09:30
(288th visit of the year)
Numbers of many species remain depressingly low. Checking my logs against the same day last year we are missing Mute Swan, Pochard and Great Crested Grebe. Numbers of Mallard and Coot are much reduced – the latter only 25% of last year's numbers. It is not just the water birds that are affected. Five years ago I could log 20 – 25 Robins singing pre-dawn. Today I could hear only 11.
Probably not directly relevant: I noted that a factory building in Stafford Park across the M54 now has very bright security lights shining on to part of the water. It is possible that these were hidden by leaves until recently. I cannot recall them from previous years.
Bird notes:
- Two Woodcock flew over my head close together at 07:25
- The first 35 Black-headed Gulls arrived late at 07:42. No more than c.100 by 08:00 after which they mostly dispersed.
- The outbound Jackdaws probably mainly lost in the low cloud.
- A possible Cetti's Warbler shot out of its normal roosting place and nearly decapitated me as it flew along the N side. Nothing heard.
- *A Mistle Thrush was singing again from trees alongside Teece Drive
Overhead:
- 2 Greylag Geese: one inbound; same(?) outbound 30 minutes later
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 11 Wood Pigeons again
- 31 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 28 Jackdaws only
- 4 Pied Wagtails only heard
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 7 Redwings
Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler?: see notes
Counts from the lake area: NB: in the poor visibility totals were aggregated from several locations: under- and double-counting possible.
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 42 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 1? Little Grebe: heard only
- 5 Moorhens
- 51 Coots
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Around the street lamps pre-dawn:
In mild conditions:
The head of this insect is well-separated from the thorax suggesting this is a small crane-fly rather than a type of winter midge. Beyond that...
This view suggests they are a type of bracket fungus, there being no real stem. I think they may be Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)
(Ed Wilson)
Moths:
- 3 male Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
- 1 Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria)
- 3 male Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
- 1 Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria)
Also – lots of 'what are these?' I am afraid. Amazing what keeps popping up on the lamp poles. Only seen pre-dawn: all gone when I look later.
- *1 aphid sp.
- *1 possible Psocid (barkfly)
- *1 cranefly sp.
- 2 'winter midge' sp.
- *1 fly sp., possibly a fungus gnat and perhaps Cerotelion lineatus
- *1 aphid sp.
- *1 possible Psocid (barkfly)
- *1 cranefly sp.
- 2 'winter midge' sp.
- *1 fly sp., possibly a fungus gnat and perhaps Cerotelion lineatus
Spiders or harvestman:
- 2 Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider
Noted later:
My thoughts are that this might be a barkfly of some type. In the systematic order of insects these are arranged after aphids as part of the Psocids. There are noted as 2000 known species with 'many thousands more waiting to be discovered'. Perhaps my very own species!?
- 2 Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider
Noted later:
Nothing
The Mistle Thrush was again singing alongside Teece Drive.
This is an aphid, species unknown
This looks to be a fly though what type of fly I am unsure. The antennae are longer than on many species and the legs have spurs reminiscent of caddis flies. The Collins Guide to Insects by Chinery illustrates a very similar insect Cerotelion lineatus under the general heading 'gnats'. There is very little more information on the Interweb beyond the suggestion that it is a predatory species of fungus gnat.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:35
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:35
(263rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Some of the Canada Geese flew in: not sure how many.
- Two of the three Teal were drakes: the third not seen well-enough to check.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On /around the water:
- 15 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese: departed
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 41 (27♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂?) Teal
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 31 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 (3♂) Goosander
- 16 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- *2 Grey Herons
On / around different street lamps:
- 2 male Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
- 2 Mottled Umber moths (Erranis defoliaria)
Around the Ivy:
Bird notes:
- Some of the Canada Geese flew in: not sure how many.
- Two of the three Teal were drakes: the third not seen well-enough to check.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On /around the water:
- 15 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese: departed
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 41 (27♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂?) Teal
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 31 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 (3♂) Goosander
- 16 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- *2 Grey Herons
On / around different street lamps:
- 2 male Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata)
- 2 Mottled Umber moths (Erranis defoliaria)
Around the Ivy:
Nothing
Elsewhere:
- *possible Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)
- *probable Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon)
- *possible Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)
- *probable Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon)
I know how this Grey Heron feels: glum about the dull and damp weather.
A cluster of fungus I found on a fallen tree, possibly a silver birch. Rather ragged-looking.
Another view of another group.
Alongside were these small fruiting bodies of what I think is Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon).
(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
Priorslee Lake
>550 Wood Pigeons
41 Magpies
1 Siskin
4 Gadwall
2 Teal
4 Pochard
64 Tufted Ducks
228 Coots
127 Black-headed Gulls
34 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
12 Great Black-backed Gull
10 Fieldfare
19 Redwings
78 Jackdaws
7 Rooks
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
The Flash
1st winter female Scaup
167 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
Horsehay Pool
A leucistic large species gull, probably Lesser Black-backed Gull
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Jim Almond)
2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
9 Pochard
27 Tufted Ducks
c.155 Coots
265 Black-headed Gulls
244 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
42 Herring Gulls
3 Greater Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Curlew
Mallard x Pintail
>25 Herring Gulls
>500 Wood Pigeons
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
Little Grebe
2 Gadwall
Goosander
c.50 Siskins
1 Redpoll
4 Great Crested Grebes
21 Swans
31 Pochard
92 Tufted Ducks
291 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
22 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
3 Buzzards
69 Coots
>1300 Black-headed Gulls
>2600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
23 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
5 Great Black-backed Gulls
25 Robins
16 Blackbirds
c.60 Fieldfare
c.162 Redwings
32 Magpies
230 Jackdaws
96 Rooks
22 Starlings
14 Greenfinches
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson/Kevin Pryce)
2005
Priorslee Lake
3 Ruddy Ducks
Water Rail
1500 Black-headed Gulls
700 Lesser Blacked Gulls
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
29 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
234 Coot
Sparrowhawk
176 Jackdaws
179 Rooks
11 Siskins
15 Pied Wagtails
2 Grey Wagtails
3 Redwings
1 Fieldfare seen.
164 Wood Pigeon
5 Reed Buntings
10 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)