15.0°C: Mostly cloud. A few brighter spells later. Calm again to start with light East breeze springing up. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:16 BST
* = a photo from today
Another day looking for hot air balloons. In the cloudy and, later, windier conditions only five launched.
Priorslee Lake: 04:50 – 08:20
(185th visit of the year)
A follow-up to yesterday's unknown wader that I heard calling at 05:10. Engaging brain, helped by reading the Belvide blog detailing their visitors I now realise it was a Wood Sandpiper. I have rarely seen this species in the UK and am not that familiar with its flight call. Reference again to xeno-canto means I am confident of its identity. It is a new species for by Priorslee bird lust ever so a real pity I did not see it as well.
Here is a Wood Sandpiper call similar to what I heard
Today's bird notes:
- It is very odd that there were c.50 Rooks and a few Jackdaws on roost dispersal yesterday and none at all today.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 3 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 4 Stock Doves: two duos
- 62 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- no Jackdaws or Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 7 Barn Swallows
- 11 House Martins
Warblers noted (no song recorded unless specifically noted):
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: several bursts of song
- 7 Chiffchaffs: one giving a few song notes
- 2 Reed Warblers
- 3 Blackcaps
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 8 (?♂) Mallard
- 10 Moorhens
- 79 Coots
- 14 + 11 (6 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- *1 Yellow-legged Gull
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron again
Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Very little after overnight rain
This seems to be a juvenile / first winter Yellow-legged Gull. The head and neck look too pale for a Lesser Black-backed Gull. The tertials (the folded feathers in front of the tail) show straight line between the dark centres and the white edging.
I am scratching my head over this moth. It is sitting at an unusual angle, though exposing the dark underwing could be a useful clue. The upper wing has a remarkably straight leading edge until the curve of the wing tip and these features ought to make it easy to identify. Sadly not as yet!
Two for the price of one. The moth on the left is a Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens). It always reminds me of a Rick Wakeman on the front of one of his LP covers. The other is a Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes).
Rather similar in overall shape is this fly. Looking at it in more detail it has short antennae and a rounded head almost separated from its thorax both of which perhaps suggest a species of cranefly. The 'thick thighs' suggest otherwise so I do not have much idea as to what it might be.
I can tell you that this beetle is not at Alder Leaf Beetle (or a Stag Beetle!). I cannot tell you what it is other than it is very small and dark brown.
Some spiders I can at least partly identify. This is one of the stretch spiders in the Tetragnatha group caught at a rather strange angle as it hurries away from my torch light.
I am more confident about this being a Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus). Just slight hesitation as the diagnostic white cross at the top of the abdomen is rather indistinct and the metathorax looks rather larger than I would have expected. Perhaps the angle as it too scurries away from the torch light.
Just five balloons launched from the Telford Balloon Festival on this grey morning with the wind taking them away towards Wales. If you missed the 'night glow' here is a 'day glow' as the pilot fires the burner to warm the air in the envelope and gain more height. This University of Bristol Balloon Club piloted balloon is a Cameron Z-105. Cameron Balloons are based in Bristol.
The pilot is just starting the burner on this Lindstrand LTL Series 2-80 balloon. I believe the '80' refers to the cubic capacity of the envelope. The company, founded by a Swede Per Lindstrom, is based in Oswestry.
One of the approaching groups of Canada Geese. It is always interesting to watch how the steady lines of incoming birds start to perform all manner of aerobatics to manoeuvre themselves to their intended touch-down spot. Two here are starting to 'spill air'. Sometimes they turn upside down to do this. Exactly how they learn this trick is hard to say.
Moths:
- 3 Common Grass-veneers (Agriphila tristella)
- *1 other micro moth to be identified
- *1 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens)
- 3 Common Grass-veneers (Agriphila tristella)
- *1 other micro moth to be identified
- *1 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens)
and:
- 1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- *1 unidentified ichneumon
- several small flies of different species *one perhaps being Tricholauxania praeusta
- 1 unidentified caddis fly
- *1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- *1 small brown beetle
- *1 stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- 3 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestmen
Noted later:
- 1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- *1 unidentified ichneumon
- several small flies of different species *one perhaps being Tricholauxania praeusta
- 1 unidentified caddis fly
- *1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- *1 small brown beetle
- *1 stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
- 3 Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus harvestmen
Noted later:
I left here before most insects were flying
Bees etc.:
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Mammals:
- pipistrelle-type bat
Bees etc.:
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Mammals:
- pipistrelle-type bat
I suspect an ichneumon from its long antennae.
A tentative identity of this small, pale orange fly with wings extending well beyond the end of its abdomen. The most common fly fitting this description is Tricholauxania praeusta. As usual there are similar species.
While the burn continues it moves alongside a Head Ax8-105 balloon marked 'Sapper'. Its appropriate registration of G-ENGR was allocated when it was operated by the Royal Engineers Balloon Club. It now has a private owner in South Wales.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 08:25 – 09:15
(181st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A second Canada x Greylag Goose was a surprise. Only one was here during June / July when they were moulting and when I noted one yesterday I expected it to be the same bird. Not necessarily so.
- One of the adult Mute Swans has been tucked up at the top end and not with any of the others on several days recently. I hope it is well and just keeping out of the way of the aggressive pen.
- Today it was the turn of the drake Gadwall to show.
- Some of the low number of Tufted Ducks were noted getting off the island. Perhaps there were others still inside?
- Two juvenile Great Crested Grebe were not noted. Each adult had one of the four juveniles with it.
Also
- One of the fishermen reported several recent sightings of both one and two Kingfishers flying to and from the island.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Warblers seen or heard
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 08:25 – 09:15
(181st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A second Canada x Greylag Goose was a surprise. Only one was here during June / July when they were moulting and when I noted one yesterday I expected it to be the same bird. Not necessarily so.
- One of the adult Mute Swans has been tucked up at the top end and not with any of the others on several days recently. I hope it is well and just keeping out of the way of the aggressive pen.
- Today it was the turn of the drake Gadwall to show.
- Some of the low number of Tufted Ducks were noted getting off the island. Perhaps there were others still inside?
- Two juvenile Great Crested Grebe were not noted. Each adult had one of the four juveniles with it.
Also
- One of the fishermen reported several recent sightings of both one and two Kingfishers flying to and from the island.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Warblers seen or heard
None
Noted on / around the water:
- *c.115 Canada Geese: all but three arrived in five large groups
- 2 Canada x Greylag Geese: arrived with other geese
- 6 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 31 (?♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 12 (?♂) Tufted Duck only
- 13 Moorhens
- 51 Coots only
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- *31 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Cormorant: departed as two separate duos
- 2 Grey Herons
On / around the street lamp poles or elsewhere:
Nothing noted
- *c.115 Canada Geese: all but three arrived in five large groups
- 2 Canada x Greylag Geese: arrived with other geese
- 6 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 31 (?♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 12 (?♂) Tufted Duck only
- 13 Moorhens
- 51 Coots only
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- *31 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Cormorant: departed as two separate duos
- 2 Grey Herons
On / around the street lamp poles or elsewhere:
Nothing noted
A juvenile / first winter Black-headed Gull. Much of the juvenile gingery plumage has faded to brown. Indeed it almost look black until you compare it with the black of the tail.
(Ed Wilson)
Sightings from previous years without links are below
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
2013
Priorslee Lake
Whinchat
(John Isherwood)
2011
Nedge Hill
Peregrine
(John Isherwood)