31 Dec 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 5.0°C: Clear start with a light shower c.07:15. Then sunny periods. South-easterly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:22 GMT once more
* = a species photographed today

As we come to the year's end can I thank all those who provided feedback and encouragement to my attempts to show that the Priorslee area is not (yet) totally devoid of interesting and puzzling wildlife. I hope to do more in 2024 though I doubt I will be able to trump the swimming mole! Best wishes to you all for next year.

An end of year bonus at The Flash was a single Pink-footed Goose amongst the flock of Greylag Geese. Given the various strays and hybrid geese that turn up from time to time there must be some doubt as to whether this is a genuine wild bird. One has been present for a number of years each winter at Trench Middle Pool. I'm counting it anyway! I have one previous record of this species from The Flash: 2 October 2018.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:30 – 09:30

(276th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A drake Gadwall was a new arrival.
- Most of the c.400 Black-headed Gulls arrived together, low from the West at 07:45.
- Even fewer large gulls seen on the water and overhead. Again there were unexpected sightings of single adult Great Black-backed Gulls both on the water and flying over.
- I could not find any Great Crested Grebe today.
- Three sizeable groups of Starlings were seen leaving nearby roosts (though not around the lake). Groups of 55 and then c.100 flew South directly overhead and then 30 flew slightly to the East, all within a few minutes.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 3 Greylag Goose: inbound together
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 71 Jackdaws
- c.185 Starlings: three groups

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.
None

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 58 (32♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 93 Coots
- c.400 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 2 Grey Heron: one of these only briefly, chased away

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- *1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
Both these in different locations to those seen yesterday.

Bug:
- *?

Other insects:
- 1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- *2 springtails Tomocerus vulgaris
- *several globular springtails, one of which possibly Dicyrtomina ornata

Other things:
- *1 Earthworm Lumbricus sp.

Elsewhere:

Fungus:
- *new fungus not (yet) identified

Noted on the Teece Drive fence:
- 1 female Winter Moth Operophtera brumata

As the Cold Moon wanes the increased cross-lighting illuminates more craters.

A very different-looking male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata. This very unmarked form can only be separated from several similar species by the dark dot towards the edge of each forewing.

And here is a female found on the Teece Drive fence.

Not sure about this. I thought at the time it was a beetle. Looking more closely at the photo I now suspect it is a female bug. I have sent the photo to the Shropshire Recorder for his thoughts.

One of two springtails Tomocerus vulgaris.

This one with jaunty antennae.

One globular springtail. This one, unusually, shows some spines at the base of the abdomen.

And another. The dark area at the rear of the abdomen suggests it might be Dicyrtomina ornata. My camera will not resolve enough detail on these tiny creatures to get a positive identity.

Quite what this Earthworm Lumbricus sp. was doing ten feet up a street lamp pole is unclear.

Obsidentify was unhelpful here. My first attempt at using my phone gave the result "20% unidentified fungus". Changing position and a different angle gave the result "15% Turkeytail Trametes versicolor" which I don't think its is.

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash: 09:35 – 10:30

(258th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- No Gadwall found today.
- A pair of Common Teal was noted sitting on the edge of the island. Have they been here all the while?

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Starlings

Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 68 Greylag Geese: most of these departed
- *1 Pink-footed Goose
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 39 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 2 (1♂) Common Teal
- 5 (4♂) Pochard
- 78 (37♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosander: one of these departed
- 14 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

On the ivy bank:
Nothing noted

This morning's Pink-footed Goose. Smaller and slightly darker than a Greylag Goose the most obvious feature when seen well is the smaller, mainly dark bill with a variable small amount of pink.

The separation features are shown here though the size disparity is enhanced by their being at different distances.

(Ed Wilson)


Note
The summary for 2022 at Priorslee Lake can be found Here.
The summary for 2022 at Priorslee Flash can be found Here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Two 1st-winter female Scaup
(Ian Grant)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
(Jim Almond and Paul Spear)

2010
Priorslee Lake
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Water Rail
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee lake
11 Great Crested Grebes
31 Pochard
48 Tufted Duck
237 Coot
Golden Plover
1 Water Rail
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.1250 Black-headed Gulls
300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
37 Herring Gulls
6 Great Black-backed Gull
374 Jackdaws
178 Rooks
1 Kingfisher
1 Willow Tit
2 Redpolls.
2 Redwings
14 Robins
19 Blackbirds
13 Greenfinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

30 Dec 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 6.0°C: Cloudy and often very dull. Rain starting as I arrived. Ceased c.07:30 and then occasional drizzle. South-easterly wind breeze. Moderate visibility at best.

Sunrise: 08:22 GMT still
* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:35 – 09:25

(275th visit of the year)

One that got away. At 07:15 while I was avoiding the rain inside the sailing club shelter a large pale shape flew past. My first thought it was a gull: not so – too large, too early and on its own which would be unusual. Then: was I looking at the pale parts of a passing Grey Heron? Well: the flight seemed less laboured than a heron and it did not call which would have been unusual. An owl perhaps? I will never know as I saw nothing more.

Other bird notes:
- A Water Rail was seen in a ditch feeding in to the lake. I am always surprised how small these are, much smaller than a Moorhen. I nearly overlooked it as it was exactly where yesterday I had seen a blackbird bathing in a muddy pool.
- It was too dull to make a full count of the Coots. I did not there were 54 on the south-west grass at dawn.
- The first 18 Black-headed Gulls did not arrive until 07:50. No more than 200 were present at any one time.
- A few large gulls settled on the water briefly. Unexpectedly these included two Great Black-backed Gulls.
- No Cormorants here or at The Flash today.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
Only birds passing more or less directly overhead could be seen.
- 1+ Greylag Goose: outbound in the murk
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 13 Jackdaws
- 1 Linnet

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.
None

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 47 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail
- 12 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- *2 Great Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
The rain seemed to have sent most things scurrying for cover.

Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- *1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: same place for the third day

Flies:
- several small plumed midges

Other insects:
- *1 globular springtail

In the Sailing Club Shelter
Trapped by the rain in the shelter I looked again for the spiders lurking there:
- *1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- *1 Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica

On the Teece Drive fence:
Nothing noted.

On the left an adult Great Black-backed Gull; on the right the coarse markings of a first winter Great Black-backed Gull; the middle bird is an immature (second winter?) Herring Gull.

A better photo of the male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria. There were not too many things on the street lamp poles in the rain and I was reluctant to get the camera wet.

Today's globular springtail.

In the sailing club shelter I noted this Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp. I think the first I have seen in the shelter.

Also in that shelter was this Walnut Orb Weaver spider Nuctenea umbratica.

A different Walnut Orb Weaver from below.

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash: 09:30 – 10:45

(257th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Only a single drake Gadwall seen. However it was tucked up under overhanging branches and there may have been a duck with it.
- When the Sparrowhawk flew over there were sounds of Siskins alarm-calling from the trees.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 1 Sparrowhawk

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose: arrived with...
- 73 Greylag Geese at least
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 42 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 65 (36♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 13 Moorhens: still too many dog-walkers
- 42 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: one first winter; one third winter again: both departed
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult; departed

On the ivy bank:
Nothing noted

A lot of work on the photo editor managed to rescue a 'black cat in the coal cellar' shot of a dark brown Treecreeper against a dark brown tree trunk in dull conditions.

Better have another one!

(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
2 female Scaup
1 Yellow-legged Gull
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
7 Gadwall
(John Isherwood/Dawn Balmer)

The Flash
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Yellow-legged Gull
(Dawn Balmer)

Horsehay Pool
12 Goosander
(Dawn Balmer)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Jim Almond/Chris Ballance)

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
9 Great Black-backed Gulls
Water Rail
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Yellow-legged Gull
Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
(Jason)

2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
19 Pochard
34 Tufted Ducks
>300 Black-headed Gulls
>298 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gull
33 Robins
13 Blackbirds
10 Fieldfares
45 Redwings
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee lake
2 Little Grebes
11 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
2 Mute Swans
35 Pochard
84 Tufted Duck
243 Coot
c.250 Black-headed Gulls
c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
32 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

29 Dec 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 8.0°C: A clear start with a little high cloud. Later lower cloud developed and it was again rather dull. Moderate westerly wind again gusty at times. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:22 GMT again
* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:35 – 09:40

(274th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Despite the clear start the Black-headed Gulls were no earlier in arriving with the first c.200 arriving at 07:35 with eventually c.500 again.
- Once again no large gulls settled on the water.
- At last: a decent count of Jackdaws passing on roost dispersal no doubt helped by the clear weather. Still well below the four-figure counts of years past.
- *15 Redwings were seen feeding on the football field.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 6 Canada Geese: three duos outbound
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 294 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 1 Siskin

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.
None

Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: arrived
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 39 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 96 Coots
- c.500 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 2 Grey Herons: one briefly, chased away; the other departed

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: same place as yesterday

Flies:
- *1 cranefly Limonia nubeculosa

Beetles:
- *1 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala

Other insects:
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- *1 tiny globular springtail

Spiders:
- *1 money spider possibly Erigone sp.
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

Fungus
Fungus around the lake:
- *Crimped Gill Plicatura crispa [also Plicaturopsis crispa]
- *newly found example Hairy Curtain Crust Stereum hirsutum

Noted on the Teece Drive fence:
- *1 Wood Gnat Sylvicola sp., likely S. fenestralis

Already looking a bit lop-side the waning Cold Moon out of what were clear skies at this time.

High cloud arrived before sunrise. Just a sliver of red on the horizon.

This Cormorant is an immature (a few spots of white in the breast) so it will not be getting any white head plumes. Note the hooked tip to the upper mandible.

I wonder why they are called Redwings? There were 15 on the fenced football field.

The male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria in exactly the same place as yesterday. Did it make a conscious decision to settle on the only patch of moss growing on the street lamp pole as camouflage?

A similar question could be asked here. Good luck seeing seeing the detail of this cranefly Limonia nubeculosa.

Same here. I had to a lot of jiggling with the photo editor to make it more visible. It is a Wood Gnat Sylvicola sp., likely S. fenestralis. I could not attempt a better photo as it did not like the camera flash and flew off. Most things tend not to when I photo them before dawn.

A Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala

If you look carefully there are two springtails here. Most obvious is Pogonognathellus longicornis; below its left antenna is one of the globular springtails. No wonder I have so much trouble trying to get a decent photo of them: so small!

Obsidentify was 100% sure this was a money spider Erigone sp. However the three UK species in the genus are only 0.1" (3mm) and this was certainly much larger than that – at least 0.5" (12.5mm) I would judge. So?

A Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. Not sure what the vertical mark is.

Newly found fungus: a suggestion from Obsidentify checked with the NatureSpot web site gives it the most likely identity of Crimped Gill Plicatura crispa also Plicaturopsis crispa.

This example Hairy Curtain Crust Stereum hirsutum I found on a newly-fallen tree branch.

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash: 09:45 – 10:45

(256th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Very little change to note.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None

Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese
- 25 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 44 (29♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 5 (3♂) Pochard
- 87 (44♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosander
- 11 Moorhens only: too many dog-walkers
- 41 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Herring Gulls: one first winter; one third winter again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Cormorant: departed
- 1 Grey Heron

On the ivy bank:
Nothing noted

I have logged this as a third winter Herring Gull It is possible it is a fourth winter. Signs of immaturity are the single dark-tipped feather in the tail; the white 'mirror' only in the outer primary feather; and the dark smudging just outboard of the bend in the forewing. At this date it is equally possible that it is as third winter beginning a moult in to third summer plumage.

Helicopter of the day. The Midlands Air Ambulance Airbus Helicopters EC 145T2 en route to a very local incident – I could hear it circling looking for a suitable landing site though it was no longer visible. It flies from its own compound at the edge of RAF Cosford.

(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

2012
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Martin Grant)

2011
Priorslee Lake
4 Yellow legged Gull
22 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
Tundra Bean Goose
(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake
9 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Black-necked Grebe
4 Gadwall
2 Water Rail
2 Caspian Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Ring-billed Gull
(John Isherwood/Richard Vernon/Dawn Balmer/Peter Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
3 Wigeon
30 Tufted Duck
4 Pochard
180+ Coot
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
4000+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
65 Herring Gulls
1000+ Black-headed Gulls
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Pochard
10 Tufted Ducks
1 Lapwing
>550 Black-headed Gulls
>108 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.40 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee lake
c.3200 Lesser black-backed Gulls
c.1700 Black-headed Gulls
c100 Herring Gulls
8 Great Black-backed Gulls
4 Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Adlam/Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

28 Dec 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 7.0°C: A cloudy start with a VERY heavy shower c.07:30. Then clear for a while. More and lighter showers later. Moderate south-westerly wind with some gusty spells. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:22 GMT
* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:45 – 09:10

(273rd visit of the year)

Many small branches and a few larger ones casualties of last night's wind.

Bird notes:
- c.500 Black-headed Gulls appeared over the water at 07:25. When the VERY heavy rain shower started many of these settled on the water though how many was difficult to judge from my position in the sailing club's shelter. Later c.90 were seen arriving, these quite possibly birds seen earlier that did not stay.
- No large gulls settled on the lake though I left somewhat earlier than usual to avoid getting caught by the next shower. Very few overhead.
- A Mistle Thrush was living up to its country name of Storm Cock by singing away from the top of a swaying tree as I arrived at 06:45.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 21 Canada Geese: 13 outbound in five groups; eight inbound in two groups
- 29 Greylag Goose: outbound in four groups
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 44 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 1 Redwing
- 3 Siskins

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.
None

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 50 (33♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 93 Coots
- c.500 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Cormorant: a single, then a trio and then a duo arrived
- *1 Grey Heron

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Not much after a wet and very windy night. A rare sight in these days of LEDs one of the street lights was out. Thankfully it was one of the lamps without much adjacent vegetation and it would have had little impact on the things seen.

Moths:
- 1 male Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria)

Flies:
- *1 fly, possibly Tephrochlamys rufiventris

Other insects:
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- *1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
- *several globular springtails, perhaps Dicyrtomina ornata

Found in the sailing club shelter also pre-dawn:

Fly:
- *1 Phaonia sp., possibly P. tuguriorum

Spiders
- several Bridge Orb-web Spiders Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 Orb-web spider Metellina sp.
- *1 spider Neriene montana
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [also called Silver-sided Sector Spider]

On the Teece Drive fence:
Nothing noted

When the rain stopped the Cold Moon appeared now just two days after it was full. Some craters appearing in the more cross-lit areas.

This view belies the downpours at 07:30 and again after 10:00.

We can't let The Flash have all the Grey Heron photos.

A Song Thrush seems to have a spider for breakfast. A thought: all spiders have some type of venom to kill their prey. How come birds are not affected when they eat spiders? The internet knows of course: "Birds tend to know which spiders to eat but sometimes eat venomous spiders, which aren't harmful to the birds. This is because venom essentially needs to be injected into the bloodstream to harm you, and eating it will not cause any harm."

Nothing much on the street lamp poles this morning. Obsidentify suggested this fly was from the genus Tephrochlamys. Searches on the internet indicated T. rufiventris was the most likely as it is a species that over-winters as an adult.

Two springtails: the lower likely Pogonognathellus longicornis; the upper, with shorter antennae, perhaps Tomocerus vulgaris.

This tiny creature was about half the size of the springtails. I have drawn a blank.

This individual is from a different family of springtails and smaller again. Most likely from the Dicyrtomina group and possible D. ornata

With rain pounding down I took advantage of the sailing club shelter and photographed some if the resident spiders. This spider is Neriene montana. With palps like boxing gloves clearly a male.

A Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

This is a Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata which Obsidentify calls the Silver-sided Sector Spider.

Typically I find c.20 different spiders and very little else. What do they eat? Well this fly perhaps, an unusual find. It is one of the Phaonia group. Not a very good photo as it was under the roof and difficult to get at. It is possibly P. tuguriorum.

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash: 09:15 – 10:10

(255th visit of the year)

A brisk walk around more or less successfully avoiding the next shower.

Bird notes:
- Many of the Tufted Ducks were flying around and otherwise changing location. The total below is the minimum: its possible there were as many as 98 (54♂).

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 35 (23♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 5 (3♂) Pochard
- 66 (40♂) Tufted Duck: at least – see notes
- *3 (0♂) Goosander
- 19 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- *2 Great Crested Grebes
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: one first winter; one third winter
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Grey Heron
- *2 Cormorants

On the ivy bank:
Nothing noted

The white feral goose today was the one of the sometime trio of similar species that has no black areas on its plumage.

Two of the duck Goosanders swimming away from the camera – as they always seem to be.

A Great Crested Grebe attempting to look coy.

A Cormorant with well-developed white plumes on its head.

This Cormorant has less-developed head plumes.

I do not often see Collared Doves on the ground for a photo.

An unusually bold Song Thrush just stood and looked at me.

Still no snow to make a Christmas Robin photo.

For a change a Mrs. House Sparrow.

(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
7 Gadwall
10 Pochard
64 Tufted Ducks
1 Scaup
1 Goosander
218 Coots
28 Redwings
386 Jackdaws
209 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 drake Scaup
4 Gadwall
19 Pochard
1 Peregrine
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
4 Goosander
1 Pochard
(John Isherwood)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
15+ Great Black-backed Gulls
(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)

Horsehay Pool
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Kriss Webb)

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Caspian Gull
9 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Dawn Balmer/Peter Wilson/David Fairhurst)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black necked Grebe
4 Gadwall
1 Water Rail
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Peregrine
2 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

Trench Pool
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)

2007
The Flash
11 Goosander
(Martin Adlam)

Priorslee Village
9 Siskins
7 Redwing
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
1 Pochard
15 Tufted Ducks
13 Lapwings
c.100 Black-headed Gulls
c.1100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
26 Herring Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
12 Pied Wagtails
6 Redwing
1 Fieldfare
160 Jackdaws
97 Rooks
20 Chaffinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee lake
30 Pochard 30
32 Tufted Duck
6 Great Crested Grebe
200+ Coot
1 Water Rail
c.3000 Black-headed Gulls
c.2000 Lesser Black-backs
4 Herring Gulls
21 Pied Wagtails
247 Rooks
172 Jackdaw
5 Redwing
5 Fieldfare
46 Siskin
19 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)