5.0°C: Low cloud threatened to thin and break for a while only to descend in to mist over the tree-tops. Light and variable breeze. Good visibility early, moderate later.
Sunrise: 06:13 BST
A few photos from today (*)
Other things in the diary for today so only time to visit the lake.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 08:25
(88th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A pair of Shoveler new arrivals. Might have been the recent birds from The Flash but as I didn't visit there I do not know.
- A Stock Dove was calling from the North wood.
- Not enough contrast in the sky looking East to see the usual Jackdaws on roost dispersal.
- Same large number of Willow Warblers as yesterday though several were in different locations and a few seemed very mobile.
- No fewer than seven singing Goldcrests noted.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 6 Canada Geese: one pair outbound; two pairs inbound
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Jackdaw only
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 11 (11) Willow Warblers again
- 12 (11) Chiffchaffs
- *10 (8) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 5 Sand Martins
- 4 Barn Swallows
All birds more or less flew straight through
Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese: the resident pair had just three birds for company.
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- *2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 5 Moorhens yet again
- 36 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Cormorants: arrived together; two of these departed separately
- 1 Grey Heron: briefly
Noted on the dew-covered street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 midge without plumed antennae
- *1 cranefly
- *1 springtail
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- *1 male spider, probably a Clubiona sp.
On the walls of the sailing club HQ:
Nothing noted
Sunrise: 06:13 BST
A few photos from today (*)
Other things in the diary for today so only time to visit the lake.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 08:25
(88th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A pair of Shoveler new arrivals. Might have been the recent birds from The Flash but as I didn't visit there I do not know.
- A Stock Dove was calling from the North wood.
- Not enough contrast in the sky looking East to see the usual Jackdaws on roost dispersal.
- Same large number of Willow Warblers as yesterday though several were in different locations and a few seemed very mobile.
- No fewer than seven singing Goldcrests noted.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 6 Canada Geese: one pair outbound; two pairs inbound
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Jackdaw only
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 11 (11) Willow Warblers again
- 12 (11) Chiffchaffs
- *10 (8) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 5 Sand Martins
- 4 Barn Swallows
All birds more or less flew straight through
Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese: the resident pair had just three birds for company.
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- *2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 5 Moorhens yet again
- 36 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Cormorants: arrived together; two of these departed separately
- 1 Grey Heron: briefly
Noted on the dew-covered street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 midge without plumed antennae
- *1 cranefly
- *1 springtail
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- *1 male spider, probably a Clubiona sp.
On the walls of the sailing club HQ:
Nothing noted
Noted on one wall and the ceiling of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- *13 midges of at least three species
- 3 owl midges Psychodidae sp.
- *1 cranefly just possibly Tipula varipennis
Later:
Nothing of note
I normally see Collared Doves on roofs or calling from the top of lamp poles. It was a surprise to find this one inside the Ricoh copse.
Not an inspiring dawn and it only got worse as the cloud descended further.
The drake Shoveler, a new arrival here.
And his companion: a duck Shoveler.
"No publicity please"
Another poor photo of a male Blackcap trying to hide.
This midge was one of at least thirteen midges of at least three different species on a wall of the Priorslee tunnel. Another of this species with long antennae was also on one of the street lamps.
This I am sure is a cranefly but I have no idea of the species. Note the banded abdomen and dark mark in the folded wings. It is similar to the common Spring species Tipula varipennis though the wings seem proportionally too long. Note it has lost a leg: not uncommon in craneflies.
A White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger). If you look carefully there is a Pogonognathellus-type springtail at the top of the photo.
I think a cranefly though some winter midges look similar. I think too large for a midge.
A male spider, probably a Clubiona sp.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
3 Grey Herons
2 Greylag Geese over
9 Tufted Duck
1 Little Ringed Plover
2 Common Sandpipers
10 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
5 Willow Warbler
117 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cackling-type Goose
29 Tufted Ducks
3 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
5 Tufted Ducks
4 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaffs
7 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes
8 Greylag Geese
13 Tufted Duck
3 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
4 Wheatear
Willow Warbler
Blackcap
(Ian Grant)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Buzzard
3 Chiffchaff
(Tony Beckett)
Long Lane, Wellington
10 Ringed Plover
5 Dunlin
(J W Reeves)
2012
Nedge Hill
2 Redstart
1 Wheatear
(Martin Grant)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Grey Wagtail
1 Common Sandpiper
5 Tufted Duck
1 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
Common Redstart
11 Wheatear
(John Isherwood, Ed Wilson)
Telford Railway Station
11 Waxwings
(Colin Wright)
2007
Nedge Hill
1 Buzzard
4 Skylark
1 Fieldfare
3 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
3 Greenfinch
4 Linnet
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Village
Black-tailed Godwit
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
3 Greylag Geese
3 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
3 Common Sandpiper
1 Ringed Plover
12 Chiffchaff
7 Willow Warbler
6 Blackcaps
1 Sky Lark
2 Grey Wagtail
1 Willow Tit
4 Greenfinch
3 Linnet
5 Reed Bunting.
(Martin Adlam, John Isherwood)