5.0°C > 3.0°C > 5.0°C: Mostly clear apart from high cloud from the depression passing along the South Coast. This prevented the low Winter sun from shining at full strength. Almost calm with some mist over the water. A very light southerly breeze developed. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:21 GMT: at least it is getting lighter in the morning.
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:25 – 09:35
(4th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Pochard gone again.
- With the brighter morning I had expected to record a higher number of Coots. Not so: the decline continues.
- A slightly larger number of gulls noted though still many fewer than I would expect at this date.
- 22 Black-headed Gulls arrived from the West at 07:50 with the balance of the c.75 noted arriving, unusually, from the North. Long after these had mostly departed a group of 18 flew West. Often these would have been earlier birds returning. However these were in a tight group flying determinedly and disappearing from view.
- Several single Herring Gulls dropped in well ahead of a small party of Lesser Black-backs.
- At least 12 Redwings were noted in West end trees c.09:00. They were a lot better at spotting me than I was seeing them and none stayed to have their photo taken.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 11 Greylag Geese: a single and one group outbound
- 2 Stock Doves
- 30 Wood Pigeons: of these eleven flew high North together
- 18 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 61 Jackdaws
- 2 Mistle Thrushes: together
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake.
- 2 Redwings
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 36 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 88 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron
New Bird Species
Bird species added today to the year list from here were:
45 Great Spotted Woodpecker: calling at the West end
The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- *1 Early Moth Theria primaria
- 1 Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- *1 Early Moth Theria primaria
Flies:
- *3 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- *3 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
Other insects:
- 5, at least, springtails Pogonognathellus/ Tomocerus type
- 3, at least, globular springtails
- 5, at least, springtails Pogonognathellus/ Tomocerus type
- 3, at least, globular springtails
Spiders:
- *1 very small spider, perhaps Mile End Jumping Spider Macaroeris nidicolens
- 1 male Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Pachygnatha clercki
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Seen later on the street lamps:
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
On the Teece Drive fence:
- *1 very small spider, perhaps Mile End Jumping Spider Macaroeris nidicolens
- 1 male Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Pachygnatha clercki
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Seen later on the street lamps:
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
On the Teece Drive fence:
Nothing noted
Was it me or the Cold Moon that was at this angle? Almost a perfect half-moon.
...even if a trio of Mallard and a Coot photo-bomb the resulting photo.
A slightly different perspective.
Somewhat unusual. Conventional wisdom is that Carrion Crows are seen singly or in pairs and it is Rooks that are in larger groupings. Not always: here are four Carrion Crows together and two more had flown off while I was getting my act together with the camera.
(Ed Wilson)
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(4th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- One of the Greylag Geese in the group of seven overhead had noticeably paler outer wings. Not white, just paler. Most odd.
- No Common Teal seen. Neither could I find any Gadwall.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Greylag Geese: see notes
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Sparrowhawk
Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 52 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 42 (29♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 62 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 15 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
New Bird Species
Bird species added today to the year list from here were:
39 Sparrowhawk
Noted on the street lamp poles:
- 1 Springtail, probably Tomocerus vulgaris. Unusual to see springtails in daylight.
New fungus noted:
- *Velvet Shank Flammulina velutipes; also known as Winter Fungus.
Otherwise:
- *Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris plants showing well.
39 Sparrowhawk
Noted on the street lamp poles:
- 1 Springtail, probably Tomocerus vulgaris. Unusual to see springtails in daylight.
New fungus noted:
- *Velvet Shank Flammulina velutipes; also known as Winter Fungus.
Otherwise:
- *Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris plants showing well.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
2014
Priorslee Lake
Two 1st winter female Scaup
(Tom Lowe)
Horsehay Pool
Kittiwake
(Jim Almond)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Tom Lowe)
2013
Priorslee Flash
Drake Scaup
(J Reeves)
Trench Middle Pool
22 Goosander
(Dave Tromans)
2012
Priorslee Lake
96 Greylags Geese
20 Pochard
15 Tufted Ducks
86 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
54 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
27 Great Black-backed Gulls
Peregrine
204 Redwings
4 Fieldfare
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
Trench Pool
2 Little Grebes
215 Canada Geese
3 Pochard
76 Tufted Ducks
131 Coots
219 Black-headed Gulls
4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
Holmer Lake
46 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
44 Mute Swans
2 Gadwall
47 Pochard
117 Tufted Duck
2 adult Common Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.3400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.250 Herring Gulls
c.2500 Black-headed Gulls
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gull
3 Water Rail
324 Coots
17 Goldfinches
13 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson/Jason)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
12 Great Crested Grebes
10 Mute Swans
1 drake Shoveler
11 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
Iceland Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
122 Coots
34 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Paul King)
2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
26 Pochard
106 Tufted Ducks
4 Water Rails
100 Herring Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
>7 Pochard
31 Tufted Ducks
9 Goosanders
>2000 Black-headed Gulls
>481 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
>33 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
28 Robins
14 Blackbirds
5 Fieldfares
67 Redwings
222 Jackdaws
3 Reed Buntings;
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
1 Goldeneye
22 Pochard
43 Tufted Duck
c.3000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.2000 Black-headed Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
131 Herring Gull
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
66 Siskins
14 Robins
15 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)