10.0°C > 12.0°C: Mostly cloudy with a few breaks from time to time. Moderate south-westerly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:50 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:30 – 09:20
(32nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- 'our' duck Goosander was apparently present throughout.
- The Black-headed Gulls arrived together at 07:00 when it was still quite dark. This is 30 minutes earlier than they were yesterday.
- an even bigger movement of large gulls through and over lake today. Attempts to count them were hindered by the sparring Grey Herons regularly putting them to flight with some leaving, some returning and new arriving birds entering the circling melee. All numbers are 'best effort' and likely to be an underestimate.
- it was strange that as I left for The Flash gulls were still streaming over just West of the lake but when I arrived at The Flash I could see none from there (though there were more than usual on the water).
- my first Blackbird song of the year: exactly the same date as in 2023.
- Just two Siskins noted. Have they eaten all the Alder cones and moved on?
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 7 Canada Geese: two pairs and a single outbound; one pair inbound
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull
- 19 Herring Gulls
- 268 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.175 distant large gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 18 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: pair throughout
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 11 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 64 Coots
- c.350 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull
- *>50 Herring Gulls
- *3 Yellow-legged Gulls
- *>325 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *2 Grey Herons
Noted on or around the damp street lamp poles pre-dawn
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: pair throughout
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 11 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 64 Coots
- c.350 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull
- *>50 Herring Gulls
- *3 Yellow-legged Gulls
- *>325 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *2 Grey Herons
Noted on or around the damp street lamp poles pre-dawn
Moths:
- *1 Early Moth Theria primaria
- *1 Early Moth Theria primaria
Flies:
- *2 winter craneflies Trichocera regelationis
- 1 barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi agg.
- *2 winter craneflies Trichocera regelationis
- 1 barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi agg.
Beetles:
- *1 24 Spot Ladybird Subcoccinella vigintiquattuorpunctata
- 1 rove beetle
- *2 weevils presumed Parathelcus pollinarius
- *1 24 Spot Ladybird Subcoccinella vigintiquattuorpunctata
- 1 rove beetle
- *2 weevils presumed Parathelcus pollinarius
Other insects
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
Spiders:
- *1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- *1 Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis
Feedback:
- *1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- *1 Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis
Feedback:
Birds:
I have just heard from the NE Scotland Bird group about the ringed Lesser black-backed Gull that I photographed on 6 December last year. It was ringed on the Isle of May on 6 April 2019. Their email to me says "new bird" but does not give its age when ringed. The date is too early in the year for it to be a fledging so it must have been at least nearly a year old when ringed. It was then recorded on the Isle of May twice in June 2020 and twice in May 2022. There have been no other reported sightings.
Beetles:
The Shropshire recorder has provided more information on yesterday's beetles:
Those I have been identifying as Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala are probably just that. It is the most-common small all-black species among the 100 or so flea beetles that occur in the UK. These are not generally identifiable from photos.
Yesterday's brown beetle that I thought might be a pollen beetle is one of the many rove beetles, most likely to be Anthobium atrocephalum or A unicolor. Again these are not separable from photos.
Briefly peeking through the cloud was the less-than-half waning Wolf Moon.
Only the merest hint of colour at dawn this morning.
This and the other Grey Heron were the cause of much panic amongst the gulls.
Winter craneflies Trichocera regelationis are insects are consequently supposed to have six legs. This one has at most four with one of those looking to be somewhat detached.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:25– 10:25
(31st visit of the year)
New Bird Species
Highlight here was two Ravens calling as they flew over. A new species for my 2024 bird list from here: #50
Bird notes:
- the only Great Crested Grebe I noted was the bird with extensive head-plumes.
- the water was packed with gulls when I arrived. I was most of the way through checking them when something spooked them and almost all of them departed. The totals are likely to be incomplete.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- *2 Common Buzzards
- 2 Ravens
Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 41 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 6 (4♂) Pochard
- *93 (47♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- *45 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- >160 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls: all immatures, not aged
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull: four adults and one first winter
Note
I was given some sad news while here. The feral Black Swan that has been a constant and popular attraction at Trench Lock Pool for more than five years has died as a result of an attack by a dog. I have no more details about the encounter. Perhaps we need to emulate Spain where all dogs must be kept on leads and under close control in public places and their owners must be licenced and insured.
An unlikely backdrop for two passing drake Tufted Ducks.
A duck leading three drakes.
I am being watched by this Common Buzzard.
The markings on these birds can be very variable with some being very pale. This is typical.
It still has its eye on me.
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Viking, or possibly a dark Iceland
(J Reeves)
Telford Crematorium
1 Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Tom Lowe)
2013
Priorslee Lake
12 Wigeon
6 Gadwall
3 Pochard
32 Tufted Duck
2 Reed Bunting
(Tony Beckett)
The Flash
15 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck
3 Goosander
(Tony Beckett)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Glaucous x Great Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Tom Lowe / Andy Latham)
2012
Priorslee Lake
26 Pochard
29 Tufted Duck
>5000 gulls
Ring-billed Gull hybrid
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Roger Clay / Ed Wilson / John Isherwood / Martin Grant)
Trench Pool
Snipe
(Dave Tromans)
2011
Priorslee Lake
8 Pochard
14 Tufted Duck
77 Herring Gull
5 Pale Brindled Beauty moths
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Merlin
(Observer Unknown)
2009
Priorslee Lake
3 Skylarks
4 Fieldfare
c.55 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
17 Pochard
37 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye
3 Lapwings
30 Robins
14 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
11 Song Thrushes
3 Redwing
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
2 Wigeon
19 Pochard
77 Tufted Ducks
151 Coots
1 Water Rail
15 Robins
13 Blackbirds
90 Siskin
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
5 Reed Buntings.
(Ed Wilson)