14.0°C > 17.0°C: Low overcast; early light drizzle; threatened to break c.08:45: didn't. Light easterly breeze. Moderate visibility.
Sunrise: 06:21 BST
* = a species photographed today
! = a new species for me here this year
!! = a new species for me in Shropshire
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:05 – 06:50 // 07:55 – 09:15
(189th visit of the year)
Bird Notes
New Bird Species
Highlights today on an otherwise very quiet morning was a drake (Eurasian) Wigeon, a species that unusually I did not record here in the first part of the year. It takes my 2024 bird list here to #99.
Other bird notes:
- a Common Sandpiper was flying around calling in the dark at 05:25. I did not see it later. Apart from an unusual record of a possible over-wintering bird on 18 October last year this is my latest record for a bird on Autumn passage.
- I noted but a single Black-headed Gull. Where are they all?
- two Grey Herons were sparring c.05:45 with one presumed chased away. It, or another, was being chased away c.08:20.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- no geese
- 11 Wood Pigeons only
- 22 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 70 Jackdaws
- 93 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 8 (1) Chiffchaffs
''nominal' warbler:
- 2 (0) Goldcrests
Counts from the lake area:
- 15 Canada Geese: arrived in four groups
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) (Eurasian) Wigeon
- 27 (?♂) Mallard
- 1 Moorhen
- 107 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 13 Herring Gulls
- 104 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2, perhaps 3, Grey Herons
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Highlights today on an otherwise very quiet morning was a drake (Eurasian) Wigeon, a species that unusually I did not record here in the first part of the year. It takes my 2024 bird list here to #99.
Other bird notes:
- a Common Sandpiper was flying around calling in the dark at 05:25. I did not see it later. Apart from an unusual record of a possible over-wintering bird on 18 October last year this is my latest record for a bird on Autumn passage.
- I noted but a single Black-headed Gull. Where are they all?
- two Grey Herons were sparring c.05:45 with one presumed chased away. It, or another, was being chased away c.08:20.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- no geese
- 11 Wood Pigeons only
- 22 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 70 Jackdaws
- 93 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 8 (1) Chiffchaffs
''nominal' warbler:
- 2 (0) Goldcrests
Counts from the lake area:
- 15 Canada Geese: arrived in four groups
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) (Eurasian) Wigeon
- 27 (?♂) Mallard
- 1 Moorhen
- 107 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 13 Herring Gulls
- 104 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2, perhaps 3, Grey Herons
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
none
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
Sailing Club HQ
Around the outside of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
Sailing Club HQ
Around the outside of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:
Flies
- 1 plumed midge
- 1 plumed midge
Spiders:
- 15 spiders: including but not exhaustively
- *Bridge Orb-web Spiders Larinioides sclopetarius
Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
Noted later:
Not much in cloudy conditions.
- 15 spiders: including but not exhaustively
- *Bridge Orb-web Spiders Larinioides sclopetarius
Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
Noted later:
Not much in cloudy conditions.
Bees, wasps etc.:
- Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
- Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Hoverflies:
The first name is that used by Stephen Falk. The name in square brackets is that given by Obsidentify or other sources if different. Scientific names are normally common. The species are presented in alphabetic order of those scientific names.
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Dragon-/Damselflies
- unidentified dragonfly
- unidentified dragonfly
Other flies:
- only unidentified flies
- only unidentified flies
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
- White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis
Mammals:
- pipistrelle-type bats
- pipistrelle-type bats
The only hoverfly of the morning was this Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
One of the many Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata on the wall of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn. Later all the spiders will have crawled away to hide. I doubt many of the sailing club members know who is sharing their HQ.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
- 1 Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata
- 1 Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata
Flies:
- 3 craneflies Tipula lateralis
- 3 craneflies Tipula lateralis
Centipedes & Millipedes:
- 2 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
- 2 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders:
- 3 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 3 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
This moth is a Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata.
Recognise this cranefly as Tipula lateralis by the combination of pale line down the abdomen and the pattern of light and dark veins in the wing.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:55 – 07:50
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:55 – 07:50
(192nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 5 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
'nominal' warbler:
- 1 (0) Goldcrest
Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 4 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 35 (?♂) Mallard
- 69 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 + 7 (4 broods) Moorhens
- 81 + 7 (3 dependent brood) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 25 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 5 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
'nominal' warbler:
- 1 (0) Goldcrest
Noted on / around the water:
- 3 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 4 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 35 (?♂) Mallard
- 69 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 + 7 (4 broods) Moorhens
- 81 + 7 (3 dependent brood) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 25 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted elsewhere around The Flash:
Moths:
- none
- none
Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: adult
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni: adult
Isopods:
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber
Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
This Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber was clambering down one of the street lamp poles.
(Ed Wilson)
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2012
Nedge Hill
1 Hobby
1 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl
5 Swifts
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
2 Swifts
(Ed Wilson)