6.0°C > 7.0°C: Early light rain from a medium overcast. Later more persistent rain with low cloud and mist. Light easterly wind. Good visibility becoming poor in mist and rain.
Sunrise: 07:31 BST
There are no photos from today due to the rain and poor light.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 07:05 – 09:30
(215th visit of the year)
A rain-delayed start and a rain-affected visit.
Bird notes:
- the 17 visiting Mute Swans remain.
- fewer large gulls dropped in early for a drink and bathe with other unidentified gulls passing South to the East at about the same time.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 42 Wood Pigeons: of these c.30 were noted in a single migrant flock at the very edge of visibility before the mist descended
- c.60 large gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 276 Jackdaws
- 160 Rooks
- 2 Redwings
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
None
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
They did not like the wet weather!
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- no Chiffchaffs
- 1 Goldcrest
Counts from the lake area:
- 12 Canada Goose: departed together
- 19 Mute Swans
- 13 (11♂) Mallard
- 6 (2+♂) Tufted Duck: all but one drake flew off
- 6 Moorhens
- 152 Coots: low count in poor visibility
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 132 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 193 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
I did not visit the football field early
I did not check the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
I did not look round the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
Nothing noted later
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
They did not like the wet weather!
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- no Chiffchaffs
- 1 Goldcrest
Counts from the lake area:
- 12 Canada Goose: departed together
- 19 Mute Swans
- 13 (11♂) Mallard
- 6 (2+♂) Tufted Duck: all but one drake flew off
- 6 Moorhens
- 152 Coots: low count in poor visibility
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 132 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 193 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
I did not visit the football field early
I did not check the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
I did not look round the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
Nothing noted later
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
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Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Not checked today.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:30
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:30
(218th visit of the year)
Bird notes
A small highlight here: four Redwings were in trees around the medical centre car park. My first of Autumn here.
Other bird notes:
- where are all the geese? Just the Canada Goose with the deformed wing with one other.
- one of the Mute Swan cygnets is often to be found on its own. It seems fit and well and occasionally flies.
- once again fewer Tufted Duck though the low light level did not help.
- I fear for the juvenile Moorhens alongside Derwent Drive. They appear not to have been taught the Green Cross Code. Cars had to swerve to avoid several of them.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Jackdaws
Warblers noted
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans: one cygnet not located
- 40 (26♂) Mallard
- 85 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 16 Moorhens
- 150 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher
Noted around The Flash:
Noted on / around the water:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans: one cygnet not located
- 40 (26♂) Mallard
- 85 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 16 Moorhens
- 150 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher
Noted around The Flash:
Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Spiders, harvestmen etc.
- 1 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
Fungus:
- Dark Honey Fungus Armillaria ostoyae: almost all deliquesced in to a messy heap
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Shoveler
1 Wigeon
2 Raven
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
12 Song Thrushes
Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Bittern
Redwing
Siskin
1 Chiffchaff
53 Swans
Wigeon
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl
Stonechat
Common Gull
29 Redwings
27 Fieldfare
6 Siskins
1 Redpoll
3 Chiffchaffs
29 Greenfinches
4 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
9 Pochard
18 Lapwings
17 Meadow Pipits
36 Robins
24 Blackbirds
8 Song Thrushes
9 Redwings
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
- Dark Honey Fungus Armillaria ostoyae: almost all deliquesced in to a messy heap
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Shoveler
1 Wigeon
2 Raven
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
12 Song Thrushes
Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Bittern
Redwing
Siskin
1 Chiffchaff
53 Swans
Wigeon
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl
Stonechat
Common Gull
29 Redwings
27 Fieldfare
6 Siskins
1 Redpoll
3 Chiffchaffs
29 Greenfinches
4 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
9 Pochard
18 Lapwings
17 Meadow Pipits
36 Robins
24 Blackbirds
8 Song Thrushes
9 Redwings
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)