26 Oct 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 11.0°C: Yet another morning when it was often overcast at medium / low level. Some clear, even sunny, spells did not last. Almost calm. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:56 BST

* = a species photographed today.

A better day for birds on the move. A range of species but no outstanding numbers.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:10 – 09:25

(228th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a quartet of Gadwall were new arrivals. My first here this Autumn: better late than never.
- I have no idea why there seemed to be 50 fewer Coots today than recently. I counted twice with very similar results.
- the four Lapwings that flew over were only my third sighting here this year. Long gone are the days when up to 70 would roost on the dam-face and 150 could be seen some days on the south-west grass.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 8 Greylag Geese: a trio outbound; a quintet inbound
- c.1600 Wood Pigeons: of these c.1560 were noted flying South in 17 migrant parties
- 4 Lapwings: together
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 23 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: a single and a duo
- c.200 Jackdaws
- 17 Starlings: two groups
- 24 Redwings: together
- 152 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Siskins

Birds seen leaving roost around the lake:
None

Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Goose: of these a trio arrived
- 1 Greylag Goose: departed
- 19 Mute Swans
- *4 (3♂) Gadwall
- 9 (7♂) Mallard
- 7 Moorhens
- 161 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- >450 Black-headed Gulls
- c.35 Herring Gulls
- c.135 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 8 November Moth-types Epirrita dilutata agg.

Flies:
- 1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- 2 craneflies, both male Tipula pagana.
- *4 other midges/gnats not specifically identified

Springtails:
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Telford Sailing Club
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:

Flies:
- 7 craneflies, not specifically identified
- 8 other midges/gnats, also not specifically identified

Lacewing:
- 1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea

Slugs, Snails etc.:
- *2 Greenhouse Slugs Ambigolimax valentianus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 20 spiders of several species, not specifically identified

Noted later:
Nothing

It looks brighter than it really was at this time – the street lights are still on. Another overcast start.

Autumn colours. The path beside the Telford Sailing Club HQ.

Record shot: three of the four Gadwall present today. There were three drakes: two are in this photo – the birds with the black end to their body.

A 'different' midge that I cannot recall seeing before. Neither can I identify it. It seems to hold its wings tent-wise over its back: and the wings are slightly marked. Google Lens suggested one of the many species of booklice (Psocoptera): I think not as this group are all very small insects.

Another springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis. On this image it is just about possible to make out the hairs that this species shows around the tip of its abdomen.

An unusually marked harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis. The NatureSpot web site is not showing me the gallery photos at the moment so I cannot say whether this is a sex difference.

One of the slugs on a wall of the Telford Sailing Club HQ. Again I am hampered by NatureSpot not currently showing images. If I have remembered correctly the dark line down the body suggests this is a Greenhouse Slug Ambigolimax valentianus.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Woodlice:
- 5 Common Shiny Woodlice Oniscus asellus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 13 spiders of several species, not specifically identified

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:30 – 10:40

(231st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- another Pied Wagtail sighting. Again the bird stayed only briefly.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 11 brownhead Goosanders: together
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 11 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 39 (26♂) Mallard
- *108 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- *17 Moorhens
- *140 Coots
- *1 Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted around The Flash:

Moths:
- *1 Tortrix moth, perhaps Pale Birch Tortrix Acleris logiana. [ID to be confirmed]
- 2 November Moth-types Epirrita dilutata agg.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Flower
- *1 Dog Rose (Rosa canina agg.)

Mrs. (Ms.?) Tufted Duck has just finished having a good scratch and is settling back in the water.

To jump or not to jump? That is the question these two immature Moorhens are pondering.

Wheeee!

And no: one is not flying upside down!

I have no idea why there are so many Coots here this year. Neither have I any idea, other than "food", as to why so many are now congregating alongside Derwent Drive: they were mostly at the top end a few weeks ago. The lone Great Crested Grebe is a party-pooper.

One of the two Cormorants fishing here today.

The dark belly indicates this is an adult. Having finished fishing,...

 ...improbably as it seems for these ungainly-looking birds, it is about to perch on a small tree branch.

"No: I have no treats for you". A brazen Wood Pigeon wants to be fed.

I am sure when I pressed the shutter this Long-tailed Tit was looking at me. "No publicity please"!

I am not familiar with this species of moth. It is certainly a Tortrix moth but which? Perhaps Pale Birch Tortrix Acleris logiana. [ID to be confirmed by the Shropshire Recorder I hope]

Not a flower I expected to find at this date. What seems to be a Dog Rose, not doubt a hybrid or cultivar of the Rosa canina group.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2011
Priorslee Lake
17 Tufted Ducks
c.400 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Mike Cooper)

2005
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
41 Tufted Duck
212 Coot
778 Fieldfare
199 Redwings
800 Wood Pigeons
Chiffchaff
Possible Firecrest
3 Siskin
18 Redpoll
275 Starlings
(Ed Wilson)