26 Oct 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake:  06:10 – 09:25
The Flash:  09:30 – 10:40

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 photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information,

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(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

No birds seen leaving roost around the lake:

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

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

Nothing noted later:


In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Woodlice:
-        5 Common Shiny Woodlice Oniscus asellus
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        13 spiders of several species, not specifically identified


The Flash:
(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 Pale Birch Tortrix Acleris logiana.
- 2 November Moth-types Epirrita dilutata agg."
Bees, wasps etc.:
-        1 Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Flower
-        *1 Dog Rose (Rosa canina agg.)

(Ed Wilson)

Note:
As you can see, Ed's sightings are still unformatted and without photos. Hopefully it won't be that long before I can get things back to normal. (Martin Adlam)

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Sightings from previous years

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)