28 Oct 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake:  05:40 – 08:55
The Flash:  09:00 – 10:30

11.0°C > 15.0°C:  Mostly cloudy at medium level. A few blue patches but also some light showery rain c.08:45. Light south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise:  07:00 GMT

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(230th visit of the year)

Highlight this morning was only my second Peregrine of the year here (the previous one was on 14 June). It cruised over c.06:45. Remarkably none of the many gulls on the water paid it any heed with a single passing Jackdaw attempting to chase it away.

Other bird notes:
- only small groups of migrant Wood Pigeons noted and these did not all seem clear as to where to go. One group was flying West; two south-west and one south-east with other three groups heading South.
- after the now usual arrival of at least 450 Black-headed Gulls, skimming in low over the M54 at 06:35. I was then surprised to see two more large groups (c.100 and c.150) arrive a few minutes later.
- in contrast there were very few large gulls, especially early. The first three appeared overhead at 06:30 but deigned to stop and these, along with 18 others, flew on. Eventually just seven Lesser Black-backs arrived before almost all the gulls departed.
- much later 49 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew in from the North, followed ten minutes later by 11 Herring Gulls. Most odd.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 11 Canada Geese: four outbound together; seven inbound in two groups
- 2 Greylag Geese: outbound together
- 4 Stock Doves: together
- 127 Wood Pigeons: of these 96 were noted in seven migrant parties: see also notes
- *1 Peregrine
- 1 Herring Gull
- 29 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 194 Jackdaws
- 167 Rooks
- 1 Raven
- 14 Starlings: two groups
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Siskin

Birds seen leaving roost around the lake:
- 8 Starlings

Counts from the lake area:
- 38 Canada Geese: 34 present pre-dawn all departed; two duos arrived
- 19 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 12 (9♂) Mallard
- 5 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 203 Coots
- *5 Great Crested Grebes
- >700 Black-headed Gulls
- 11 Herring Gulls
- 56 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
-        6 November Moth-types Epirrita dilutata agg.
Bees, wasps etc.:
-        *2 small ichneumon wasps
Flies:
-        1 female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
-        1 Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
-        2 wood gnats Sylvicola sp.
-        1 cranefly Tipula confusa
-        1 cranefly Tipula fulvipennis
Psylliodes:
-        *1 possible jumping plant louse, species not identified
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
-        1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
Flies:
-        4 craneflies, not all specifically identified: one could be *Nigrotipula nigra
-        9 other midges/gnats, also not specifically identified
Beetles:
-        1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        23 spiders of several species, not specifically identified
-        1 male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum

Noted later:
Bees, wasps etc.:
-        1 Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Plants:
-        *Nipplewort Lapsana communis: seem unusually late for this to still be flowering


In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
I did not check here today


The Flash:
(233rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a Little Grebe again. Is it the same one? Has it been lurking by the island all the while? It was today. I heard it call once – unusual outside the breeding season I would have thought.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Jackdaws
- 23 Redwings: two groups

Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 36 (24♂) Mallard
- *1 (1♂) Mallard-hybrid
- 131 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- *136 Coots
- *1 Little Grebe
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant

Noted around The Flash:
Moths:
-        *1 Pale Birch Tortrix Acleris logiana.: almost the same place as yesterday
Bees, wasps etc.:
-        >5 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
Flies:
-        *1 possible Nettle Aphid Microlophium carnosum
-        at least five species seen
Leafhoppers:
-        *1 unidentified leafhopper
Bugs:
-        *1 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
Beetles:
-        1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        none


(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

2010
Priorslee Lake
c.75 Starlings left roost at W end
118 Wood Pigeons
2 Skylarks
7 Meadow Pipits
478 Fieldfare
76 Redwings
9 Siskins
13 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
2 Cormorants
26 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
35 Fieldfares
3 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
4 Mistle Thrushes
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
Wigeon
Cormorant
300 Black-headed Gulls
40 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.75 Lapwings
2 Fieldfares
1 duck Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
200 Coot
(Ed Wilson)