31 Oct 24

The Flash: 09:18 – 10:30
Priorslee Balancing Lake:  10:35 – 12:50

11.0°C > 13.0°C:  Overcast and dull early. Cloud lifted somewhat with a few breaks appearing. Light south-westerly wind. Very good visibility.
[Sunrise:  07:06 GMT]

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

Another dull day so it was another late start, firstly at The Flash. I then did a full lap of the Balancing Lake in improving weather.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(233rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I cannot believe how difficult it is to count Mute Swans. Despite being large and white they have a habit of hiding behind each other or paddling off. I eventually convinced myself there are now 20 white (near) adults with two grey first winters. These two spent some while with two adults, all four well-away from the others. If these first winters came in with these two adults at least one adult would have had to have departed...
- a Water Rail was alarm-calling from along the north-east area.
- there were very few gulls present when I first looked at the water. A mixed group of c.260 Black-headed Gulls and c.75 Lesser Black-backs along with a few Herring Gulls flew in together from the East.
- three Redwings flew out of trees by the Teece Drive gate as I arrived.

Birds noted flying over:
- 22 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw

Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 20 + 2 Mute Swans: an additional adult: see also notes
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 9 (7♂) Mallard
- 7 (1♂?) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 3 Moorhens
- 223 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.275 Black-headed Gulls
- *17 Herring Gulls
- c.190 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the street lamps poles post-dawn:
Moths:
-        *1 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla
-        4 November Moth-types Epirrita dilutata agg.
-        *1 Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
Flies:
-        1 cranefly Tipula fulvipennis

Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ post-dawn:
Flies:
-        2 craneflies Tipula fulvipennis
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        none: all hiding away!

Noted later:
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        *Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis


The Flash:
(236th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *a drake Common Teal again, as usual keeping close to the island.
- a significant number of Tufted Duck now seem to have departed overnight.
- what I assume was the recently seen Little Grebe was again keeping close to the island.
- *a Great (White) Egret was on the island before positioning to the bottom end from where it was flushed, heading away south-west.

No bird(s) noted flying over here:

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *36 (23♂) Mallard
- *1 (1♂) Common Teal
- 88 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- 129 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: departed
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- *1 Great (White) Egret

Noted around The Flash:
Moths:
-        *1 Pale Birch Tortrix Acleris logiana: presumably the same individual was out in the open again today
-        *1 female November Moth-type Epirrita dilutata agg.
-        *2 Juniper Carpets Thera juniperata : moth species #45 for me here this year
Bees, wasps etc.:
-        *2 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
Flies:
-        *several flies of several species, none positively identified
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        1 unidentified spider
-        1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

(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

2013
Candles Landfill Site
2nd winter Caspian Gull
8 Yellow-legged Gulls
Great Black-backed Gull
c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Chiffchaff
Mistle Thrush
29 Fieldfares
32 Redwings
13 Siskins
3 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Shoveler
5 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

2005
Trench Pool
2 Goosander
10 Shoveler
(John Isherwood)

30 Oct 24

The Flash:  09:21 – 10:40
Priorslee Balancing Lake:  10:45 – 11:27

10.0°C > 11.0°C:  Overcast and dull. Light north-westerly wind. Very good visibility.
[Sunrise:  07:04 GMT]

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

Another dull day with a late start. Firstly at The Flash first before checking the Balancing Lake from the dam-top area only.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(232nd visit of the year)

The model boat club were using the West end of the water. It did not seem to have much impact on numbers.

Bird notes:
- It seems odd that two first-winter Mute Swans should arrive on their own. If they were accompanied then where were their parents? They certainly not protecting their off-spring from being chased by the resident cob.
- All gull numbers an 'instant' count. Small numbers of birds were arriving and departing so there were more individuals than my totals suggest.

Birds of interest noted flying over:
- a loose group of 41 Wood Pigeons flew West

Counts from the lake area:
- 16 Canada Geese: of these 12 arrived together
- *19 + 2 Mute Swans: two first-winter birds new in
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 8 (7♂) Mallard
- no Moorhens
- 208 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 97 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 62 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron


The Flash:
(235th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- back to a more 'normal' number of Tufted Duck.
- a lone brownhead Goosander. I recall that four / five winters ago I recorded up to 140 here on one occasion. They must have eaten all the small fish: numbers have decreased each Winter since then.

No bird(s) noted flying over here:

Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *37 (24♂) Mallard
- 122 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 16 Moorhens
- 128 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull
- 1 Cormorant

Noted around The Flash:
Moths:
-        1 Pale Birch Tortrix Acleris logiana.: I defy anyone else to find this. It is so jammed in to a crack in the street lamp pole it is barely visible let alone identifiable.
-        1 Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
No other insects etc. found

(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
10 Swans
c.60 Golden Plover
c.200 Starlings left a roost in the reeds at the W end
763 Wood Pigeons
3 Sky Larks
7 Meadow Pipits
165 Fieldfare
9 Redwings
4 Siskins
3 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
8 Wigeon
20 Pochard
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Goosander
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
100 Jackdaw
130 Rooks
1 Buzzard
Kestrel
c.60 Golden Plover
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
450 to 500 Starlings left the roost
11 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
Pair of Ruddy Duck
200+ Coot
1 Dunlin
104 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
100 Black-headed Gulls
Kingfisher
A Buzzard was seen feeding on earthworms and possibly beetles
2000+ Wood Pigeon
62 Redwing
54 Fieldfare
3 Song Thrushes
(Martin Adlam)

29 Oct 24

The Flash:  09:21 – 10:37
Priorslee Balancing Lake:  10:44 – 11:36

12.0°C > 13.0°C:  Mostly cloudy a few breaks and occasional some light drizzle. Almost calm. Very good visibility. moderate in drizzle.
[Sunrise:  07:00 GMT]

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

I decided not to peer in to the early low cloud and murk at probably nothing much. As usual with a late start I went to The Flash first before checking the Balancing Lake from the dam-top area only.

Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(231st visit of the year)

Bird notes:

No birds of interest noted flying over:

Counts from the lake area:
- 27 Canada Geese: arrived together
- 19 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 3 (3♂) Mallard
- 4 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Moorhens
- 212 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 69 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron


The Flash:
(234th visit of the year)

The highlight was my first Rook of the year at this site. For some reason they are very scarce here even though over 100 pass over the lake most days. Bird species #79 for me here this year.

Other bird notes:
- fewer Tufted Duck counted. Apart from the usual gang continually diving and difficult to count a few groups were paddling around at speed and I may have overlooked some.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 16 Jackdaws
- *1 Rook

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 8 Greylag Geese
- 6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 38 (26♂) Mallard
- *101 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- *17 Moorhens
- *135 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted around The Flash:
Moths:
-        1 Pale Birch Tortrix Acleris logiana.: the same place as yesterday
-        *1 November Moth-type Epirrita dilutata agg.
Bees, wasps etc.:
-        >5 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
It was warm enough for insects to fly though the dull conditions would have limited the production of pollen and nectar. Only a few marauding wasps were out and about.
Fungus:
-        *Butter Waxcap Hygrocybe ceracea

(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

2013
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
1 Teal
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
Location
1 Pochard
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow legged Gull
2 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
1 Wigeon
Chiffchaff
10+ Fieldfare
Siskin
Willow Tit
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
Location
3 Pochard
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
34 Pochard a high count
500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
432 Jackdaws
228 Rooks
171 Fieldfare
5 Redwings
2 Siskins
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
115 Canada Geese
9 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
c.200 Golden Plover
23 Pied Wagtails
17 Robins
18 Blackbirds
12 Song Thrushes
70 Redwing
1 Mistle Thrush
9 Fieldfare
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Tit
195 Jackdaws
206 Rooks
31 Greenfinches
4 Redpoll
10 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Buzzard feeding on earthworms, mobbed by Black-headed Gulls
1 Raven
7 Pied Wagtails
3 Grey Wagtail
11 Meadow Pipits
Kingfisher
1700+ Wood Pigeon
192 Redwing
111 Fieldfare
(Martin Adlam)

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)

27 Oct 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake:  05:30 – 08:50
The Flash:  08:55 – 10:15

6.0°C > 10.0°C:  Clear skies! Light south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise:  06:58 GMT – all times now GMT for the rest of the year

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


Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(229th visit of the year)

Three highlights today:
- a Red-legged Partridge flushed from the south-west at c.08:20. This makes I have recorded 101 bird species while at the lake. My previous record here was when one ran unscathed across Castle Farm Way on 15 July 2021.
- a Water Rail was heard calling from the north-west area c.06:30. What was presumably a different bird was heard in the north-east area at c.08:10.
- I saw my first Fieldfare of the Winter when a group of c.120 flew over

Bird notes:
- a number of Wood Pigeons in 1s, 2s and very small groups were seen heading off South. Frequently these are local birds setting off chasing to catch-up with large groups already passed over. Today that seemed not true: I could not usually find and relevant large groups.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 10 Greylag Geese: an octet flew North; a duo flew South
- c.1040 Wood Pigeons: of these c.1015 were noted flying South in 16 migrant parties: see also notes
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 45 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 354 Jackdaws
- 115 Rooks
- 2 Sky Larks: together
- 15 Starlings: together
- c.120 Fieldfare: together
- 10 Redwings: singles / small groups
- 2 Siskins

No birds seen leaving roost around the lake but several Redwings heard calling from trees pre-dawn:

Counts from the lake area:
- 22 Canada Geese: throughout
- 19 Mute Swans
- 4 (3♂) Gadwall
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 5 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 198 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- *>425 Black-headed Gulls
- 19 Herring Gulls
- c.175 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
-        2 November Moth-types Epirrita dilutata agg.
Flies:
-        *1 male plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
-        2 Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
-        2 wood gnats Sylvicola sp.
-        *1 cranefly Tipula confusa
-        2 craneflies, male and *female Tipula pagana.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        *2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
-        1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
I did not check here today

Nothing noted later:


In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Flies:
-        11 midges/gnats, not specifically identified
Woodlice:
-        2 Common Shiny Woodlice Oniscus asellus
Arthropods:
-        2 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        4 spiders of several species, not specifically identified


The Flash:
(232nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- *1 Sparrowhawk
- 4 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 9 Canada Geese
- 37 Greylag Geese: all of these arrived
- 6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 45 (29♂) Mallard
- 106 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 17 Moorhens
- 122 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 16 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- *1 Cormorant: departed

Noted around The Flash:
Amazing what a little sun can do. There was a distinct hum around the Ivy bank this morning. All totals minima.
Moths:
-        1 Pale Birch Tortrix Acleris logiana.: same place as yesterday
Bees, wasps etc.:
-        *2 Honey Bees Apis mellifera
-        >25 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
-        *1 German Wasp Vespula germanica
Hoverflies:
-        *1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
-        *>5 Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax [Tapered Drone Fly]
-        *>10 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax [Common Drone Fly]
-        2 Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
-        *2 Humming Syrphus Syrphus ribesii
Bugs:
-        >5 Nettle Groundbugs Heterogaster urticae
-        1 adult Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
-        1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
-        1 harvestman Leiobunum rotundum


(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)

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

Sightings from previous years

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Adult Great Black-backed Gull
1000+ large gulls
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Great Black-backed Gull
11 Golden Plover
2 Kingfishers
16 Reed Buntings
5 Skylarks
8 Meadow Pipits
71 Redwings
457 Fieldfare
31 Siskins
1 Linnet
4 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
40 Tufted Duck
16 Pochard
2 Ruddy Duck
Common Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
c.2500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Kingfisher
2 Goldcrest
42 Fieldfare
Willow Tit
14 Long-tailed Tits
(Martin Adlam)