8.0°C > 10.0°C: Sunshine - eventually: for a short while! Early the usual very low cloud with mist and drizzle. A clearance after 08:45 with some sunny intervals and blue skies. Poor visibility becoming good. Light southerly wind.
Sunrise: 07:24 GMT
* = a photo
Most of yesterday's less usual ducks had gone, probably scared away by last night's fireworks. At the Balancing Lake there was evidence of a private display being held on the dam-top ("you brought them here: take the remains home rather then leave it for muggins to clear away").
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 09:05
(243rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- one fewer adult Mute Swan noted.
- I accidentally flushed the hitherto unseen Great (White) Egret. I did not see it again. The same bird? Who knows.
Birds noted flying over: in very misty conditions
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- c.175 Wood Pigeons: of these c.160 flew over in four migrant parties
- 1 Herring Gull
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 41 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
- 4 Fieldfares
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
- 3 Siskins
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 61 Canada Geese: arrived together
- 22 + 2 Mute Swans
- 11 (7♂) Mallard
- 8 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- no meaningful count of Coots possible
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- *c.350 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 64 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great White Egret: departed?
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Counts from the lake area:
- 61 Canada Geese: arrived together
- 22 + 2 Mute Swans
- 11 (7♂) Mallard
- 8 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- no meaningful count of Coots possible
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- *c.350 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 64 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great White Egret: departed?
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *1 Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria: for its fifth day
- *1 Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria: for its fifth day
Bees, moths etc.:
- *1 ichneumon Netelia virgata
- *1 ichneumon Netelia virgata
Flies:
- *2 plumed midges
- 2 possible Scoliocentra villosa
- 2 wood gnats, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis
- *2 plumed midges
- 2 possible Scoliocentra villosa
- 2 wood gnats, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis
Barkflies:
- 1 barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi agg.
- 1 barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi agg.
Springtails:
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 2 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 2 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
Fungus:
- *2 Shaggy Inkcaps or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus
Telford Sailing Club
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
- *2 Shaggy Inkcaps or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus
Telford Sailing Club
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
Flies:
- 2 small plumed midges
- 2 small plumed midges
Barkflies:
- 2 barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi agg.
- 31(!) Valenzuela flavidus
- 2 barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi agg.
- 31(!) Valenzuela flavidus
Beetles:
- *1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- *1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
spiders of several species, not counted or determined
Noted later:
spiders of several species, not counted or determined
Noted later:
Barkflies:
- *1 Graphopsocus cruciatus
- *1 Graphopsocus cruciatus
Springtails:
- *1 possible springtail Entomobrya intermedia
- *1 possible springtail Entomobrya intermedia
Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
While I was inspecting the street lamp poles pre-dawn one of the large orange-bodied appeared and flew around. I managed a few shots. This shows the marking on the thorax clearly which, with the help of the National History Museums web page "Beginner’s guide to identifying British ichneumonids" I have been able to confirm it as Netelia virgata. It parasitises the caterpillars of Noctuid moths – generally large bodies species that fold their wings back over their body at rest. The two white spots are reflections of the camera flash.
Another view of this handsome creature.
And another. Strangely the white reflections are not from the eyes.
One of the small male plumed midges that were around.
My best guess for this is the springtail Entomobrya intermedia but...
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue Tunnel pre dawn:
Not visited this morning
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:10 – 10:35
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:35
(246th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- as noted in today's heading all the unusual ducks had gone. A drake Common Teal was noted again.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 91 Wood Pigeons in four migrant groups
- 1 Herring Gull
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 3 Jackdaws
- 4 Skylarks
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 21 Greylag Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 25 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 (?♂♀) 'feral-type' Mallard
- *1 (1♂) Common Teal
- 27 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 19 Moorhens
- 126 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 30 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: adult
Noted around The Flash:
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 4 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
a few more in warmer and almost sunny conditions
- 4 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
a few more in warmer and almost sunny conditions
Hoverflies:
- *2 Marmalade Hoverflies Episyrphus balteatus
- *1 possible Twin-spot Boxer Platycheirus rosarum [Fourspot Sedgesitter Pyrophaena rosarum]
- *2 Marmalade Hoverflies Episyrphus balteatus
- *1 possible Twin-spot Boxer Platycheirus rosarum [Fourspot Sedgesitter Pyrophaena rosarum]
Springtails:
- 1 unidentified globular springtail
- 1 unidentified globular springtail
Bugs:
- *1 Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina
- *1 Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 'money spider' sp.
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 male harvestmen Leiobunum blackwalli
- *1 'money spider' sp.
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 male harvestmen Leiobunum blackwalli
Fungus:
- *Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus
A duck Tufted Duck I presume. It does look as if the new feathers growing at the front of the flanks will tone down the pale areas.
A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus. This one is pale – like Lemon Marmalade. Others are more like Orange Marmalade in tone. Just individual variability. It is feeding on Ivy.
I would like to have had a better view of this hoverfly. It seems possible it is a Twin-spot Boxer Platycheirus rosarum.
A Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina. It seems unable to decide whether it is in green Summer garb or in the brown of Winter. Sort of Autumn colours?
- *Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus
The drake Common Teal made another appearance.
"My: what big feet you have".
Two ducks here, one looking typically angry.
Another MS Photos editing success. Off the camera this Common Buzzard was just a dark silhouette,
Passing by.
A tiny spider for which I cannot suggest anything better than a "species of money spider".
A bit chewed in places. Cyclamen in the background.
(Ed Wilson)
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Priorslee Lake
2 Teal
1 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
75 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
226 Coots
720+ large gulls over and c.50 on the lake
1 Yellow Legged Gull
c.3100 Wood Pigeons
159 Fieldfare
31 Redwings
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
c.170 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
146 Coots
c.700 Black-headed Gulls logged
c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
41 Redwings
10 Fieldfares
634 Jackdaws
198 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Grant)
2008
Priorslee Lake
300+ Wood Pigeons
326 Redwings
652 Fieldfare
269 Jackdaw
136 Rooks
c.75 Starlings seen leaving roost
6 Pochard
78 Tufted Ducks
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Goosander
47 Greylag
95 Canada Geese
42 Tufted Duck
6 Redwings
1 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Shoveler
21 Starlings in the roost
12 Pochard
57 Tufted Ducks
c.80 Lapwing
192 Coot
500+ Black-headed Gulls
800+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Chiffchaff
26 lb Carp landed by one of the fishermen
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
20 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
19 Lapwings
1700+ Black-headed Gulls
518+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
334 Wood Pigeons
14 Pied Wagtails
24 Robins
27 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
8 Song Thrushes
12 Redwings
52 Jackdaws
142 Rooks
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)