4.0°C > 8.0°C: Early it was cloudy at medium/high level again. Later some lower cloud. Very good visibility becoming good. Chill westerly breeze.
Sunrise: 07:28 GMT
* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:05 – 09:15
* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:05 – 09:15
(245th visit of the year)
Not much other than Wood Pigeons passing this morning.
Bird notes:
- more action amongst the Mute Swans. Initially there were 23 adults and two first winter. *At some point 18 adults took off together, some only to the other end of the lake and all of them returning. Later three adults took off with one of them flying off East. I am confused after that as when I next checked there were still 23 adults.
- Among the Wood Pigeons noted as parties flying over is a group of c.45 flying South that descended in to trees well to the East of the lake.
- 18 Jackdaws flying South on roost dispersal decided to pause their journey and landed in trees by the Teece Drive gate. I have rarely seen this happen: once I recall when it was very foggy and they were perhaps disorientated; and once in gale-force winds when perhaps they needed a rest. Neither pertained today. These are not included in the fly-over totals.
Birds noted flying over:
- 8 Greylag Geese: a trio outbound; a single and a quartet inbound
- 2 Stock Doves: in with Wood Pigeons
- 417 Wood Pigeons: of these c.350 seen in 14 migrant parties: see notes
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: singles
- 82 Jackdaws: see also notes
- 6 Rooks
- 44 Fieldfares: two groups
- 1 Redwing
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Siskin
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 29 Starlings: one group and one straggler
Counts from the lake area:
- 56 Canada Geese: 47 present at dawn with 39 of these flying off; nine flew in together later
- 2 Greylag Geese: arrived together
- *23 + 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 10 (7♂) Mallard
- 10 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 219 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- >300 Black-headed Gulls
- *8 Herring Gulls
- 45 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Most things hiding from the cold: all poles dew-laden
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Telford Sailing Club
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
Also affected by the cold temperature
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Telford Sailing Club
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
Also affected by the cold temperature
Flies:
- 1 male small midge
- 1 male small midge
Barkflies:
- *3 Valenzuela flavidus
- *3 Valenzuela flavidus
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 8 spiders of several species not identified
Noted later on Teece Drive fence:
- 8 spiders of several species not identified
Noted later on Teece Drive fence:
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
Slightly later but still before the street lights in Castle Farm Way went out.
A touch of colour right across the sky. Looking north-west here.
If I had mastered the art(?) of taking photos of Barkflies Valenzuela flavidus when I first noted them I would have saved myself much effort in trying to identify them from poor photos.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:40
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:40
(248th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the duck Gadwall was missed off yesterday's tabulation. It was still here today.
- a duck Shoveler was new in.
- the all-white drake 'Aylesbury Duck' seems to have made just a one day reappearance and has gone again. Hard to overlook.
- yesterday the three Common Teal I noted by the island were one drake and two ducks; today I noted two drakes and only one duck. I wonder how many birds there really are lurking on the island.
- a drake Pochard was also a new arrival.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Jackdaws: together
Noted on / around the water:
- 72 Canada Goose: of these 67 arrived together
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived with the Canada Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *1 (0♂) Gadwall
- *1 (0♂) Shoveler
- 29 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (?♂♀) 'feral-type' Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Common Teal
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 47 (32♂) Tufted Duck
- *16 Moorhens
- 129 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gulls: adult throughout
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults, departed
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted around The Flash:
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
- 2 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
Fungus:
- *Glistening Inkcaps Coprinellus micaceus: Sunday's cluster now a mess; a new cluster
My what a big hooter! A duck Shoveler. The bill is not as heavy as it looks, having a honeycomb like internal structure for strength. The bill of this species is specialised to sift the water for small food items.
The duck Gadwall. Apart from being slightly smaller than a duck Mallard the most obvious difference is the prominent orange-brown sides to the bill.
In this view she is only apparently asleep. The white eye is actually a semi-transparent third eyelid (or nictating membrane). It is used to help keep the eye clean. She can see well-enough to watch for danger.
Partly in shade a first winter Moorhen (still without the red shield) ponders whether to jump. This view emphasises the strong legs of this species which is very adept at climbing bushes (and fences).
- *Glistening Inkcaps Coprinellus micaceus: Sunday's cluster now a mess; a new cluster
From this angle it can be seen that the edge colour is even along the length of the bill.
A rarely seen perspective showing the back feathering.
Glistening Inkcap fungus Coprinellus micaceus: This is Sunday's cluster now a mess.
A new cluster alongside. When very fresh the pale dusting is what gives these the moniker 'glistening'.
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2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
2 Teal
59 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
27 Moorhens
239 Coots
c.440 Wood Pigeons
8 Song Thrushes
567 Fieldfare
26 Redwings
270 Jackdaws
106 Rooks
c.310 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
103 Starlings
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
8 Goosander
139 Coots
52 Redwings
55 Fieldfares
571 Jackdaws
128 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
9 Cormorants
8 Pochard
117 Tufted Ducks
2000+ Wood Pigeons
400+ Fieldfare
125+ Redwings
33 Starlings
10+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Gadwall
Shoveler
2 Water Rails
c.50 Lapwings
c.150 Golden Plover
6 Redwings
3 Fieldfare
Chiffchaff
Several Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
65 Pochard
65 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
50 Coots
500+ Golden Plover
1 Woodcock
790+ Black-headed Gulls
1753+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
962 Wood Pigeons
130 Fieldfare
93 Redwings
393 Jackdaws
135 Rooks
174 Starlings
34 Greenfinches
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebe
9 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
5 Ruddy Duck
Water Rail
800 Black-headed Gull
Cormorant
10 Redwing
9 Reed Bunting
3 Redpoll
9 Siskin
(Martin Adlam)