5.0°C > 7.0°C: Clear until medium / low cloud arrived from the North c.09:00. Light westerly breeze. Good visibility, somewhat hazy.
Sunrise: 07:30 GMT
* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 09:20
(246th visit of the year)
Bird notes
Best this morning was a very lucky sighting of my first Common Snipe of the year here. I was doing my daily complete sweep scan around the lake from the dam-top, counting the Coots and looking for anything else I had not seen. The Common Snipe flew through my view flying from the South side across to the North Side. I did not see it again. Bird species 102 for me here this year.
Other bird notes:
- again some action amongst the Mute Swans. Three adults were seen to fly off East. But how long for?
- a drake Eurasian Wigeon was calling while it was still too dark to see. It apparently took off to join two ducks overhead with all three splashing down to reveal two drakes and one duck.
- Just one small migrant party of Wood Pigeons noted. Not many others seen.
- No more than 100 Black-headed Gulls. Strangely there were over 120 Lesser Black-backed Gulls early and I could not find any Herring Gulls among them (there were a few later)
Birds noted flying over:
- 2 Canada Geese: inbound together
- 44 Wood Pigeons: of these 14 in one migrant party
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 108 Jackdaws
- 18 Rooks
- 5 Starlings
- 55 Fieldfares: three groups
- 13 Redwing: three groups
- 7 Siskins
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 9 Starlings: six and then three
Counts from the lake area:
- 43 Canada Geese: 21 of these flew off in three groups
- 1 Greylag Goose: departed
- *23 + 2 Mute Swans: a trio flew off
- 3 (2♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 10 (8♂) Mallard
- 18 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 6 Moorhens
- 228 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- c.125 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Most things still hiding from the cold: all poles dew-laden
Flies:
- 2 craneflies Tipula fulvipennis
- 2 craneflies Tipula fulvipennis
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 3 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
Telford Sailing Club HQ
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.
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 3 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
Telford Sailing Club HQ
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
Also affected by the cold temperature
Flies:
- 2 male small midges
- 2 male small midges
Springtails:
- 1 unidentified globular springtail
- 1 unidentified globular springtail
Barkflies:
- 7 Valenzuela flavidus
- 7 Valenzuela flavidus
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 5 spiders of several species not identified
Later:
The early dawn. The birds sleeping on the left are some of the Canada Geese. Those on the right are some of the Mute Swans.
One specific instance. This is a Lockheed U-2S "Dragon Lady" 'spy plane' [remember Gary Powers from 1960?]. It is leaving Fairford in Gloucester for its clandestine operation. Not surprisingly its transponder is switched off.
The end of the sunshine is in sight. Cloud approaching from the North. Many of the leaves are off the trees now.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:35
Yesterday I photographed a duck Shoveler. Here is a drake paddling fast away from me. He is not yet in full breeding plumage – his whole head will be glossy green.
Now two drake Pochard. Drakes of this species always outnumber ducks which I see only occasionally here.
I have sometimes heard Moorhens apparently under the big hedge on the East side at the top end. I peered around the hedge this morning. Two adults and three juveniles from two different broods. Not sure what the attraction is (and yes: the ground does slope – honest!)
The upper wing pattern of adult Herring Gulls is well seen here. An immature drake Tufted Duck lurks under its left wing.
A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus . This was the only insect apart from three Common Wasps that were around the Ivy this morning. The Ivy is in full flower and there needs to be more insects if these are to be pollinated and the Ivy berries are to develop. These are an important Winter food resource for thrush species and Wood Pigeons.
A male plumed midge. At rest the abdomen looks 'waisted'. It is an illusion. The inner edge of each folded wing blocks the view of part of the abdomen.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
2 Teal
67 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
25 Moorhens
230 Coots
290+ Black-headed Gulls
Female Peregrine
359 Wood Pigeons
308 Fieldfare
30 Redwings
517 Jackdaws
119 Rooks
22 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
40+ Fieldfare
34 Greylag Geese
46 Canada Geese
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
8 Tufted Ducks
148 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
294 Wood Pigeons
88 Redwings
149 Fieldfares
c.75 Starlings
c.779 Jackdaws
159 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
101 Canada Geese
8 Pochard
132 Tufted Ducks
124 Coots
31 Lapwings
Several Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
c.800 Fieldfare
c.425 Redwings
218 Jackdaws
146 Rooks
c.550 Starlings
c.10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
39 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
1 Great Black-backed Gull
251 Wood Pigeons
20 Robins
293 Fieldfares
105 Redwings
145 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
11 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
Single female Ruddy Duck
400 Black-headed Gull
8 Redwing
1 Fieldfare
5 Reed Bunting
A few Redpoll
Siskin
1 Brambling
(Martin Adlam)
- 5 spiders of several species not identified
Later:
Nothing noted
Later from a different angle. Slight mist over the lake.
Later still. High atmospheric pressure tends to result in visible contrails (vapour trails) from high-flying aircraft.
Two of the many flying Mute Swans that did not leave...
... and two of the trio that did.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:25 – 10:35
(249th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- now four Shoveler: two drakes and two ducks.
- only a single duck Common Teal noted by the island.
- a second drake Pochard was a new arrival.
- a second Great Crested Grebe was noted.
- small parties of both Fieldfare and Redwing flew over.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Jackdaws: two groups
- 1 Skylark
- 6 Fieldfare: together
- 13 Redwings: two groups
Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose: departed
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (0♂) Gadwall
- *4 (2♂) Shoveler
- 42 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (?♂♀) 'feral-type' Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Common Teal
- *2 (2♂) Pochard
- 40 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 15 Moorhens
- 121 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Herring Gulls: adult and second winter coming and going: presumed same
Noted around The Flash:
Bird notes:
- now four Shoveler: two drakes and two ducks.
- only a single duck Common Teal noted by the island.
- a second drake Pochard was a new arrival.
- a second Great Crested Grebe was noted.
- small parties of both Fieldfare and Redwing flew over.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Jackdaws: two groups
- 1 Skylark
- 6 Fieldfare: together
- 13 Redwings: two groups
Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose: departed
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (0♂) Gadwall
- *4 (2♂) Shoveler
- 42 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (?♂♀) 'feral-type' Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Common Teal
- *2 (2♂) Pochard
- 40 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 15 Moorhens
- 121 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 23 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Herring Gulls: adult and second winter coming and going: presumed same
Noted around The Flash:
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 3 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
- 3 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- *1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Other Flies:
- *1 male small midge
- *1 male small midge
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
A second winter Herring Gull.
The same bird with an adult winter bird.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
2 Teal
67 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
25 Moorhens
230 Coots
290+ Black-headed Gulls
Female Peregrine
359 Wood Pigeons
308 Fieldfare
30 Redwings
517 Jackdaws
119 Rooks
22 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
40+ Fieldfare
34 Greylag Geese
46 Canada Geese
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
8 Tufted Ducks
148 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
294 Wood Pigeons
88 Redwings
149 Fieldfares
c.75 Starlings
c.779 Jackdaws
159 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
101 Canada Geese
8 Pochard
132 Tufted Ducks
124 Coots
31 Lapwings
Several Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
c.800 Fieldfare
c.425 Redwings
218 Jackdaws
146 Rooks
c.550 Starlings
c.10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
39 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
1 Great Black-backed Gull
251 Wood Pigeons
20 Robins
293 Fieldfares
105 Redwings
145 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
11 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
Single female Ruddy Duck
400 Black-headed Gull
8 Redwing
1 Fieldfare
5 Reed Bunting
A few Redpoll
Siskin
1 Brambling
(Martin Adlam)