2 Nov 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

10.0°C > 11.0°C: Another overcast and very dull morning with some light drizzle. Light south-westerly wind. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 07:09 GMT

* = a species photographed today.

Very little moving in the dull conditions.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:05 – 09:15

(235th visit of the year)

I was told that there has been a significant evening Starling murmuration for the last two days at least. Not around the lake by visible far to the East across Castle Farm Way.

Bird notes:
- a drake Gadwall was heard calling from the West end at dawn. Nothing was seen then or later.
- there were only a few large gulls early and these appeared after c.450 Black-headed Gulls had arrived and were flying up and down the water. The large gulls mainly eschewed trying to negotiate and landing spot. A small arrival later after most of the Black-heads had gone to wherever they spend their day.

Birds noted flying over:
- 1 Greylag Goose: inbound
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 31 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 10 Jackdaws
- 13 Rooks
- *2 Ravens
- 4 Starlings
- 2 Pied Wagtails

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
None

Counts from the lake area:
- 36 Canada Geese: 35 at dawn; 26 of these departed; a single arrived
- 21 + 2 Mute Swans: an additional adult: see also notes
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 8 (3♂?) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard again
- 5 Moorhens
- 198 Coots: probably more – poor visibility
- *6 Great Crested Grebes
- c.450 Black-headed Gulls
- 28 Herring Gulls
- 89 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons: the second one chased away

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla
- *6 November Moth-types Epirrita dilutata agg.
- 1 Winter Moth Operophtera brumata

Flies:
- 4 plumed midges Chironomus plumosus
- *4 Muscid flies of the Hebecnema group.
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis

Bugs:
- *1 planthopper Eupteryx urticae

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:
Again I was later than usual as most things seemed to have gone.

Flies:
- 1 cranefly Tipula pagana
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 5 spiders not specifically identified

Later:
Nothing noted

Yesterday was Dullsville. Today Gloomsville.

One of six Great Crested Grebes I counted today.

After yesterday's chorus of Rooks over The Flash there were two soloists here. This is one of them.

Perhaps the best-marked November Moth-type Epirrita dilutata agg. I have seen this season. Doesn't help with the specific identification.

There were four of these stout-bodied flies with brown-tinged wings on the street lamp poles around dawn. I believe them to be Muscid flies of the Hebecnema group.

A close-up of a male cranefly Tipula pagana

A tiny insect: the planthopper Eupteryx urticae

Another mystery insect. Both Obsidentify and Google Lens were suggesting a caddis fly. I am certain it isn't. I think it is a species of bug, probably a plant bug.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue Tunnel pre-dawn

Flies:
- *1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- *2 craneflies Tipula lateralis
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis
- *13 midges of several species

Arthropods:
- 1 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 5 spiders not specifically identified

This plumed midge is not a Chironomus plumosus. The abdomen is much slimmer; and the plumed antennae less 'bushy'. I cannot say what species it is.

Another species midge I cannot name. This one has a tubby, banded abdomen. The short wings and lack of plumes on the antennae suggest it is a female.

What seems to be one of the wood gnat Sylvicola group. I cannot match the wing-patterning with any species illustrated on my usual internet sites,

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:50

(238th visit of the year)

I spoke to someone conducting a tree-survey on behalf of the council a few days ago. He thought that an outcry over the seven orange-marked Ash trees along the East side had given them a temporary reprieve. The ash-dieback will eventually kill them completely. In the interim selective pruning is likely to be done to prevent any dead branches falling on the paths. He also told me that the large Willow tree along the East side will be pollarded to reduce its size, much as was done some years ago to the trio at the top-end. These are now almost back to their original size.

Bird notes:
- the resident cob Mute Swan was seen chasing one of last year's cygnets. Perhaps he thinks he has more chance getting it to leave than he is having with the other adults.
- as I arrived a Shoveler was noted flying around with four Mallard. I could not find it again.
- neither the drake Common Teal nor the Little Grebe were evident.
- a further reduction in Tufted Duck numbers. Partial compensation was the arrival of two drake Pochard.
- a lone Redwing flew from trees on the island.
- at least 25 Goldfinches were in tree-tops along the East side.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (?♂) Shoveler: departed: see notes
- 38 (24♂) Mallard
- *1 (?♂♀) 'feral-type' Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- *59 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 18 Moorhens
- 134 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 11 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: second winter
- *2 Cormorants: one departed and another (?) arrived

Noted around The Flash:

Moths:
- 1 Pale Birch Tortrix Acleris logiana: for its eighth day
- *1 Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana: my 46th species of moth at / near The Flash this year.
- 2 November Moth-types Epirrita dilutata agg.
- 1 Golden-rod Pug Eupithecia virgaureata
The identity of yesterday's pug moth has been confirmed by the Shropshire macromoth recorder: it was still present today

Flies:
- *orange bodied fly either Phaonia rufiventris or P. subventa.
- 1 male and *one female cranefly Tipula pagana

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- 1 female harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum (too distant to specifically ID)

This Cormorant shows a few white streaks in its head. Surely it can't be acquiring breeding plumage already? Normally mid-December at the earliest and the development of the white thigh patch precedes the head plumes. The answer here seems to be this is an immature - it has a pale front to its neck. So the white streaks are just how it is.

Well whether it is a drake, a duck or a "not-sure" it is a striking version of a Mallard.

Drake Pochard are one of the most difficult birds to photo. The contrast between the silver back and the dark chestnut head is so great that it usually defies the camera to show both. The silver back is very finely vermiculated and that is almost impossible to illustrate as it requires such a low light level that the result is often slightly blurred.

Many of the Tufted Ducks that have been here for some weeks have started to move out (to where?). Those remaining are indulging in more flying about than recently. Here a drake on his own.

I assume this male (wide black 'zip') Great Tit is not collecting nesting material already. It has probably dislodged the lichen while searching for food and just checking the coast is still clear of predators before carrying on.

A moth at the very top of a tall street lamp pole in squirrel alley. It is a Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana. The markings on this species are very variable, some being almost all-white. This is my 46th species of moth at / near The Flash this year.

This orange-bodied fly is either Phaonia rufiventris or P. subventa. Separation requires counting the bristles on the mid-tarsus!

A close-up of a female cranefly Tipula pagana illustrating her vestigial wings.

(Ed Wilson)

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2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
7 Pochard
Kestrel
Little Grebe
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
4 Yellow legged Gulls
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
36 Pochard
85 Tufted Ducks
4 Lapwings over
c.200 Starlings roosted at W end
53 Wood Pigeons
249 Fieldfare
14 Redwings
7 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebes
17 Pochard
57 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
c.170 Golden Plover
1175 Wood Pigeons
1 Kingfisher
16 Pied Wagtails
22 Wrens
10 Dunnocks
27 Robins
22 Blackbirds
298 Fieldfares
8 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
1 Mistle Thrush
69 Starlings
12 Chaffinches
33 Greenfinches
11 Goldfinches
1 Redpoll
5 Bullfinches
9 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Adult Arctic Tern
172 Redwing
9 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
Siskin
Redpolls
7 Reed Buntings
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)