Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 09:25
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:509.0°C > 12.0°C: Again overcast and dull. Light south-easterly wind. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:13 GMT
* = a photo to be uploaded later: watch the blog for information.
Priorslee Balancing Lake:
(237th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- five small geese were seen flying South to the West. Too distant to hear calls or see any plumage details. Seemed too small for Greylags. Could they have been Pink-footed Geese? I will never know!
- some of the Mute Swans were flying around and a trio eventually departed. Yesterday I noted two adult depart leaving 19 adults. There were 21 first thing today: perhaps they came back.
- most of the Wood Pigeon flocks were heading South. However one group of c.95 flew East and another of c.140 flew West.
- all the Black-headed Gulls swooped in from the south-west in one large group that I estimated to contain c.750 birds. Exactly why and what they do at the lake is unclear as most stay less than ten minutes before departing in various directions. At least some do have bathe: far from all though.
- the only large gull that came in early was a Herring Gull. A scatter came in after 08:30.
Birds noted flying over:
- 5 unidentified geese flew South to the West: see notes
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- *c.860 Wood Pigeons: of these c.840 in eight migrant parties
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 23 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 109 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 79 Starlings together
- 5 Fieldfare: together
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
- 1 Siskin
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 4 Starlings: two singles and a duo
- 4 Redwings
- 2 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: all departed
- *21 + 2 Mute Swans: of these three adults departed: see notes
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 2 (2♂) Mallard
- 6 (3♂?) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 7 Moorhens
- 214 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- *c.750 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived together
- 2 Grey Heron: the second soon chased away
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 6 November Moth-types Epirrita dilutata agg.
- 1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: same as yesterday
- 1 Sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx: same as yesterday
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 ichneumon sp.
- *1 'black ant' Lasius sp.
Lacewings:
- 1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
Flies:
- 1 plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
- *1 cranefly Tipula pagana
- 2 winter craneflies Trichocera regelationis
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
Flies:
- 2 winter craneflies Trichocera regelationis
- *19 as yet to be identified flies of the same species
Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- spiders not counted: I concentrated on the so far unidentified flies
Noted later:
Flies:
- *1 fly Opomyza florum
Barkfly:
- *1 Ectopsocus briggsi agg.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
*2 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
Fungus:
- *1 Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus
The Priorslee Avenue Tunnel not visited
The Flash:
(240th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- one of the three immature Mute Swans was sitting on the island with one wing outstretched caught by a fishing line. Reported to Cuan
- yesterday's nine (Eurasian) Wigeon gone: the two drake Shoveler still present.
- the drake Common Teal and Little Grebe reappeared alongside the island.
- two additional Great Crested Grebes were noted and seen displaying.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 3 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- *6 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 (2♂) Shoveler
- 39 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (♂) Common Teal
- 71 (37?♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- 143 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- *3 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted around The Flash:
Moths:
- 1 Golden-rod Pug Eupithecia virgaureata: for its third day
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
(Ed Wilson)
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Note:
As you can see, Ed's sightings are still unformatted and without photos.
My break away is taking longer than was expected, so it will be quite awhile I before I can get things back to normal.
(Martin Adlam)