13 Dec 24

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

5.0°C: Overcast. Occasional drizzle. Almost calm. Moderate visibility.

[Sunrise: 08:14 GMT]

* = a species photographed today

More mid-Winter doldrums under the high pressure. At late start so as usual I visited The Flash first.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:35 – 12:20

(270th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- some of the adult Mute Swans have moved on.
- a pair of Pochard are new arrivals.
- about 75 large gulls present when I arrived. Then c.10:50 at least 350 arrived in a large group from the North, many staying only a few minutes. Another group of c.50 arrived some 20 minutes later. Thereafter a few birds coming and going all the while and a more obvious passage overhead. All numbers approximate and likely an underestimate. Apart from five adult Yellow-legged Gulls none of the others seemed to be 'unusual'.
- the Great (White) Egret obviously likes it here.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 86 Greylag Geese: inbound in seven more or less concurrent parties
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 2 Herring Gulls
- >50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Starling
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
- 2 Siskins

Counts from the lake area:
- 10 Canada Geese
- 16 + 2 Mute Swans
- 9 (7♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 11 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 257 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- >65 Black-headed Gulls
- >70 Herring Gulls
- 5 Yellow-legged Gull
- >475 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret

Noted on the street lamps poles:

Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 female Oak Apple Gall Wasp Biorhiza pallida

Telford Sailing Club
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ:

Flies:
- 1 female plumed midge sp.
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Barkflies:
- 1 barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi agg.
- 3 barkflies Valenzuela flavidus

Springtails:
- 3 globular springtails from the genus Dicyrtomina group.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- none

Also noted:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Fungus:
- probable Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus

Mammal:
- glimpsed out of the corner I am almost hoping it was a black cat and not a Mink – an even more deadly invasive predator.

Warning: don't expect crystal sharp photos from such a dull morning. The best I could do with a Cormorant. This looks to be an adult with no white on the breast. Some adults develop a white breeding-condition thigh patch around the shortest day. The way this one is sitting it is impossible to tell. The white head-plumes develop later in the Winter.

Mrs. Chaffinch checking me out.

Not quite a winner with MS Photos struggling to edit this male Chaffinch in to an acceptable photo. I do not see very many Chaffinches around the lake and with no leaves remaining on the trees this is the best time of year to photograph them. If only there was more light!

A male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata. Is that a globular springtail I see by its left forewing?

A male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria

This Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris was probably attracted to the cooking smells of Paul's Classic Catering van. Always good to get a December record of this species.

I believe this to be a female Oak Apple Gall Wasp Biorhiza pallida

These new fungus are probably Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus . It is the white speckling on the new fruits that gives this species its name and separates it from several similar species.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:25

(272nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- many of the Pochard seem to have departed.
- Collared Dove, Coal Tit and Song Thrush were all heard singing (as well as the omnipresent Robins, Wrens and Dunnocks).

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Herring Gulls

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 34 (21♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 72 (42♂) Tufted Duck
- 21 Moorhens
- 105 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: one adult; one second winter; one first winter
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly
- 1 Grey Heron

Also noted:

Moths:
- 4 male Winter Moths Operophtera brumata

Often overlooked are unobtrusive Dunnocks as they shuffle around on the ground. On detailed inspection they are attractively marked.

MS Photos did its best in the conditions with my distant silhouette shot of a female Bullfinch.

One of four male Winter Moths Operophtera brumata I noted. This one on a street lamp pole in the wooded area at the top end.

This one was on the same pole. The shaded area allows mosses and lichen to grow on the two poles here.

This one was on another relatively sheltered street lamp pole at the bottom of the steps from The Priorslee.

While this one was on the sign advertising The Priorslee in the same area.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
1 ‘Nelson's Gull' but also colloquially ‘Viking Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Little Grebe
2 Siskins
4 Gadwall
2 Teal
4 Pochard
87 Tufted Duck
3 Goosander
236 Coots
1 Snipe
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
45 Redwings
(Ed Wilson/JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Ring-billed Gull hybrid
1800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
500 Black-headed Gulls
100 Herring Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gull
6 Greater Black-backed Gulls
1 Common Gull
1 Little Grebe
3 Redwings
1 Teal
9 Pochard.
40 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
c.170 Coots
3 Redwings
c.300 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson / Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Goldeneye
2 Skylarks
c.25 Redwing
c.8 Fieldfare
12 Bullfinches
c.30 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
31 Swans
2 Greylag
33 Pochard
1 Willow Tit
c.35 Goldfinches
3 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
26 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
73 Coots
7 Lapwings
>1500 Black-headed Gulls
>1300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
38 Herring Gulls
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
24 Robins
13 Blackbirds
5 Fieldfares
11 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
132 Jackdaws
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Wigeon
Water Rail
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
2 Little Grebes
5 Great Crested Grebes
13 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
235 Coot
270 Jackdaws
154 Rooks
2 Redpoll
5 Siskins
12 Pied Wagtails
2 Redwings
10 Fieldfares
21 Reed Buntings
13 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)