Season's Greeting to all my readers.
11.0°C > 12.0°C: Periods of mainly medium cloud, Some sunny spells. Moderate westerly wind fading away somewhat. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:21 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:30 – 09:45
(280th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- At first light the only adult Mute Swans were the residents. A duo flew in and were soon sent on their way. Two first winters were present throughout.
- no Pochard noted.
- after yesterday's c.600 Black-headed Gulls by 07:15 the first of only c.200 birds did not arrive until c.07:45. I am sure they know why.
- I need to do some more work on the two or three putative Caspian Gulls that arrived together.
- a group of four Cormorants arrived quickly followed by nine together. These spent ages circling before splash-down and I am not 100% sure they all did. The most I counted at any one time in the water was 11. However with birds diving all the while it was not possible to be sure.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 11 Herring Gulls
- 77 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 146 Jackdaws
- 111 Rooks
- c.25 Siskins
Counts from the lake area:
- *(2 > 4 > 2) + 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- *3 (1♂) Gadwall
- *11 (7♂) Mallard
- 32 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 266 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 9 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gulls
- *2, perhaps 3, possible Caspian Gulls
- 83 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *13 Cormorants: see notes
- *1 Grey Heron
- *1 Great White Egret
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Yesterday blast of cold wind seemed to sent most things in to hiding:
Work for later. One of a number of shots I have of two putative adult Caspian Gull. The arrangement of black and white on the wing tips is crucial and requires careful and detailed examination. When I have more time!
These two Cormorants has a noisy dispute as two who was going to stand on the buoy – this species is not often heard away from its nest sites. The bird on the buoy is now coming in to breeding plumage with the white thigh-patch showing and the yellow bare skin under the bill changing from yellow to orange.
Bespattered with dew this beetle is impossible to identify. The thick bases to the legs indicate it is presumable a flea beetle. These are hard when no covered in dew.
Seems the apps are no better than me at identifying spiders. Obsidentify suggested it was a millipede(!). Google Lens gave me a number of options none of which seem to match what looks to be a very distinctively-marked specimen. With most spiders it is the shape of the abdomen rather than the pattern that matters. Pass.
I can identify this spider – sort of. It is a Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha species. This is one with an unusually unmarked abdomen.
A harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus on the Teece Drive fence. It is missing leg three on its left side. Unusual to see it waving its legs in the breeze.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
(282nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the Pink-footed Goose was still present around the island with Greylags. I did not notice the mainly-white feral geese.
- a Water Rail was calling from the top end. I could see from where the sound was emerging. Could I see the bird? No!
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 4 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- >42 Greylag Geese
- *1 Pink-footed Goose
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *36 (24♂) Mallard
- *10 (>6♂) Pochard
- *82 (>54♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 18 Moorhens
- 65 Coots
- 76 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: adults
- 1 Cormorant
Noted elsewhere:
Sun on the bank of Ivy tempted some flies to feed and sun themselves including perhaps my latest-ever hoverflies.
Well that does not help. I can see this goose is neither a Canada nor a Greylag. Not much else to go on here.
That's better. A small dark bill with a small amount of pink equals Pink-footed Goose. The amount of pink varies between individuals.
A bit of a mistake this. My camera had jammed and to free it had to release the shutter – anywhere. And this was the result. A close-up of a drake Mallard.
I am assuming this is a duck Pochard with the first winter Black-headed Gull. The literature suggests that first winter birds – determining the sex of these is very difficult – should be clearly showing adult-type plumage by now.
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:30 – 09:45
(280th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- At first light the only adult Mute Swans were the residents. A duo flew in and were soon sent on their way. Two first winters were present throughout.
- no Pochard noted.
- after yesterday's c.600 Black-headed Gulls by 07:15 the first of only c.200 birds did not arrive until c.07:45. I am sure they know why.
- I need to do some more work on the two or three putative Caspian Gulls that arrived together.
- a group of four Cormorants arrived quickly followed by nine together. These spent ages circling before splash-down and I am not 100% sure they all did. The most I counted at any one time in the water was 11. However with birds diving all the while it was not possible to be sure.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 11 Herring Gulls
- 77 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 146 Jackdaws
- 111 Rooks
- c.25 Siskins
Counts from the lake area:
- *(2 > 4 > 2) + 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- *3 (1♂) Gadwall
- *11 (7♂) Mallard
- 32 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 266 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 9 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gulls
- *2, perhaps 3, possible Caspian Gulls
- 83 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *13 Cormorants: see notes
- *1 Grey Heron
- *1 Great White Egret
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Yesterday blast of cold wind seemed to sent most things in to hiding:
Moths:
- 1 Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- 1 Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
Flies:
- 1 female small plumed midge Chaoborus crystalinus?
- 2 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- 1 female small plumed midge Chaoborus crystalinus?
- 2 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
Springtails:
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
Beetles:
- 1 Orange Ladybird Halyzia sedecimguttata
- *1 unidentified presumed flea beetle sp.
- 1 Orange Ladybird Halyzia sedecimguttata
- *1 unidentified presumed flea beetle sp.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 other spider, species not determined
Telford Sailing Club
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 other spider, species not determined
Telford Sailing Club
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
Flies:
- 1 male plumed midge
- 1 male plumed midge
Barkflies:
- 5 barkflies Valenzuela flavidus
- 5 barkflies Valenzuela flavidus
Springtails:
- 1 globular springtail from the genus Dicyrtomina group.
- 1 globular springtail from the genus Dicyrtomina group.
Slugs, snails etc.:
- 2 'black slugs'
- 2 'black slugs'
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 9 spiders, species not determined apart from
- 1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
*2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp.
Noted later:
- 9 spiders, species not determined apart from
- 1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
*2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp.
Noted later:
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
- *1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus
"Low cloud and drizzle" was the forecast. Er? No. Rapidly waning the Cold Moon.
Cloud did come from the West and spoil the sunrise. Much of the cloud broke and cleared later.
Still here: the two first winter / cygnet Mute Swans. They were later put to flight by the resident cob: but only to other end of the water.
One of the two adults that visited briefly.
And the other, also leaving.
On the reeds a pair of Mallard. In front of them noshing away is one drake and two duck Gadwall.
Six Moorhens on the south-west grass. They like it first thing with often eight together.
This pale-headed first winter Herring-type gull similarly requires more time with the literature.
The Grey Heron and the Great (White) Egret had a spat. Here the egret flies off.
While the heron flies by in (temporary) victory.
The egret came back. Even at 09:00 there is too little light at this time of year to 'freeze' the action.
This springtail has to be Pogonognathellus longicornis
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 spiders, species not determined.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:50 – 11:20
- 2 spiders, species not determined.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:50 – 11:20
(282nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the Pink-footed Goose was still present around the island with Greylags. I did not notice the mainly-white feral geese.
- a Water Rail was calling from the top end. I could see from where the sound was emerging. Could I see the bird? No!
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 4 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- >42 Greylag Geese
- *1 Pink-footed Goose
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *36 (24♂) Mallard
- *10 (>6♂) Pochard
- *82 (>54♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 18 Moorhens
- 65 Coots
- 76 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: adults
- 1 Cormorant
Noted elsewhere:
Sun on the bank of Ivy tempted some flies to feed and sun themselves including perhaps my latest-ever hoverflies.
Hoverflies:
- *2 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *1 Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax [Tapered Drone Fly]
- *2 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *1 Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax [Tapered Drone Fly]
Flies:
- >20 flies of several species
- >20 flies of several species
Zoomed in to better show the vermiculations on the back of adult drake Pochard.
That said this bird looks different!
This has to be a duck. Drakes have a less contrasting wing.
And her underwing as well.
A drake Tufted Duck flies past.
A Christmas Robin singing away. No snow but I can't say I am sorry.
Possibly my latest-ever record of a Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Same for this Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
7 Pochard
34 Tufted Ducks
204 Coots counted
123 Black-headed Gulls
16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
22 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Grey Herons
126 Canada Geese
110 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes
2 Shoveler
71 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
125 Coots
>40 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool
1 Tufted Duck
19 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
13 Pochard
35 Tufted Ducks
178 Coots
Peregrine
14 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Pochard
38 Tufted Duck
5 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
10 Swans
28 Pochard
77 Tufted Ducks
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
60 Herring Gulls
1 Water Rail heard
299 Coots counted
4 Redwings
2 Willow Tits again
c.5 Goldfinches
c.10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Dawn Balmer/ Peter Wilson)
2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Little Grebe
41 Pochard
38 Tufted Ducks
8 Redwing
2 Fieldfare
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
7 Pochard
34 Tufted Ducks
204 Coots counted
123 Black-headed Gulls
16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
22 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Grey Herons
126 Canada Geese
110 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes
2 Shoveler
71 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
125 Coots
>40 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool
1 Tufted Duck
19 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
13 Pochard
35 Tufted Ducks
178 Coots
Peregrine
14 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Pochard
38 Tufted Duck
5 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
10 Swans
28 Pochard
77 Tufted Ducks
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
60 Herring Gulls
1 Water Rail heard
299 Coots counted
4 Redwings
2 Willow Tits again
c.5 Goldfinches
c.10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Dawn Balmer/ Peter Wilson)
2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Little Grebe
41 Pochard
38 Tufted Ducks
8 Redwing
2 Fieldfare
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)