More Season's Greeting to all my readers.
4.0°C > 8.0°C: Early low-level mist. Broken cloud. Some sunny spells. Very light / no winds. Very good visibility after mist cleared.
Sunrise: 08:21 GMT still: the evenings may be getting lighter while the mornings stay dark for a few more days.
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:30 – 09:30
(281st visit of the year)
The mist affected all the early observations, especially the gull arrival.
Perhaps it was the weather conditions: or perhaps the bird-scarers in the field to East of Castle Farm Way have been moved closer. Their periodic firing was especially loud.
I was distracted somewhat by a camera that was working only intermittently for reasons I have yet to fathom.
Bird notes:
- I only noted one of the first winter Mute Swans. For a while the resident pair had forced it out of the water and would not let it back. It did escape later but was pursued.
- as usual I am confused as to how many Great Crested Grebes are present. Two? Three? Four? I never saw more than two at any one time, though these were often in widely separated locations. By best guess would be four.
- the Cetti's Warbler decided to have a sing this morning. For the last week or so I have only intermittently heard call-notes.
- the lower-flying Jackdaws on roost dispersal were mostly obscured by the mist with more of the higher-flying Rooks noted.
- two (a pair?) of Mistle Thrushes were in trees on top of the dam. Another(?) was singing from the Ricoh area later.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- c.140 Greylag Geese: inbound in six concurrent groups with...
- at least one mainly white feral goose
- 3 (?♂) Tufted Duck: too dark to sex
- 44 Wood Pigeons: of these 31 flew North in two groups
- 26 Herring Gulls
- *196 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *3 Cormorants: single and duo
- 16 Jackdaws
- 41 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans: see notes
- 3 (1♂) Gadwall
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 23 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 252 Coots
- 2 (or 4?) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- c.70 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Great White Egret
- 1 Kingfisher
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *2 male Winter Moths Operophtera brumata
- *1 female Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- *2 male Mottled Umber moths Erranis defoliaria
- *1 unidentified female moth
- *2 male Winter Moths Operophtera brumata
- *1 female Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- *2 male Mottled Umber moths Erranis defoliaria
- *1 unidentified female moth
Flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 winter gnat
- 1 male plumed midge
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 winter gnat
- 1 male plumed midge
Beetles:
- *1 Orange Ladybird Halyzia sedecimguttata
- *1 Orange Ladybird Halyzia sedecimguttata
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 spider, species not determined
Telford Sailing Club
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
- 1 spider, species not determined
Telford Sailing Club
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
Flies:
- *2 Muscid flies, probably in the genus Phaonia.
- *2 Muscid flies, probably in the genus Phaonia.
Barkflies:
- 6 barkflies Valenzuela flavidus
- 6 barkflies Valenzuela flavidus
Springtails:
- 2 globular springtails from different species within the genus Dicyrtomina group.
- 2 globular springtails from different species within the genus Dicyrtomina group.
Slugs, snails etc.:
- 1 'black slug'
- 1 'black slug'
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 spiders, species not determined apart from
Later:
Among the gulls was this immature Cormorant given a strange colour cast my the early morning sunlight.
A tentative identification here. My best suggestion is that this is a dew covered female Winter Moth – these are virtually wingless.
The cross-line is just about visible through the dew to confirm this a male Mottled Umber moth Erranis defoliaria.
This another female of one of the moths that are active in winter. The wings are more extensive than Winter Moth. It could be a female of either Northern Winter Moth or Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria. I had hoped to get more detail later when I could see it under natural light and the dew might be less obtrusive. Sadly it, despite being flightless, had gone. So it will have to stay unidentified.
One of two Muscid flies, probably in the genus Phaonia, that were found asleep under the guttering of the Telford Sailing Club HQ.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
Flies:
- 1 unidentified gnat
(283rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- have two of the long-term visiting Mute Swans departed? I am not sure. When I first arrived many the mass of relatively recently arrived Greylag Geese were still in the water and others were climbing on to and inside the island. There seemed to be six 'large white birds' with them, four were certainly feral geese and at the time I assumed the others, less easy to see, were as well. Only later when I could see just four adult Mute Swans on the water – the two residents and one other pair – did I wonder about those fifth and sixth white birds in the island. I cannot recall ever seeing six 'white' feral geese here together. I could not get any better views later to resolve the issue.
- Collared Dove, Coal Tit and *Song Thrush were all noted in song
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 spiders, species not determined apart from
Later:
Nothing noted
Mist was not in my forecast!
Spoilt what might have been a good sunrise.
Starting to lift, too late for much colour.
Six of very many large gulls noted all heading South. These all Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
Much dew this morning. The shape is the clue that this is a male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata.
And another. The markings are slightly easier to discern through the dew.
Still at the very top of a street lamp pole is this Orange Ladybird Halyzia sedecimguttata. Of course with many spiders about it may hollow shell and than nobody is at home.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
Flies:
- 1 unidentified gnat
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 spiders, species not determined
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:40
- 2 spiders, species not determined
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:40
(283rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- have two of the long-term visiting Mute Swans departed? I am not sure. When I first arrived many the mass of relatively recently arrived Greylag Geese were still in the water and others were climbing on to and inside the island. There seemed to be six 'large white birds' with them, four were certainly feral geese and at the time I assumed the others, less easy to see, were as well. Only later when I could see just four adult Mute Swans on the water – the two residents and one other pair – did I wonder about those fifth and sixth white birds in the island. I cannot recall ever seeing six 'white' feral geese here together. I could not get any better views later to resolve the issue.
- Collared Dove, Coal Tit and *Song Thrush were all noted in song
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- >100 Greylag Geese
- [1 Pink-footed Goose not found]
- 4 (or 6?) mainly white feral geese: see notes
- 4 (or 6?) + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans: see notes
- 37 (25♂) Mallard
- 11 (7♂) Pochard
- *85 (>56♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- 62 Coots
- 62 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: adult, briefly
- *1 Cormorant: arrived
Elsewhere:
Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- >100 Greylag Geese
- [1 Pink-footed Goose not found]
- 4 (or 6?) mainly white feral geese: see notes
- 4 (or 6?) + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans: see notes
- 37 (25♂) Mallard
- 11 (7♂) Pochard
- *85 (>56♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- 62 Coots
- 62 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: adult, briefly
- *1 Cormorant: arrived
Elsewhere:
Nothing noted
(Ed Wilson)
A difficult spot to scratch for this duck Tufted Duck.
After that she needs to settle her feathers. An upper-wing view.
And the under-wing.
A Cormorant arrives to straight-away perch on its favourite tree-top.
You can sense the concentration as it determines the precise spot to land.
A Song Thrush living up to its name.
(Ed Wilson)
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2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
6 Pochard
78 Tufted Ducks
1 female Greater Scaup
222 Coots counted
Caspian Gull
2 Fieldfare
17 Redwings
429 Jackdaws
173 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Pochard
110 Tufted Ducks
17 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
11 Swans
1 Shoveler
c.115 Tufted Duck
7 Goosander
129 Coots
41 Black-headed Gulls
51 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
21 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
26 Mute Swans today
4 Great Crested Grebes
>17 Greylag Geese
4 Gadwall
26 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
Common Gull
309 Coot
5 Goldfinches
c.20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
31 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
58 Coots
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
c.3200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
15 Pied Wagtails
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
6 Pochard
78 Tufted Ducks
1 female Greater Scaup
222 Coots counted
Caspian Gull
2 Fieldfare
17 Redwings
429 Jackdaws
173 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Pochard
110 Tufted Ducks
17 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
11 Swans
1 Shoveler
c.115 Tufted Duck
7 Goosander
129 Coots
41 Black-headed Gulls
51 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
21 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
26 Mute Swans today
4 Great Crested Grebes
>17 Greylag Geese
4 Gadwall
26 Pochard
97 Tufted Ducks
Common Gull
309 Coot
5 Goldfinches
c.20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
31 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
58 Coots
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
c.3200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
15 Pied Wagtails
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)