9 Dec 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 6.0°C: Broken cloud becoming more scattered. A light shower c.06:45. Fresh north-easterly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:10 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:30 – 09:40

(267th visit of the year)

A more detailed examination of the wooded areas shows at least five other trees had been uprooted by Storm Darragh. Only one – in the south-east area – impacts the very muddy paths.

Bird Notes:
A very quiet morning albeit with two highlights:
- a Chiffchaff was calling as it made its way along the North side. While I am sure that over-wintering birds are usually around I rarely see them. It is also most unusual for them to call later than mid-October after which they tend to fall silent until any sunny days in late February raise the testosterone.
- *among the very small number of large gulls were three very large gulls – adult Great Black-backed Gulls

Other bird notes:
- more Coots today: perhaps just better conditions allowing a more accurate count?
- as yesterday many Jackdaws passing over were heard only.
- once again the Grey Heron spent a while fishing in the Wesley Brook above the bridge. This despite the brook still being fast-flowing and discoloured from water emerging from the sluices near the Teece Drive gate.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 15 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- >3 Jackdaws
- 10 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 12 Canada Geese: eight of these departed; three others(?) arrived
- 21 + 2 Mute Swans
- 1 (0♂) Gadwall
- 9 (7♂) Mallard
- 28 (>11♂) Tufted Duck: five of these departed before I could sec them
- 7 Moorhens
- 276 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- *3 Great Black-headed Gulls
- c.250 Black-headed Gulls
- *4 Herring Gulls
- *33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
The rain shower did not help.

Flies:
- *2 possible fungus gnats

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

Telford Sailing Club
Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *2 Winter Moths Operophtera brumata

Flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

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

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

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 5 spiders, not identified
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Later:

Nothing of note

Well before sunrise and before the shower-cloud covered the sky.

Four gulls here. From the left: adult Great Black-backed Gull; first winter Herring Gull; another adult Great Black-backed Gull; an adult winter Lesser Black-backed. Note the larger size if the Great Black-backs, the very white head and also how they are more solidly black-backed than the Lesser Black-back.

Both the Winter Moths Operophtera brumata on the walls of the Telford Sailing Club HQ were resting with wings closed. Also neither of them were on walls that are vaguely illuminated by the distant street lamps down the West end footpath. It seems strange to find them here.

I think this must be a species of fungus gnat. None of those in this large group of insects that are illustrated in the NatureSpot web site show the legs with spurs. Both Obsidentify and Google Lens suggest "fungus gnat" without being more specific.

This seems to be another fungus gnat. On the face of it the dark spot in each wing suggests it should be easier to identify. Neither of the apps came up with a suggestion.

One of three barkflies Valenzuela flavidus that were on the wall of the Telford Sailing Club HQ.

 This had me perplexed. Superficially a harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis but at first glance it seem to have long forked pedipalps indicating it might be a Dicranopalpus species. Closer inspection reveals that it is the way the camera flash casts a shadow of the front legs.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:45 – 10:50

(268th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I am sure there were more Pochard than I eventually managed to count. They started in several groups and were chasing around, with the males doing their head-tossing display. Later when I was able to see all the areas they were using some seemed to have left / hidden.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *2 (2♂) Shoveler
- 30 (19♂) Mallard
- *>9 (>6♂) Pochard
- 64 (37?♂) Tufted Duck
- 18 Moorhens
- 106 Coots
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: (usual?) adult
- 2 Cormorants

Noted around The Flash:

Moths:
- 1 Winter Moth Operophtera brumata

One of the two immature drake Shovelers present today.

The paleness of the back suggests to me this is an immature drake Pochard.

Here is an adult drake Pochard. To correctly expose the chestnut head and neck tends to 'blow-out' the fine vermiculations of the back feathering, so...

 ...here he is again with the exposure 'wound down' to show those markings more clearly.

Coal Tit is always a tricky species to photograph usually in the tops of trees and constantly on the move. This one was more cooperative as it searched the moss and lichen. The small tree is showing where a branch was broken off by Storm Darragh.

This view illustrates the white streak down the nape and the white spotting on the wing coverts.

Warm buff on the flanks.

(Ed Wilson)

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2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
3 Gadwall
9 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
166 Coots
Peregrine Falcon
118 Black-headed Gulls
>500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.40 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
43 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
c.469 Jackdaws
53 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
33 Swans
31 Pochard
70 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
308 Coots
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c.300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
102 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
225 Jackdaws
3 Siskins
2 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)

Trench
2 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
8 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
drake Mallard x Pintail
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
6 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
12 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
2 Goosanders
3 Lapwings
1 Snipe
>1700 Black-headed Gulls
865 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
22 Robins
22 Blackbirds
6 Redwings
243 Jackdaws
133 Rooks
22 Chaffinches
1 Brambling
12 Greenfinches
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
6 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
247 Coot
402 Jackdaws
483 Rooks
37 Siskins
1 Redpoll
21 Fieldfares.
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)