7 Nov 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

11.0°C > 12.0°C: Dull with low cloud, sometimes descending as mist / drizzle. Light south-easterly breeze. Moderate visibility, poor at times.

Sunrise: 07:18 GMT

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:30

(273rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
Best today was my first Woodcock of the second-winter period. This strangely flushed from almost under my feet while I was walking the Permissive path at 08:45. I am sure other folk, including dog-walkers, must have passed-by earlier. Perhaps it was because I was pausing to check what was around rather than walking straight past it felt the need to escape?

Other bird notes:
- a male Pheasant was by the Telford Sailing Club HQ again.
- a lone Greylag Goose flew South at 06:50. The usual c.75 birds flew westbound c.09:00.
- two pairs of Gadwall still here.
- yesterday's drake Pochard was not seen.
- a particularly large number of Rooks today though Jackdaws were in unexceptional numbers. Today all these birds mostly flew over in large mixed groups. There were no sizeable tight groups of Jackdaws.
- at least 60 Starlings came from a roost along the North side.
- very few birds passing over: a small group of five Redwings was noted.
- three different Blackbirds were heard singing quietly.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- >75 Greylag Geese: westbound more or less together
- 22 Wood Pigeons: no migrant groups
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 61 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 347 Jackdaws
- 228 Rooks
- 2 Starlings: together
- 5 Redwings: together
- 1 Siskin

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- c.60 Starlings
- 1 Redwing again

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 16 (10♂) Mallard
- 22 (13?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 27 Herring Gulls
- c.400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.300 by 06:50; c.100 arrived after 08:00
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 November Moth type Epirrita sp.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *1 unidentified ichneumon wasp

Flies:
- *1 winter cranefly. perhaps Trichocera annulata
- *1 possible fungus gnat

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 unidentified orb-web spider
- 2 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Later on the Teece Drive fence:

Nothing noted

Very little to show today so here is another November Moth type Epirrita sp.

An unidentified ichneumon wasp that has lost most of its right antenna.

I have been struggling with insects like this for some weeks. My initial thoughts were a species of fungus gnat. Despite this being a grotty photo it shows three things. The abdomen is banded through clear wings and the antennae are quite long. These characteristics fit the very common winter cranefly Trichocera annulata. I would still like a better photo. They always seem to be at least ten feet up the street lamp poles!

When I took this photo I thought it was most likely an ichneumon wasp. It isn't as it does not have a wasp waist. My best suggestion is a possible fungus gnat though I cannot find any illustrated on the internet with a pale or brown patch at the base of the wings.

A tiny spider but I guess they all are when they hatch from an egg. Obsidentify wanted to call this one of the Cucumber Green Araniella species. I have no idea why. I'll stick to "unidentified orb-web spider".

These fungus are what Obsidentify reported as Weeping Widow Lacrymaria lacrymabunda. The older specimens don't seem to show any sign of "weeping". I have no idea. Sorry about the jaunty angle – my phone camera has no spirit level and apparently neither do I.

The lawyer is going bald! With a bit of editing I managed to get this elderly Shaggy Inkcap / Lawyer's Wig fungus Coprinus comatus vertical.

Best Autumn colours so far from a conifer, a group of species that most people regard as evergreens. Larch trees Larix sp. are the most obvious exception. Not sure about this specimen, one of the community-planted trees to replace the small copse cut down quite unnecessarily when work was started building Holy Trinity Academy and extending the tarmac down to the Teece Drive gate. Obsidentify was none too sure suggesting this might be a species of Metasequoia, or dawn redwood.

Plane(?) of the day heading toward me below the low cloud. Too dark to read its identity. One of my apps provided the details and also told me it was flying at 600 feet. Considering the elevation of the dam is, according to the internet, 409 feet perhaps I needed to duck! The helicopter is a Robinson R44 Astro owned by a company registered in Culcheth near Warrington. It was flying from a private site near Newton-le-Willows to a private site near Patchway, Bristol. Robinson helicopters are built in Torrance which is in Los Angeles County in California.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

The inside of the tunnel was again very wet with water drops hanging from the ceiling.

Flies:
- 7 midges

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 13 spiders: usual species

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:50

(267th visit of the year)

Visibility especially poor while I was here

Bird notes:
- just one pair of Mute Swans. One has a blue Darvic ring '7JSS'. The other is unringed.
- I was unable to see whether there were any (Common) Teal by the island: too murky
- still Goosanders in profusion. The fishermen tell me it was a good breeding year for the fish and there are plenty of small fry. Soon there won't be! There has not been as many Goosanders as are currently present for at least five years.
- no Little Grebes seen.
- the Little Egret still here.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 26 Canada Geese: more inside the island?
- 38 Greylag Geese: more inside the island?
- 4 mainly white feral geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 26 (18♂) Mallard
- no (Common) Teal
- 9 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- *76 (11♂) Goosander: maybe more
- 10 Moorhens
- no count of Coots
- no Little Grebes
- 5 Great Crested Grebes again
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winter
- 6 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Egret

Noted around the area:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >5 wasps: as usual only Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris specifically identified

Springtails etc.:
- 1 springtail Orchesella cincta

A small part of the mass of Goosanders present at the moment. There are four drakes in this view, also nine brownheads (and a Coot). There are more drakes than I can recall seeing previously. Back in, I think, the 2018/2019 winter-period I noted almost 150 Goosanders present for a few days. Then the vast majority were brownheads.

Here is a fine-looking drake. He is starting to get the salmon-pink flush to his breast as he comes in to breeding condition. Note the head shape.

He has designs on the brownhead...

...and displays to her. She does not look very impressed.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
4 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
1 Teal
1 Pochard
56 Tufted Duck
23 Moorhens
233 Coots
600+ Wood Pigeons
6 Song Thrush
55 Fieldfare
55 Redwings
532 Jackdaws
167 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
c.150 Greylag Geese
2 Gadwall
9 Pochard
28 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
166 Coots
c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Great Black-backed Gull
c.300 Wood Pigeons
29 Blackbirds
63 Redwings
120 Fieldfares
709 Jackdaws
182 Rooks
c.70 Starlings
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

The Flash
10 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Wrekin
Location
Firecrest
1 Crossbill
(Andy Latham)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
26 Pochard
86 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
1 Redshank
c.750 Black-headed Gulls
128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Kingfisher
20 Pied Wagtails
34 Robins
32 Blackbirds
16 Redwings
41 Greenfinches
1 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

6 Nov 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

10.0°C > 14.0°C: Cloudy at low level, lifting somewhat later. Almost calm. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:16 GMT

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

A few changes. Were these due to the fireworks last evening or to the much calmer conditions?

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:25

(272nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- two Mute Swans flew East low overhead without ever looking as if they even thought about visiting. Probably the birds missing from The Flash when I visited later.
- two pairs of Gadwall back again.
- a trio of (Eurasian) Wigeon (one drake) were seen circling as if they might splash down. I did not see them again so have logged them as fly-overs.
- a single drake Pochard was new in. The number of Tufted Duck was lower.
- the Lesser Black-backed Gulls had no qualms about visiting today with c.70 arriving from 06:38 onwards. These all departed by 07:15. Later c.55 flew in. At least 25 Herring Gulls were with them.
- the Black-headed Gulls did not start arriving until 06:55 and then the first 15 departed almost as soon as they arrived. Eventually there were c.125.
- three large parties of Wood Pigeons estimated at c.700 birds more or less lost in the low cloud. No small groups noted. Unusually several singles and duos were heading north-north-west whereas the large migrant groups usually head south-west or South.
- many fewer Jackdaws and Rooks: why?
- 24 Starlings were seen heading East: strange. These seeming to be too high to have come from a lake-side roost. Later several small parties heading West as is usual.
- two very large parties of Redwings flew West (c.200 and c.400). These groups were on a very broad front and both of them happened when of part of the sky was blocked by trees. A few small groups also. Then at least 15 in the West end bushes much later.
- the Blackbird was again singing quietly c.06:10.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: eastbound together
- *77 Greylag Geese: westbound more or less together
- no mainly white feral geese identified among the Greylags
- *2 Mute Swans: eastbound together
- 3 (1♂) (Eurasian) Wigeon
- c.750 Wood Pigeons: of these c.700 in three migrant groups
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 46 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 260 Jackdaws
- 32 Rooks
- 95 Starlings: six groups
- 28 Fieldfare
- c.650 Redwings: five groups
- 2 Siskins

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- 1 Redwing only

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 12 (7♂) Mallard
- *1 (1♂) Pochard
- 28 (17?♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens again
- 38 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- c.125 Black-headed Gulls
- 25 Herring Gulls
- c.125 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.70 by 07:00; c.55 arrived after 08:05
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- no Grey Heron

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 November Moth type Epirrita sp.
- *1 Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria: same date as my first log in 2024; species #96 this year
- *1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria

Flies:
- 4 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- 1 fly Dryomyza anilis

Springtails:
- 1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 probable Common House Spider Eratigena atrica
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:

Springtails etc.:
- 1 springtail Orchesella cincta

Beetles:
- *1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- *1 ground beetle Leistus rufomarginatus

About 14 hours after the Beaver Full Moon, here about to disappear behind cloud, already drawing a thin veil over it. At the moment the moon is closer to the Earth than usual making the moon appear larger, most notably when it is close to the horizon: a Supermoon.

73 geese here. There is not enough detail to find any of the all-white feral geese that are hanging around with the Greylag Geese. I have assumed all these are Greylags. A group of four were close behind.

The two Mute Swans that passed over without so much as a glance. Perhaps the two "missing" from The Flash?

Record shot: a drake Pochard.

Birds do not miss a trick. These two Blue Tits were examining a street light for insects either attracted to the light or, more likely, caught in webs of spiders similarly using the light.

A few photos of the always photogenic Long-tailed Tits.

Has this one a tiny morsel its bill?

Always in a gang.

Here in Blackthorn bushes Prunus spinosa with a few sloes in view. Some other Blackthorns are laden with sloes.

A male Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria: here on the same date as my first log in 2024; species #96 this year. Only the male has the feathered antennae which he uses to detect the female pheromones. This is the only species of thorn moth that rests with the wings flat.

A male Mottled Umber moth Erranis defoliaria. As with many species of moths that occur in Winter the females are more or less flightless with either no or only vestigial wings. The female of this species is completely wingless.

This 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata thinks it has found a bolt-hole for the winter. Actually it is a nail hole where an upright has been over-enthusiastically attached to a cross-member on the Teece Drive fence.

A ground beetle Leistus rufomarginatus or similar.

One of the arachnophobes! What is probably a Common House Spider Eratigena atrica though it might just be one of the Large House Spider-types in the Eratigena group.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

The inside of the tunnel was very wet with water drops hanging from the ceiling and running down the walls

Flies:
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 1 cranefly Tipula lateralis again
- 4 midges

Arthropods:
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger again

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 9 spiders: usual species

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:40

(266th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- many geese on the water when I arrived. More flew in later.
- just one pair of Mute Swans. Perhaps the other two from yesterday were the two seen earlier over the Balancing Lake.
- only the drake (Common) Teal found by the island.
- I had expected to see fewer Goosanders. I though this species would react badly to the fireworks. Apparently not so.
- *two Little Grebes seen.
- with light winds the non-fishing Cormorants were easy to see in the tree-tops.
- two grey Heron, *one a very bold individual, here today.
- the Little Egret still here and until a loud spat between several dogs scared it away so too was a *Great (White) Egret.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Wood Pigeons: a high-flying migrant group

Noted on / around the water:
- 52 Canada Geese
- 80 Greylag Geese
- 3 mainly white feral geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 29 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) (Common) Teal
- 6 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 67 (13♂) Goosander: maybe more
- 8 Moorhens
- *74 Coots
- *2 Little Grebes
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 19 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls: all immatures
- *9 Cormorants
- *2 Grey Herons
- *1 Great (White) Egret: departed
- 1 Little Egret

Noted around the area:

Butterflies:
- 1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta: no picture today

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *>2 Honey Bees Apis mellifera
- >15 wasps: as usual only Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris specifically identified

Hoverflies:
- 1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *1 Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus [Grey-spotted Sedgesitter or White-footed Hoverfly]

Other flies:
- *1 Muscid fly sp.
- *1 Root-maggot fly sp.

Springtails etc.:
- 1 springtail Orchesella cincta

Fungus:
- *a species of Coprinellus
- *Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon

Now two Little Grebes.

One passing a sleeping(?) Coot. Neither was being as shy as they usually are.

Strange fruit! Light winds and the Cormorants can stand in the trees. There are nine here. One is well-hidden under #3 and #4 counting from the left.

Hardly a gentle splash-down by this Cormorant.

One of two Grey Herons here today. Almost alongside the path it stared at passer-by several of whom stepped closer to take photos on their phones.

I stepped closer as well. This photo has only been slightly cropped to remove a few extraneous leaves from the background.

Hiding on the island was a Great (White) Egret. The long neck is sufficient to rule out Little Egret.

It did not like the loud spat between several dogs and flew off. The heron was witness to the dogs scrapping and remained unmoved!

 I doubt you can identify this as....

 ...part of this Honey Bee Apis mellifera! Take note of the abdomen pattern and...

...compare. I do not recall ever seen a black Honey Bee before. According to Steven Falk's Field Guide to Bees this is not uncommon.

A Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus, a species of hoverfly. One alternative name, White-footed Hoverfly, is misleading. Only males have this feature which is white on the front tarsus only. Also other species in the same genus also show this feature! Anyway this a female so not to worry that there are no white feet!

A Muscid fly sp.

And a Root-maggot fly sp. There are many to choose from, too many looking similar to this one.

I think this fungus is a species of Coprinellus but which...?

I am confident about this: it is Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon. Surely they should be called "Snuffed-candle fungus" as they look nothing like candle snuffers.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
1 Teal
1 Pochard
64 Tufted Duck
21 Moorhens
235 Coots
5 Song Thrush
19 Fieldfare
18 Redwings
439 Jackdaws
89 Rooks
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
c.110 Greylag Geese
2 Gadwall
7 Pochard
32 Tufted Ducks
4 Moorhens
145 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.1650 Wood Pigeons
51 Redwings
302 Fieldfares
c.375 Jackdaws
c.100 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
5 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
18 Stock Doves
3800+ Wood Pigeons
6 Skylarks
1 Meadow Pipit
238 Fieldfare
19 Redwings
91 Starlings
3 Siskins
11 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow Legged Gull
2 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Yellow Legged Gull
2 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
26 Greylag Geese
Gadwall
5 Shoveler
3 Pochard
79 Tufted Duck
1 Lapwing
Snipe
2 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
16 Redwings
3 Fieldfares
9 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Cormorants
3 Shoveler
3 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
149 Coot
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
30 Pochard
111 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
47 Coots
c.562 Black-headed Gulls
63 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
89 Wood Pigeons
22 Pied Wagtails
20 Wrens
12 Dunnocks
27 Robins
31 Blackbirds
5 Song Thrushes
22 Redwings
16 Magpies
111 Jackdaws
68 Rooks
86 Greenfinches
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

5 Nov 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

13.0°C > 16.0°C: Early rain soon easing. Brighter with some sunny moments after 09:00. Moderate / fresh south-easterly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:15 GMT

* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:55 – 09:30

(271st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I have previously remarked that the current pair of Mute Swans often take short flights within the confines of the water. Today just one of them flew, the pair re-joining by paddle-power.
- no Gadwall noted.
- my largest count of Tufted Duck so far this second-winter period.
- two Lapwings were seen overhead c.08:35 with presumably the same two again some five minutes later.
- *c.250 gulls were circling overhead by 06:35. None of them showed any inclination to splash down. There were large gulls, probably all Lesser Black-backed Gulls, among this group. None of these visited and I have no real idea how many there might have been. Thus they are not included in the tables below.
- eventually there were c.400 Black-headed Gulls on the water c.07:00 with only an adult and first-winter Herring Gull with them. These all soon departed.
- after 08:05 there was a significant arrival of both Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- a Great (White) Egret was present for a while until chased away by the Grey Heron.
- no Starling roost noted.
- a Blackbird was singing quietly c.06:10.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 73 Greylag Geese: westbound in eight groups
- 2 mainly white feral geese with the Greylags
- 1 Stock Dove
- 39 Wood Pigeons: no migrant groups
- 2 Lapwings: see notes
- no large gulls noted passing over
- 586 Jackdaws
- 101 Rooks
- 2 Starlings
- 11 Redwings: two groups
- 2 Pied Wagtails: singles
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake

None

Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- 11 (7♂) Mallard
- 54 (30?♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- *5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.400 Black-headed Gulls
- 41 Herring Gulls
- c.260 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all after 08:05
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret: departed

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Not much again: still raining when I checked the poles

Moths:
- one seen in flight only

Flies:
- *1 fly, probably $$ Peplomyza litura

Springtails:
- *3 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- *2 globular springtail sp.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli / rotundum
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Noted later:

Nothing other than:

Fruits:
- *berries of Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara

Fish:
- *1 Perch Perca fluviatilis disappearing down the gullet of a Great Crested Grebe

The Teece Drive fence was very wet providing little contrast to be able to see anything sitting on it.

Almost looks like a fire! A brief burst of colour as the rain eased.

Many trees have lost many or all of their leaves. A little colour remains.

A Great Crested Grebe with breakfast. The banding on the fish indicates it is (was!) a Perch Perca fluviatilis.

Going...

...almost gone.

The gulls going around and around overhead c.06:45 none of which seemed to settle on the water.

This Common Buzzard was sitting on a branch about 15 feet above the path along the North side. Most unusually is stayed there as I walked past and allowed me to turn around and take its photo before flying off. The bill looks rather odd here...

...this somewhat clarifies it. The yellow area, the cere as it is called, contains the nostrils and is on top of the base of the upper mandible which covers the lower mandible. Follow the line of the cere and you come to the hooked-point of the bill.

A distinctive looking fly which is probably Peplomyza litura and a new species for me.

Two springtails: on the right a Pogonognathellus longicornis. On the left one of the many species of globular springtails.

They may look tasty, indeed they may be tasty. They should not be tasted! These are berries of Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara, also known as Woody Nightshade. Like most species in this family the berries are to a greater or lesser extent poisonous. Tomato is in this family and the fruits are not at all poisonous to most people. Potatoes are also in the same family and their berries are poisonous: the tubers are not, luckily. I wonder who discovered that? It was the Spanish conquistadors (and not Sir Walter Raleigh as popular legend suggests) that brought potatoes from South America to Europe.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Flies:
- 1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
- 2 midges only

Arthropods:
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

Slugs, snails etc.:
- *1 unidentified snail

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 5 spiders: usual species

I have to agree with Obsidentify on this one: "unidentified snail". Very small and not like any I can recall seeing before.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 11:00

(266th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- only four Mute Swans again.
- the pair of (Common) Teal not found among all the geese by the island
- *the Little Egret still here.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 5 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 76 Canada Geese: many of these seen arriving
- *82 Greylag Geese
- *4 mainly white feral geese
- 4 Mute Swans
- 27 (19♂) Mallard
- no (Common) Teal
- 8 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 73 (11♂) Goosander: maybe more
- 7 Moorhens
- 83 Coots
- *1 Little Grebe
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- *16 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls: all immatures
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- *1 Little Egret

Noted around the area:

Butterflies:
- *1 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *>2 Honey Bees Apis mellifera
- >25 wasps: as usual only Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris specifically identified

Hoverflies:
- *>3 Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

Other flies:
- *1 "greenbottle" in the Lucilia group
- *1 Muscid fly.

Beetles:
- *2 7 Spot Ladybirds Coccinella 7-punctata

Springtails etc.:
- *3 springtails Orchesella cincta

Spiders
- *1 Garden Spider Araneus diadematus [Garden Cross Spider]

Flower:
- *St. John's Wort Hypericum sp.

There were four mainly white feral geese with the Greylag Geese on the open water. Someone remarked to me they look like Aylesbury Ducks. Those ducks are indeed white but would be smaller with a less-orange bill. Also, being a Mallard derivative, any drake would show a curled tail-feather. (And what has happened to our all-white duck anyway? I have not seen him since June time)

A Little Grebe looking to be a subject in an oil painting.

A flight shot of a first-winter Black-headed Gull.

Also "little" is what I assume to be the same Little Egret.

Do I need to say "Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta". A point worth making is that this is a butterfly and not a moth because it has clubbed antennae and not because it is flying during the day. Many moths fly during the day. A very few butterflies fly at night.

When I saw the banding on the abdomen of this bee I was hoping for my first-ever Ivy Bee Colletes hederae. Sadly not. It is "just " a Honey Bee Apis mellifera.

One with a good load of pollen for the hive.

Perhaps my best-ever photo of this species?

A female and hence a not-very tapered Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

One of many similar species of "greenbottle" flies in the Lucilia group. They seem to like to sit on shiny leaves.

One of many similar species of fly in the Muscid group.

A 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata with a rush of blood to the head.

Another springtail Orchesella cincta. The markings on the side of the first two abdominal segments are visible here as well as the prominent band across the third abdominal segment.

A cuddly Garden Spider Araneus diadematus.

Not a flower I expected to see at this date. It is a species in the St. John's Wort Hypericum family is as far as I can go.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow Legged Gull
2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls
4 Gadwall
4 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
c.80 Greylag Geese over
2 Gadwall
6 Pochard
40 Tufted Ducks
7 Moorhens
c.130 Coots
2500 Wood Pigeons
580+ Jackdaws
45+ Rooks
Raven
1 Siskin
3 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
106 Greylag Geese
1 possible Bean Goose
38 Canada Geese
2 Pochard
32 Tufted Duck
17 Goosanders
7 Moorhens
7 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
10 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
513 Jackdaws
53 Rooks
732 Wood Pigeons
5 Meadow Pipits
503 Fieldfare
2 Song Thrushes
34 Redwings
1 Brambling
12 Chaffinches
2 Siskins
51 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Grant)

2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
15 Shoveler
1 Gadwall
10 Pochards
117 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rails
100+
Many Redwings
4 Fieldfare
20+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
16 Pochard
55 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
c.600 Black-headed Gulls
189 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
803 Wood Pigeons
17 Pied Wagtails
19 Wrens
12 Dunnocks
30 Robins
21 Blackbirds
128 Fieldfares
4 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
1 Mistle Thrush
13 Magpies
347 Jackdaws
160 Rooks
12 Carrion Crows
223 Starlings
2 Siskins
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
Kingfisher
2 Little Grebe
11 Pochard
35 Tufted Duck
3 Ruddy Duck
27 Redwing
10 Fieldfare
5 Reed Bunting
Redpoll
Siskin
101 Rooks
12 Carrion Crow
227 Jackdaws
3 Jay
12 Magpies
1 Raven
1200 Wood Pigeon
(Martin Adlam)