5.0°C > 7.0°C > 6.0°C: Some breaks developing after overnight rain. Later these filled in with cloud lowering and light drizzle. Light westerly wind. Good visibility, poor in drizzle.
Sunrise: 07:54 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:30 – 09:35
(24th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a drake Goosander flew through West at 07:40.
- a Water Rail was in a water-filled ditch along the North side. The recent storms have deposited even more twigs in the way of any chance of a photo.
- *four Great Crested Grebes present. A pair displaying. Another with head plumes and a fourth yet to grow the plumes and likely a first year bird.
- after yesterday's plethora of gulls present from before 07:10 there was no action before 07:28 when 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls looked at the empty lake and moved on. It was 07:35 before the first of 55 started to arrive with 11 Herring Gulls. It was 07:40 before the first four Black-headed Gulls arrived with numbers peaking at a paltry 28. Later an adult Yellow-legged Gull dropped in
- two egrets were seen flying south-east to the East at 07:50. Another flew West to the North at 08:25. I was unable to get a positive identity on any of these though I suspect they were all Great (White) Egrets. *'Our' bird was present throughout.
- a Chaffinch gave a brief burst of song. It is not every year that I record song in January [16 February 2024 and 19 February 2023 were the first dates in those years].
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 25 Wood Pigeon
- 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 egrets: see notes
- 27 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 17 Canada Geese: throughout
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- *2 (1♂) Pochard
- 16 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail
- 6 Moorhens
- 168 Coots
- *4 Great Crested Grebes
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
- 11 Herring Gulls
- *1 Yellow-legged Gull
- 55 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- *2 Grey Herons
- *1 Great (White) Egret
- 1 Kingfisher
Noted on the street lamp poles pre dawn:
Flies:
- *5 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- *1 fly, possibly Scoliocentra villosa with red eyes, a grey thorax and an orange abdomen
- *5 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- *1 fly, possibly Scoliocentra villosa with red eyes, a grey thorax and an orange abdomen
Springtails:
- *4 springtails Tomocerus sp. type
- *1 globular springtail Dicyrtomina sp. type
Spiders etc.:
- *2 spiders not specifically identified
Telford Sailing Club
Noted around Telford Sailing Club HQ pre dawn.
- *4 springtails Tomocerus sp. type
- *1 globular springtail Dicyrtomina sp. type
Spiders etc.:
- *2 spiders not specifically identified
Telford Sailing Club
Noted around Telford Sailing Club HQ pre dawn.
Springtails:
- 4 springtails Tomocerus sp. type
- 2 globular springtails Dicyrtomina sp. type
- 4 springtails Tomocerus sp. type
- 2 globular springtails Dicyrtomina sp. type
Slugs, snails etc.:
- 1 'black slug'
- 1 'black slug'
Spiders etc.:
- *4 spiders not specifically identified
Noted later:
- *4 spiders not specifically identified
Noted later:
Nothing
New Bird Species
One addition to the bird species on my site for here in 2025:
62 Goosander
New Bird Species
One addition to the bird species on my site for here in 2025:
62 Goosander
The cloud from the overnight rain beginning to break.
Just a touch of colour.
Mrs. Pochard grinning at me. Count those tail feathers (properly called retrices).
What I believe to be a first year Great Crested Grebe still to develop its head plumes.
A distant pair, with plumes, displaying.
This can be confirmed as an adult Yellow-legged Gull by the extensive white end to the outer primary. Herring Gulls show a white "mirror", the tip being black, much like the adjacent feather.
A Grey Heron was fishing in the Wesley Brook.
"Splosh". Seems the target was deep in the brook!
Missed!
"What's that over there?"
Try again.
Success!
Still complaining!
Two winter craneflies Trichocera sp. posing neatly.
This fly is possibly Scoliocentra villosa, a species with red eyes, a grey thorax and an orange abdomen.
This looks a good candidate for Pogonognathellus longicornis.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:40 – 10:35
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The Flash: 09:40 – 10:35
(22nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- three Song Thrushes heard in song
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 28 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose: departed
- 4 Mute Swans
- 40 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 67 (37♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 21 Black-headed Gulls
- *5 Herring Gulls: three adults; one second winter; one first winter all briefly
Of note elsewhere:
Nothing
New Bird Species
No additions to the bird species on my site for here in 2025
No additions to the bird species on my site for here in 2025
(Ed Wilson)
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2012
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
22 Greylag Geese
19 Pochard
42 Tufted Duck
c.390 Black-headed Gulls
c.350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
32 Herring Gulls
1 Common Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
69 Redwings
25 Greenfinches
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
Tundra Bean Goose
8 Greylag Geese
37 Tufted Ducks
c.1000 Black-headed Gulls
246 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
35 Herring Gulls.
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
Trench Pool
8 Pochard
50 Tufted Ducks
79 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
Holmer Lake
50 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
