1 Feb 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 6.0°C: Very few gaps in medium overcast. Light south-easterly breeze. Good visibility, Moderate at times.

Sunrise: 07:52 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:30 – 09:30

(25th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a trio of (Eurasian) Wigeon were new in. At c.08:10 the repositioning Great (White) Egret spooked them and they spent the next ten minutes flying around and around, often very high overhead, before settling back. They did not seem to stay long thereafter as I did not notice them again.
- a drake Common Teal was also a new arrival.
- only three Great Crested Grebes noted: the pair and the presumed first winter bird.
- a larger number of gulls this morning though they were late arriving again.
- the party of seven Starlings flying over was, surprisingly, my first sighting of this species here this year.
- two Blackbirds were heard singing: my first song of the year from this species here this year.
- at least nine Redwings were flushed from a roost along the North side: my previous highest roost count here this winter was just four.
- at least ten Song Thrushes were heard singing and another was seen. Also at least two were seen tumbling around and around on the ground by the light of the street lamps pre-dawn. All very odd as throughout November and December I hardly saw any thrushes. Were they hiding away or were they elsewhere and if so where?
- two Mistle Thrushes were in trees alongside Teece Drive: a traditional nest site.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Canada Geese: pair and trio outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair inbound
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 32 Wood Pigeon
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 14 Jackdaws
- 49 Rooks
- 7 Starlings: together

Counts from the lake area:
- 28 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 3 (1♂) (Eurasian) Wigeon
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) (Common) Teal
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 18 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 161 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 27 Herring Gulls
- 3 Yellow-legged Gulls
- c.225 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret

Noted on the street lamp poles pre dawn:

Moths:
- 1 Early Moth Theria primaria

Flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 wood gnat, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis

Springtails:
- 3 springtails Tomocerus sp. type

Beetles:
- 1 possible Devil's Coach Horse Ocypus olens

Spiders etc.:
- 1 spider not specifically identified

Telford Sailing Club
Noted around Telford Sailing Club HQ pre dawn.

Flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 midge sp.

Barkflies:
- 1 barkfly from the Ectopsocus briggsi complex

Springtails:
- 4 globular springtails Dicyrtomina sp. type

Spiders etc.:
- 7 spiders not specifically identified

Noted later:

Nothing

New Bird Species
Two additions to the bird species on my site for here in 2025:
63 Starling
64 (Common) Teal

Gloomsville.

Two of the trio of (Eurasian) Wigeon overhead. The drake with the yellow forehead on the left. The duck has her tail spread and feet out.

And the trio with the drake at the bottom. Note the pale belly on both sexes. Particularly noticeable on the top left bird is the pointed wing-tips.

The trio again with the drake very obviously identified by the white panel in the inner fore-wing.

One of the ducks on the water. A very distinctive rounded head shape.

Little more than a record shot of the drake (Common) Teal. My first of the year here.

The Great (White) Egret searching for breakfast.

A non-singing Song Thrush. It looks somewhat glum here.

This morning's Early Moth Theria primaria had the decency to stay around until well after dawn and I could photograph it my natural light.

A close-up of a winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Compare with this wood gnat, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis. A similar overall shape but with a different head shape. This species has thicker antennae, lacks obvious wing venation and has spurs on its legs.

This is what winter craneflies look like with their wings spread. This one caught in a web.

This is also gnat. There seems to be no clear distinction between the use of 'gnat' and 'midge' for these small insects.

This a barkfly from the Ectopsocus briggsi complex.

A springtail holding its antennae at a jaunty angle. Probably Pogonognathellus longicornis.

This seems to be a Devil's Coach Horse beetle Ocypus olens. Smaller than I expected.

This may the same unidentified spider I photographed yesterday: it was on the same street lamp post in more or less the same position. It is sitting differently with the legs set like a Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. However the pattern on the abdomen does not seem to fit.

Another Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]. This one missing most two legs on its right side. The bright spots on its head are eye-shine from the camera flash.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:40

(23rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Magpies were seen breaking twigs as they begin refurbishing their nests.
- despite the plethora of Song Thrushes singing at the lake I heard only one here.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water:
- 15 Canada Geese
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 4 Mute Swans
- 47 (32♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 61 (34♂) Tufted Duck
- 15 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 62 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls: three adults; one first winter all briefly

Of note elsewhere:
- 1 Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale

New Bird Species
No additions to the bird species on my site for here in 2025

A drake Tufted Duck in full breeding condition with extensive crest. The green gloss on the head is visible at only certain angles of light. It can also gloss mauve though mostly appears black.

A Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale. This species over-winters as an adult. The second part of the scientific name was clearly given by a scientist with a sense of humour.

An angled view of the same.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup still showing well off dam
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
21 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood and Rob Stokes)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl heard - 2nd ever record
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
About 30% ice.
Best bird remains the Black-necked Grebe.
Big gull roost:
c.3000 Black-headed Gulls
c.1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
1 3rd winter Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson and John Isherwood)