4.0°C > 11.0°C: Areas of mist drifting around. Light winds. Poor to moderate visibility, varying.
Sunrise: 07:12 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 09:10
(43rd visit of the year)
All numbers possibly under-recorded due to the mist patches.
Bird notes:
- one pair of Canada Geese seen mating
- just one pair of Gadwall.
- a second pair of displaying Great Crested Grebe. Still a lone bird.
- just two Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived with the first of c.125 Black-headed Gulls but did not stay. No others visited with only a small passage overhead.
- no Grey Heron but what I assume to be the same Great (White) Egret was present some of the time.
- the morning passage of Jackdaws and Rooks had barely started when the mist rolled in and no more could be seen.
- I managed to confirm what I have suspected for some while: there are two Cetti's Warblers here. I was trying to take a photo of one bird skulking in sedges and reeds when a different bird sang.
- the milder conditions tempted four Blackbirds, 13 Song Thrushes, one Goldcrest and one Chaffinch to sing, along with the regular Robins, Wrens, Dunnocks and tits.
- a pair (I assume) of Mistle Thrushes flew out of the south-east area and away across Castle Farm Way. No song was heard, neither did I see or hear this species in the Teece Drive area.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair outbound
- 1 Greylag Gosse: flew South
- 1 Stock Dove
- 18 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 11 Herring Gull
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 20 Jackdaws
- 29 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 15 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 16 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhen
- 62 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.125 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 1 Kingfisher
Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 male Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria
- 1 male Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria
Springtails:
- 1 unidentified springtail
Of note:
A male Dotted Border moth Agriopis marginaria. The female of this species, like many moths active in the winter moths, is flightless albeit with rather larger wings than some other species. The dip in the outer cross-line is shared with the very common Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria, that species lacking the straight median cross-line. The wing border is not especially 'dotted'.
(41st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- three Song Thrushes singing here.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Noted on / around the water:
- 31 Canada Geese
- 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 39 (25♂) Mallard
- 5 (4♂) Pochard
- 61 (30♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: two different immatures, briefly and separately
- 1 Cormorant
Of note:
- 1 unidentified springtail
Of note:
Nothing else
Pre-dawn the conditions looked promising though some low cloud / mist is in the distance and...
...soon rolled in!
A series of not very good photos of a female (no song) Cetti's Warbler.
This species is an arch-skulker and here trying to hide.
Many sedges in the way here.
Probably peering at me.
Last one. The best sequence I have yet to manage.
Even if I were confident about identifying springtails this dew-covered individual would be a challenge. Apart from the moth the only other creature on the street lamp poles pre-dawn.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:30
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:30
(41st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- three Song Thrushes singing here.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Noted on / around the water:
- 31 Canada Geese
- 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 39 (25♂) Mallard
- 5 (4♂) Pochard
- 61 (30♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: two different immatures, briefly and separately
- 1 Cormorant
Of note:
Nothing else
Despite the milder conditions there were no flies, hover- or otherwise, on the Ivy bank and just two unidentified flies on the sun-lit street lamp poles in squirrel alley.
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
5 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
7 Pochard
3 Tufted Duck
11 Redwings
>800 Jackdaws
127 Rooks
9 Ravens
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Little Grebe
1 Greylag x Canada x ? Goose
172 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Telford Crematorium
Iceland Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2013
Priorslee Lake
23 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
(Martin Grant)
The Flash
Drake Scaup
(JW Reeves)
Horsehay Pool
Iceland Gull
(Jim Almond)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Iceland Gulls
2 Glaucous Gulls
(Tom Lowe)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Martin Grant)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Teal
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Mallard x Pintail
2 Shoveler
4 Pochard
4 Tufted Duck
2 Buzzard
1 Common Gull
5 Fieldfare
6 Redwing
41 Magpie
197 Jackdaw
13 Greenfinch
7 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
4 Cormorants
6 Pochard
21 Tufted Ducks
116 Coots
1 Water Rail
627 Wood Pigeon
13 Pied Wagtails
28 Blackbirds
4 Willow Tits
10 Greenfinches
133 Siskins
1 Linnet
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
Despite the milder conditions there were no flies, hover- or otherwise, on the Ivy bank and just two unidentified flies on the sun-lit street lamp poles in squirrel alley.
This Goldfinch was about the most exciting sighting this morning
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
5 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
7 Pochard
3 Tufted Duck
11 Redwings
>800 Jackdaws
127 Rooks
9 Ravens
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Little Grebe
1 Greylag x Canada x ? Goose
172 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Telford Crematorium
Iceland Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2013
Priorslee Lake
23 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
(Martin Grant)
The Flash
Drake Scaup
(JW Reeves)
Horsehay Pool
Iceland Gull
(Jim Almond)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Iceland Gulls
2 Glaucous Gulls
(Tom Lowe)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Martin Grant)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Teal
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Mallard x Pintail
2 Shoveler
4 Pochard
4 Tufted Duck
2 Buzzard
1 Common Gull
5 Fieldfare
6 Redwing
41 Magpie
197 Jackdaw
13 Greenfinch
7 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
4 Cormorants
6 Pochard
21 Tufted Ducks
116 Coots
1 Water Rail
627 Wood Pigeon
13 Pied Wagtails
28 Blackbirds
4 Willow Tits
10 Greenfinches
133 Siskins
1 Linnet
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)