7.0°C > 9.0°C: Scattered below medium-high overcast with occasional rain. Moderate easterly wind. Mostly good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:03 BST
* = a species photographed today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:25 – 06:10 // 07:05 – 08:40
(97th visit of the year)
Bird notes
The wet conditions seemed to reduce bird activity, both in singing and flying around. Perhaps it was just my activity that was reduced!
New Bird Species
A new arrival today was my first Common Whitethroat of the year singing, as usual, in the south-west area. In only two of the last 15 years have I recorded this species here on an earlier date. It brings my 2025 bird species total here to 89.5.
Other bird notes:
- a pair of Gadwall did their sudden 'appearing from nowhere' trick.
- no Mallard ducklings seen.
- the duck Pochard still present.
- two Common Sandpipers.
- two singing Sedge Warblers: one at the West end; and one in the south-west copse.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 9 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: a pair arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 8 Moorhens yet again
- 27 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- *2 Common Sandpipers
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: two of these were on the football field c.06:00
Hirundines etc. noted:
- c.15 Sand Martins
- 1 Barn Swallow
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 18 (14) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Sedge Warblers
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
- 12 (10) Blackcaps
On the West end street lamp poles
Pre-dawn:
Nothing. Too wet.
Noted later:
Noted later:
Flies:
*Unidentified non-biting midge
*Unidentified non-biting midge
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *male Furrow Orbweaver spider Larinioides cornutus
Not much to show from a wet morning. This morning's two Common Sandpipers with one doing its morning "standing on one leg" exercise to improve its balance.
This wagtail sent me back to the literature to double / treble-check it could not be a migrant White Wagtail. I have concluded that it is 'just' a female Pied Wagtail mainly on the extensive grey on the flanks. The clear demarcation between the black head and grey back remains a puzzle - the books suggest that this a feature of males. It may just indicate this is a first year male. Whilst researching I read that first year males can show mottled black and grey on the back and otherwise resemble females - vide the photos I took yesterday.
Also on the same wall was this Furrow Orbweaver spider Larinioides cornutus. The abdomen pattern matches perfectly one of the photos on the NatureSpot web site. That photo is of a female: this, with obvious 'boxing glove' palps is a smaller male.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:15 – 07:00
(94th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the now smaller number of Tufted Duck are no longer in tight, calling groups and are more scattered across the water.
- I could not decide whether there was a Willow Warbler present or not. Twice I heard what might have been a snatch of distant song. On neither occasion was song or calls heard when I was closer.
- what was probably the same Sedge Warbler as yesterday still singing at the top end.
- my Merlin app. failed to identify the long and loud ringing call of a Nuthatch only identifying sound when the bird reverted to more normal calls.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 24 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan: the other presumed to be on the island.
- 19 (16♂) Mallard
- 18 (14♂) Tufted Duck again
- 8 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Herring Gulls: an adult and an immature, briefly together
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- ? Willow Warbler: see notes
- 8 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Noted elsewhere:
- *male Furrow Orbweaver spider Larinioides cornutus
I found this small midge on the wall of Telford Sailing Club's HQ. "Unidentified non-biting midge" is as far as I can get with identification.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:15 – 07:00
(94th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the now smaller number of Tufted Duck are no longer in tight, calling groups and are more scattered across the water.
- I could not decide whether there was a Willow Warbler present or not. Twice I heard what might have been a snatch of distant song. On neither occasion was song or calls heard when I was closer.
- what was probably the same Sedge Warbler as yesterday still singing at the top end.
- my Merlin app. failed to identify the long and loud ringing call of a Nuthatch only identifying sound when the bird reverted to more normal calls.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 24 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan: the other presumed to be on the island.
- 19 (16♂) Mallard
- 18 (14♂) Tufted Duck again
- 8 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Herring Gulls: an adult and an immature, briefly together
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- ? Willow Warbler: see notes
- 8 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Noted elsewhere:
Moths:
*Frosted Green Polyploca ridens: as yesterday
The same Frosted Green moth Polyploca ridens as yesterday. I know the 'green' is only 'frosted' but on this specimen you have to have a good imagination to see it. Perhaps on a freshly emerged example it would be more obvious.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Kittiwake
1 Sedge Warbler
3 Little Ringed Plover
4 Common Sandpiper
2 Blackcap
Sand Martin
Swallow
(John Isherwood)
East Priorslee
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Whinchat
7 Redstart
57 Wheatear
Fieldfare
Meadow Pipit
Siskin
Lesser Whitethroat
(Mick Wall, John Isherwood)
Redhill Lane
10+ Wheatear
4 Yellowhammer
(Mick Wall)
2012
The Wrekin
2 Ring Ouzel
(Observer Unknown)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Grasshopper Warbler
26 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Swift
2 House Martin
2 Swallow
150 Sand Martin
7 Blackcap singing
1 Common Sandpiper
(Martin and Ian Grant)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Pintail x Mallard
1 Kestrel
Tawny Owl
1 Common Sandpiper
20 Swallow
20 Sand Martins
2 Blackcap
1 Garden Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
4 Reed Bunting
(Martin Grant, Martin Adlam, Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(Martin Grant)
The Flash
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
3 Ruddy Duck
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
12 Sand Martins
8 Swallows
4 House Martins.
2 Stock Doves
1 Skylark
30 Wrens
18 Robins
26 Blackbirds
6 Blackcaps
11 Chiffchaffs
12 Willow Warblers
1 Willow Tit
5 Greenfinches
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
*Frosted Green Polyploca ridens: as yesterday
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Priorslee Lake
1 Kittiwake
1 Sedge Warbler
3 Little Ringed Plover
4 Common Sandpiper
2 Blackcap
Sand Martin
Swallow
(John Isherwood)
East Priorslee
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Whinchat
7 Redstart
57 Wheatear
Fieldfare
Meadow Pipit
Siskin
Lesser Whitethroat
(Mick Wall, John Isherwood)
Redhill Lane
10+ Wheatear
4 Yellowhammer
(Mick Wall)
2012
The Wrekin
2 Ring Ouzel
(Observer Unknown)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Grasshopper Warbler
26 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Swift
2 House Martin
2 Swallow
150 Sand Martin
7 Blackcap singing
1 Common Sandpiper
(Martin and Ian Grant)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Pintail x Mallard
1 Kestrel
Tawny Owl
1 Common Sandpiper
20 Swallow
20 Sand Martins
2 Blackcap
1 Garden Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
4 Reed Bunting
(Martin Grant, Martin Adlam, Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(Martin Grant)
The Flash
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
3 Ruddy Duck
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
12 Sand Martins
8 Swallows
4 House Martins.
2 Stock Doves
1 Skylark
30 Wrens
18 Robins
26 Blackbirds
6 Blackcaps
11 Chiffchaffs
12 Willow Warblers
1 Willow Tit
5 Greenfinches
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)