11.0°C > 12.0°C: Early light rain from broken could under medium-high overcast. Brighter after of 08:00. Calm start with light southerly breeze developing. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:12 BST
* = 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: 05:35 – 09:30
(239th visit of the year)
Bird notes
Another "duck" day. It is proving to be a good Autumn for duck passage after a better than average Spring and the best Mallard breeding season I can recall. Today, in addition to a good number of Mallard, there were: drake Shoveler; five Common Teal and three duck Tufted Duck.
Highlights
Also worth highlighting is the party of five Meadow Pipits seen flying South. My first of the year here and bird species #102 for 2025. Historically this species was an occasional Winter visitor, a Spring passage migrant in small numbers and a sometimes abundant Autumn passage migrant I have noted many fewer in recent years.
Other bird notes:
- Lesser Black-backed Gulls were the first arrivals at 06:39 but were reluctant to settle with at least 50 flying off without doing so. Whether all the c.150 eventually settling were new birds or included some the earlier birds returning is hard to say. I have assumed not. Arrivals after 08:00 included, as usual, a sprinkling of Herring Gulls, a species not noted among the early birds and are assumed to be all new birds.
- when I went to check the football field I noted just 15 Black-headed Gulls dodging the automated grass cutting machines.
- a "large thrush" flew West c.09:10 without calling. A bit early in the year for it to be a Fieldfare while Mistle Thrushes would normally still be out in the fields and unlikely to return to their nesting areas much before the end of the year. A mystery.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 42 Greylag Geese: single outbound; 41 inbound together
- 6 Feral Pigeons: together
- 33 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull again
- 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 95 Jackdaws
- 169 Rooks
- 1 Sky Lark: flew North
- 1 large thrush sp.: see notes
- 5 Meadow Pipits: together
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- *1 (1♂) Shoveler
- *20 (12♂) Mallard
- *5 (1?♂) Common Teal
- *3 (0♂) Tufted Duck again
- 11 Moorhens
- 38 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- >300 Black-headed Gulls again
- 11 Herring Gulls
- >225 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 3 (1) Chiffchaffs
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 3 (1) Chiffchaffs
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- none
- none
Springtails:
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
Four-winged flies:
- *1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
- *1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
Other flies:
- 1 fly Dryomyza anilis
- *1 possible Scoliocentra villosa red eyes, grey thorax, orange abdomen
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 fly Dryomyza anilis
- *1 possible Scoliocentra villosa red eyes, grey thorax, orange abdomen
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
Bugs:
- *1 Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius
- *1 Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius
Beetles:
- *1 probable Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
- *1 probable Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- 1 Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted on the walls of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- 1 Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted on the walls of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:
Flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 37 spiders: usual suspects plus, unusually
*1 Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted later elsewhere:
- 37 spiders: usual suspects plus, unusually
*1 Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted later elsewhere:
Bees, wasps, etc.:
- European Hornet Vespa crabro: a few around the nest site
- European Hornet Vespa crabro: a few around the nest site
Flies:
- 1 cranefly Tipula confusa
- 1 cranefly Tipula confusa
Beetles:
- *1 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis pupa
- *1 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis pupa
Fungus:
- Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus
As noted it was a "duck morning". Here is a drake Shoveler still to fully moult in to breeding plumage. The white crescent in front the eye will be lost as the whole head becomes bottle-green. Interestingly a similar species, albeit in a different genus, occurs in Australasia – the Australasian Shoveler. Drakes of this species have the white crescent in the breeding season.
Here are the five Common Teal. The left two birds with orange on the sides of their bill are likely immatures. Number three with a dark bill and more pale on the side of the tail may well be a drake in transition plumage. I can't suggest anything for the other two with their heads turned away.
It was a week or so ago I note I had not or heard any Song Thrushes for a while. This morning two were chasing around and this is one of them.
This fly is a possible Scoliocentra villosa with its red eyes, grey thorax and orange abdomen. There are probably confusion species.
Obsidentify's suggestion for this was a Red-breasted Carrion Beetle Oiceoptoma thoracica. It is not a beetle as there are no visible antennae. I suspect it is one of the many forms of Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius.
On the wall of the Telford Sailing Club HQ I noted this small spider, a Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus. I often find this species there during daylight: I have not previously noted one mixing it will all the nocturnal spiders.
One of the street lamp poles has always had what appears to be a lump of concrete on it. For many years I have tried to turn the lump in to a moth etc. without success and I have begun to ignore it. This harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis was taking advantage of that and nearly eluded me.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(239th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- back to 10 Mute Swans.
- yesterday's duck Common Teal not seen.
- where have most of yesterday's Tufted Duck gone?
- now at least 11 Cormorants.
- two Skylarks heard and seen flying South high overhead. One (or more?) heard over but not seen.
- it occurred to me a few days ago that I could not recall seeing or hearing House Sparrows in any of their usual sites here. It is one of the species, like Robins and tits, that I expect to see or hear on every visit and do not log unless there is some unusual behaviour. Both yesterday and today I made a point of trying to see or hear this species without success. Where are they?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Jackdaws
- 3 Skylarks at least
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 26 Greylag Geese
- 10 Mute Swans
- 32 (22♂) Mallard [yesterday's figure should have read 33 (20♂)]
- no Common Teal
- 4 (1?♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 89 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes: not all aged
- 10 Black-headed Gulls
- 11 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons: one chased away
Warblers recorded:
- Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus
The five Teal joined some (noisy) Mallard.
And here is a trio of duck or immature Tufted Ducks.
Almost like a Japanese painting? Well, perhaps not. A Great Tit among leaves.
A Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea. This species over-winters as an adult during which time it turns brown to blend in with the leaf litter.
This is a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis pupa. Whether anyone is at home is debatable.
This is a flea beetle and probably a Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala.
A Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. A male with long palps.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Warmer weather so more spiders.
Flies:
- *1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
- *1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 54 midges of various species
- *1 unidentified fly
- *1 cranefly Tipula lateralis
- *1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 54 midges of various species
- *1 unidentified fly
Arthropods:
- 8 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
- 8 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 12 spiders: usual suspects
This cranefly Tipula lateralis is one of the easiest cranefly species to identify with the pale line down the abdomen and combination of strongly- marked vein with a pale area in the wings.
This one of the winter craneflies Trichocera sp. The background colour is provided courtesy of a graffiti artist(?).
I wish I had a better photo of this unidentified fly. It looks to be overall orange with black bars on the abdomen. Not easy to see and harder to identify!
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:35
- 12 spiders: usual suspects
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:35
(239th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- back to 10 Mute Swans.
- yesterday's duck Common Teal not seen.
- where have most of yesterday's Tufted Duck gone?
- now at least 11 Cormorants.
- two Skylarks heard and seen flying South high overhead. One (or more?) heard over but not seen.
- it occurred to me a few days ago that I could not recall seeing or hearing House Sparrows in any of their usual sites here. It is one of the species, like Robins and tits, that I expect to see or hear on every visit and do not log unless there is some unusual behaviour. Both yesterday and today I made a point of trying to see or hear this species without success. Where are they?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Jackdaws
- 3 Skylarks at least
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- 26 Greylag Geese
- 10 Mute Swans
- 32 (22♂) Mallard [yesterday's figure should have read 33 (20♂)]
- no Common Teal
- 4 (1?♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 89 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes: not all aged
- 10 Black-headed Gulls
- 11 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons: one chased away
Warblers recorded:
None
Noted around the area:
Noted around the area:
Bees, wasps, etc.:
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris: just one
- Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris: just one
Fungus::
- *Field Mushroom Agaricus campestris
A group of Magpies were making a lot of noise alongside Derwent Drive. Here are eight on one of the roofs and there were more on adjacent roofs. On a previous occasion when I noted a large congregation their ire was directed at a prowling cat. I could not see what was upsetting them here.
I found several Field Mushroom Agaricus campestris next to the path along the East side. I assume they had not fallen from someone's shopping.
Plane of the day: this 1985-build 2-seat Cessna 152 is owned by an individual with an Enstone, Oxfordshire address. He own multiple aircraft which seem to be hired-out, usually to flying clubs and flying schools. This one flies from Wolverhampton's Halfpenny Green Airfield and was on a local flight.
(Ed Wilson)
- *Field Mushroom Agaricus campestris
An adult Moorhen. The plumage colouration is more subtle than it appears at first glance.
(Ed Wilson)
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2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail
40 Mute Swan
(Mike Cooper)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Shoveler
Peregrine
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Redwing
90 Golden Plover
87 Greenfinches
3 Chiffchaffs
Blackcap
Kingfisher
2 Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
1 Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail
40 Mute Swan
(Mike Cooper)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Shoveler
Peregrine
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Redwing
90 Golden Plover
87 Greenfinches
3 Chiffchaffs
Blackcap
Kingfisher
2 Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)