11.0°C > 12.0°C: Cloudy with some spells of light rain, drizzle and soaking drizzle. Light south-easterly wind. Variable visibility between good and poor.
Sunrise: 07:45 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: 06:00 – 09:25
(255th visit of the year)
Bird notes
Almost no movements overhead. Just one Fieldfare and one Meadow Pipit seen: and at least two Skylarks heard but lost in the cloud. Two Redwings flew out of trees around the lake.
Other bird notes:
- *the daily movement of westbound geese took place. I photographed two skeins totalling 72 birds. Judging by the number of geese at The Flash later I must have missed seeing some other skeins.
- I could not find the pair of Gadwall.
- the gulls seemed to be having a Monday morning lie in. The first three Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:16 with the first of four large groups arriving from the South at 07:25. In days of yore these gulls mostly arrived from the West from, I assumed, the large roost on Middle Pool at Trench. I wonder where they roost now?
- the first Lesser Blacked-Gull flew over at 07:20 with the first of just four birds settling on the water after 07:25. It was not until after 08:30 that any numbers of large gulls arrived.
- *a Great (White) Egret was present after 08:30.
- the Jackdaws and Rooks flew over in an almost continuous mixed stream on a broad front making a head-tally of two three-figure totals a hard mental challenge early on a Monday.
- no Chiffchaffs seen or heard.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- *72 Greylag Geese, all westbound: see notes
- 28 Wood Pigeons: no migrant groups seen
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Skylarks: heard only
- 264 Jackdaws
- 235 Rooks
- 1 Fieldfare
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Meadow Pipit
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 26 (15♂) Mallard
- 6 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- >550 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Herring Gulls
- c.115 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: only four early; c.110 later arrivals
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately and one departed
- 1 Grey Heron
- *1 Great (White) Egret: arrived
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
A more modest offering after overnight rain and a breeze blowing on many of the poles.
Moths:
- 3 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
- *1 caterpillar of moth / sawfly?
- 3 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
- *1 caterpillar of moth / sawfly?
Springtails:
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- 1 unidentified globular springtail
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- 1 unidentified globular springtail
Four-winged flies:
- *1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
- *1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
Other flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 possible Palloptera scutellata: a trembling-wing fly
- *1 fruit fly, likely Tephritis formosa
- more unidentified flies
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 possible Palloptera scutellata: a trembling-wing fly
- *1 fruit fly, likely Tephritis formosa
- more unidentified flies
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 unidentified money spider
- 1 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted on the walls of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 unidentified money spider
- 1 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted on the walls of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:
Flies:
- *1 Yellow Cereal Fly Opomyza florum
- *1 cranefly Tipula pagana
- *1 Yellow Cereal Fly Opomyza florum
- *1 cranefly Tipula pagana
Slugs, snails etc.:
- *1 red slug Arion ater-type
- *1 unidentified snail
- *1 red slug Arion ater-type
- *1 unidentified snail
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 26 spiders: usual suspects
Noted later elsewhere:
- 26 spiders: usual suspects
Noted later elsewhere:
Nothing: the European Hornet Vespa crabro nest site was not active. What flew past me was probably a wasp.
There go the Greylag Geese: 45 of them.
And another 27. Look carefully: the top bird at the front is a first-winter Herring Gull!
Record shot. Big while bird with a large yellow bill = a Great (White) Egret.
A springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis with antennae at a jaunty angle.
A Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea somewhat rain-spattered.
On a wall of the Telford Sailing Clun HQ was this Yellow Cereal Fly Opomyza florum.
On the same wall was this male cranefly Tipula pagana.
It is not often I find a money spider on the street lamp poles. There is almost no chance of a more detailed identity from photos of members of this large family.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: moved several feet, if the same individual
- *1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: moved several feet, if the same individual
Flies:
- 2 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- 36 midges of various species
- 2 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- 36 midges of various species
Beetles
- * $$ larvae, possibly of Cobweb Beetle Ctesias serra
- * $$ larvae, possibly of Cobweb Beetle Ctesias serra
Arthropods:
- no White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
- no White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 spiders only: usual suspects
- 2 spiders only: usual suspects
Is this the same Mottled Umber moth Erranis defoliaria? If so it has moved several feet
I had to do a lot of searching around the web to find a possible identity for this. It was Google Lens that pointed me in the right direction. It is a beetle larvae, possibly of Cobweb Beetle Ctesias serra. This is in the same family of beetles as carpet beetles whose larvae are known as woolly bears.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:35
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:35
(252nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the three mainly white feral geese were with at least 102 Greylags.
- 11 Mute Swans again
- Goosanders, Great Crested Grebes and Cormorants were diving around each other while all fishing beneath overhanging vegetation near the Derwent Drive lay-by making numbers difficult to ascertain.
- what I presume was the same Little Grebe first noted Saturday and hiding away yesterday.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Redwings
Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 102 Greylag Geese at least
- 3 mainly white feral geese
- 11 Mute Swans
- 34 (24♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- *18 (1♂) Goosander: see notes
- 7 Moorhens
- 102 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, arrived
- 8 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron: see notes
Noted around the area:
Bird notes:
- the three mainly white feral geese were with at least 102 Greylags.
- 11 Mute Swans again
- Goosanders, Great Crested Grebes and Cormorants were diving around each other while all fishing beneath overhanging vegetation near the Derwent Drive lay-by making numbers difficult to ascertain.
- what I presume was the same Little Grebe first noted Saturday and hiding away yesterday.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Redwings
Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 102 Greylag Geese at least
- 3 mainly white feral geese
- 11 Mute Swans
- 34 (24♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- *18 (1♂) Goosander: see notes
- 7 Moorhens
- 102 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, arrived
- 8 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron: see notes
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- *3 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
- *3 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
Fungus:
- * unidentified fungus
...this bird. On plumage another duck Mallard. Not with an all-yellow bill it isn't. But what is it? Well: I guess it is a first year drake very late in moulting. The crown does look to be acquiring the green of a drake's head. There is no sign of the curled tail-feather that is so characteristic of drake Mallards.
"Where are all the fish?" Two brownhead Goosanders. I am not certain whether to read anything in to their different brown tones. The front bird shows white between the bill and the eye which some Field Guides suggest indicates a first-winter. Perhaps the other is an adult?
The only drake Goosander I can say I positively saw today. The birds were hauling on and off the island and it was difficult to keep track. It will moult out the two black feathers along its flanks. All fuzzy I am afraid – it was taken in soaking drizzle.
Another take on the very variable November Moth types Epirrita sp. This one was at the top end. The two I saw yesterday on a street lamp pole in squirrel alley were still there today but had shuffled around to the leeward side.
These have popped up since yesterday (or I must book an appointment with Specsavers (other opticians are...)). You would think "easy"...
- * unidentified fungus
A duck Mallard of course. Note the bill colour and compare with...
(Ed Wilson)
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2010
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail heard
>500 Black-headed Gulls
>530 migrating Wood Pigeons
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
65 Mute Swans
7 Wigeon
7 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
47 Greylag Geese
56 Canada Geese
9 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
236 Coots
4 Buzzards
Chiffchaff
27 Starlings
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
Goldeneye
100 Fieldfare
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail heard
>500 Black-headed Gulls
>530 migrating Wood Pigeons
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
65 Mute Swans
7 Wigeon
7 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
47 Greylag Geese
56 Canada Geese
9 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
236 Coots
4 Buzzards
Chiffchaff
27 Starlings
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
Goldeneye
100 Fieldfare
(John Isherwood)