10.0°C > 12.0°C: Mixed: occasional light rain or drizzle. Some clear spells. Light southerly breeze. Mostly very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:47 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 – 09:30
(256th visit of the year)
Bird notes
Again almost no movements overhead. Just one Redwing and one Skylark lost in the drizzle at the time. Three groups of Wood Pigeons moving South, one containing 56 birds.
Other bird notes:
- I noted five skeins of geese in the daily movement westbound. Photos show these comprised 143 birds. On call these were Greylag Geese. However two peeled off one of the skeins and splashed down to reveal two Canada Geese. How many more Canadas were lurking in the skeins?
- *a drake Shoveler was new in.
- I thought I had re-found the pair of Gadwall but photos revealed *a trio of (Common) Teal – a drake and two ducks.
- it was Lesser Black-backed Gulls that led the arrivals today with the first birds noted at 07:07 with the first of, eventually, c.550 Black-headed Gulls following at 07:20.
- at least 250 Lesser Blacked-Gulls 07:40 with all having departed by 08:00. After 08:40 new(?) arrivals totalled c.110 birds. At least two Herring Gulls were, unusually, seen among the first arrivals. More later.
- another large passage of Jackdaws and Rooks. I also noted at least 50 birds to the far East that I was not able to identify. Possibly more Jackdaws and Rooks?
- five Reed Buntings were seen to leave their usual West end roost site together. The first I have seen this second Winter period.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 143 geese, all westbound
- 94 Wood Pigeons: 68 of these in three migrant groups
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Skylark: heard only
- 326 Jackdaws
- 259 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
- 4 Pied Wagtails
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- *1 (1♂) Shoveler
- *23 (15♂) Mallard
- *3 (1♂) (Common) Teal
- 9 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 47 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- c.550 Black-headed Gulls
- 20 Herring Gulls
- c.360 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.250 early; c.110 later arrivals again
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately; neither seen subsequently
- 1 Grey Heron
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler again
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Bird notes
Again almost no movements overhead. Just one Redwing and one Skylark lost in the drizzle at the time. Three groups of Wood Pigeons moving South, one containing 56 birds.
Other bird notes:
- I noted five skeins of geese in the daily movement westbound. Photos show these comprised 143 birds. On call these were Greylag Geese. However two peeled off one of the skeins and splashed down to reveal two Canada Geese. How many more Canadas were lurking in the skeins?
- *a drake Shoveler was new in.
- I thought I had re-found the pair of Gadwall but photos revealed *a trio of (Common) Teal – a drake and two ducks.
- it was Lesser Black-backed Gulls that led the arrivals today with the first birds noted at 07:07 with the first of, eventually, c.550 Black-headed Gulls following at 07:20.
- at least 250 Lesser Blacked-Gulls 07:40 with all having departed by 08:00. After 08:40 new(?) arrivals totalled c.110 birds. At least two Herring Gulls were, unusually, seen among the first arrivals. More later.
- another large passage of Jackdaws and Rooks. I also noted at least 50 birds to the far East that I was not able to identify. Possibly more Jackdaws and Rooks?
- five Reed Buntings were seen to leave their usual West end roost site together. The first I have seen this second Winter period.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 143 geese, all westbound
- 94 Wood Pigeons: 68 of these in three migrant groups
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Skylark: heard only
- 326 Jackdaws
- 259 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
- 4 Pied Wagtails
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- *1 (1♂) Shoveler
- *23 (15♂) Mallard
- *3 (1♂) (Common) Teal
- 9 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 47 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- c.550 Black-headed Gulls
- 20 Herring Gulls
- c.360 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: c.250 early; c.110 later arrivals again
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately; neither seen subsequently
- 1 Grey Heron
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler again
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 8 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
- 8 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
Other flies:
- 1 male Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
- *1 possible fly Dryomyza anilis
- *1 barklouse Ectopsocus briggsi-type
- 1 plumed midge
- 2 fungus gnats
- 3 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- *2 winged form of blackfly aphid?
- 1 male Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
- *1 possible fly Dryomyza anilis
- *1 barklouse Ectopsocus briggsi-type
- 1 plumed midge
- 2 fungus gnats
- 3 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- *2 winged form of blackfly aphid?
Slugs, snails etc.:
- 1 unidentified snail
- 1 unidentified snail
Fungus:
- *Trooping Funnel Infundibulicybe geotropa (was Clitocybe geotropa)
- *Trooping Funnel Infundibulicybe geotropa (was Clitocybe geotropa)
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius [Bridge Orbweaver]
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 1 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
Amphibians:
- 1 Common Toad Bufo bufo
Noted on the walls of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:
- 1 Common Toad Bufo bufo
Noted on the walls of the sailing club HQ pre-dawn:
Flies:
- *2 craneflies Tipula pagana
- *2 craneflies Tipula pagana
Slugs, snails etc.:
- 1 red slug Arion ater-type
- 1 red slug Arion ater-type
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- not counted: nothing unusual seen
Noted later elsewhere:
- not counted: nothing unusual seen
Noted later elsewhere:
Nothing
In the continuing mild mornings (10°C or about) I am surprised not to see any bats during my first walk around when it is still dark.
Apologies for the quality of these two photos. I was photographing at long range in poor light to a dark corner of the water. Ignore the front birds. From the left at the back is a drake Teal; a duck Mallard; a duck Teal stern on and harder to see than the others in front of another duck Mallard; another duck Teal (the white stripe on the side of her tail is clear(ish); and drake Mallard.
Not quite so bad. From the left: drake Mallard; what I hope is a duck Mallard (though the bill looks too orange on the side); what is certainly a duck Mallard; and a drake Shoveler.
Another long-range poor-light special. A Redwing. The white eyebrow is probably the most distinctive feature. The name is a slight misnomer: it is the flanks (just visible here) and the inner part of the underwing (not easy to see in flight) that are red.
This is worrying. Obsidentify is 100% sure this fly is Dryomyza anilis. It was significantly larger than flies I have previously recorded as this species. It crawled up the street lamp pole more like a beetle than a fly. NatureSpot says the suggested species is 12mm. I am non-metric but reference to a ruler I would have put this specimen as 20mm. Tis a mystery.
Two of these on the street lamp poles this morning. What I am calling the winged form of blackfly aphid.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
The Mottled Umber moth Erranis defoliaria, presumably for its fourth day. Note and hold the markings in your mind for later.
The upper cranefly is relatively easily identified by the pale line running down the abdomen, the dark vein in the wing with the pale mark beside the fork. It is Tipula lateralis. I assume the other one is the same species but a different sex.
This cranefly is less easy. I think the combination of longer antennae, lack of other marks and time of year (Autumn) means this is another cranefly Tipula pagana.
(253rd visit of the year)
I was told that Cuan Wildlife Rescue had attempted to recover one of the Mute Swans entangled in fishing line but were too late to save it. Apparently this happened several days ago so does not explain the decrease from 11 Mute Swans yesterday to 10 today.
Bird notes:
- none of the mainly white feral geese was seen. They could well have been inside the island to where many of the Greylag Geese had retreated.
- *a drake Shoveler was alongside the island, usually obscured by geese.
- *three(?) brownhead Goosanders were visible on the island. Otherwise just a drake and a brownhead diving for fish.
- *the Little Grebe was out in the open today and swam much of the way across the water.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Skylark
- 7 Jackdaws: together
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- *36 Greylag Geese at least
- 10 Mute Swans
- 30 (20♂) Mallard
- 21 (>9♂) Tufted Duck
- *5 (1♂) Goosander: see notes
- 7 Moorhens again
- *100 Coots exactly
- *1 Little Grebe (omitted from yesterday's table)
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls: various ages
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: immature arrived
- 10 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
Noted around the area:
In the continuing mild mornings (10°C or about) I am surprised not to see any bats during my first walk around when it is still dark.
This tiny insect is a barklouse from the Ectopsocus briggsi group only separable by examining the genitalia and then only if it is a male. The wing markings are variable and not diagnostic.
On one wall of the Telford Sailing Club HQ was this cranefly Tipula pagana...
...and another of the same with its wings closed.
What I think is Trooping Funnel fungus Infundibulicybe geotropa.
The slight problem is that it was a "troop" of one. Perhaps more will follow!
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
Moths:
- *1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: same again?
- *1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: same again?
Flies:
- *2 cranefly Tipula lateralis
- *1 cranefly Tipula pagana
- 30 midges of various species
- *2 cranefly Tipula lateralis
- *1 cranefly Tipula pagana
- 30 midges of various species
Beetles
- *larvae, possibly of Cobweb Beetle Ctesias serra
- *larvae, possibly of Cobweb Beetle Ctesias serra
Arthropods:
- 3 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
- 3 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 spider only
- 1 spider only
If I got this correct yesterday another chance to see the larvae of a Cobweb Beetle Ctesias serra. The adult beetle lives off the detritus left by spiders when they have eaten their prey. Rather like dogs eating crumbs from the table.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:45
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:45
(253rd visit of the year)
I was told that Cuan Wildlife Rescue had attempted to recover one of the Mute Swans entangled in fishing line but were too late to save it. Apparently this happened several days ago so does not explain the decrease from 11 Mute Swans yesterday to 10 today.
Bird notes:
- none of the mainly white feral geese was seen. They could well have been inside the island to where many of the Greylag Geese had retreated.
- *a drake Shoveler was alongside the island, usually obscured by geese.
- *three(?) brownhead Goosanders were visible on the island. Otherwise just a drake and a brownhead diving for fish.
- *the Little Grebe was out in the open today and swam much of the way across the water.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Skylark
- 7 Jackdaws: together
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- *36 Greylag Geese at least
- 10 Mute Swans
- 30 (20♂) Mallard
- 21 (>9♂) Tufted Duck
- *5 (1♂) Goosander: see notes
- 7 Moorhens again
- *100 Coots exactly
- *1 Little Grebe (omitted from yesterday's table)
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls: various ages
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: immature arrived
- 10 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- *3 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
- *1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
- *3 November Moth types Epirrita sp.
- *1 Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
Fungus:
- *yesterday's fungus, now identified as Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea, was collapsing
On the island were three brownhead Goosander, again amongst the Greylag Geese. Looking critically at the photo are there two more almost totally obscured by the left two birds?
"Butter" "melt" "mouth" spring to mind. A long-tailed Tit imitating a powder-puff (does anyone know what this is these days?).
There were still three November Moth types Epirrita sp. present. Yesterday's specimen at the top end had gone. There were still two in squirrel alley. This one was on the street lamp pole at the back of the Priorslee Academy.
Compare this Mottled Umber moth Erranis defoliaria with the one in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel. This one is "umber" but much less "mottled" and the cross band is more prominent.
It is just as well I took the photo of this fungus yesterday. I don't know whether they have collapsed or whether they have been trampled. I noted yesterday that I could not get an identity from my apps that I was happy with. With thanks to Martin Adlam who used a mushroom app. on my photo to come up with Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea – which is what I suspected. My apps are giving the same result as they did yesterday with this picture.
- *yesterday's fungus, now identified as Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea, was collapsing
A drake Shoveler against the island among the Greylag Geese.
Seems it is the Coot fighting season. But then again when isn't it?
Size comparison between Coot and Little Grebe.
It took much photo-editing to get this clear a view of the Little Grebe.
(Ed Wilson)
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2011
Priorslee Lake
14 Redwing
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Common Gull, though it could have been Mew/Ring-billed Gull!
Yellow Legged Gull
(Mike Cooper/Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
42 Redwing
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
1 Shoveler
8 Pochard
64 Tufted Ducks
30 Robins
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
14 Redwing
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Common Gull, though it could have been Mew/Ring-billed Gull!
Yellow Legged Gull
(Mike Cooper/Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
42 Redwing
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
1 Shoveler
8 Pochard
64 Tufted Ducks
30 Robins
(Ed Wilson)