3.0°C > 7.0°C: Mostly clear. Slight frost in sheltered areas. Very light southerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:01 GMT
* = 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: 06:20 – 09:30
(293rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
Nothing very exciting this morning.
- the gulls were late arriving and early leaving. Not many arrived later.
- there may have been many more Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying over (well, more "past" than "over"). Birds flying South to the East were mixed up with birds leaving the water.
- the Great (White) Egret arrived from the East at 07:35. It and the Grey Heron remained on opposite sides of the water.- Cetti's Warbler heard calling and seen in flight. No song.
- *eight Song Thrushes were heard in song and another seen.
- no Mistle Thrush song. One was seen on the south-west grass.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Stock Dove
- 28 Wood Pigeons only
- 1 Herring Gull
- 65 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 313 Jackdaws
- 110 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Canada Goose: arrived
- 15 (?♂) Mallard: flew in a hid away
- 2 (0♂) Pochard
- 41 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 || 19 Herring Gulls
- c.300 || 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret: arrived
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 3 male Winter Moths Operophtera brumata
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
Nothing else at all
Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:
Nothing noted
Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:
Nothing noted
It did not look as if there was going to be an interesting sunrise.
I was about correct.
Off it goes.
A very smart adult male Blackbird.
"Now which one shall I eat first?"
"This one".
Down the hatch it goes.
Gulp!
"That looks tempting"
"Gotcha".
A Song Thrush with a ring of confidence? I cannot explain what the white circle is. I did not note it at the time.
The thrush has left its ring behind.
(Ed Wilson)
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Moths:
- *1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
Arthropods:
- 6 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
- 6 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
Slugs, snails etc.:
- *1 possible Chestnut Slug Deroceras invadens
- *1 possible Chestnut Slug Deroceras invadens
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 4 spiders: usual species
- 4 spiders: usual species
This male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata was only my second record of this species in the tunnel.
Yes well: possibly a Chestnut Slug Deroceras invadens. Possibly not!
(Ed Wilson)
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(286th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- *an immature drake Shoveler again – possibly the same as seen Saturday. Did I overlook it Sunday? This was at the top end. Later what looked to be a different immature drake was at the bottom end.
- *only a single brownhead Goosander which flew off.
- *only two Cormorants one of which appeared to be tied-up in fishing lines.
- no Grey Heron either
- no Great (White) Egret (presumably the bird at the Balancing Lake today)
Have we run out of fish? Or has the rain made the water too murky for fishing?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 6 Canada Geese
- *2 (2♂) Shoveler: see notes
- 25 (15♂) Mallard
- *2 (1♂) Pochard
- *29 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- *1 (0♂) Goosander: departed
- 11 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls only
- 8 Herring Gulls: at least one (near) adult
- *2 Cormorants
- no Grey Herons
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- 3 male Winter Moths Operophtera brumata
- *1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
The bank of Ivy had only a few insects in the chilly conditions:
- 3 male Winter Moths Operophtera brumata
- *1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
The bank of Ivy had only a few insects in the chilly conditions:
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- 1 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Flies:
- *>15 Common Blow Flies Calliphora vicina
- >5 other flies of several species.
And the bird at the bottom end. The pattern and tone of the flank feathers looks different. It is hard to be sure as the lighting conditions were so different.
A very soggy and unhappy-looking Cormorant. I have no idea what to do about this. I doubt it would be possible to catch a Cormorant as Cuan can with a Mute Swan. Exactly what the relation is between the fish and the fishing line is unclear.
Not a good photo I know but this shows a Song Thrush eating a sloe. What will it do with the stone? I could not persuade the camera to focus through the branches.
Another with eyes much larger and closer together. I surmise this is male and the previous one a female. Note this one is rubbing its back legs together.
Plane of the day. This is another one of the 91 Grob G115E Tutor T.1s operated on behalf of the RAF by Babcock Aerospace Ltd. As with the one I photographed on 20 November this aircraft was also en route from deep maintenance with Southern Sailplanes at Membury in Wiltshire to RAF Woodvale, home of both Liverpool and Manchester University Air Squadrons. A few hours later one flew the other way.
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall.
8 Pochard.
51 Tufted Ducks
156 Coots.
1st-winter Great Black-backed Gull on the water.
35 Redwings
c.407 Jackdaws
82 Rooks.
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
Caspian Gull
(John Isherwood / Another Observer)
2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Pete Nickless)
2006
Priorslee Lake
21 Pochard
50 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
73 Coots
>750 Black-headed Gulls
1904 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
29 Robins
25 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
6 Song Thrushes
31 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
258 Jackdaws
248 Rooks
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
3200 Black-headed Gulls
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1st-winter Great Black-backed Gull
7 Pochard
36 Tufted Duck
208 Coot
246 Jackdaws
83 Rooks
- *>15 Common Blow Flies Calliphora vicina
- >5 other flies of several species.
The immature drake Shoveler I noted at the top end. Note the rufous tone toward the front of the flanks.
I think I will give up trying to get close to Pochard: a distant drake.
And his lady companion.
The only brownhead Goosander looks surprised as a drake Tufted Duck dives.
It does seem to be swallowing.
A male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria high up on a street lamp pole in squirrel alley.
One of many Common Blow Flies Calliphora vicina on the Ivy. Note the position of the eyes.
(Ed Wilson)
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2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall.
8 Pochard.
51 Tufted Ducks
156 Coots.
1st-winter Great Black-backed Gull on the water.
35 Redwings
c.407 Jackdaws
82 Rooks.
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
Caspian Gull
(John Isherwood / Another Observer)
2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Pete Nickless)
2006
Priorslee Lake
21 Pochard
50 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
73 Coots
>750 Black-headed Gulls
1904 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
29 Robins
25 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
6 Song Thrushes
31 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
258 Jackdaws
248 Rooks
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
3200 Black-headed Gulls
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1st-winter Great Black-backed Gull
7 Pochard
36 Tufted Duck
208 Coot
246 Jackdaws
83 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)