8.0°C > 9.0°C: Surprise! More very low cloud. Brisk easterly wind fell light. Moderate visibility.
Sunrise: 08:20 GMT again
I am pleased to say that all the photos withheld recently have now been added and can be accessed by scrolling down the web page and using the "older posts" link. As always I am hugely indebted to Martin Adlam for his hard work in making this possible.
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:45 – 09:35
(310th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- *six Canada Geese were again on the water at first light, soon leaving to the East. A pair came in from the East later, returning a few minutes later.
- yesterday's two Mute Swan arrivals were nowhere to be seen.
- in the murk I did not count the Coots today.
- Perhaps the lowest number of gulls I can recall. The first eight of an eventual c.75 Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:43.
- Four Lesser Black-backed Gulls came from the South at 07:47, took a look around and flew off South again. Four more(?) did the same thing a few minutes later. A single adult arrived at 08:15. No others were on the water with just a small number passing over.
- a quartet of Cormorants arrived together. Another arrived later.
- the Great (White) Egret seen again. None of the three Grey Herons seemed interested.
- as yesterday a typical number of Rooks were noted passing on their usual flight-line but very few Jackdaws.
- I only glimpsed it briefly but it seemed a lone Starling flushed off the dam-face c.08:15. Most odd.
- not entirely clear how many Song Thrushes were singing today. Certainly 13 on my first walk around. Later two birds were singing at other locations when most of the original songsters had fallen quiet. New songsters or birds relocating?
- *at least 25 Redwings flushed out of trees around the Telford Sailing Club HQ c.09:15.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Wood Pigeons only
- 1 Herring Gull
- 42 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 48 Jackdaws
- 134 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- *8 Canada Geese: six departed together; two visited briefly
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 28 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull only
- 5 Cormorants: see notes
- *3 Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: fourth day in the same place
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria: fourth day in the same place
Flies:
- 1 very small plumed midge
- 1 very small plumed midge
Springtails:
- 5 springtails sp., all probably Dicyrtomina saundersi
- 5 springtails sp., all probably Dicyrtomina saundersi
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Later:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Later:
Nothing seen
Much the same weather as yesterday pre-dawn. Today a group of Canada Geese photo-bomb the view.
My friend the Grey Heron was by the Wesley Brook bridge again.
It looked at me.
Checking me out
And then got down to the serious business of fishing.
Success again! Not sure about the fish species. Obsidentify did not help: "Mountain Hare"!?!
The heron then wandered off, carefully watching me but unperturbed.
One of c.25 Redwings in trees at the West end.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:40 – 10:50
(303rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a second Mute Swan today. They took very little notice of each other.
- *until yesterday I had not seen or heard any Coal Tits for some weeks. Yesterday there were two singing and calling by the academy. Today three were chasing around alongside the lower car parking area – at least other than for a short break as everything dived for cover when a Sparrowhawk flew over.
- I counted 26 Redwings leaving trees at the top end and flying off East.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 34 (25♂) Mallard [yesterday's total was mistyped as 21 (19♂): it should have read 31 (19♂)]
- *10 (6♂) Pochard: yet again
- 34 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosander
- 10 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes again
- 50 Black-headed Gulls exactly
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winter
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
Noted around the area:
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata
- *1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata
There were again no insects on the bank of Ivy.
On one of the street lamp poles I found this spider. Perhaps a Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata. But I now read on the NatureSpot site that this species is "very difficult to distinguish from Z. atrica". It seems that around "window frames or car door mirrors" then Z. atrica is unlikely. Elsewhere separation needs an expert – which I am not. So I should probably record these in future as "Missing Sector Orb-web-type Spider from the species pair Zygiella x-notata / atrica".
A drake Pochard again, edited to show the feather patterning to best advantage.
A poor photo of two sparring Coal Tits. The white stripe on their nape is visible – just.
And a very poor photo of the same two.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
6 Pochard
78 Tufted Ducks
1 female Greater Scaup
222 Coots counted
Caspian Gull
2 Fieldfare
17 Redwings
429 Jackdaws
173 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Pochard
110 Tufted Ducks
17 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
11 Swans
1 Shoveler
c.115 Tufted Duck
7 Goosander
129 Coots
41 Black-headed Gulls
51 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
21 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
12 Pochard
26 Tufted Ducks
181 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
3 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
16 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
32 Swans
114 Canada Geese
39 Tufted Duck
1 Goldeneye
166 Coots counted
(Ed Wilson)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
3rd-winter American Herring Gull
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Tom Lowe/Kriss Webb)
2011
Priorslee Lake
c.6000 Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls
7 Yellow-legged Gulls
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
Sparrowhawk
(Martin Adlam and Ian Grant)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
42 Swans
2 Gadwall
51 Pochard
132 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
296 Coots
c.2000 Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls
30 Lapwings
50 Golden Plover
7 Redwings
8 Fieldfares
15 Goldfinches
11 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
31 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
58 Coots
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
c.3200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
15 Pied Wagtails
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)
2005
Priorslee lake
c.600 Black-headed Gulls
c.100 Lesser Black-backs
11 Herring Gull
7 Pochard
14 Tufted Duck
1 Cormorant on the Lake.
200 Coot
1 Water Rail
18 Pied Wagtails
231 Rooks
323 Jackdaw
3 Redwing
c.50 Siskin
7 Redpoll
8 Reed Bunting
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Adlam)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
6 Pochard
78 Tufted Ducks
1 female Greater Scaup
222 Coots counted
Caspian Gull
2 Fieldfare
17 Redwings
429 Jackdaws
173 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Pochard
110 Tufted Ducks
17 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
11 Swans
1 Shoveler
c.115 Tufted Duck
7 Goosander
129 Coots
41 Black-headed Gulls
51 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
21 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
12 Pochard
26 Tufted Ducks
181 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
3 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
16 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
32 Swans
114 Canada Geese
39 Tufted Duck
1 Goldeneye
166 Coots counted
(Ed Wilson)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
3rd-winter American Herring Gull
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Tom Lowe/Kriss Webb)
2011
Priorslee Lake
c.6000 Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls
7 Yellow-legged Gulls
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
Sparrowhawk
(Martin Adlam and Ian Grant)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
42 Swans
2 Gadwall
51 Pochard
132 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
296 Coots
c.2000 Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls
30 Lapwings
50 Golden Plover
7 Redwings
8 Fieldfares
15 Goldfinches
11 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake iced over - 2009 (Martin Adlam)
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
31 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
58 Coots
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
c.3200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
15 Pied Wagtails
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)
2005
Priorslee lake
c.600 Black-headed Gulls
c.100 Lesser Black-backs
11 Herring Gull
7 Pochard
14 Tufted Duck
1 Cormorant on the Lake.
200 Coot
1 Water Rail
18 Pied Wagtails
231 Rooks
323 Jackdaw
3 Redwing
c.50 Siskin
7 Redpoll
8 Reed Bunting
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Adlam)