6.0°C > 7.0°C: A few brighter intervals though still mostly cloudy. Fresh south-easterly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:05 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 07:00 – 09:25
(21st visit of the year)
Another very quiet day.
Bird notes:
- six Canada Geese flew in from the East.
- not entirely sure haw many Goosander there were today: there were three drakes and a brownhead early apparently all flying off West at 07:42. Whether most of these returned is unknown: however there were two drakes and brownhead present at 08:00 and thereafter.
- another day with small numbers of, especially, large gulls on the water
- about 250 Black-headed Gulls were flying low over the water by 07:23 before soon settling. Could these have perhaps roosted here and been disturbed or where they unusually arrivals?
- just four Herring Gulls and only two Lesser Black-backed Gulls joined the Black-heads on the water before all the gulls departed.
- all the gulls passing over were as singles or small scattered groups with no skeins seen. There was an unusually high proportion of Herring Gulls
- the Jackdaw and Rook counts are "best effort" as the main passage coincided with the exodus of the gulls and the species were all mixed up.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Feral Pigeons: flew South together
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 27 Herring Gulls
- 31 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Sparrowhawk
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 177 Jackdaws
- 113 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
Counts from the lake area:
- 8 (4♂) Mallard
- 14 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (3♂) Goosander: see notes
- 5 Moorhens
- 17 Coots
- >250 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls only
- 4 Cormorants again
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret: flew off again
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Very breezy around the poles.
Beetles:
- *1 unidentified ground beetle
- *1 unidentified ground beetle
Others:
- *1 unidentified insect.
Noted later:
- *1 unidentified insect.
Noted later:
Nothing
Very odd:
I have yet to see any Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni this Winter. There were only a few last Winter after a few years when double figures on the Teece Drive fence was not uncommon.
Silhouetted birds against the leaden sky require some editing to get results that show some of the features. Here is a Sparrowhawk: rounded wing-tips and long tail. Often noted looking for prey in a "flap-flap-flap-glide" mode of flight. Of course it is equally at home twisting and turning through woodland hoping to surprise its prey.
None of my apps give me an ID for this beetle: a ground beetle I think. I'll see if the Shropshire recorder can help though I am aware that as one of the largest families of insects in the UK with over 350 species in over 80 genera it is a challenge!
(17th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the Mute Swans gone again.
- both Pochard and Tufted Duck numbers increased.
- five Goosander, only one drake
- two Great Crested Grebes: confirmed when two seen at the same time.
- *two Cormorant with one departing.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 11 Canada Geese
- no Mute Swans
- 35 (21♂) Mallard
- 11 (9♂) Pochard
- 55 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (1♂) Goosander
- 10 Moorhens
- 36 Coots again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- *57 Black-headed Gulls: a good variety?
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, briefly
- *2 Cormorants: one departed
- 1 Grey Heron
- *1 Great (White) Egret
Of note around the area:
Nothing else
Not something I see very often here: a Black-headed Gull on the grass. This one an adult-winter plumaged bird.
A female Chaffinch munches a seed picked up from underneath the feeding station. This species has less ability to hang on to feeders than Green- and Gold-finches.
While several others sang their heads off this Song Thrush was sitting quietly in an Ivy clump and snatching the berries from time to time.
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
12 Pochard
56 Tufted Duck
1 Velvet Scoter
108 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
95 Tufted Ducks
4 Goosanders
9 Bullfinches
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
31 Wigeon
8 Gadwall
26 Pochard
99 Tufted Ducks
1 Greater Scaup
>1200 Black-headed Gulls
>2200 large gulls
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
23 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
1 Cormorant
16 Swans
2 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
5 Pochard
37 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
117 Coots
96 Black-headed Gulls
42 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
38 Herring Gulls
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
Horsehay Pool
1 Caspian Gull
(Jim Almond)
2010
Priorslee Lake
>300 Jackdaws
36 Swans
4 Gadwall
26 Pochard
64 Tufted Ducks
315 Coots
>300 Black-headed Gulls
39 Lesser Black-backed
28 Herring Gulls
11 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
(Jason Buckley)
2008
Priorslee Lake
120 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
16 Herring Gulls
50 Black-headed Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
3 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
14 Pochard
23 Tufted Ducks
151 Coot
370 Jackdaws
118 Rooks
250 Wood Pigeon
15 Robins
14 Blackbirds
47 Siskins
3 Redpolls
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
And a Common Buzzard.
It seemed unperturbed by my presence and...
...flew low over me...
...several times.
This looks somewhat like my unidentified insect from yesterday. It shares the general size and shape as well as the black area on what might be the thorax. However yesterday's specimen was white whereas this is grey.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:50
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:50
(17th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the Mute Swans gone again.
- both Pochard and Tufted Duck numbers increased.
- five Goosander, only one drake
- two Great Crested Grebes: confirmed when two seen at the same time.
- *two Cormorant with one departing.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 11 Canada Geese
- no Mute Swans
- 35 (21♂) Mallard
- 11 (9♂) Pochard
- 55 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (1♂) Goosander
- 10 Moorhens
- 36 Coots again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- *57 Black-headed Gulls: a good variety?
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, briefly
- *2 Cormorants: one departed
- 1 Grey Heron
- *1 Great (White) Egret
Of note around the area:
Nothing else
Add you own caption. I don't want to be cancelled.
An immature Cormorant swimming half-submerged – as they do.
The Great (White) Egret seemed to be having difficulty standing in the trees.
It should not be too hard as the species, like the Grey Heron, nests in the tops of tall trees.
If at first you don't succeed give up.
Always a delight: a Long-tailed Tit.
Male Blackbirds are not always as black as they appear at first sight.
This one with a (partial) grey shawl somewhat reminiscent of a Jackdaw.
A smart male Chaffinch.
I think I have been spotted.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Priorslee Lake
12 Pochard
56 Tufted Duck
1 Velvet Scoter
108 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
95 Tufted Ducks
4 Goosanders
9 Bullfinches
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
31 Wigeon
8 Gadwall
26 Pochard
99 Tufted Ducks
1 Greater Scaup
>1200 Black-headed Gulls
>2200 large gulls
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
23 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
1 Cormorant
16 Swans
2 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
5 Pochard
37 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
117 Coots
96 Black-headed Gulls
42 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
38 Herring Gulls
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
Horsehay Pool
1 Caspian Gull
(Jim Almond)
2010
Priorslee Lake
>300 Jackdaws
36 Swans
4 Gadwall
26 Pochard
64 Tufted Ducks
315 Coots
>300 Black-headed Gulls
39 Lesser Black-backed
28 Herring Gulls
11 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
(Jason Buckley)
2008
Priorslee Lake
120 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
16 Herring Gulls
50 Black-headed Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
3 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
14 Pochard
23 Tufted Ducks
151 Coot
370 Jackdaws
118 Rooks
250 Wood Pigeon
15 Robins
14 Blackbirds
47 Siskins
3 Redpolls
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)