8 Jan 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake only

2.0°C: Mist and occasional light rain / drizzle. Light south-easterly wind. Poor visibility.

Sunrise: 08:19 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Some paths were still icy and I decided not to attempt The Flash. Anyway the visibility was poor.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 07:20 – 09:55

(6th visit of the year)

A small amount of ice remained.

All counts impacted by the poor visibility and hence incomplete.

Bird notes:
- *a pair of Shoveler found.
- *as yesterday nine Pochard (six drakes) noted.
- *many fewer Tufted Duck. Those I saw were widely dispersed. Whether there could have been quite so many hidden by the mist to bring a count anywhere near those of the last few days is doubtful.
- there were at least 1000 gulls on the water by 07:40. The vast majority seemed to be Lesser Black-backed Gulls but there were also many Black-headed Gulls calling. I have not attempted any breakdown of the figure.
- at least three Redwings were seen in trees at various points around the area.
- I did not see or hear any Siskins.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 36 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
- 1 Grey Heron: perhaps arriving from The Flash?
- 4 Jackdaws
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Counts from the lake area:
- >2 Canada Geese: two seen, others heard; all departed
- *2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 16 (10♂) Mallard
- *9 (6♂) Pochard
- *31 (15♂) Tufted Duck: but see notes
- 6 Moorhens
- 17 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- >1000 gulls, not specifically identified
- 5 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
An excellent start to the year for moths

Moths:
- *1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- *1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
- *1 male Early Moth Theria primaria

Flies:
- *1 winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis
- 1 unidentified midge

Springtails:
- 3 globular springtail sps., some probably Dicyrtomina saundersi
- *2 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris-type

Spiders / harvestmen etc.:
- *1 probable Common Mesh-weaver spider Dictyna arundinacea
- *1 spider Neriene montana

Noted later on the walls of the Telford Sailing Club HQ:

Flies:
- *1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- *1 unidentified male small plumed midge

Springtails:
- *6 globular springtail sps., some probably Dicyrtomina saundersi

Slugs, snails etc.:
- *1 unidentified slug.

Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:

Spiders / harvestmen etc.:
- *harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus
and elsewhere
- *unidentified fungus

A pair of Shoveler with the drake at the back. Probably a first-winter drake as it is not (yet?) in anything like breeding plumage. A drake Tufted Duck looks on.

Two drake Pochard in the misty conditions. All nine Pochard were close together which is more than be said for most...

...one of many nearly lost-in-the-mist duck Tufted Ducks.

Now late in the flight period for Winter Moth Operophtera brumata. This, as were most I have seen this period, a male.

A male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria with very few markings. The long, straight edge to the forewing helps identification.

The last of trio: a male Early Moth Theria primaria. Not a species I record every year though a common-enough species. As with the other two species seen today the female are flightless with only vestigial wings.

The dew on this winter cranefly Trichocera sp. makes it look as if the legs and antennae are banded.

This example was on a wall of the Telford Sailing Club when it was "light"(?).

One of the small midges, this a male showing plumed antennae. "Unidentified non-biting midge" is as far as Obsidentify is prepared to go. I concur.

A springtail Tomocerus vulgaris-type. All the springtails I noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn were sitting on the serial number labels. Was this a positive decision by them or were they too hard to see against the gun-metal poles? At the tight edge of this photo is what might be an even smaller springtail-like creature.

There were also springtails on walls of the sailing club. These were all globular springtails some probably Dicyrtomina saundersi. Here is one.

And another. All about 3mm (0.1") long.

This on one wall of the sailing club. I assume a slug. I should have photographed it from some other angles as I cannot make any other suggestion.

A probable Common Mesh-weaver spider Dictyna arundinacea. According to NatureSpot none of the species in this group should be active at this date.

This spider is almost certainly Neriene montana though it would have been out with the jolly old microscope to look at its genitalia to be sure.

On the Teece Drive fence was this (six-legged) harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus. It is 2020 since I recorded this species in the early part of the year.

This unidentified fungus seemed to be growing on the ground. All the suggestions from Obsidentify were of bracket fungus, on the face of it unlikely. However parts of a dead Silver Birch Betula pendula fell to the ground in this area last year. I have recorded bracket fungus on its trunk in previous years. So perhaps... Must try and lie on the ground and see what else I can see.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
Goldeneye
(Martin Grant)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Observer Unknown)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Caspian Gull
41 Great Black-backed Gulls
11 Bullfinches
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
29 Swans
4 Gadwall
c.22 Pochard
c.66 Tufted Duck
c.280 Coots
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
c.500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.60 Herring Gulls
Caspian Gull
2 Buzzards
1 Siskin over
(Ed Wilson/Unknown Observer)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
(Paul King)

2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
23 Herring Gulls
(Martin Adlam)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
3 Pochard
28 Tufted Ducks
>1050 Black-headed Gulls
51 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
34 Herring Gulls
10 Great Black-backed Gulls
31 Robins
13 Blackbirds
32 Fieldfares
34 Redwings
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
1 Little Grebe
1 Kingfisher
1500 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c.84 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
8 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
22 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
210 Coot
2 Water Rail
1 Reed Bunting
21 Robins
20 Blackbirds
10 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)