6.0°C > 7.0°C: Cloudy. More spells of drizzle and light rain. Light and variable, mainly northerly breeze. Good visibility but moderate, even poor at times, in drizzle.
Sunrise: 07:33 GMT
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:35 – 09:10
(33rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a Canada Goose flew in to join what seems to be a resident pair. It was made unwelcome and soon departed.
- yesterday's pair of Pochard gone.
- my first view over the water revealed just a pair of Goosander. A trio (one drake) was seen to splash down a few minutes later. I did not see from where they originated. Eventually there seemed to be nine birds (five drakes) but they were all very mobile and hard to keep track of.
- 11 of the Coots were noted on the south-west grass: this is the first time I have seen any there for many days. Perhaps coincidentally people in Hi-viz jackets were working on the grass yesterday. I assumed they were from the sailing club but exactly what they were doing I could not see.
- only one Great Crested Grebe seen for sure. I suspected a second but could never find two at the same time.
- the first three of eventually 44 Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:20. At this time two immature Herring Gulls circled high over before carrying on. At least 29 Black-headed Gulls flew straight over. Only single Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls visited. Very few were seen overhead in the drizzle and low cloud.
- a Stock Dove was calling from trees along the North side: the first I have heard here this year.
- of the 44 Wood Pigeons seen flying over a party of 16 flew North and a group of eight flew East.
- the Great (White) Egret flew in (from where?) at 07:15.
- a Grey Heron flew high from the East at 08:15, circled around for a while and flew off high West.
- the Cetti's Warbler was singing along the North side this morning after its South side excursion yesterday. Not seen of course.
- 13 Song Thrushes were heard in good voice with another seen. Two Blackbirds were also singing early. A Mistle Thrush was calling from trees alongside Castle Farm Way. Later two were calling in flight over the academy.
- a tight group of c.175 Jackdaws flew over at 07:14. Thereafter only a few more and only a handful of Rooks. Had others flown over unseen earlier?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Greylag Geese: flew East together
- 44 Wood Pigeons: see notes
- 29 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- c.190 Jackdaws: see notes
- 10 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: of these one arrived and soon departed
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 20 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 (5♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- *1? Great Crested Grebe
- 44 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
In light rain / drizzle:
Moths:
- *4 male Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria
- *1 $ Oak Nycteoline Nycteola revayana
- *4 male Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria
- *1 $ Oak Nycteoline Nycteola revayana
Flies:
- *1 winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis
- *4 small plumed midges (males and females)
- *1 winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis
- *4 small plumed midges (males and females)
Springtails:
- 1 globular springtail Dicyrtomina saundersi-type
- *1 springtail possibly Tomocerus vulgaris
- 1 globular springtail Dicyrtomina saundersi-type
- *1 springtail possibly Tomocerus vulgaris
Beetles:
- *1 possible Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
- *1 possible Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis
Seen later:
- *1 Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis
Seen later:
Nothing of note
But swallowing it tail-first is not an option – note how the gills would preclude that and the unseen spines on the back would present a greater problem.
What seems to be happening here is that the grebe puts the stunned(?) fish back in the water so that it can pick up what I believe to be a Perch Perca fluviatilis...
The clearest of four male Dotted Border moths Agriopis marginaria. The outer cross-line suggests Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria though it lacks the dark spot on the inside the hook in the cross line. In particular this species has an obvious horizontal median cross-line. The "dotted border" that gives the species its common name is not especially obvious, can be very faint.
This a new species of moth for me. It is an Oak Nycteoline Nycteola revayana. It over-winters as an adult but rarely comes to light so a good sighting. The West Midlands Moths web site has a "Flying Tonight" tab which shows five records for this species over the last few (how many?) years: the Dotted Border has 512 records over the same period.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:30
(30th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- what seemed to be the same two Mute Swans as yesterday. The cob was chasing the pen around, whether in threat or because of the approaching Valentine's Day is hard to say. A Mute Swan was seen in flight briefly while I was not in a position to confirm it was one of these.
- no Pochard found
- all three Great Crested Grebes, two with obvious head plumes, seen.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
I could not get positive identification of either species of fungus I noted today. This is possibly Velvet Shank Flammulina velutipes.
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
1 Mediterranean Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2013
St Georges
5 Waxwings
(Observer Unknown)
Horsehay Pool
1 Caspian Gull
(Jim Almond)
2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Iceland Gulls
(Pete Jordan)
A Great Crested Grebe has breakfast by the tail.
...head-first!
All gone apart from the tail-end. Not the clearest set of photos. Another grey day!
A Robin brightening the day.
Another.
A winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis.
One of four small plumed midges this one of the males.
This springtail is possibly Tomocerus vulgaris.
A typically poor photo of a possible Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala.
A smart Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:30
(30th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- what seemed to be the same two Mute Swans as yesterday. The cob was chasing the pen around, whether in threat or because of the approaching Valentine's Day is hard to say. A Mute Swan was seen in flight briefly while I was not in a position to confirm it was one of these.
- no Pochard found
- all three Great Crested Grebes, two with obvious head plumes, seen.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese: of these eight arrived as four pairs
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 30 (22♂) Mallard
- no Pochard
- 17 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- *38 Coots
- *3 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Black-headed Gull: flew off separately
Noted around the area:
Noted on / around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese: of these eight arrived as four pairs
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 30 (22♂) Mallard
- no Pochard
- 17 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- *38 Coots
- *3 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Black-headed Gull: flew off separately
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- *1 male Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria
- *1 male Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria
Woodlice:
- *1 unidentified woodlouse
- *1 unidentified woodlouse
Plants:
- *emergent Cleavers Galium aparine
- *flowering Daffodil Narcissus sp.
- *emergent Cleavers Galium aparine
- *flowering Daffodil Narcissus sp.
Fungus:
- *possible Velvet Shank Flammulina velutipes
- *possible Turkeytail Trametes versicolor
A soggy-looking Great Crested Grebe. The all dark bill supports the idea that this is a first-winter bird yet to grow its head plumes.
One more stick! Coots are inveterate nest-builders and will continue adding material even when their partner is sitting on eggs or brooding young.
It jumped on the ground and started feeding alongside what was perhaps the object of its display. At that point a third Dunnock arrived and they all flew off.
An even better specimen of a male Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria with the outer cross-line showing as a band and the inner cross-line almost complete. In contrast there are very few dots on the border. This I found on one of the paling on the fence around the academy and close to one of the street lamps.
Research on this woodlouse got me nowhere other than now knowing there are over 30 species in the UK and most of them are not illustrated on the web. Quite why Obsidentify thought it was possibly a Harvest Mouse is unclear.
Flowering Daffodils Narcissus sp. I am not sure how "natural" these are. very welcome on a gloomy morning.
- *possible Velvet Shank Flammulina velutipes
- *possible Turkeytail Trametes versicolor
The plumage of Carrion Crows is somewhat more interesting that it appears at first sight.
This Dunnock had just been doing its wing-raising display.
Yes you!
A mass of emergent Cleavers Galium aparine.
Obsidentify was not sure whether this fungus is Turkeytail Trametes versicolor or not. Neither am I.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
1 Mediterranean Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2013
St Georges
5 Waxwings
(Observer Unknown)
Horsehay Pool
1 Caspian Gull
(Jim Almond)
2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Iceland Gulls
(Pete Jordan)