10.0°C > 9.0°C: Early high overcast clearing from the West to leave good sunny spells ahead of some developing lower clouds. Moderate westerly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:12 GMT
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:30 – 08:35
(41st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a drake Pochard was new in: perhaps the bird recently at The Flash as that was not seen today. There was also an increase on the Tufted Duck numbers and a decrease at The Flash.
- three pairs of Great Crested Grebe noted.
- at least 67 Black-headed Gulls seen.
- a first-year Herring Gull was the only large gull seen actually on the water this morning.
- five Lesser Black-backed Gulls had a look at the water at 06:55 but carried on. Just one other seen overhead.
- no Grey Heron seen.
- a passage of Wood Pigeons flying North. I noted 89 birds in five groups. There were possibly more as I was not expecting to see such a movement and I may have missed some.
- two even larger groups of Jackdaws each containing at least 200 birds passed well to the East. Concurrently with the second such group were at least another 100 flying closer in two tight groups.
- no Reed Buntings seen or heard today.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Greylag Geese: a pair flew West.
- 96 Wood Pigeons: of these 89 flew North in five groups
- no Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.550 Jackdaws
- 59 Rooks
- 1 Redwing again
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: the resident pair with a single throughout.
- 14 (8♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 30 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 (3♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens still
- 30 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 67 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- no Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants
- no Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Flies:
- 1 small male plumed midge
- *2 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
- 1 small male plumed midge
- *2 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.
Beetles:
- *1 unidentified ground beetle
- *1 unidentified small weevil
- *1 unidentified ground beetle
- *1 unidentified small weevil
Springtails:
- >6 globular springtails, some perhaps Dicyrtomina saundersi-type
- >6 globular springtails, some perhaps Dicyrtomina saundersi-type
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
- *2 Nursery Web Spiders Pisaura mirabilis
- *1 Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
- *2 Nursery Web Spiders Pisaura mirabilis
The early high cloud beginning to clear away to the East.
A Walnut Orb Weaver spider Nuctenea umbratica.
...this one. I cannot recall seeing a Nursery Web Spider so-marked previously.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 08:40 – 09:40
(38th visit of the year)
New Bird Species:
A new bird species for the year here this morning: a Ring-necked Parakeet flew noisily South along with eight of the Jackdaws though I doubt they were actually together. Bird species #52 here this year for me.
Bird notes:
- the single Mute Swan remains: noted as unringed.
- only one Great Crested Grebe noted.
- in continuation of the small northbound passage of Wood Pigeons over the Balancing Lake a duo flew high North over here.
- *a male Blackcap yet again at the feeding station.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Wood Pigeons: flew high North
- 1 Ring-necked Parakeet
- 18 Jackdaws
- *2 Ravens
Noted on / around the water:
- 25 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- *33 (25♂) Mallard
- no Pochard
- 28 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- *15 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- *34 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first-year; arrived
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult, arrived and departed
- no Cormorants
- no Grey Heron
Noted around the area:
Leafhopper:
- *1 $ probably Idiocerus herrichi
- *1 $ probably Idiocerus herrichi
Spider:
- *1 money spider Erigone sp.
- *1 money spider Erigone sp.
The Ivy bank was in full sun but devoid of insects: perhaps the breeze was too strong.
A splash of colour on a welcome sunny morning. Four drake and one duck Mallard in formation. Note how the blue speculum in their wings changes tone with the angle of the light.
As with many photos from the waters edge here there is almost an oil painting effect. Here with two Moorhens getting friendly.
Just this one Black-headed Gull has so far moulted in to more-or-less full breeding plumage. The bill is no longer blood red with a black tip but is still not fully the breeding colour of overall very deep red.
Well: it is a Raven but not at a very helpful angle. It is just about possible to see the bill is larger than a Carrion Crow or Rook. Perhaps the most salient feature is the well-separated primary feathers on the right wing – typical of this species in flight. I cannot explain the pale checker-board effect on the hind part of the left wing. Perhaps the light shining through areas where the feathers do not overlap?
This seems a good match for the leafhopper Idiocerus herrichi though there are, as so often, similar species. Not a group of insects that would usually be seen at this date. I found this on a street lamp pole trying to hide between two plastic ties. The ties are securing a copy of the application for change of use of The Priorslee in to the Hickory's Smokehouse which no-one has bothered to take down.
A money spider in the Erigone group is the best I can do with this, also found on one of the street lamp poles.
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
5 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
7 Pochard
3 Tufted Duck
11 Redwings
>800 Jackdaws
127 Rooks
9 Ravens
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Little Grebe
1 Greylag x Canada x ? Goose
172 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Telford Crematorium
Iceland Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2013
Priorslee Lake
23 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
(Martin Grant)
The Flash
Drake Scaup
(JW Reeves)
Horsehay Pool
Iceland Gull
(Jim Almond)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Iceland Gulls
2 Glaucous Gulls
(Tom Lowe)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Martin Grant)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Teal
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Mallard x Pintail
2 Shoveler
4 Pochard
4 Tufted Duck
2 Buzzard
1 Common Gull
5 Fieldfare
6 Redwing
41 Magpie
197 Jackdaw
13 Greenfinch
7 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
4 Cormorants
6 Pochard
21 Tufted Ducks
116 Coots
1 Water Rail
627 Wood Pigeon
13 Pied Wagtails
28 Blackbirds
4 Willow Tits
10 Greenfinches
133 Siskins
1 Linnet
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
Worth another photo.
At last: a male Blackcap without a feeder in sight. Pity about the twig...
A Blue Tit complaining about something.
Sweeties: two Long-tailed Tits tuck in to the fat balls.
A smart adult male Blackbird looking (or listening?) for prey.
A Goldfinch in an Alder tree.
Two male Siskins on the tray feeder.
(Ed Wilson)
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2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
5 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
7 Pochard
3 Tufted Duck
11 Redwings
>800 Jackdaws
127 Rooks
9 Ravens
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Little Grebe
1 Greylag x Canada x ? Goose
172 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Telford Crematorium
Iceland Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2013
Priorslee Lake
23 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
(Martin Grant)
The Flash
Drake Scaup
(JW Reeves)
Horsehay Pool
Iceland Gull
(Jim Almond)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Iceland Gulls
2 Glaucous Gulls
(Tom Lowe)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Martin Grant)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Teal
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Mallard x Pintail
2 Shoveler
4 Pochard
4 Tufted Duck
2 Buzzard
1 Common Gull
5 Fieldfare
6 Redwing
41 Magpie
197 Jackdaw
13 Greenfinch
7 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
4 Cormorants
6 Pochard
21 Tufted Ducks
116 Coots
1 Water Rail
627 Wood Pigeon
13 Pied Wagtails
28 Blackbirds
4 Willow Tits
10 Greenfinches
133 Siskins
1 Linnet
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)