4.0°C > 5.0°C: Early rain: then leaden skies, Brisk north-westerly wind. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:46 GMT
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:05
(50th visit of the year)
Poor weather during migration time can bring unusual sightings. Not today.
Bird notes:
- a pair of Canada Geese on the dam-top throughout. A lone bird at the West end aggressively chased off a singleton visitor. Could this one have a partner on a nest somewhere?
- six Goosander noted: two of these flew off West at 06:50. Only brownheads remained.
- at most 42 Black-headed Gulls. This assumes that the 28 that arrived after 07:30 were all different from the 14 that came and went earlier.
- the usual Great (White Egret) was seen to fly in at 06:41.
- on a day like today I miss the old sailing club shelter. Trying to shelter keep me dry and, more importantly, the optics dry made seeing the passing Jackdaws and Rooks a challenge. I saw but one Jackdaw! However I did not hear any either.
- just two Chiffchaffs again, both singing.
- no Reed Buntings seen or heard.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
- two small groups of Siskins (*also on the trees)
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 12 (8♂) Mallard
- 16 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (?♂) Goosander: two of these departed
- 7 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull only
- 4 Cormorants yet again
- 1 Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- none
- none
Flies:
- 1 male and 1 female plumed midge
- 1 male and 1 female plumed midge
Springtails:
- at least two small springtails.
Later:
- at least two small springtails.
Later:
Nothing of note
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
As it was raining I decided to see what might be sheltering pre-dawn: very little.
Flies:
- *2 midges of different species
- *2 midges of different species
Spiders
- 2 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
The larger of the two midges I found on the wall of the tunnel. The wing markings recall those of wood gnats (Sylvicola sp.) but that group has a well-separated head like the craneflies. So unidentified.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:10 – 10:15
(48th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- *two drake Pochard remain.
- two Great Crested Grebe both full-plumed adults. Only very loosely together on occasions.
- as at the Balancing Lake a reduction in gull numbers.
- two Great Spotted Woodpeckers flew North together and later on (of these?) was calling from the island.
- three Chiffchaffs: two heard singing and another seen.
- the feeding station was quiet with only *Blue and Great Tits using it.
- *Siskins were again in Alders at both ends of the water.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
The smaller one. Unidentified – again!
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:10 – 10:15
(48th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- *two drake Pochard remain.
- two Great Crested Grebe both full-plumed adults. Only very loosely together on occasions.
- as at the Balancing Lake a reduction in gull numbers.
- two Great Spotted Woodpeckers flew North together and later on (of these?) was calling from the island.
- three Chiffchaffs: two heard singing and another seen.
- the feeding station was quiet with only *Blue and Great Tits using it.
- *Siskins were again in Alders at both ends of the water.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 29 (22♂) Mallard
- *2 (2♂) Pochard
- 33 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls: of these three flew off
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, flew off.
Around the area:
Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 29 (22♂) Mallard
- *2 (2♂) Pochard
- 33 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls: of these three flew off
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, flew off.
Around the area:
Nothing else of note
No doubt because it was (pretending to be?) asleep one of the two drake Pochard has drifted close-enough for a half-decent photo.
A different male Chaffinch looking for spillage. This one with leg lesions. His eye look alert-enough so probably not badly impacted
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
9 Pochard
9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c80 Black-headed Gulls
(Gary Crowder)
Telford Central Railway Station
35 Redwing
(Gary Crowder)
Horsehay Pool
1 Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)
2013
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site:
2 Glaucous Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
(Kris Webb)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
15 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
c.1200 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c.420 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.30 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
10 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock
2 Little Grebes
30 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Pochard
6 Goosanders
4 Pale Brindled Beauty moths
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
34 Greylag Geese
9 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
775 Black-headed Gulls
488 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
28 Robins
19 Blackbirds
8 Song Thrushes
1 Redwing
1 Willow Tit
41 Magpies
250 Jackdaws
100 Rooks
4 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
22 Pochard
63 Tufted Ducks
164 Coots
600 Wood Pigeons
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
84 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
9 Herring Gulls
21 Robins
24 Blackbirds
9 Song Thrushes
3 Willow Tits
11 Greenfinches
15 Siskins
17 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
One of many Blue Tits around the feeders.
More Siskins I am afraid – there was not much else around. A male at the top-end.
And a female.
Another male.
This female was looking longingly at the tit-infested feeders before flying off.
And a male sitting in a tree at the bottom end.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
9 Pochard
9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c80 Black-headed Gulls
(Gary Crowder)
Telford Central Railway Station
35 Redwing
(Gary Crowder)
Horsehay Pool
1 Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)
2013
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site:
2 Glaucous Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
(Kris Webb)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
15 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
c.1200 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c.420 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.30 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
10 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock
2 Little Grebes
30 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Pochard
6 Goosanders
4 Pale Brindled Beauty moths
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
34 Greylag Geese
9 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
775 Black-headed Gulls
488 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
28 Robins
19 Blackbirds
8 Song Thrushes
1 Redwing
1 Willow Tit
41 Magpies
250 Jackdaws
100 Rooks
4 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
22 Pochard
63 Tufted Ducks
164 Coots
600 Wood Pigeons
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
84 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
9 Herring Gulls
21 Robins
24 Blackbirds
9 Song Thrushes
3 Willow Tits
11 Greenfinches
15 Siskins
17 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)