11.0°C > 13.0°C: An overcast start with light drizzle. Cloud lifted slightly with only a very few breaks developing. Another day with the early light south-easterly wind, increasing moderate. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:12 BST
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:30 – 06:30 // 07:25 – 09:20
(91st visit of the year)
New bird species:
*A very welcome addition to my 2026 bird list for here with a female Wheatear seen on the dam c.08:45. A typical date and location though the species is far less regular than it once was. Species #77 this year for me.
Other bird notes:
- there did not seem to be any Canada Geese present at dawn. Later there were two pairs. These could well have been birds that I noted leaving The Flash though it is possible that pairs attempting to breed are mostly hiding away from the cob Mute Swan.
- both here and at The Flash the pen Mute Swan was off the nest some of the time. She will only sit full time once the clutch of eggs is complete so as to ensure all the eggs hatch at the same time. Until then she has to visit to make sure the eggs are not chilled.
- the recent decline in Coot numbers is probably because some birds are sitting on nests tucked away in the reeds.
- as usual the Great Crested Grebes were playing submarines and also hiding in the reeds. There were certainly nine present and I strongly suspect 11.
- on my early walk around Blackcaps seemed to be singing everywhere. Today's count of 20 singing individuals is my highest number here. I am sure they cannot all find a breeding territory and some will move on.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair flew West again
- 3 Greylag Goose: a trio flew West
- 1 Stock Dove
- 4 Wood Pigeons only
- 19 Jackdaws
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans: the pen on the nest sometime
- 9 (7♂) Mallard: no ducklings seen
- 10 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 21 Coots again
- 9 (11?) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults at 06:20: presumed these two on the football field 06:25
- 1 Grey Heron
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 5 Sand Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 7 (7) Willow Warblers again
- 17 (14) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Sedge Warblers
- 3 (3) Reed Warblers
- 22 (20)!! Blackcaps
On the West end street lamp poles post-dawn:
Very little in drizzle with wet poles.
Noted around the area later:
Too overcast for much
Flies:
- a number of uninteresting and unidentified flies of at least three species.
- a number of uninteresting and unidentified flies of at least three species.
...it gave me a stare before flying away.
I was very pleased to find this female Wheatear on the dam.
A male Wheatears would show a black mask and black wings so no confusion here.
Here she is again. Do not look for a wheat pattern around the ear. The popular name is a polite form of the country name "white arse". Both sexes have a bright white rump clearly visible as they fly ahead of you. As she was likely a tired new arrival from sub-Saharan Africa I let her be rather than try for a closer photo.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Arthropod:
- *1 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
- *1 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
Slugs, snails etc.:
- *1 Cepaea species of snail, either White-lipped Snail C. hortensis or Brown-lipped Snail C. nemoralis
- *1 Cepaea species of snail, either White-lipped Snail C. hortensis or Brown-lipped Snail C. nemoralis
This is one of the Cepaea species of snail. My photo does not show the critical rim at the shell's opening so I cannot tell whether it is a White-lipped Snail C. hortensis or a Brown-lipped Snail C. nemoralis. Both species have very variable, usually colourful and bold, patterning.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:35 – 07:20
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:35 – 07:20
(88th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- no Tufted Duck seen. Most unusual, both because a few non-breeding birds can usually be found throughout the year and because there were still some on the Balancing Lake where birds do not tend to stay.
- a Great Crested Grebe was only seen on the nesting platform.?
- *a Cormorant was present when I arrived: it soon departed
- a Stock Dove was calling at the top end and then seen in display flight.
- even more Willow Warblers. At the top of what I call squirrel alley I could hear five birds singing and I could see at least two other non-singing birds in the tree-tops.
- a Sedge Warbler was heard in a very similar place to the bird I heard on Monday.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults, together
Noted on / around the water:
- 33 Canada Geese: of these 20 departed as 8 pairs and a quartet, separately
- 6 Greylag Geese: of these a trio and a single departed
- 2 Mute Swans
- 14 (12♂) Mallard only
- no Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- *1 Cormorant: departed
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 14 (12) Willow Warblers
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 8 (6) Blackcaps
Noted around the area later:
Caterpillar:
- *1 er?
- *1 er?
Flies:
- *2 owl midges Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly, Moth Fly or Owl Fly]
Not sure about this. At the time I thought a caterpillar on the street lamp pole. But after I had edited the photo I had my doubts. Obsidentify thought (4%!) it was a willow - and it may be correct. A single willow leaf caught in a web? See the thread running away towards 11 o'clock. Oops!
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
3 Grey Herons
2 Greylag Geese over
9 Tufted Duck
1 Little Ringed Plover
2 Common Sandpipers
10 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
5 Willow Warbler
117 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cackling-type Goose
29 Tufted Ducks
3 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
5 Tufted Ducks
4 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaffs
7 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes
8 Greylag Geese
13 Tufted Duck
3 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
4 Wheatear
Willow Warbler
Blackcap
(Ian Grant)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Buzzard
3 Chiffchaff
(Tony Beckett)
Long Lane, Wellington
10 Ringed Plover
5 Dunlin
(J W Reeves)
2012
Nedge Hill
2 Redstart
1 Wheatear
(Martin Grant)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Grey Wagtail
1 Common Sandpiper
5 Tufted Duck
1 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
Common Redstart
11 Wheatear
(John Isherwood, Ed Wilson)
Telford Railway Station
11 Waxwings
(Colin Wright)
2007
Nedge Hill
1 Buzzard
4 Skylark
1 Fieldfare
3 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
3 Greenfinch
4 Linnet
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Village
Black-tailed Godwit
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
3 Greylag Geese
3 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
3 Common Sandpiper
1 Ringed Plover
12 Chiffchaff
7 Willow Warbler
6 Blackcaps
1 Sky Lark
2 Grey Wagtail
1 Willow Tit
4 Greenfinch
3 Linnet
5 Reed Bunting.
(Martin Adlam, John Isherwood)
- *2 owl midges Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly, Moth Fly or Owl Fly]
In the poor light I was never going to get more than a record shot of this morning's Cormorant.
A Song Thrush jumped down in front of me...
...and had seen breakfast. Anyone for spaghetti?
One of two owl midge Psychodidae sp. on the same sign giving details of the penalty for dog-fouling.
(Ed Wilson)
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2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
3 Grey Herons
2 Greylag Geese over
9 Tufted Duck
1 Little Ringed Plover
2 Common Sandpipers
10 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
5 Willow Warbler
117 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cackling-type Goose
29 Tufted Ducks
3 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
5 Tufted Ducks
4 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaffs
7 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes
8 Greylag Geese
13 Tufted Duck
3 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
4 Wheatear
Willow Warbler
Blackcap
(Ian Grant)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Buzzard
3 Chiffchaff
(Tony Beckett)
Long Lane, Wellington
10 Ringed Plover
5 Dunlin
(J W Reeves)
2012
Nedge Hill
2 Redstart
1 Wheatear
(Martin Grant)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Grey Wagtail
1 Common Sandpiper
5 Tufted Duck
1 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
Common Redstart
11 Wheatear
(John Isherwood, Ed Wilson)
Telford Railway Station
11 Waxwings
(Colin Wright)
2007
Nedge Hill
1 Buzzard
4 Skylark
1 Fieldfare
3 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
3 Greenfinch
4 Linnet
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Village
Black-tailed Godwit
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
3 Greylag Geese
3 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
3 Common Sandpiper
1 Ringed Plover
12 Chiffchaff
7 Willow Warbler
6 Blackcaps
1 Sky Lark
2 Grey Wagtail
1 Willow Tit
4 Greenfinch
3 Linnet
5 Reed Bunting.
(Martin Adlam, John Isherwood)