12.0°C > 15.0°C: The Telford micro-climate wins again. Clear in Newport: here it was mist / fog / low cloud only lifting after c.09:15. Calm / light westerly wind. Poor / very poor visibility.
Sunrise: 07:16 BST
* = a species photographed today.
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:55 – 09:05
(226th visit of the year)
The weather seriously hampered sighting on just about everything here.
Bird notes:
- no Mute Swans today.
- in a failed attempt to view over the mist I walked up the concrete road to Woodhouse Lane. I did learn where at least some of the Mallard have gone. I guess the storm pools dried up earlier leading to frequent counts of >40 birds at the lake back in August. I noted at least 24 on the very muddy water of the lower storm pool. The upper storm pool seems to so overgrown that it was unlikely to harbour any ducks (or anything else for that matter. Bittern?!).
- a brief partial clearance suggested at least 250 Black-headed Gulls present c.07:00.
- at least 400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also present at this time.
- I did not visit the football field.
- later I logged just two Herring and 62 Lesser Black-backed Gulls as new arrivals.
- no Chiffchaff seen or heard.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
seriously hampered by the mist / low cloud
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 34 Jackdaws
- 29 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
also hampered by fog and mist
- 11 (6?♂) Mallard
- 5 Moorhens
- Coot not counted
- 6 Great Crested Grebes: probably a partial count
- >250 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 2 Herring Gulls
- >450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Warblers noted:
None
Also noted:
Also noted:
Bees, wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris many annoying me pre-dawn; also one later
- *German Wasp Vespula germanica
On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:
- Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris many annoying me pre-dawn; also one later
- *German Wasp Vespula germanica
On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:
Moths:
- 1 *Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria: moth species #75 for me here in 2026
- 1 *Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria: moth species #75 for me here in 2026
True flies:
- 1 female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
- 1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- 2 different Root-maggot fly sps.
- 2 unidentified dew-covered flies
- 1 female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
- 1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- 2 different Root-maggot fly sps.
- 2 unidentified dew-covered flies
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 unidentified dew-covered spider
- 1 unidentified dew-covered spider
This view confirms the identity. Common Wasp has an anchor-shaped mark on its face.
A species of Root-maggot fly (I cannot say which) against a back-drop of mist droplets on the leaf.
A typical sighting on a misty Autumn morning. How do spiders do that?
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Moths:
none
True flies:
- 9 midges of several species
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- 9 midges of several species
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
Arthropods:
- 1 *Brown-lipped Snail Cepaea nemoralis
- 2 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber
- 5 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
- 1 *Brown-lipped Snail Cepaea nemoralis
- 2 Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber
- 5 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- 6 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 *Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- 6 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
Its distinctive abdomen shape identifies this as one of the Stout Sac Spider from the Clubiona genus. I would not like to commit as to which species.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:10 – 10:25
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:25
(222nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the two "static" Canada Geese seen.
- *a large group of Greylag Geese arrived with an all-white feral-type (and probably three Canada Geese)
- still six Mute Swans.
- two Tufted Duck were new. A drake was at the top end and an immature/duck was at the bottom end.
- a drake Goosander and at least 48 brownheads. Again well-scattered, often lurking under over-hanging vegetation and some (later?) hauled out on the island.
- a Little Grebe was at the bottom end.
- why are the Great Crested Grebe so hard? At least three full adults one of which was, for a while, with three dependent juveniles.
- just(!) five Little Egrets.
- a Kingfisher seen speeding toward the top end.
- no Chiffchaff seen or heard.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 34 *Greylag Geese
- 1 *all-white feral goose
- 6 Mute Swans
- 26 (16♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 49+ (1♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens remain
- 22 Coot
- 1 Little Grebe
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 30 *Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants still
- 4 Grey Herons
- 5 Little Egrets
- 1 Kingfisher
Warblers noted:
None
Noted around the area:
Very intermittent sun with an ambient temperature still c.13.0°C
Noted around the area:
Very intermittent sun with an ambient temperature still c.13.0°C
Bees, wasps etc.:
- 11 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
- 11 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
- 1 *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax [Tapered Drone Fly]
- 1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax [Common Drone Fly]
- 1 *Syrphus sp.
- 1 *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax [Tapered Drone Fly]
- 1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax [Common Drone Fly]
- 1 *Syrphus sp.
Other true flies:
several species of fly not identified
several species of fly not identified
Springtails:
- 1 *springtail Orchesella cincta
Just as I was arriving so too were these 38 geese. At the time, from the sound and what I could see, I thought they were all Greylags. I think close-examination of the fourth from the bottom may reveal...
- 1 *springtail Orchesella cincta
There is always one (or in this instance two) contrary individuals who want to sit on the other hand-rail.
How could I resist?
Again!
A Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax tucks in to the Ivy blossom.
(Ed Wilson)
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2014
Priorslee Lake
1st-winter Caspian Gull.
(Observer Unknown)
2008
Priorslee Lake
3 Pochard
100 Tufted Duck
Water Rail heard
39 Lapwings
Kingfisher
3 Redwings
Redpoll
Siskin
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
49 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff
Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)
6 Oct 06 - Wesley Bridge under water (Ed Wilson)