6.0°C > 9.0°C: A morning of at least three halves. An unexpectedly clear start after a misty drive from Newport. Mist / fog soon rolled in for a while. Then lifted to low cloud for a while with some clear blue patches. Then overcast and misty again. A very light north-westerly breeze. Visibility veered from good to poor to very poor to good.
Sunrise: 07:07 GMT
* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 08:40
(243rd visit of the year)
Significant activity overhead: no significant numbers.
Bird notes:
- two Canada Geese throughout again.
- a pair of Mute Swans was asleep in the water near the West end and stayed in the same general area. Neither appeared to be ringed. Another pair was tucked in the south-east corner before leaving voluntarily to the East at 06:43.
- three Pochard were new arrivals: two adult drakes. My first of this winter-period here.
- a Little Grebe flushed from the North side.
- still only three Great Crested Grebes.
- the gulls must have been spooked by Halloween. Just eight Lesser Black-backs and no more than 150 Black-heads arrived, all after 06:35. Very few later arrivals. 39 Black-heads were found on the football field at 08:30, these seeming to be just standing around rather than feeding on whatever they normally find to eat..
- only one Cormorant visited. A group of five arrived overhead, circled twice and carried on.
- many of the Jackdaws and Rooks were heard only and lost in the low cloud.
- one party of 42 Redwing was seen overhead with a few other singles / pairs.
- my first Fieldfare of this winter-period flew over.
- a lone Starling was seen to leave a roost in reeds by the dam. A single flew over much later.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants: together
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Skylark
- 109 Jackdaws
- 131 Rooks
- 1 Starling
- 7 Fieldfare
- 48 Redwings
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 3 Siskins
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 4 *Mute Swans: two of these departed
- 18 (8♂) Mallard: unusually fewer drakes than ducks
- 3 (2♂) *Pochard
- 61 (>25♂) Tufted Duck: much diving in groups made them difficult to count
- 4 Moorhens again
- 25 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 3 *Great Crested Grebes still
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 1(!) Starling
Later on the Teece Drive fence:
Nothing found
Slightly cooler and with the breeze blowing on to the fence.
Elsewhere:
Slightly cooler and with the breeze blowing on to the fence.
Elsewhere:
Fungus:
- same again including *Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus
On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:
- same again including *Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus
On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:
Moths:
- 3 *November Moth type Epirrita sp.
- 3 *November Moth type Epirrita sp.
True flies:
- 1 male plumed midge, probably Chironomus plumosus
- 1 female Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 male plumed midge, probably Chironomus plumosus
- 1 female Spotted-winged Drosophila Drosophila suzukii
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
Springtails:
- 1 globular springtail sp., probably Dicyrtomina saundersi
- 1 *springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- 1 globular springtail sp., probably Dicyrtomina saundersi
- 1 *springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
Arthropods:
- 1 *unidentified millipede
- 1 *unidentified millipede
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *unidentified small spider
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
I did not expect it to look like this when I had my first view of the lake. The mist is approaching from the North.
- 1 *unidentified small spider
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
A puzzle. This seems to be the same very well-marked November Moth type Epirrita sp. in the very same place as I photographed it two days ago. Did I really manage to overlook it yesterday? And I still puzzle as to its true identity. I'll see whether the Shropshire macro moth recorder has any thoughts.
A springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
On the West end street lamp poles was this small spider I cannot identify.
Day 4 and the Shaggy Inkcap Coprinus comatus is looking very sad!
(Ed Wilson)
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Woodhouse area:
I made a short visit up the concrete road to see whether I could get above the mist. No. While there I noted:
- 19 (12♂) Mallard in the extremely muddy water of the lower storm-pool
- 1 calling Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
A very poor showing
Moths:
none
none
True flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
Arthropods:
none
none
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- 1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 *another spider, unidentified
- 1 *Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- 1 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 *another spider, unidentified
Another spider I cannot identify.
This one I can partially ID. The abdomen shape indicates it is one of the Stout Sac Spiders from the Clubiona genus.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 08:45 – 09:55
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 08:45 – 09:55
(240th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
A party of 12 Wood Pigeons flying South had a lone Fieldfare as company, my first of the year at this site and species #75 for me here. Fieldfare and Redwing arrive, passing over in sometimes sizeable groups, at the start of Winter. They then stay out in more open areas unless forced by hard frost or snow in to towns. They just "fade away" in Spring and are less likely to be seen on return passage.
Other bird notes:
- still just the single adult Mute Swan.
- now two drake Shoveler ducks
- I walked all the way around counting. My Mallard total was 34 birds, 22 of which were drakes. As I was about to leave food was being proffered and 46 birds, 28 drakes, assembled. So where do they hide?
- only a single adult Great Crested Grebe again.
- after yesterday's 14 Cormorant bonanza I noted just three today.
- a Great (White) Egret was present when I arrived. While I was walking through the wooded area I heard a dispute between it and a Grey Heron and did not see the egret again.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Fieldfare
- 1 Starling
Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- 2 (2♂) *Shoveler
- 46 (28♂) Mallard
- 16 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 15 Coot
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 43 *Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 3 *Cormorants
- 1 *Grey Heron
- 1 *Great (White) Egret: departed?
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- 4 November Moth type Epirrita sp. All on street lamp poles: one at the top end; two on the same pole in squirrel alley; and one near the step-way to Hickory's.
- 4 November Moth type Epirrita sp. All on street lamp poles: one at the top end; two on the same pole in squirrel alley; and one near the step-way to Hickory's.
Bees, wasps etc.:
- >10 wasps Vespula sp. A surprise in the chilly and dull conditions.
- >10 wasps Vespula sp. A surprise in the chilly and dull conditions.
True flies:
- 1 *female Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- 1 *female Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *harvestman Opilio canestrinii: in a very different location to previous records
Two drake Shoveler today. Is it my eyes or do neither of these look like the one I photographed yesterday?
- 1 *harvestman Opilio canestrinii: in a very different location to previous records
I certainly did not photograph this one yesterday.
An adult-winter Black-headed Gull steps out. Compare the bill and leg colour with this...
...first-winter bird and its dull orange tones. Note also the black tail band.
Compare and contrast a Grey Heron and an immature (white on the belly) Cormorant at similar angles.
The Great (White) Egret in reflective mood.
(Ed Wilson)
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2010
Priorslee Lake
Brambling
3 Fieldfares
12 Redwings
5 Siskins
2 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Cormorant
14 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
Female Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Goldcrest
Willow Tits with the Long-tailed Tits
Kingfisher
Jays
Skylark
Siskin
Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)