1 Nov 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

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:

Fungus:
- 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.

True flies:
- 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

Arthropods:
- 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.

The two (pair?) of Mute Swans that stayed. Neither seems to be ringed on this view. It is just possible there is a BTO ring on one of the legs not visible. If so then there is no Darvic plastic ring.

Record shot at a distance in mist. The trio of Pochard with the two drakes flanking what is either an immature or a duck. Females of this species tend to be scarce so I favour an immature drake. I would need a better view to be sure.

Two of the three Great Crested Grebes that seem to be the only ones present now. The left-most bird is clearly a juvenile with remnant head-stripes. I think the other is an adult that has moulted the head and neck plumes. It could just be a juvenile from an earlier brood beginning to acquire adult plumage.

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

Another sighting that has me beaten. Not a brilliant photo as access "round the back" of the street lamp pole was difficult. I am sure it is a millipede. I can find no photos that come close to matching this on the NatureSpot web site. Obsidentify was no help. Google Lens came up with the promising-looking suggestion of Trigoniulus corallinus. That is until you look it up and realise that is a SE Asia species!

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!

Alongside was this fresh fruiting body looking much more like the alternative species name of Lawyer's Wig. Note the collar on the stem: the presence or otherwise of this feature can be useful in identifying certain species of otherwise similar-looking fungi. Behind is some collapsed fruits of Weeping Widow Lacrymaria lacrymabunda.

(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

True flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Arthropods:
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

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)

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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.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >10 wasps Vespula sp. A surprise in the chilly and dull conditions.

True flies:
- 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?

I certainly did not photograph this one yesterday.

Slight panic. The gull more or less dead-centre looks slightly darker on the back and slightly larger than those alongside it. At first glance I was thinking Common Gull – a rare sight indeed here. But the photo reveals it is "just" an adult-winter Black-headed Gull and I have no idea why it looks darker. Slightly different angle of the light?

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.

Other than the moths and the wasps this was the only insect I saw: a female Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria. This species is usually very approachable and often does not fly off until I get very close. Strangely I have only seen the duller females in recent weeks. Where are the men?

Spiders and harvestmen are not insects: today's harvestman Opilio canestrinii, in a very different location, has lost two of its legs.

(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)

31 Oct 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 11.0°C: Low overcast. Visibility at low level was OK but at any height not good. Very light mainly south-easterly breeze.

Sunrise: 07:05 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 – 09:10

(242nd visit of the year)

Trusty vehicle operational and back to "normal".

Bird notes:
- two Canada Geese throughout sometimes on the dam-top. Perhaps the pair that nested here last year?
- no sign of any Mute Swans.
- *four Goosanders flew West at 08:00.
- only three Great Crested Grebes again.
- c.300 Black-headed Gulls were on the water c.06:30. When I checked the football field at 09:10 there were 21.
- >350 large gulls were present at 06:30 with some others having already flown off. At least Herring Gulls were noted at this time.
- later gull arrivals were just three Herring and 79 Lesser Black-backs. Small numbers also overhead.
- four Cormorants arrived together at the early time of 07:00. Later a single and then a trio also arrived. A group of five flew over.
- *a Great White Egret flew East at 07:35.
- five small parties of Wood Pigeons totalling 183 birds flew South around 07:30 then no more seen until a large group of at least 270 at 08:10.
- three separate large parties of Jackdaws were part of the roost dispersal flying low overhead and spread-out making in possible only to estimate the number of birds. The total below is likely under-recorded.
- six parties of Redwing seen overhead. Two of these parties were mixed in with departing Jackdaws and Rooks (confusing): and another with one of the Wood Pigeon parties.
- at least 100 Starlings were noted in three groups swirling around as they orientated West after leaving separate(?) roosting sites around the water.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 (0♂?) *Goosander: see notes
- 1 Herring Gull
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants: together
- 1 *Great White Egret
- >450 Wood Pigeons: see notes
- >560 Jackdaws
- 264 Rooks
- 53 Redwings

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 16 (9♂) Mallard
- 51 (29?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- >300 Black-headed Gulls
- 18 Herring Gulls
- >425 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 8 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons: one of these departed
[I omitted to tabulate the two Mute Swans yesterday: not here today]

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- c.100 Starlings

Found later on the Teece Drive fence

Moth/Butterfly/Sawfly?:
- 1 *unidentified caterpillar

Beetles:
- 1 *larva of a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
- 1 *ladybird pupa
- 1 *beetle?

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *Walnut Orb Weaver Nuctenea umbratica
- 1 *harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus

Elsewhere:

Fungus:
- just the same as yesterday including *Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus

On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:

Moths:
- 8 November Moth type Epirrita sp.

True flies:
- 2 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Springtails:
- 1 globular springtail sp., probably Dicyrtomina saundersi

Arthropods:
- 1 *White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

One of a group of four Goosanders. This one a brownhead: they probably all were.

A Great White Egret flies over.

An unusual day-time gathering of 12 Magpies (and a Carrion Crow) near the community football pitch. I note groups of Magpies this size when there are many recently-fledged juveniles: this species uses communal roost sites. I cannot recall a daytime sight like this at any other time.

On the Teece Drive fence I found this caterpillar. Obsidentify thought it was a Coypu! Google Lens suggested it was a sawfly larva. These have six or more pairs of prolegs (stubby leg-like structures under the abdomen) and can be distinguished from caterpillars of butterflies and moths which only have five or fewer. Whether Google Lens has resolved my photo or is guessing I have no idea. A scan of all the caterpillar and larvae photos in NatureSpot has not helped.

Also on the Teece Drive fence I found this what I believe to be a ladybird pupa. All attempts to get an ID have failed. If I type "UK ladybird pupae" in to Google all I get are guides to the larvae.

This I do know: the larva of a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis.

And another unknown. Is it a small beetle or convincing-looking detritus? I am sure that Obsidentify's suggestion (96%) of Smooth Newt is wrong as is Google Lens' idea of a Lapis Lazuli Scarab Beetle (also known as Cerulean Chafer Beetle) Hoplia coerulea native to southern Europe.

The White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger I found on a street lamp pole today.

Yes, well.... Covered in dew, but what is it? Small bright red eyes and long, angled antennae held swept back.

Well hidden in a knot-hole in the Teece Drive fence was this Walnut Orb Weaver spider Nuctenea umbratica.

A harvestman from the species pair Dicranopalpus ramosus / D. caudatus and one with only six extant legs. #2 is missing from the left and #4 from the right.

Day three of the Shaggy Inkcap fungus Coprinus comatus. Not yet dripping liquid but looking sad.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Moths:
none

True flies:
- 3 midges
- 4 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Arthropods:
- 1 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
- 2 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 5 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:40

(239th visit of the year)

Bird notes
*A moulting / first-winter drake Shoveler was a new arrival and the first record of this species for me here in 2026. My first recent year when I have not recorded this species during the first-winter period. Bird species #74 here.

Other bird notes:
- still just the single adult Mute Swan. It made several short flights within the confines of the water.
- no Little Grebe seen.
- only a single adult Great Crested Grebe noted. Where have they gone? I have never seen the juveniles flying.
- 14 *Cormorants noted! Some of these flew off.
- more gulls than recently.
- a Sparrowhawk powered through.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk: sex not determined

Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- 1 (1♂) *Shoveler
- 48 (30♂) *Mallard
- 23 (>12?♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 14 Coot again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 74 *Black-headed Gulls
- 2 *Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons
- 14 *Cormorants

Noted around the area:

Moths:
- 1 *November Moth type Epirrita sp.

Bees, wasps etc.:
- >30 wasps Vespula sp. A good number in dull conditions.

Beetles:
- 2 *7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii: as yesterday

As I approached the water Mallard seemed to arrive from everywhere. Here is a drake arriving.

And appearing to be standing on thin air!

One smart drake and one not so smart-looking fly-in. Usually the Mallard ignore me as they know I have no food. Today I was wearing a different jacket. Did they not recognise me?

As usual drakes outnumbered ducks.

And it was not only Mallard that were hoping to be fed! 21 Black-headed Gulls.

A distant view of the drake Shoveler. This species seems to attain breeding plumage much later than Mallard. It will have orange flanks and the full-length wing feathers will cover the blue speculum seen here.

No wonder the bridge is falling down. 46 Black-headed Gulls standing on the hand-rails.

A first-winter Herring Gull leaps out of the water. The Cormorant behind is not interested.

Diving back in head-first.

Count them! There are twelve Cormorants in the trees here – the hardest one to recognise is very top left. There were two more standing on tree-roots around the island. The fishermen will be happy!

A November Moth type Epirrita sp. high up on a street lamp pole in squirrel alley.

Friendly 7 Spot Ladybirds Coccinella 7-punctata.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Candles Landfill Site
2nd winter Caspian Gull
8 Yellow-legged Gulls
Great Black-backed Gull
c.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Chiffchaff
Mistle Thrush
29 Fieldfares
32 Redwings
13 Siskins
3 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Shoveler
5 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

2005
Trench Pool
2 Goosander
10 Shoveler
(John Isherwood)

30 Oct 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 10.0°C: A typical gloomy November day – oh: it is still October. At least it was mild for the date. Initially misty though it soon lifted to low cloud. A light southerly breeze developed. Poor visibility becoming moderate at best.

Sunrise: 07:03 GMT

* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 08:15

(241st visit of the year)

I did not do my usual circuits as I needed to put the car in for diagnostic work.

Bird notes:
Best today was a Chiffchaff calling from the reeds and sedges in the north-west area. I am sure this species over-winters in very small numbers when it stays silent. This equals the latest date on which I have previously recorded call notes.

Other bird notes:
- 22 Canada Geese were on the water until they flew off East c.07:35.
- a pair of Mute Swans throughout, often but no always by last season's nest site. I never got close enough to see, let alone, read any rings.
- a group of ten Goosanders flew West at 07:10; a brownhead flew East at 07:30.
- three Great Crested Grebes found two of which were certainly adults. No begging calls heard.
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls were on the water c.06:30. Oddly although I didn't count them (I was busy with the Jackdaws and Rooks) I gained the impression that a larger number than this flew out East with an unknown number at this time on the football field. When I checked the field at 08:10 there were: just nine.
- c.130 large gulls were present at c.06:35 when the visibility was good-enough to see them. No Herring Gulls were noted at this time.
- later gull arrivals were 11 Herring and 72 Lesser Black-backs with small numbers also overhead.
- a party of just 12 Wood Pigeons flew South as if they were likely migrants.- c.80 Starlings flew out of a roost somewhere around the water at 06:55. A lone straggler left at 07:05. Then 53 were seen flying West in two groups.
- Redwing(s) calls were again heard at separate locations with just two birds seen heading South.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 11 Goosander: see notes
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 19 Wood Pigeons
- 249 Jackdaws
- 177 Rooks
- 53 Starlings: two groups
- 2 Redwings

Counts from the lake area:
- 22 Canada Geese: departed together
- 6 (3♂) Mallard
- 54 (26?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens again
- Coots not counted
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.200 Black-headed Gulls
- 11 Herring Gulls
- c.200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- c.80 Starlings

Found later on the Teece Drive fence
- 1 November Moth type Epirrita sp.

Elsewhere:

Fungus:
- just the same as yesterday including *Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus

On the West end street lamp poles before dawn:

Moths:
- 7 *November Moth type Epirrita sp.

Four-winged flies
- 1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea

True flies:
- 1 *wood gnat, probably Sylvicola punctatus [Clear-tipped Window Gnat]

Bugs:
- 1 *Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale

Beetles:
- 1 Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala

Earwigs:
- 1 Common European Earwig Forficula dentata: dropped off the pole as soon as I shone my torch on it!

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 *harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

A trio of November Moth types Epirrita sp. clustered at the top of one of the street lamp poles.

On another street lamp pole a very different-looking November Moth type. I cannot recall ever having seen such a strongly-marked individual. So well-marked in fact that it sent me scurrying to various internet sites to see whether it might be something unfamiliar. It isn't.

And now for something else completely different but completely the same – another November Moth type. These may of course be different species within that group but could equally well all be the same species. Another one that both Obsidentify and Google Lens got wrong – both thought it a Seraphim Lobophora halterata and I have no idea why.

This is a wood gnat, and probably Sylvicola punctatus which is the only one of an otherwise confusing group that lacks dark marks at the wing tips. I note on one of the links from Google Lens this can be called Clear-tipped Window Gnat. Interestingly both Obsidentify and Google Lens thought ichneumon wasp and it was only by digging deeper I landed on this identity.

We all agree: a Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale.

Shadows make it difficult to see but this harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis has only seven legs. Leg #2 on the right side is missing.

Whereas this one has only six legs with #2 and #4 on the right side missing.

The smart Shaggy Inkcap fungus Coprinus comatus I photographed yesterday had been trodden on. This one was at the same stage yesterday and is now starting to deliquesce. Tomorrow (if I remember) it will be a dripping mess.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

A slightly better showing.

Moths:
- 1 *Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis: moved a short way since yesterday if it was the same one

True flies:
- 1 *male plumed midge, perhaps Chironomus plumosus
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]

Arthropods:
- 1 *Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
- 1 *possible Strawberry Snail Trochulus striolatus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 5 Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]
- 1 *unidentified small spider

A different(?) Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis. It had moved a short way since yesterday if it was the same one. Perhaps it was just the angle at which I took the photo. It looks more strongly marked.

Not much to show today so here is one of the many midges I sometimes see here. Today just this one male plumed midge, perhaps Chironomus plumosus though I would have expected a bulkier body. There is almost nothing I can find on the internet that covers midge identification.

A Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus. I get very confused with woodlouse identification. Perhaps they all are this species I see here.

A two-fer, neither identified. The snail may be a Strawberry Snail Trochulus striolatus. It is certainly not the harvestman that was Obsidentify's best suggestion: nor a Garden Cross spider, its next best suggestion (I edited out the spider before I asked Obsidentify what it was). As for the spider: I did not see it until I looked at the photo. It is very small: not apparently "money spider" shape.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 08:50 – 09:30

(238th visit of the year)

A shorter visit without a complete circumnavigation so as to catch the bus home!

Bird notes:
very quiet again though there always seems to be something of note.
- still just the single adult Mute Swan.
- a Little Grebe was by the island. I suspect it has been lurking unseen for the last few days.
- I noted five Great Crested Grebes. Two juveniles were chasing after an adult as it disappeared under overhanging vegetation at the top end. Another juvenile was on its own in the middle of the water. A bird near the Derwent Drive wall did not look like one of the full adults and was certainly not a juvenile from here.
- a group of seven Skylarks flew West.

An update via Martin Grant for the Mute Swan "4IAN" which I (badly) photographed here on 27th. It was ringed as a second year on 09 February this year at Waterways, Sankey Valley Canal, Warrington.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Jackdaws: singles
- 7 Skylarks: together

Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- 28 (20♂) Mallard
- 25 (>10?♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (1♂) Goosander: departed?
- 5 Moorhens
- 14 Coot
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 *Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 27 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons

Noted around the area:
I did not visit the Ivy bank. It was almost certainly too early and dull for anything much to be about. 

Otherwise:

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 *harvestman Opilio canestrinii: two street lamp poles away from where one had been for the previous two days.

Of note:

Nothing else

Perhaps it is because is looking soggy that this Great Crested Grebe does not look quite like one of the usual smart resident adults.

A harvestman Opilio canestrinii seen two street lamp poles away from where one had been for the previous two days. I decided on a "full-view" to show just how long-legged this species is. Like all harvestmen it is pairs #2 and #4 that are the longest pairs.

(Ed Wilson)

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2010
Priorslee Lake
10 Swans
c.60 Golden Plover
c.200 Starlings left a roost in the reeds at the W end
763 Wood Pigeons
3 Skylarks
7 Meadow Pipits
165 Fieldfare
9 Redwings
4 Siskins
3 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
8 Wigeon
20 Pochard
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Goosander
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
100 Jackdaw
130 Rooks
1 Buzzard
Kestrel
c.60 Golden Plover
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
450 to 500 Starlings left the roost
11 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
Pair of Ruddy Duck
200+ Coot
1 Dunlin
104 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
100 Black-headed Gulls
Kingfisher
A Buzzard was seen feeding on earthworms and possibly beetles
2000+ Wood Pigeon
62 Redwing
54 Fieldfare
3 Song Thrushes
(Martin Adlam)