7 Oct 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:05 –08:55
The Flash:  09:00 – 09:50

9.0°C > 10.0°C:  Overcast with some spells of mainly light rain. Mainly light S wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:20 BST

Priorslee Lake:  06:05 –08:55

(239th visit of the year)

Other bird notes from today:
- The Mute Swan cygnets have now been given Darvic rings as has the previously unringed adult – she is 7JSS. The three cygnets I managed to read are 7JSI, 7JSK and 7JSM which leaves the identity of the others rather unclear – we have J; L; N; O; P; Q; and R to allocate to the two remaining cygnets (or three if the rings were added before the sixth cygnet was taken in to care). Either that or Specsavers here I come ....
- Many of the juvenile Great Crested Grebes are now well-separated from their parents and the earliest brood is now quite adult-looking. Combined with the low light-levels and light rain I made a single count of all the birds on the water without trying to ascribe them to age / brood. The total – 21  suggests all present and correct.
- Almost no large gulls.
- Another change in the departing corvids from wherever the roosts are. The Jackdaws were in c.14 small and loose groups spread over >10 minutes rather with no usual tight pack. In with them there were just two Rooks – where were all the others?
- A Redwing overhead at 06:30 and then two in the W end trees at 08:30. My first of the season.

No visit was made to the ‘football’ field.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 5 Greylag Geese (single and 1 group outbound)
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 3 unidentified large gulls: too dark to ID
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 23 Wood Pigeons
- 151 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
- 5 Pied Wagtails

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 9 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
- Little Grebe(s) heard only
- 21 Great Crested Grebes (see notes)
- 7 Moorhens
- 106 Coots
- >55 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: a first-winter bird
- 1 unidentified large gull: too dark to ID

Pre-dawn sightings on the lamp poles:
A surprising result as it had been raining very hard a few minutes before I arrived.
- 1 Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria)
- 3 gnats
- 5 small flies
- 2 Leiobunum rotundum harvestmen
- 1 Opilio canestrinii harvestman

Later sightings:
- new type of fungus (new this year that is)

This is a rather plain specimen of Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria). The wavy cross line combined with the black spot in each forewing is diagnostic. A male – females are virtually wingless. As so often the photo reveals more wildlife – looks like another springtail.

I think this harvestman is the species Opilio canestrinii. First noted in the UK as recently as 1999 it is now common throughout England at least. Not all of them are 7-legged!

These are two male Leiobunum harvestmen – females have a more patterned body. Separation of L. rotundum from L. blackwalli depends on the colour of the eye rim – black on rotundum and pale in blackwalli. Hard to be certain on a flash photograph, my vote is for L. rotundum.

Today’s fungus foray starts here. No ides on species.

Several had been knocked over allowing us to see the gills. Does not help me identify them though.

I’ll have to go on a course on mushroom identification – I assume there are such things. These are different and that is about all I can say!

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash:  09:00 – 09:50

(226th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- Significant decrease in the Tufted Duck numbers since last Wednesday.
- a Grey Wagtail again
Other things:
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus harvestman
- 2 Leiobunum. blackwalli harvestmen
all these on the usual lamp pole
- possible honey fungus (Armillaria sp.)
- different unidentified fungus
these in squirrel alley

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 3 Wood Pigeon

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 31 Greylag Geese: 22 of these arrived
- 13 Canada Geese: all of these arrived
- 1 hybrid / feral goose: arrived
- 42 (22♂) Mallard
- 30 (7?♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes as ever
- no Moorhens
- 18 Coots
- 9 Black-headed Gulls: two of these first-winter birds

The duck in the foreground is slightly smaller than the duck Mallard behind it, that showing its blue speculum. It would not show its bill for the camera to illustrate the final growth stage of a Mallard duckling as it becomes an adult and acquires the plain yellow/green bill ahead of a plumage moult in to full drake plumage. It seems likely this is the very last and late duckling and it may be that it does not become fully adult in its first year as a result.

This is a female Leiobunum harvestman – less rounded – and they can be separated on body pattern. This is L. blackwalli.

And here is a male. It is just possible to make out the pale rim around the eye ....

... and I have enlarged it as much as I dare to show that more clearly. A male Leiobunum. blackwalli.

Fungus foray here in squirrel alley. Species #1

And species #2. These were rather shiny though that has been accentuated by the necessary use of flash in the dark recess of the fallen tree-trunks. I think these may be Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea). If so there should be a ‘collar’ around the stem and I will have to see whether I can get at the underside tomorrow to check.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day..........

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Wellington
Fieldfare
(Jenny Hood)

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Shoveler
Chiffchaff
Grey Wagtail
Reed Bunting
Siskin.
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
50 Mute Swan
(Mike Cooper)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Swallow circling with swirling Starlings
(Ed Wilson)

6 Oct 19

No Sightings in today..............

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day..........

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

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)

5 Oct 19

No Sightings in today.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day..........

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

4 Oct 19

No sightings in today.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day..........

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Candles Landfill Site
1st-winter Yellow-legged Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2008
Trench Lock Pool
1st- winter Mediterranean Gull
c.150 Black-headed Gulls
15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Shoveler
(Ed Wilson)

3 Oct 19

Priorslee Lake only

Priorslee Lake:  05:55 –09:30

4.0°C > 6.0°C:  High cloud, lowering somewhat. Calm. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:14 BST

Priorslee Lake:  05:55 –09:30

(238th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today:
- I tried an 07:10 ‘football’ field count: five Black-headed Gulls, three Wood Pigeons, 15 Magpies. No Pied Wagtails, though 16 had been counted flying S a few minutes earlier.

- No sign of yesterday’s trapped sixth cygnet: nobody I spoke to knew anything about any rescue attempt.
- The large gulls confused me this morning. While on the ‘football’ field I noted 64 flying S a long way to the E and was confident that they were passing. However about 15 minutes later when I went back to the lake there were a suspiciously similar number of birds on the water – 76 birds. Of these 71 were Lesser Black-backed Gulls (40 first-winter birds); and five Herring Gulls (four first-winters). Then these were mostly flushed first by sparring Grey Herons and then a Common Buzzard with birds flying off E. Birds then started to arrive / return from the N with eventually 85 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (53 first-winter birds) and eight Herring Gulls (seven first-winters). So how many individuals?
- Today the Jackdaws were several minutes ahead of the Rooks on their roost dispersal flights: most unusual.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 1 Common Buzzard yet again
- 64 unidentified large gulls: too dark to ID (but see notes)
- 52 Wood Pigeons
- 79 Jackdaws
- 96 Rooks
- 16 Pied Wagtails (see notes)
- 1 Meadow Pipit

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 3 (1) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 10 (6♂) Mallard
- 12 (4♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 3 Little Grebes
- 7 adult + 2 immatures + 9 juvenile (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 119 Coots
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- >85 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: >53 of these first-winter birds (see notes)
- 8 Herring Gulls: seen of these first-winter birds

Pre-dawn sightings on the lamp poles:
- 1 unidentified midge

Only later sighting:
- 1 dead Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus): was very wet, but seemed rather emaciated. No visible wounds

Another day, another sunrise. Had been a slight ground frost overnight, soon chased away as high cloud spread from the W.

20 minutes later and it was a warning of rain and wind to come.

Another one of those confusing are they / aren’t they adult Yellow-legged Gulls. The bird on the right looks too dark on the mantle to be a Herring Gull yet it cannot be a Yellow-legged Gull as that species keeps an all-white head throughout and our bird shows dark marks on the head. So ....?

If I have trouble with adult gulls how about trying first-winter birds? This is, I am sure, a first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. The very small amount of white fringes to the (rather scruffily folded) tertials is a clue but for me the clinching feature is the very dark folded greater coverts above the legs.

Another two first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The bird on the right exhibits more extensive white fringes to the folded tertials and is I believe a first-winter Herring Gull. The bill is moving but does look somewhat longer and thinner than the first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull in front. Compare the ratio of white to brown on the mantle of this bird to the first-winter Herring Gull behind it which appears to be white with brown spotting rather than the other way around. Note too the long bill on this bird and the lack of dark smudging around the eye. Remember though immature gulls are notoriously variable and relying on a single feature is not wise.

There was rather little light to take flying shots. I tried. We can just about make out the blue / black chequer-board on the upper wing. In addition to the acorn in its bill we note that the crop is full, also with acorns no doubt. I have seen Jays collecting peanuts and emptying them out of their crop and bill to rearrange them so they can carry more in one shuttle-flight. Clever birds Jays (like all crows).

Here the classic rounded wing profile of a flying bird

Rather better than my effort at The Flash recently. Could have done with rather more light, but this is good view of a perky Wren anyway.

Meanwhile a Grey Wagtail steps out.

The dead Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus). Just very wet from lying in the wet grass.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day..........

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2011
Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear 
50+ Meadow Pipits
2 House Martin
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
29 Golden Plover
House Martin
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

2 Oct 19

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

Priorslee Lake:  06:00 –09:10
The Flash:  09:15 – 09:55
Trench Lock Pool:  10:35 – 11:10
Trench Middle Pool:  10:05 – 10:30 // 11:15 – 11:25

4.0°C > 10.0°C:  Clear start with cloud and light showers spreading from NW. Calm start with light W wind developing. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:12 BST

Priorslee Lake:  06:00 –09:10

(237th visit of the year)

One of Mute Swan cygnets seemed to be caught up along the N side at an inaccessible point. Both Cuan Wildlife Rescue and the RSPCA have been informed. They will likely need a boat.

Other bird notes from today:
- The party of 17 geese outbound passed quite close: it was still too dark to positively identify them and rather unusually no calls were heard.
- Insignificant number of large gulls: indeed insignificant numbers of all gull species.
- For the last few days the early passage of Rooks has included a few Jackdaws mixed in. That was also true today: additionally several large groups of Jackdaws flew low to pass to the E some minutes later – a sure sign that winter is approaching.
- Two Song Thrushes were heard quietly singing.
- The Pied Wagtails seen overhead were likely bird flying to or from their time on the ‘football’ field

No visit was made to the ‘football’ field before 09:00 when there were 15 Magpies and 11 Pied Wagtails on the grass. No gulls or pigeons.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 17 unidentified geese (1 group outbound)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Common Buzzard once more
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: two of these a first-winter birds
- 18 unidentified large gulls: too dark to ID
- 77 Wood Pigeons
- 185 Jackdaws
- 137 Rooks
- 5 Pied Wagtails
- 3 Meadow Pipits

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans (see notes)
- 10 (5+♂) Mallard
- 4 (0♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants
- 3 Little Grebes again
- 8 adult + 3 immatures + 9 juvenile (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes again
- 7 Moorhens
- 110 Coots
- >45 Black-headed Gulls
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 12 of these first-winter birds
- 2 Herring Gulls: both of these first-winter birds
- 1 Kingfisher

Pre-dawn sightings on the lamp poles:
- 1 Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae) of the form capucina
- 1 possible Scorpion-fly larva
- 1 presumed Chironomus plumosus (plumed midge)
- 2 different unidentified spiders

No later sightings:

I had just set off for this morning’s early ‘football’ field count when I turned around and noticed a sudden and rather dramatic sunrise.

A longer view. Lasted no more than five minutes – then it started to rain.

A moth that had me puzzled – for two reasons. Firstly I have not previously recorded this apparently common species in Shropshire; and secondly because it is the less common brown form (capucina) of Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae). My lake moth species count for 2019 moves on to a healthy 74. Thanks to Martin Adlam for getting this sorted for me.

This a larva, but I am far from certain what of. It is covered in dew obscuring some of the marks. The red head rules out it being any butterfly caterpillar. The rear end looks slightly fuzzy as if it might have spines sticking up, making it likely to be a scorpion fly larva.

So this will be a plumed midge then, probably Chironomus plumosus. This species is active all year. Only males have the plumes – for detecting the females’ pheromones

Yet another unidentified spider on a lamp pole. “My what big palps you have”. One of two different spiders noted this morning – the other was camera-shy and ran away.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash:  09:15 – 09:55

(225th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- Very quiet this morning – at least until the geese returned. Most of these flew in while I was blind-sided searching for Goldcrests in a wooded area. Some had probably already disappeared inside the island before I could attempt a count.
- One group of c.20 Greylag Geese appeared to fly over: these birds could well have joined with other returning birds and become part of the 100+ that arrived a few minutes later
- Another increase in the Tufted Duck numbers.
No insects etc. noted but
- berries of Black Bryony (Tamus communis)

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Wood Pigeon
- 1 Jackdaw

Warblers noted.
None

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- >124 Greylag Geese
- >88 Canada Geese
- no hybrid / feral geese
- 45 (24♂) Mallard
- 75 (17?♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 19 Coots again
- 15 Black-headed Gulls: five of these first-winter birds

Only when I looked at my photos did I see that a few Canada Geese were in amongst the big party of landing Greylag Geese. The Greylag on the far left is strangely contorted as it finds its landing spot.

A group in various stages of ‘final approach’.

The two on the left are training to be part of the ‘Red Arrow’ formation team. I am slightly puzzled as to why the legs of these two birds are a different colour. Age?

Numbers of Tufted Duck are increasing daily with 75 this morning. Many of them, like this group, are sleeping. Perhaps they have just arrived after a long flight from breeding grounds in Norway. Many of them very hard to sex at this time of year. The bird on the back left looks like a drake with a duck in front of him. Many others ...?

The poisonous berries of Black Bryony (Tamus communis). It always coils clockwise around its chosen support. It is in the Yam family and is no way related to White Bryony (Bryonia dioica), part of the Gourd family. My books say both bryony species often grow together. I have not found White Bryony in this area.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trench Lock Pool:  10:35 – 11:10

(43rd visit of the year)

A fly-over pair of Jays and single Skylark were both new bird species for me at this site this year: #58 & #59.
Jays seem particularly obvious at most locations at the moment. This species is known to move in large numbers if the acorn crop fails in mainland Europe. It is also an increasingly common breeding species in the UK and locally – there were three, perhaps four, territories around Priorslee Lake this year.
My last record of a Skylark here was on 10 October 2014, though I am certain they pass over every Spring and Autumn.

Other notes from here:
- There was a battle going on between the swans. One of the fishermen reported seeing two swans – likely the residents – holding another swan under the water and then pursuing it up the bank and along the Silkin Way. Perhaps the missing bird(s) from Middle Pool?
- A Blackcap heard calling was on an unexpectedly late date.
- Four Jackdaws seemed to vying for ownership of the chimney stacks of the Blue Pig.
also
- 1 Small Tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae): **new for me at this site this year
- >5 Common Drone-flies (Eristalis tenax)
- >5 wasps sp.
- 1 Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus)
- 1 Common Darter dragonfly: **also new for me at this site this year

Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws].
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Jays
- 1 Skylark

Warblers noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff
- 1 Blackcap

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 30 Canada Geese
- 10 (3♂) Mallard
- 3 (0♂) Tufted Duck: arrived
- 2 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen
- 10 Coots
- 3 Black-headed Gulls: two of these first winter birds

This Chiffchaff gave me the run-around – here hiding. Note this individual shows a long and rather prominent supercilium, recalling Willow Warbler. The dark bill and legs rule out that species and it would be a very late date to see one anyway. Its rapid movements also tended to rule out Willow Warbler, a species that moves rather deliberately in comparison.

It stopped to have a quick peek and then ...

... launched itself to feast on more insects ahead of its journey to spend winter in the Mediterranean Basin.

A sunny interval between showers tempted this Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) to soak up some warmth ...

... and this Common Drone-fly (Eristalis tenax).

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trench Middle Pool:  10:05 – 10:30 // 11:15 – 11:25

(43rd visit of the year)

I parked here again because of on-going road closure towards the Blue Pig.

Work continues to stabilise the N side embankment with even more men and equipment. In theory only two more days ....

Notes from here:
- No Mute Swans for the first time in ages (see Trench Lock notes)
- Some of the Tufted Duck left between my two visits – to Trench Lock?
- The first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gulls seemed to be in poor condition and appeared to have a broken wing.
- Grey Wagtail again

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Raven

Warblers noted.
None

Counts from the water:
- 168 Canada Geese
- 11 (8♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white feral Mallard-type again
- 6 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens again
- 38 Coots
- 4 Black-headed Gulls: none of these first winter birds
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: first winter bird.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day..........

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Candles Landfill Site
1st winter Caspian Gull
2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull.
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Redwing
Swallow
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Mike Cooper)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Swallow
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

1 Oct 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:05 –09:05
The Flash:  09:10 – 09:55

12.0°C > 13.0°C:  Very low cloud, at times on the ground; lifted somewhat; occasional rain / mizzle. Calm start with light SE breeze later. Visibility between bad, poor and moderate at various times.

Sunrise: 07:10 BST

Priorslee Lake:  06:05 –09:05

(235th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today:
It was 07:30 before it was light-enough to do a ‘football’ field count. Due to both the poor weather and disturbance I logged just nine Wood Pigeons, one Magpie and five Pied Wagtails. 17 Black-headed Gulls were on the academy playing fields.
At 09:00 a repeat count produced 19 Black-headed Gulls, four Wood Pigeon, six Magpies and four Pied Wagtails.
I will probably forgo further counts from here.

Other notes:
- The outbound Greylag Geese were almost invisible even though they passed directly over. Could have been many more.
- No Gadwall seen.
- A pair of Tufted Ducks flew in to join the trio of ducks.
- After my previous comments about the ‘extra’ Great Crested Grebes having left at least some are now back (assuming they weren’t just hiding). With juveniles from the recent broods now almost full-grown and relatively independent then sorting them out is becoming more difficult.
- What I am sure is the same first-winter Common Gull was present after 08:00 at least.
- One of the early visiting large gulls was pale enough to identify as a (near) adult Herring Gull.
- One Song Thrush was in very recognisable song. Birds typically restart singing in October and sing somewhat intermittently throughout the winter. This seems exceptionally early?
- Three Meadow Pipits seemed to flush out of the SW grassy area. I have occasionally suspected migrants stop-off overnight here. Another overhead.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
***all counts affected by VERY low cloud. Only birds low and directly overhead were visible ****
- >40 Greylag Geese (one group outbound)
- 12 unidentified large gulls: too dark to ID
- 20 Wood Pigeons
- 10 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 1 Meadow Pipit

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 10 (6♂) Mallard: all bar 1♂ flew off
- 5 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Little Grebes
- 8 adult + 4 immatures + 9 juvenile (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens once more
- 125 Coots
- >80 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Common Gull: a first-winter bird
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all three of these first-winter birds
- 1 Herring Gull: (near) adult
- 5 unidentified large gulls: too dark to ID

Pre-dawn sightings on the lamp poles:
- 1 Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria)
- 1 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)
- 3 small flies
- 1 probable Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus)

Later sightings:
- >10 (Great) Black Slug types (Arion ater agg.)
- more fruiting bodies of the Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig (Coprinus comatus) fungus
- a cluster of unidentified fungus

Managed to get to grips with the first-winter Common Gull this morning. As previously noted this is anything but a ‘common’ gull in this part of Shropshire and it is most unusual to get such a good view as I had this morning. My first attempt as it flies towards me. The typical dark of the eye and the surround area as well as brown around the base of the neck is easily seen. The bill is much less robust than any Lesser Blacked / Herring Gull.

Landing conveniently next to a first-winter Black-headed Gull for direct comparison. On the Common Gull note the grey secondary coverts and grey on the inner webs of the inner primaries ....

.... even more clearly shown here.

A good comparison of the bill sizes and shapes of the two species here.

As our bird preens we see the neat black tail band at this age, with small white tips – typically not noted on a flying bird. The row of brown dots on the uppertail coverts is something else that would be hard to see on a flying bird.

Here it is having a shake-down after preening. The grey secondary coverts are none too obvious here. Note some grey on the top of the back (mantle).

Shaken down and standing proud. The streaking / spotting around the nape of the neck is also present on winter plumage adult Common Gulls. The typically ‘rounded’ head profile is rather spoilt by a few errant feathers.

That was as close as I got before something spooked all the gulls and here it flies away. Contrary to my comments above both the white tips to the tail and the brown spotting on the uppertail are visible, though I suspect the naked eye might struggle.

This was rather unexpected: a male Mottled Umber moth (Erranis defoliaria). This moth flies all winter and was especially abundant last winter. The females are wingless. My books tell me it flies from October to January. Well it is the first of October though moth records are traditionally dated on the last evening before the sighting – so it should be dated 30th September. My logs show early November as my usual first sighting dates. Note all the debris from spiders at this light.

This moth is a Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa). Last recorded by me here on 25 August this year. The single generation is on the wing from late July to early October though it is unlikely that any individual insect will have such a long flight-period.

This spider had only just pounced on its breakfast when I took this shot but it is already making short work of it – wing and legs being scattered. Do spiders ‘clean’ their webs of all these discarded bits? I assume they do as the bits would give a warning about the presence of the web. I think the spider is a Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus). And what is that in the web above the spider? A body?

Still chomping away. Is the red bit part of the spider? Or perhaps the eye of an unfortunate fly? [That is a bolt hole on the lamp pole behind the spider]

Yesterday’s Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer's Wig (Coprinus comatus) fruit did not last long ....

Or perhaps it was this one – a well chewed specimen. There is a whole group of fungus gnats waiting for me to find and identify that were probably responsible. Pass. There were more new fruiting bodies of this species nearby. I was going to say this species is ‘short-lived’ but that of course is not true. Only the fruiting body is short-lived with most of the fungus existing underground for many years – over 2000 years for some species.

A different cluster of fruiting bodies found this morning. Several noted.

The best I could do with a ‘side elevation’ shot. These may not be around tomorrow. Not because this is a short-lived species but because the council contractors were out with their mowers later. What species? I am glad you asked. No idea. Every time I photograph fungus I plough through all the photos on the Naturespot web site and find no convincing matches among all the excellent shots of the diverse array of fungus. Grrr.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash:  09:10 – 09:55

(224th visit of the year)

With most of the geese still away remarkably peaceful.

Other notes from here:
- 38 of the Canada Geese flew in: two groups.
- Another increase in Tufted Duck numbers – or are they just easier to find when they are not dwarfed all by the geese?
and
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum harvestman on a lamp pole in squirrel alley
- White Dead-nettle (Lamium album) still in flower
- 2 fruiting spikes of Lords-and-Ladies / Cuckoo Pint (Arum maculatum)
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Starlings
- 2 Meadow Pipits
- 2 Goldfinches

Warblers noted.
None

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 6 > 44 Canada Geese
- 1 hybrid / feral goose
- 43 (21♂) Mallard
- 55 (11?♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 4 Moorhens
- 19 Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls: neither of these a first-winter bird

This perky Wren popped up briefly on the vegetation. Poor light: long range. But how could I resist?

Apparently I should not have been too surprised to see flowers of White Dead-nettle (Lamium album) in October – continuous flowering from April to November my books tell me. These flowers were well hidden in what I can attest was a bed of Common Nettle (Urtica dioica). [My logs tell me that I first saw this in flower here this year on 1st January]

I was only thinking the other day that I had not seen the usual array of fruiting spikes of Lords-and-Ladies / Cuckoo Pint (Arum maculatum) in squirrel alley: and there they were. On the other side of the path from usual so probably overlooked for some days.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day..........

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail
40 Mute Swan
(Mike Cooper) 

2008
Priorslee Lake
Shoveler
Peregrine
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Redwing
90 Golden Plover
87 Greenfinches
3 Chiffchaffs
Blackcap
Kingfisher
2 Willow Tits
(Ed Wilson)