6 Nov 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 8.0°C: Fine and clear with just a few wisps of high cloud. Light south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:15 GMT

+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 09:35

(231st visit of the year)

Yet another day of busy Autumn skies. The Wood Pigeon passage seem to be past its peak. Today it was winter thrushes (Fieldfare and Redwings).

Bird notes:
- A single Starling again seen leaving a roost, a different site today, at 07:10
- The passage of winter thrushes started at 06:40 and was still going on until after 09:00. Some of the early groups contained both Fieldfare and Redwings and getting the 'split' of numbers correct was a challenge. I did my best. Some of these groups also carried a very few finches along with them. I did not hear any calls so was unable to identify them. Later the groups were entirely Fieldfare.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 1 Canada Goose: outbound
- 7 Greylag Geese: a single and a sextet inbound
- 17 (?♂) Goosander: together
- 5 Stock Doves
- 1477 Wood Pigeons: of these 1415 in 31 migrant flocks heading South.
- 1 Herring Gull
- 89 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *6 Cormorants: two trios
- 2 Sparrowhawks
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 251 Jackdaws
- 17 Rooks
- 20 Starlings: three groups
- 1154 Fieldfare: in 31 groups, all West / south-west bound, some groups mixed with...
- 262 Redwings: in 17 groups, all West / south-west bound
- 1 Skylark
- 1 Siskin

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Canada Goose: arrived and stayed
- *4 + 7 Mute Swans: a visiting family of two adults and five cygnets did not stay long!
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 9 (7♂) Mallard
- 41 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 131 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *2 Cormorants: arrived separately and stayed

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
It was dew that reduced the community today:

Moths:
- 3 November Moths agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)
- *1 Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria)

Otherwise:
- *1 Muscid fly, either Phaonia subventa or P. rufiventris
- 2 plumed midges: male and female
- *1 winter crane fly Trichocera sp.
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis
- *5 springtails Tomocerus vulgaris
- *+1 globular springtail Dicyrtomina saundersi
- *3 spider Clubiona sp.
- 1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 harvestman Opilio canestrinii
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:
- *2 harvestmen Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus

Fungus found.
No new ones

Probably the last day (even assuming it stays clear) there will be enough light given off by the waning moon for photography.

The visiting family of Mute Swans (two adults and five cygnets) pass in front of developing Autumn colours as they gain height in order to...

...leave.

One of the two trios of Cormorants passing over. The one at the back is an immature with a pale belly.

This one was flying with the trio but veered off and splashed down in the lake.

I have seen more Common Buzzards circling overhead in the last few weeks than I can recall seeing most of the rest of the year.

This dew-covered moth is characterised by a rather triangular appearance and suggests it is probably a Mottled Umber (Erranis defoliaria).

This species of moth often stays in the same place for several days so I went back later. It has moved a bit, the dew has gone and the identification is confirmed.

A dew-covered Muscid fly, either Phaonia subventa or P. rufiventris. It is an unusual visitor to the pre-dawn street lamp poles.

One of the winter crane flies from the Trichocera genus. Only one, which has a dark mark in its wings, is identifiable from photos: this does not show the dark mark.

With long antenna this is a springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis.

One of five springtails Tomocerus vulgaris this morning with shorter antennae.

These tiny globular springtails are hard to photo. I think this is a Dicyrtomina saundersi.

A brightly coloured specimen of a Clubiona spider.

I used to record these as a stretch spider sp. Looking at various web sites I think the better description would be a Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

This harvestman Opilio canestrinii is the species I see least often.

"Six wheels on my wagon" on this harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus/caudatus. [from an original idea © Bob Hilliard and Burt Bacharach]

"Seven wheels on my wagon" with this one. Do any of them ever keep all eight.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:40 – 10:55

(215th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- another quiet day with a dearth of Tufted Duck.
- also fewer Goosanders than a week ago. Have they eaten all the fish?

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 5 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- *33 (22♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 21 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (0♂) Goosander
- 11 Moorhens
- 50 Coots
- *7 Great Crested Grebes
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: third winter
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

On / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
Nothing noted

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Butterflies:
- *Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- *+Comma (Polygonia c-album)

Bees / wasps etc.:
- *Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): 100's

Hoverflies:
- Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
- *Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- *Dead-head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea) [Batman Hoverfly]
- *Grey-spotted Boxer (Platycheirus albimanus) [also known as Grey-spotted Sedgesitter]

Other flies:
- *Blowfly Lucilia sp.
- *Muscid fly, either Phaonia subventa or P. rufiventris
- *Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- and many unidentified flies of several species that I did not bother with.

New groups of fungus found:
- *Clustered Toughshank (Collybia confluens syn. Gymnopus confluens)
- *unidentified Mycena sp.
- *Yellowing Knight (Tricholoma scalpturatum)

By popular demand (thanks Sue) here are some more Mallard photos, this time both of ducks.

Whee!

Interesting. These two first winter Great Crested Grebes (still some ghost striping on their heads) were getting friendly. Are they not siblings born here?

 I am used to seeing Red Admiral butterflies (Vanessa atalanta) in to November...

...but not Comma butterflies (Polygonia c-album), here drinking nectar.

This is how the species gets its name – the white mark on the underwing.

A Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax).

A Dead-head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea).

I thought this was rather small for a Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare). Looking at the edited photo I realise it is a Grey-spotted Boxer (Platycheirus albimanus).

An industrious Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris).

A frenetic morning for the wasps.

This is a Blowfly from the Lucilia genus. Counting the bristles is needed to specifically identify it! It looks rather 'bug-eyed' from this angle.

A Muscid fly, either Phaonia subventa or P. rufiventris.

Lovely. A Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria).

With sunny conditions it was possible to get a photo of a whole troop of Trooping Funnel fungus (Clitocybe geotropa).

A new species of fungus for me. My app. identifies it as Clustered Toughshank (Collybia confluens with a synonym of Gymnopus confluens).

My app. could not give a positive ID on this fungus growing out of a large Willow (Salix) beyond it being a species of Bonnet (Mycena).

Nor give a positive ID on this fungus. Yellowing Knight (Tricholoma scalpturatum) was suggested as the most likely.

Plane of the day #1. This is a Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee. It was built at Lockhaven in Florida in 1968. After service in Denmark it has had seven owners in the UK since 1990, now flying with an owner near Penrith.

Plane of the day #2. This is a Piper PA-23-250 Aztec F. Another Lockhaven-build, this time in 1977. It has been in the UK since c.1980 with a number of different registrations, G-XSFT originating when it was operated by SFT Aviation in Bournemouth. Its current owner lives in Perivale and it had spent the weekend at Hawarden Airport near Chester.

Plane of the day #3. This a Van's RV-8, a homebuilt aircraft from a kit supplied by Van's Aircraft in Aurora, Oregon, USA. Would you believe the owner's surname is Watson? He flies it out of Derby's Eggington Airfield.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2013
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
1 Teal
1 Pochard
64 Tufted Duck
21 Moorhens
235 Coots
5 Song Thrush
19 Fieldfare
18 Redwings
439 Jackdaws
89 Rooks
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
c.110 Greylag Geese
2 Gadwall
7 Pochard
32 Tufted Ducks
4 Moorhens
145 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.1650 Wood Pigeons
51 Redwings
302 Fieldfares
c.375 Jackdaws
c.100 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
5 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
18 Stock Doves
3800+ Wood Pigeons
6 Skylarks
1 Meadow Pipit
238 Fieldfare
19 Redwings
91 Starlings
3 Siskins
11 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow Legged Gull
2 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Yellow Legged Gull
2 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
26 Greylag Geese
Gadwall
5 Shoveler
3 Pochard
79 Tufted Duck
1 Lapwing
Snipe
2 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
16 Redwings
3 Fieldfares
9 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Cormorants
3 Shoveler
3 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
149 Coot
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
30 Pochard
111 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
47 Coots
c.562 Black-headed Gulls
63 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
89 Wood Pigeons
22 Pied Wagtails
20 Wrens
12 Dunnocks
27 Robins
31 Blackbirds
5 Song Thrushes
22 Redwings
16 Magpies
111 Jackdaws
68 Rooks
86 Greenfinches
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

5 Nov 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 8.0°C: Fine with some sunny intervals. Light to moderate westerly breeze. Excellent visibility.

Sunrise: 07:14 GMT

+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:20

(230th visit of the year)

Another day of busy Autumn skies – a favourite time of year of mine.

Bird notes:
- another best-effort count of Wood Pigeons. Many larger flocks (>150 birds) had to be estimated in tens or even 50's! And as I am not Janus I almost certainly missed some of the flocks altogether
- in addition to the 14 Starlings overhead a single flew out of a West end roost at 07:00.
- Reed Buntings were again calling from the West end roost site. I noted eight birds, apparently of this species, leave together at 06:55. Birds were still calling and one, certainly this species, departed at 07:15. Calls continued sporadically afterwards but I saw no more.
- not included were the tight group of at least 100 birds seen far to the East. I expected them to morph in to the distinctive flight pattern of Golden Plover but they didn't. They just "disappeared". Most likely Redwings or Fieldfares but...

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 10 Greylag Geese: flew South to the East
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Duck: together
- 1 Stock Dove: in with one of the Wood Pigeon flocks
- 5763 Wood Pigeons: of these 5718 counted / estimated in 55 migrant flocks heading South.
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 171 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 253 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 14 Starlings: three groups
- 284 Fieldfare: ten groups, one of these in with Wood Pigeons
- 46 Redwings: four groups
- 5 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
- 2 Siskins

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Canada Goose: arrived and stayed
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 34 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 139 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 9 Herring Gulls
- 57 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: a single and later a duo arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: briefly
Consensus is that my mystery gull from yesterday is a near-adult small female Lesser Black-backed Gull of the darker-backed intermedius race from Scandinavia.

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles at dawn:
Yesterday's rain seemed to have affected things somewhat:

Moths:
- none

Otherwise:
- *1 fly Scoliocentra villosa
- 1 unidentified globular springtail
- 1 tiny woodlouse sp.
- *1 male spider Neriene montana
- *1 unidentified spider
- 1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis

Nothing noted later and no new fungus found.

 I am sure it was the moon that was at an angle and not me.

This is what it looked like pre-dawn with yesterday's rain clouds distantly to the East.

It did not seem there was going to be a colourful sunrise...

...and, belatedly, this appeared.

A Buzzard overhead tilts and catches the light from the low morning sun.

The fly Scoliocentra villosa.

A male spider with the 'boxing gloves' palps, most likely Neriene montana.

Whereas this spider remains unidentified.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:35

(214th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- after the hectic time at the Balancing Lake it was peace and quiet here with nothing unusual.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Noted on / around the water:
- 10 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 30 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 33 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (0♂) Goosander
- 10 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- *7 Great Crested Grebes
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: third winter
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults; singly
- *2 Grey Herons
Note: The trio of mainly white feral geese seen here recently were present this afternoon at the SOS Reserve at Venus Pool near Cross Houses, South of Shrewsbury along with several hundred Greylag Geese.

Noted on / beside the street lamp poles etc. around the water etc.:
- *1 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Bees / wasps etc.:
- *Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): many

Hoverflies:
- Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
- *Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Other flies:
- *possible root-maggot fly Hydrophoria lancifer
- *Muscid fly Phaonia subventa or P. rufiventris
- *unidentified Muscid fly
- and many unidentified flies of several species.

New fungus found:
- *Trooping Funnel (Clitocybe geotropa)

Here, from this afternoon at SOS Reserve at Venus Pool, are two of the mainly white feral geese seen at The Flash recently. A rather better view of them.

I was somewhat surprised to see the juvenile Great Crested Grebe still being fed. This one still looks young and 'fluffy' and I wonder whether it is a new one I have overlooked previously. There were certainly seven on the water, one more than I have previously logged.

"feed me, feed me".

The juvenile seems to have dropped the fish in the water.

Perhaps not. "Down the hatch it goes".

"I can see you". A Grey Heron not hiding too successfully.

My first Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) here this year. They will be flying in to the New Year and are the species most often seen in car headlights at this time of year. They are slightly smaller than the November Moth group (Epirrita sp.) and almost always have the darker central band. Having recently organised my moth sightings for submission to the Shropshire Recorder I note this is moth species 49 at The Flash this year and the 123 individual I have recorded.

A few clouds were taking the edge off the sun and there were rather fewer Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris) on the Ivy (Helix) this morning.

A Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax). I puzzled for a while as to why its shadow look hairy. I think it is the hairs on the top surface of the leaf being lit by the light passing through the hoverfly's wing.

Among the flies around the Ivy was this possible root-maggot fly Hydrophoria lancifer.

And this Muscid fly, either Phaonia subventa or P. rufiventris. It is the number of bristles on the thigh of the hind leg that separate the two species. All Phaonia flies have a distinct bulge along the outer edge of the wing.

Obsidentify told me this was a Muscid fly but was not prepared to go further. Neither am I.

I found two rows (battalions?) of Trooping Funnel fungus (Clitocybe geotropa). In the darkest part of the wooded area alongside squirrel alley I had to use camera flash for this shot.

This one was broken off and allowed me to show the gill structure.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow Legged Gull
2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls
4 Gadwall
4 Wigeon
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
c.80 Greylag Geese over
2 Gadwall
6 Pochard
40 Tufted Ducks
7 Moorhens
c.130 Coots
2500 Wood Pigeons
580+ Jackdaws
45+ Rooks
Raven
1 Siskin
3 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
106 Greylag Geese
1 possible Bean Goose
38 Canada Geese
2 Pochard
32 Tufted Duck
17 Goosanders
7 Moorhens
7 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
10 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
513 Jackdaws
53 Rooks
732 Wood Pigeons
5 Meadow Pipits
503 Fieldfare
2 Song Thrushes
34 Redwings
1 Brambling
12 Chaffinches
2 Siskins
51 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Grant)

2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
15 Shoveler
1 Gadwall
10 Pochards
117 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rails
100+
Many Redwings
4 Fieldfare
20+ Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
16 Pochard
55 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
c.600 Black-headed Gulls
189 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
803 Wood Pigeons
17 Pied Wagtails
19 Wrens
12 Dunnocks
30 Robins
21 Blackbirds
128 Fieldfares
4 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
1 Mistle Thrush
13 Magpies
347 Jackdaws
160 Rooks
12 Carrion Crows
223 Starlings
2 Siskins
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
Kingfisher
2 Little Grebe
11 Pochard
35 Tufted Duck
3 Ruddy Duck
27 Redwing
10 Fieldfare
5 Reed Bunting
Redpoll
Siskin
101 Rooks
12 Carrion Crow
227 Jackdaws
3 Jay
12 Magpies
1 Raven
1200 Wood Pigeon
(Martin Adlam)

4 Nov 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake

Abandoned wet again.

5.0°C > 6.0°C: A red sunrise did not last long with rain starting c.07:15. Light easterly wind. Very good visibility until the rain started: then poor for a while, settling down to moderate.

Sunrise: 07:12 GMT

+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 08:50

(229th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I was surprised to see any migrant Wood Pigeon groups. The first, at 07:35, had the excuse that it had only just started raining. The second at 08:20 had no such excuse. How do they see where they are going in the rain? It hurts my eyes.
- As a postscript to my count of of c.3500 migrant Wood Pigeons I read that just 'down the road' at Belvide 12 miles to the East they logged 7000 in the first hour after dawn. I know from previous years that similar numbers pass over north-west London in early November. Just how many are on the move and where to?
- I had heard at least two Reed Buntings calling from the West end roost. While I was counting a passing flock of Jackdaws I saw 14 small birds apparently flying out of this roost area. I had heard no other birds so assume they were Reed Buntings.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 3 Canada Geese: duo outbound; one South
- 4 Mute Swans: flew West 07:15; ages not determined
- 80 Wood Pigeons: of these 53 flew South in two migrant groups
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 94 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
- 3 Redwings
- 3 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 2 Siskins

Counts from the lake area: (as best as I could in the rain)
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 30 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 125 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebes
- c.125 Black-headed Gulls
- *15 Herring Gulls
- *1 unknown gull (Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull?)
- *1 possible Caspian Gull
- *51 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- *3 November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)

Flies:
- 1 Spotted-winged Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)
- 1 plumed midge
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)

Other insects:
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris

Spiders / harvestmen:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 Orb-web spider Metellina sp.
- *1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- *3 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis

Later I noted this on the wet fence alongside Teece Drive.:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

And another fungus:
- *Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus)

It might have rained later, but not before some colour appeared.

Reaching its maximum here.

Asda apologises for photo-bombing the dawn.

Two immature Herring Gulls. The larger bird on the left is likely a male. Its all-dark bill indicates it is a first winter. The smaller bird, likely a female, has more grey in its back feathers. This and the pale base to its bill indicates it is a second winter.

A strange first-winter gull. It is too pale for a Lesser Black-backed Gull. The paler inner primaries do not look extensive- or pale-enough for a Herring Gull. The choices would seem to be Yellow-legged or Caspian Gull. Obsidentify was confident it is a Caspian Gull. I am not sure...but I do not have a more convincing suggestion.

Another very strange gull. Its round head, dark eye and weak-looking pale bill with a dark band are all reminiscent of a Common Gull. The very dark back, the same tone as the wing tips, would normally indicate a Great Black-backed Gull which is probably why that is why Obsidentify thinks it is. It is however clearly too small and gentle-looking. I am wondering whether it is the Lesser Black-backed x Ringed-billed Gull that has been in the area for the last ten winters at least. I'll ask around. There is a lot I still need to learn about gulls.

For comparison two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (I cannot remember what the obscured individual was).

There were three November Moth types (Epirrita dilutata agg.) on different street lamp poles today. This one was the first I have seen on the particular pole this season.

One of the Orb-web spiders Metellina sp.

A Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis).

One of three harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis on the street lamp poles this morning. This one trying to camouflage itself against the identification number stencilled on the pole.

The dead Silver Birch (Betula pendula) tree-trunk was leaning – honest! The fungus is Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus), frequently seen on dead wood from this tree.

A close-up.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2011
Priorslee Lake
Yellow legged Gull
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
43 Tufted Duck
Yellow-legged Gull
Kingfisher
400+ Jackdaws
17 Fieldfare
7 Redwings
Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
24 Pochard
81 Tufted Ducks
c.180 large gulls
5 Redwings here
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Grant)

2009
Priorslee Lake
17 Pochard
4 Wigeon
8 Tufted
42 Mute Swan
400+ Lesser Black-backed Gull
Yellow Legged Gull
(Mike Cooper)

Wrekin
Firecrest
2 Brambling
(Dave Barrow / Andy Latham)

2006
Priorslee Lake
23 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
650+ Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
134 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
450 Wood Pigeons
15 Pied Wagtails
18 Wrens
13 Dunnocks
25 Robins
18 Blackbirds
155 Fieldfares
5 Song Thrushes
85 Redwings
1 Mistle Thrush
14 Greenfinches
2 Siskins
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)