27 Nov 24

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

4.0°C > 5.0°C: A cloudy start with a clearance from the North making very slow progress. Brisk north-west wind dropped away somewhat. Good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:54 GMT]

Another morning avoiding the early rain and with a late start commencing at The Flash.

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 11:45 – 12:40

(258th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the resident cob Mute Swan still occasionally starts chasing some of the visitors. The pen stays well out of it.
- two of the Great Crested Grebes were noted displaying – without their head-plumes at this date.

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Canada Goose
- 20 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (0♂) Gadwall
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- 15 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 241 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 19 Herring Gulls
- 39Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants

Of note:

Nothing else

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:45 – 11:35

(261st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- no geese around the island to spoil the view: no sign of any Shoveler or Teal lurking there.
- the duck Pochard was not seen: the three adult and one first-winter drakes were staying together.
- *a smart-looking drake Goosander was an addition.
- after several weeks with no sightings there were two Collared Dove displaying and calling.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 41 (26♂) Mallard
- 4 (4♂) Pochard
- 52 (33?♂) Tufted Duck
- *1 (1♂) Goosander
- 18 Moorhens
- 111 Coots
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: adult
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- *3 Cormorants

Noted around The Flash

Nothing else

A drake Goosander stretching. Note the distinctive head-shape in this pose. For some reason duck birds never show this head-shape.

"I see no fish"!

Another close-up of one of the fishing Cormorants going this way...

...and that.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years without links are below

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls
930+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
95 Herring Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Goldeneye
3 Gadwall
6 Pochard
22 Tufted Ducks
146 Coots
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
8 Redwings
151 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

2005
Priorslee Lake
50+ Golden Plover
4 Pochard
39 Tufted Duck
1 duck Wigeon
2 Ruddy Duck
2 Little Grebes
200+ Coot
1 Water Rail
1 Kingfisher
12 Redwing
5 Fieldfare
8 Siskin
5 Reed Bunting
(Martin R Adlam)

26 Nov 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

1.0°C > 7.0°C: Clear skies. Frosty early. Light and variable wind. Mostly very good visibility: a bit hazy at times and some light most early.

Sunrise: 07:52 GMT

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 09:30

(257th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- all the Wood Pigeon flocks were noted between c.07:55 and c.08:10. Most were flying North, a few groups West and one errant group flying East.
- the lower Coot total possibly partly because the Mute Swans were blocking my view.
- very many more large gulls this morning: no idea why.
- Redwing(s) were heard calling overhead c.06:30. No idea how many.
- a party of c.10 Siskins were feeding in trees near the Teece Drive gate. Not on Alder cones but moss or lichen?

Birds noted flying over:
- 4 Canada Geese: inbound together
- 40 Greylag Geese: inbound as a single and two groups
- 2 Stock Doves
- 604 Wood Pigeons: of these c.575 in 19 groups mainly flying north: see notes
- 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 188 Jackdaws
- 51 Rooks
- 2 Fieldfare
- ? Redwings: see notes
- 1 Skylark
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
- 2 Siskins: singles

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:

None

Counts from the lake area:
- 28 Canada Geese: 24 throughout; single and trio arrived
- 20 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 10 (8♂) Mallard
- 13 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only
- 7 Moorhens
- 221 Coots: see notes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.400 Black-headed Gulls
- *>17 Herring Gulls
- >325 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Kingfishers

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
**mainly frost covered

Moths:
- *1 Northern Winter Moth Operophtera fagata

Beetles:
- *1 unidentified beetle – perhaps!

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
- 2 other spiders

Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:
**too cold / frosty for most things

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 3 spiders of several species not identified

Later:

Nothing noted

On the limit of – alright beyond – my camera's capability. The crescent moon.

Dawn. Toward the left on the water are the first c.100 Black-headed Gulls to arrive. The lager shapes closer to the land are Canada Geese.

A well-lit first winter Herring Gull from below and...

 ...above.

A Grey Wagtail in the Wesley Brook above the footbridge. At this time of year it is not easy to separate females and males. In breeding plumage adult males have a black throat.

A male Siskin. But what is it feeding on? Certainly not Alder cones which are this species' favourite.

It looks to be plucking at the moss and lichen.

This street lamp pole was under trees so it dew and not frost on this moth. With the hindwings held so they extend beyond the folded forewings it is a Northern Winter Moth Operophtera fagata.

This is a puzzle. At first sight it seems to be a beetle, probably a ground beetle. Obsidentify suggested Oak Apple Gall Biorhiza pallida which seemed like one of its senior moments. But Google Lens had a similar idea and showed a photo of the Oak Apple Gall Wasp which seemed to match. Hold hard: a wasp should have wings; and the gall wasp is very small and this wasn't. It was typical ground beetle-sized. So?

Plane of the day: this is an Airbus A340-313 operated by Legend Airlines based in Romania. Airbus A340s, like most four-jet airliners are not favoured these days, most having been converted to freight or parcel carrying. This is an exception. It started life in 2008 spending nine years operating for Finnair. It has several other operators before Legend Airlines leased it in February 2023. It has since spent time sub-leased to SpiceJet in India.

The routing data from FlightRadar24. The only suggestion I have about this flight is that it may have been a charter that brought the 200 Irish troops back from Lebanon yesterday and was repositioning for its next task.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:50

(260th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- probably more Greylag Geese: some were lurking inside the island.
- I again noted just one immature drake and one duck Shoveler. To my eyes the immature drake was a different bird to that seen yesterday
- a Coal Tit was heard singing again.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- >52 Greylag Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 37 (24♂) Mallard
- *5 (4♂) Pochard
- 52 (26?♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- 107 Coots
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Herring Gulls: one adult; one first winter
- 4 Cormorants

Noted around The Flash:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- >25 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- *1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *2 Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax
- *1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

Other flies:
- very many flies of at least three species

A quintet of Pochard. From the left two adult drakes; middle foreground a duck; behind her an immature drake with a duller grey back (accentuated by him being in shadow); and a third adult drake.

A good party trick. An adult winter Herring Gull with a good sense of balance.

Late in the year I would have thought for a Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris to still be out and about especially as the ambient temperature was only c.7.0°C.

A Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus soaks up the sun's rays.

 A Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax tucks in.

Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax is a slightly more robust-looking species of hoverfly.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years without links are below

2012
Priorslee Lake
22 Tufted Ducks
143 Coots
Nuthatch
34 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
228 Jackdaws
98 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
11 Greylag Geese
27 Pochard
70 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
70 Coots
>400 Black-headed Gulls
315 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
221 Wood Pigeons
22 Blackbirds
45 Fieldfares
38 Redwings
264 Jackdaws
71 Rooks
5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
1 Goldeneye
2 Ruddy Duck
C.700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
16 Herring Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
Caspian Gull
Sparrowhawk
c.628 Jackdaws
c.358 Rooks
(Martin Adlam)

25 Nov 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C: Mainly clear skies with a few light passing showers developing. Moderate south-westerly wind, increasing fresh at times. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:50 GMT

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:05 – 09:25

(256th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- despite repeated attempts to prove otherwise I could only count 20 adult Mute Swans. Many were often hiding in the north-west reeds. The resident cob chased them out several times so I think I managed a complete count.
- it seemed as if a Grey Heron was flying out West at 07:40. At 09:00 one was fishing in the Wesley Brook. The same?
- a Common Kestrel was seen hovering over field to the East of Castle Farm Way.
- the Skylark heard flying over was an unusual record for this date. Autumn passage is usually complete by the end of October.

Birds noted flying over:
- 18 Greylag Geese: single outbound; 17 inbound together
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 402 Wood Pigeons: of these 378 counted in 15 groups flying north-west
- 47 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Common Kestrel
- 225 Jackdaws
- 43 Rooks
- 2 Fieldfare
- 1 Skylark
- 3 Siskins: singles

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 2 Reed Buntings

Counts from the lake area:
- 20 + 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Common Teal
- 15 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 246 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- c.450 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 22 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: briefly
- *1 (or 2?) Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *2 Winter Moths Operophtera brumata

Flies:
- *1 possible Scoliocentra villosa
- 2 winter craneflies

Larvae:
- *1 unidentified caterpillar / saw-fly larva

Springtails:
- *4 springtails

Earwigs:
- *1 Common European Earwig Forficula dentata

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 False Widow Spider Steatoda nobilis
- *2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

Around the outside of the Telford Sailing Club HQ pre-dawn:

Flies:
- *1 Muscid fly, probably a Helina sp.
- *1 Wood Gnat Sylvicola fenestralis
- 1 male plumed midge

Barkflies:
- 1 barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi agg.
- 4 barkflies Valenzuela flavidus

Slugs, snails etc.:
- 1 possible Hairy Snail Trochulus hispidus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 19 spiders of several species not identified

Later:

Nothing noted

The quarter moon. My mother always said that when the moon was on its back it would be filled with rain. Perhaps the weekend's rain tipped out of this?

The unexciting dawn.

One of the showers heading my way.

It was dark looking up the Wesley Brook from the bridge so these photos are not sharp. This Grey Heron was standing in one place, repeatedly plunging its bill in the water and almost every time picking up a fish, as here.

  And rather more clearly here. The strange thing is that the brook was in spate yesterday and flowing well today. How come there is an aggregation of small fish – whatever species they are?

"Come in number 4". One of two Winter Moths Operophtera brumata tries to hide.

 The bulge in the leading edge of the wings of this fly suggest it is a Muscid fly, probably a Helina sp.

My best suggestion for this fly on one of the street lamp poles is Scoliocentra villosa.

Superficially like a cranefly but smaller, with the head less disjointed from the abdomen and with stiffer antennae. It is the Wood Gnat Sylvicola fenestralis

A caterpillar or larva. With the black head I had always assumed these are sawfly larva. A quick scan of the newly reinstated Naturespot web site (at a new address) suggests there should be no sawfly larva at this time of year.

"I can see you". A Common European Earwig Forficula dentata tries to hide. A female – the pincer on males are more curved. Note the small springtail at the top.

Another springtail.

And two more. The variability in marking is more to do with the scales on the abdomen rubbing off with age than any difference between species.

 I think this is a False Widow Spider Steatoda nobilis.

One of two Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp. on the street lamp poles.

Whereas this individual was, unusually, on a wall of the Telford Sailing Club HQ.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:50

(259th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- most of the Shoveler had either gone or were hiding on the island. I eventually managed to see one immature drake and one duck
- a duck Gadwall was noted again. She has probably been present throughout and evading my gaze.
- a duck Common Teal was, unusually, in the middle of the water.
- a Coal Tit in full song was strange at this date.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Noted on / around the water:
- 13 Canada Geese
- 32 Greylag Geese: of these 17 arrived together
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose: arrived with Greylags
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 1 (0) Gadwall
- 41 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Common Teal
- 7 (5♂) Pochard
- 49 (26?♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- 115 Coots
- 11 Black-headed Gulls
- *4 Herring Gulls: three adults; one first winter
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

Noted around The Flash:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *>10 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
- 1 Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
- *3 Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax
- 1 Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

Other flies:
- many flies of at least three species

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum rotundum/blackwalli

The Greylag Geese have been watching the Red Arrows with a formation trio...

...and quarter though this requires some work on the alignment.

A first winter Herring Gull with smart new adult-looking inner primaries. A smudgy tail band is normal for this species.

There was a Winter Moth here. Near the tip of its right wing is a small globular springtail.

Some insects survived the deluge and came out with the sun. Most numerous were Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris.

One of three Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years without links are below

2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Gadwall
1 Teal
2 Pochard
99 Tufted Duck
225 Coots counted
1 Woodcock
6 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Green Woodpecker
231 Fieldfare
66 Redwings
c.375 Jackdaws
2 Redpolls
5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
31 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
23 Tufted Duck
Goosander
143 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
19 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
259 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson / Allan Heath)

2005
Priorslee Lake
206 Starlings going to roost
C.500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
10 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow legged Gull
1 Caspian Gull
c.700 Black-headed Gulls
(Martin Adlam)

24 Nov 24

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

13.0°C: Cloudy after very heavy early rain. Fresh southerly wind. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:49 GMT]

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:40 – 11:30

(255th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- some disturbance combined with very muddy water being brought on to the lake from the sluices was probably the reason why there were fewer ducks.
- that said: a pair of Common Teal was noted in the middle of the water.
- a Sparrowhawk zipping low over the water was the only other sighting of note.

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 21 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Common Teal
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 20 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhen
- 259 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant

Of note:

Nothing else

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:35

(257th visit of the year)

The path at the top end was wetter than I have ever known it.

Bird notes:
- one reason Shovelers have been so variable in number is that they climb inside the island, out of view. I saw three drakes do just that.
- no sign of the Common Teal: however the / a Little Grebe appeared by the island.
- I was almost within touching distance before the Grey Heron decided to fly off the hand-rail of one of the footbridges.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Shoveler
- 28 (19♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Pochard
- 53 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 110 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: adult again; also an immature briefly
- *2 Cormorants
- *1 Grey Heron

Also noted:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 2 Common Wasps Paravespula vulgaris
Warm-enough to tempt them out even in overcast conditions.

Not my best but included to illustrate the different head profiles of Pochard (foreground) and Tufted Duck, in this instance a drake. The Pochard looks to be an immature drake though at the time I thought it most likely a duck.

A Cormorant. All species of cormorants and their shag relatives have stunning eyes. Some species have red eyes, most are in the range of green through blue. I have never read any explanation for the different eye colour between different bird species. In any one species the colour may vary between adults and juveniles or between males and females but is otherwise consistent. I think we, as a species, are unusual in having a range of eye colours. Domestic animals do – cats for instance - but these are descendants of different species and the various eye colour genes are in what we now think of a single species.

The Grey Heron was daring anyone to walk across the footbridge.

It was almost within touching distance when it decided to fly.

It is not only a Grey Heron's bill you would not want to mess with. The talons look to be useful weapons.

Away it goes. A downward flap.

 Legs hanging.

The passing local Common Buzzard is helped on its way by one of the local Carrion Crows.

And now a complaining Herring Gull joins the fray.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years without links are below

2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Gadwall
2 Teal
3 Pochard
114 Tufted Duck
228 Coots
1 Snipe
Tawny Owl
157 Fieldfare
63 Redwings
208 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
31 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
35 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall
9 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
157 Coots
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
18 Redwings
16 Fieldfares
4 Siskins
3 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
6 Yellow-legged Gulls
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood / Tom Lowe)

2007
Priorslee Lake
A male Stonechat
1 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
Great Black-backed Gull
5 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

East of Priorslee
60 Golden Plover
(John Isherwood)