2.0°C > 4.0°C: Mostly clear skies; a few clouds to the East. Just frosted as the wind dropped away. Light south-westerly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:03 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:30 – 09:15
(21st visit of the year)
There were many small and medium-sized twigs brought down by Storm Éowyn. I did not notice any larger branches or trees that had succumbed.
Bird notes:
- as I was leaving and walking back up Teece Drive two Mute Swans flew West and were likely the birds I saw at The Flash a few minutes later. I had not been in a position to see the water here for at least 10 minutes so I am unsure whether they had visited and been chased away or were merely flying over.
- there were very few Black-headed Gulls today. The first 10 flew directly over after 07:45 and I counted no more than 31 on the water.
- the first large gull arrived at 07:10 and immediately departed. The main arrival started c.07:20 with eventually at least 300 Lesser Black-backs present. Very few – I counted only 12 – Herring Gulls among them.
- there were Feral Pigeons flying around the new houses to the East of Castle Farm Way – it didn't take them long to find a new place to forage. I do not normally record this species when seen around the houses.
- a Kestrel was hovering over the fields to the East at c.08:00.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 19 Canada Geese: outbound in two groups
- 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- 21 Wood Pigeon
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *4 Cormorants: together
- 1 Kestrel
- 36 Jackdaws
- 74 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 34 Canada Geese: of these 11 arrived in three groups
- 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- *6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Pochard
- 20 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 216 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 31 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Herring Gulls
- c.300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants: arrived and departed together: one adult
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret: arrived
- 2 Kingfishers
Noted on the street lamp poles pre dawn.
Moths:
- *1 Early Moth Theria primaria
- *1 Early Moth Theria primaria
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 Furrow Orbweaver Larinioides cornutus
- *1 Furrow Orbweaver Larinioides cornutus
The Orange Ladybird Halyzia sedecimguttata seems to have gone from its over-wintering site.
Telford Sailing Club
Noted around Telford Sailing Club HQ pre dawn.
Telford Sailing Club
Noted around Telford Sailing Club HQ pre dawn.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 spiders, not specifically identified
Noted later:
- 2 spiders, not specifically identified
Noted later:
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis on the Teece Drive fence.
New Bird Species
One addition to the bird species on my site for here in 2025:
61 Kestrel
- *1 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis on the Teece Drive fence.
New Bird Species
One addition to the bird species on my site for here in 2025:
61 Kestrel
A splendid drake Gadwall...
...and his beau.
The groups of four Cormorants that over-flew. The front bird shows the white thigh-patch of a breeding condition bird. The third shows a pale belly of an immature (less than four years old?) bird.
From this angle the red bare skin above the eye makes it look as if it has had a hard night on the tiles.
That's better.
"Was it something I said?"
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:25
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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:25
(19th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- two additional adult Mute Swans were present and being successfully chased away. I assume the two seen over(?) the Balancing Lake earlier.
- Jays are not infrequently seen or heard at the top end. One was heard today and was surprisingly my first of the year.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese
- *6 > 4 Mute Swans
- 41 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- *55 (32♂) Tufted Duck
- *20 Moorhens
- 47 Coots
- 45 Black-headed Gulls
- *2 Herring Gulls: one adult: one first winter both briefly
Noted elsewhere:
Fungus:
- *King Alfred's Cakes Daldinia concentrica also known as cramp balls, and coal fungus.
New Bird Species
Two additions to the bird species on my site for here in 2025:
45 Jay
46 *Goldcrest
In spite of some puzzling features I cannot suggest that this is anything other than a first winter Herring Gull. The back looks well-advanced in to second year plumage yet the wings, especially the secondary-coverts, look darker than they should. Also the very contrasting bill was sufficiently unusual for Obsidentify to suggest Glaucous Gull where the first winter bird's bill does look like this. The dusky head seems to rule out Yellow-legged or Caspian Gull.
- *King Alfred's Cakes Daldinia concentrica also known as cramp balls, and coal fungus.
New Bird Species
Two additions to the bird species on my site for here in 2025:
45 Jay
46 *Goldcrest
The resident cob Mute Swan chasing one of the visitors.
He means business!
Last year's immatures offer some support by raising their wings.
Off go the interlopers.
Angry Mrs. Tufted Duck. Still some white at the base of the bill so she may be a Miss (first winter).
A close-up show the "tuft", always present but short on the duck.
"Don't jump!" A Moorhen contemplates the water.
Amazing texture in the plumage.
From underneath.
They are hard to photograph! My first Goldcrest of the year here peeks out and...
...is gone!
King Alfred's Cakes Daldinia concentrica also known as cramp balls, and coal fungus.
(Ed Wilson)
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2014
Priorslee Lake
11 Pochard
61 Tufted Duck
2 Greater Scaup
1 Velvet Scoter
98 Coots
4 Redwings
c.735 Jackdaws
c.257 Rooks
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
92 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
Peregrine
6 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
31 Wigeon
12 Gadwall
1 Greater Scaup
>700 Black-headed Gulls
7 Common Gulls
>1500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
>300 Herring Gulls
7 Great Black-backed Gulls.
(Ed Wilson, (John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
1 Little Grebe
30 Swans
4 Gadwall
28 Pochard
86 Tufted Ducks
1 Buzzard
296 Coots
5 Redwings
27 Greenfinches
c.30 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Goldeneye
1 Water Rail
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
c.120 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.45 Herring Gulls
10 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
24 Pochard
22 Tufted Ducks
152 Coot
1 Water Rail
c.48 Siskins
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
