22 Nov 16

Priorslee Lake: 07:25 – 09:35
Location

Sunrise: 07:45 GMT

5°C > 6°C: Started very dark with low cloud and drizzly rain; later the cloud started to lift and break; sun just as I was leaving! Brisk NW wind. Moderate visibility, became very good later

A / the (Greater) Scaup is back at the lake: likely the same bird – what is probably a rapid moult in to adult plumage made it look rather different

Otherwise the best was the group of 26 Goosanders (at least 9 drakes) on The Flash – perhaps forced off the River Severn by the floodwaters

(153rd visit of the year)

Notes from today
- a small increase in Gadwall with the two pairs now complete and an extra duck
- Coot count might be incomplete: standing in the dam was just too cold and the eyes started to stream; so I attempted to do a total count ‘in bits’
- the Mistle Thrush was singing again his morning
- a Meadow Pipit was in the grass at the W end
- at least 3 Reed Buntings heard at the W end: none seen to leave

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 22 Wood Pigeons
- 166 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 4 Starlings (1 group)
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Greenfinch
- 4 Goldfinches
- 2 Siskins
- 1 Linnet
- 3 unidentified finches

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Shoveler
- 6 (4♂) Pochard
- 113 (65♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (1♂) (Greater) Scaup
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- >52 Coots
- >210 Black-headed Gulls

Note: - After many recounts I was happy that there were now 9 Great Crested Grebes

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:45 – 10:05
Location

(113th visit of the year)

Notes
- 5 Great Crested Grebes: this is possibly the highest number of adults I have seen here.

Other than the highlighted Goosanders nothing else to note

Bird noted flying over
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Redwings

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Canada Goose still here
- 1 all white feral goose
- 31 (21♂) Mallard
- 26 (13♂) Tufted Ducks
- 26 (9♂) Goosander
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen
- 13 Coots
- 8 Black-headed Gulls only

Two of the very smart drake Goosanders at The Flash. Two ‘brownheads’ as well (oh, and two adult winter Black-headed Gull)

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
8 Wigeon
6 Gadwall
4 Teal
2 Shoveler
2 Pochard
116 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rails
222 Coots
1 Snipe
c.90 Lapwing over
4 Yellow-legged gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
A Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid
134 Fieldfare
22 Redwings
171 Jackdaws
3 Ravens
3 Siskins
3 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood/JW Reeves)

 Horsehay Pool
Caspian Gull
1  Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Kingfisher
12 Goosander
Raven
(JW Reeves)

 2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks 
152 Coots 
8 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

 2008
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
56 Greylag Geese
12 Pochard
187 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
2 Water Rails
149 Coot
c.800 Black-headed
c.2200 Lesser Black-backed
<20 Herring Gulls
1st winter Common Gull
50 Redwings
8 Fieldfare
1 Treecreeper
c.1000 Starlings left a roost
c.20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

 2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
23 Greylag Geese
27 Pochard
55 Tufted Ducks
3 Buzzards
>1650 Black-headed Gull
>4022 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
246 Wood Pigeons
1 Kingfisher
26 Robins
27 Blackbirds
4 Fieldfares
34 Redwings
male Blackcap
1 Willow Tit
246 Jackdaws
160 Rooks
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)