19 Jan 18

Priorslee Lake: later in the day Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

1.0°C > 3.0°C: Mainly clear. Frosty. Light WSW wind, increasing somewhat. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 08:11 GMT

 Priorslee Lake: 06:50 – 09:55

(4th visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- 6, or more, additional adult Mute Swans this morning. Singles and pairs were flying out and in. It was hard to keep track of them all. 8 adults seen at the same time. One of these accompanied the three cygnets as they flew in to their usual place at the bottom of concrete ramp without their parents showing any concern
- 25 of the Canada Geese on the lake left together: 6 flew in (2 groups): 2 stayed throughout
- a 5th Great Crested Grebe today with 2 adults in the NW corner and 2 adults along the N side, leaving the apparent first-winter to stay in the middle
- the precise number of Cormorants visiting the lake and flying over was confused by my camera battery going flat and diverting my attention. I think the split is correct
- after the significant passage of large gulls yesterday the only three today were singles that stopped off briefly on the water
- 108 of the 132 Wood Pigeons overhead flew S to the E of the lake in three groups, probably leaving Wards Rough. They did not seem to be going far
- I somehow missed the main Jackdaw passage – I did hear what sounded like their calls above the traffic noise from the M54 but failed to locate any: perhaps they were hedge-hopping behind the trees to the E of Castle Farm Way
- 2 single Starlings left the reeds around the lake. Most of the reeds have been flattened by the snow and gales so there is little suitable roosting habitat. A party of 14 flew S later
- the Lesser Redpoll flew over accompanying one of the Siskins
and
- nothing on the lamps

5 more new species, taking my year total at this site to 51: in order of recording
Starling, Greylag Goose, Lesser Redpoll, Sparrowhawk and Treecreeper

 Today’s bird totals

 Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 1 Greylag Goose (inbound)
- 2 Canada Geese (outbound)
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1? Cormorant (see notes)
- 136 Wood Pigeons
- 18 Jackdaws only (see notes)
- 14 Starlings
- 2 Greenfinches
- 4 Siskins
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 44 Magpies
- 2 Starlings
- 6 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 8? + 3 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 33 Canada Geese
- 11 (7♂) Gadwall
- 14 (7♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 53 (31♂) Tufted Ducks
- 5 Cormorants (see notes)
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail heard again
- 8 Moorhens again
- 185 Coots
- c.290 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Another super sunrise, albeit briefly.

A cold start: frost on these bramble leaves.

The morning sun on my favourite ducks here – a pair of Gadwall.

And the morning sun on this trio of Tufted Ducks. The middle bird looks to be a first-winter duck with slightly browner plumage and with a paler yellow eye. The white line across the bill behind the black ‘nail’ is less well-defined. Both show some white at the base of the bill but nowhere near the extensive white seen on (Greater) Scaup. This latter species would show a rounder head without even a hint of a tuft.

This bird carrying prey took some effort to identify. I was alerted to its presence by the alarm call of the tits – they are much better at spotting such danger than me: but their lives depend upon it. The bird was flying directly away from me and I really could not identify it. Was it a Sparrowhawk, as the alarm calls suggested? Or could it be a Peregrine? The raptor was struggling with heavy prey – looks perhaps Blackbird-sized?

Blown up from when it was even further away we can just see rather rounded wing-tips indicating a Sparrowhawk. Any falcon, and we should not rule out Merlin as likely to carry off birds, would show more pointed wings

Not as sharp as I would like this illustrates a Treecreeper poking about on the smaller twigs. Note how it uses its tail as a prop. Also the length of the toes ....

... especially the hind-toe, as seen here.

A Wren of course, sitting (reasonably) still for a change.

Coal Tit is one of the first songsters of the year and usually sing from near the tops of trees.

Spring is on the way: here are the Daffodils just poking out.

(Ed Wilson)

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Later in the day I returned to Trench to check-out the gull roost. Much to my surprise there was but a single Lesser Black-backed Gull at Trench Lock, all the birds circling overhead went to join a throng at Middle Pool

I did not do a complete count of every species this evening

Trench Lock Pool: 15:30 – 15:55 // 16:35 – 16:45

(2nd visit of the year)

Notes from here
4 more new species, taking my year total at this site to 26: in order of recording
Greylag Goose, Little Grebe, Goldcrest, Dunnock

Birds noted flying over here
- 1 Greylag Goose

 The counts from the water
- 1 + 6 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 132 Canada Geese
- 8 (5♂) Mallards
- 1 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard
- 32 (15♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 (1♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 101 Coots
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

(Ed Wilson)

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 Trench Middle Pool: 16:00 – 16:30

(2nd visit of the year)

Notes from here
- Black-headed Gulls continued to arrive while I was present. The few large gulls that dropped in stayed only a short while before moving on
- Goldfinches seemed to be going to roost in conifers along E side

Birds noted flying over here
None

3 more new species, taking my year total at this site to 23: in order of recording
Grey Heron, Cormorant and Herring Gull

 The counts from the water
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 38 Greylag Geese
- 42 Canada Geese
- 29 (19♂) Mallard
- 2 (0♂) ‘feral’ Mallard
- 12 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 (3♂) Goosander
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- [Moorhens not counted]
- 44 Coots
- >1900 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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Newport Cemetery
Later I visited Newport Cemetery to follow up reports of Hawfinches here. The birds were very flighty but sometimes feeding in the shade of Yew and Holly trees. In the gloom and at extreme range I managed a couple of record shots. The white in the plumage adjacent to the foreground leaf (the bird’s remiges) suggest this is a female.
As I said, record shots only. My first-ever record of this species in Shropshire.

Not the most attractive of poses but well illustrates the difference between Wood Pigeon (upper bird) and the smaller, greyer Stock Dove. The latter also lacks the white neck-patch of adult Wood Pigeons and shows black bands across the folded wing.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

 2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

 2014
Priorslee Lake
1 female Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup - 1st winter male, 2 1st winter females
(David Barnes / Tony Beckett / Ed Wilson)

 2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Greater Scaup
1 Goldeneye
5 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

 2010
Priorslee Lake
Adult Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Andy Latham)

 2007
Priorslee Lake
8 Cormorants
3 Pochard
31 Tufted Ducks
9 Goosanders
c.50 Golden Plover
>1100 Black-headed Gulls
133 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
10 Herring Gulls
250 Wood Pigeons
21 Robins
17 Blackbirds
8 Fieldfares
4 Redwings
43 Magpies
279 Jackdaws
136 Rooks
5 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

 2006
Priorslee Lake
1100 Black-headed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
2 Gadwall
8 Pochard
14 Tufted Duck
198 Coot
376 Jackdaws
265 Rooks
200 Wood Pigeons
28 Robins
21 Blackbirds
22 Siskins
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)