Welcome

Welcome
Welcome to the Friends of Priorslee Lake Blog, where Richard Cramp - Chairman,  Ed Wilson - Site Recorder and Martin Adlam - Blogger, hope you will enjoy the new look blog.

What are we about
As founders of FoPL back in 2005 we have campaigned tirelessly to ensure that the lake and its shoreline habitat remains intact, whilst plans were going ahead to redevelop the area. Today the ground work for a new school and housing is well under way to north of the lake and we are all hoping that its impact on the wildlife around the lake, is minimal.

Unfortunately we have already lost a breeding ground for Little Ringed Plovers, who for 3 years, successful reared youngsters in 2011 - 2013. They bred on the concrete pan of the ex-Celestica Site, just beyond the hedgerow to the north. This Spring (2014), builders were very quick to break it up whilst the Little Ringed Plovers were arriving. Unfortunately they have now left. More on this story to come..........

What has happened to us
On the 28 Nov 06 and after a lot of work alongside Severn Trent, Telford & Wrekin Borough Council, Shropshire Wildlife Trust and the Shropshire Ornithological Society, all parties agreed that the Lake should be designated as a Wildlife Site. The news hadn't gone unnoticed and along our journey we also had Mark Pritchard, MP to thank as well.

Where is Priorslee Lake

So where are we! Well we are nestled in the heart of England in the County of Shropshire and though not thought of as a top bird watching spot, this picturesque County is nevertheless an area of great interest to ornithologists, especially for migratory birds.
With the River Severn winding its way through the towns and villages of Shrewsbury, Ironbridge and Bridgnorth, this impressive river is an important landmark for waders, that use it to navigate their way to their breeding grounds to the north.
And one particular landmark along its path, is Priorslee Lake which has proven to be an important stopover for many of these birds. Lying close to the Severn Valley it is one of the few lakes that migratory birds see at altitude and thus provides an ideal opportunity for a bathe and stopover.
The lake is one of the top three birding sites in Shropshire (together with Venus Pool and Wood Lane) depending on the birds seen in any period and is always the top birding site in Telford, providing the best list every year. Map Here

What will this Blog provide
The purpose for this Blog is to show the General Public what an excellent resource we have here with the lake. The local Angling Club, Telford Sailing Club, Water Ski Club, Model Boat Club and dog walkers use it daily, whilst birdwatchers wait anxiously for their next rarity.
One of our aims is to be provide you the reader, daily sightings, whenever possible. In the main these sightings will be from the lake, however the local area is just as important, as there are wildlife corridors running from the lake towards The Flash, Telford Town Centre, Shifnal and Nedge Hill.
One of the main features within Telford are the numerous pools that attract many interesting gulls and wildfowl. And its not uncommon for these birds to move between the pools, which is why we have included other pools such as Trench Lock Pool, Trench Middle Pool and many others.
So if you have any wildlife sightings or news on the latest building development or just simply want to add your images of the lake to this site, then please feel free to email them to Priorslee Lake.

An Apology
Due to the formatting of this Blog, viewing our PDF Documents is not the friendliest of experiences. Unfortunately the right-hand side of the documents merge into the pane on the right. We are always endeavouring to improve this Site and hopefully we can overcome this problem soon.