6 Mar 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 5.0°C: Early rain: then leaden skies, Brisk north-westerly wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:46 GMT

* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:05

(50th visit of the year)

Poor weather during migration time can bring unusual sightings. Not today.

Bird notes:
- a pair of Canada Geese on the dam-top throughout. A lone bird at the West end aggressively chased off a singleton visitor. Could this one have a partner on a nest somewhere?
- six Goosander noted: two of these flew off West at 06:50. Only brownheads remained.
- at most 42 Black-headed Gulls. This assumes that the 28 that arrived after 07:30 were all different from the 14 that came and went earlier.
- the usual Great (White Egret) was seen to fly in at 06:41.
- on a day like today I miss the old sailing club shelter. Trying to shelter keep me dry and, more importantly, the optics dry made seeing the passing Jackdaws and Rooks a challenge. I saw but one Jackdaw! However I did not hear any either.
- just two Chiffchaffs again, both singing.
- no Reed Buntings seen or heard.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
- two small groups of Siskins (*also on the trees)

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 12 (8♂) Mallard
- 16 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (?♂) Goosander: two of these departed
- 7 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull only
- 4 Cormorants yet again
- 1 Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- none

Flies:
- 1 male and 1 female plumed midge

Springtails:
- at least two small springtails.

Later:

Nothing of note

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

As it was raining I decided to see what might be sheltering pre-dawn: very little.

Flies:
- *2 midges of different species

Spiders
- 2 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

The larger of the two midges I found on the wall of the tunnel. The wing markings recall those of wood gnats (Sylvicola sp.) but that group has a well-separated head like the craneflies. So unidentified.

The smaller one. Unidentified – again!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:15

(48th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *two drake Pochard remain.
- two Great Crested Grebe both full-plumed adults. Only very loosely together on occasions.
- as at the Balancing Lake a reduction in gull numbers.
- two Great Spotted Woodpeckers flew North together and later on (of these?) was calling from the island.
- three Chiffchaffs: two heard singing and another seen.
- the feeding station was quiet with only *Blue and Great Tits using it.
- *Siskins were again in Alders at both ends of the water.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 29 (22♂) Mallard
- *2 (2♂) Pochard
- 33 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls: of these three flew off
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, flew off.

Around the area:

Nothing else of note

No doubt because it was (pretending to be?) asleep one of the two drake Pochard has drifted close-enough for a half-decent photo.

One of many Blue Tits around the feeders.

A different male Chaffinch looking for spillage. This one with leg lesions. His eye look alert-enough so probably not badly impacted

 More Siskins I am afraid – there was not much else around. A male at the top-end.

 And a female.

Another male.

This female was looking longingly at the tit-infested feeders before flying off.

And a male sitting in a tree at the bottom end.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
9 Pochard
9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c80 Black-headed Gulls
(Gary Crowder)

Telford Central Railway Station
35 Redwing
(Gary Crowder)

Horsehay Pool
1 Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2013
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site:
2 Glaucous Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
(Kris Webb)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
15 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
c.1200 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c.420 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.30 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
10 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock
2 Little Grebes
30 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Pochard
6 Goosanders
4 Pale Brindled Beauty moths
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
34 Greylag Geese
9 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
775 Black-headed Gulls
488 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
28 Robins
19 Blackbirds
8 Song Thrushes
1 Redwing
1 Willow Tit
41 Magpies
250 Jackdaws
100 Rooks
4 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
22 Pochard
63 Tufted Ducks
164 Coots
600 Wood Pigeons
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
84 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
9 Herring Gulls
21 Robins
24 Blackbirds
9 Song Thrushes
3 Willow Tits
11 Greenfinches
15 Siskins
17 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

5 Mar 26

The Flash only

7.0°C > 10.0°C: A cloudy period most of the time. Some sun but hazy / misty. Light easterly breeze. Moderate visibility.

[Sunrise: 06:48 GMT]

* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area

A slight domestic crisis meant I was unable to make an early start. Later commitments meant I only had time to visit The Flash.

The Flash:  09:10 – 10:35

(47th visit of the year)

Notice
The Flash has been designated a Nature Reserve by Telford & Wrekin Council. When I find out a bit more about what that means in practice I will relay the information here.

Bird notes:
- When I get an increase in Mallard numbers is this real or some birds are flying about and I count them twice.
- now two drake Pochard.
- a noticeable reduction in Tufted Duck numbers.
- no Great Crested Grebe seen or heard
- three Chiffchaffs: all heard singing.
- a Blackcap was heard in song near the feeding station.
- the feeding station remains quiet with up to six *Siskins on the feeders and four *Chaffinches taking spill from the ground.
- *Siskins were also again in Alders along the West side.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 9 Wood Pigeons flew high North in a loose group. I do not count the local movements

Noted on / around the water:
- 22 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans: one at the nest site throughout
- *34 (23♂) Mallard
- *2 (2♂) Pochard
- *25 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebe
- *53 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: first? year

Around the area:

Nothing else of note

The Ivy was in full sun but exposed to the easterly breeze. I noted one unidentified fly!

This notice announcing the Local Nature Reserve has appeared on several lamp posts around the water.

The map delineating the area was on the back of the notice but could only be viewed upside down. So I have inverted it. I will attempt to find out what the designation means in practice.

Good light on a flying drake Mallard: the under...

....and upper-wing showing.

The Pochard are being very difficult. They seemed to have worked out where they can be equidistant from three sides at the top end.

A Mrs. Tufted Duck. I am not sure whether I have caught her mid-blink or whether she has something in her eye.

"Where are the girls?" ask these four drake Tufties.

Yesterday I noted the Black-headed Gulls picking some things off the surface of the water. I had another attempt to find out what.

I struck lucky with this bird about to pluck....

...a tiny fly, perhaps because the legs are concave to allow it to use the surface tension of the water to remain afloat it is a type of water-boatman.

 Gone!

What I believe to be a first year Herring Gull coming in to first summer plumage.

A female Blackbird that visited the feeding area briefly.

A distant Nuthatch shinning up a tree. Unlike Treecreepers that can only go "up" Nuthatches are as adept as going down as well as up trees. Note the short tail which gives them a very recognisable shape in flight.

A male Chaffinch eating the spillage. A less-brightly coloured individual than some.

And a female, this one with viral infection on, especially, her left leg.

Mr. Sad Chaffinch.

"Shall I get my nails painted?" ponders a female Chaffinch.

Perhaps not. They look as if they could do with a trim!

More Siskins on the West side Alders. A female.

And a male.

While I was busy photographing the Siskins this Robin appeared.

Whether it thought I might have food or was just wanting to know what I was doing is a mystery.

A female Siskin awaiting for space on the feeders.

And a male Siskin keen to get to the feeders. Note the bill and compare...

...with the bill on this male. Not easy to see: is the upper mandible not fully developed?

Plane of the day. Not very exciting. It is a 4-seat Piper PA-28 Archer operated by the Shropshire Aero Club out of Sleap Airfield near Wem. This aircraft has had the same identity and six owners during the 30 years it has been in the UK. I can see no reason why it was given the letters "LORR".

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Horsehay Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
20 Goosander
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Paul King)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
4 Great Crested Grebes
2 Pochard
21 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
4 Great Crested Grebes
8 Pochard
51 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
6 Gadwall
28 Pochard
57 Tufted Duck
c.1000 Black-headed Gulls
55 Magpies
1 Linnet
2 Siskin
12 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
c.200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.10 Herring Gulls
2 Common Gulls
9 Mute Swans
12 Tufted Duck
8 Great Crested Grebe
(Mike Cooper)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
1 Cormorant
11 Pochard
90 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
607 Wood Pigeon
11 Greenfinches
23 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

4 Mar 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 8.0°C: Clear. Hazy. Light easterly breeze after a calm start. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:50 GMT

* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:05

(49th visit of the year)

Another addition to my bird year list for here:
- the first Sand Martin of the year flew through at 07:45. It equals my earliest date for this species here set in 2021.
This year's bird species count now #65.

Other bird notes:
- a trio of Greylag Geese flew off West at 06:10. Confusingly I noted a trio on the water at 06:25 – same? Then two flew off East at 06:40. So where did the third go?
- five Goosander noted: apparently four brownheads and the presumed immature drake.
- seven Great Crested Grebe seen again.
- another good count for this date: at least 150 Black-headed Gulls present for a while.
- more large gulls than recently: six Lesser Black-backed Gulls visited briefly at 06:05; the 36 large gulls (7 Herrings and 29 Lesser Black-backs) arrived together at 06:30. Several more Herring Gulls arrived later.
- the usual Great (White Egret) was seen to fly in at 06:18. There were two Grey Herons at least for some of the time this morning.
- no big counts of Jackdaws and Rooks: lost in the haze.
- just two Chiffchaffs noted, both singing.
- a Mistle Thrush was noted on the grass behind the dam: an unusual location for this species.
- single Reed Buntings were singing from both the South and North sides.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: a pair flew East and a pair flew North.
- 1 Greylag Goose: flew East
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 45 Wood Pigeons
- 165 Jackdaws
- 43 Rooks
- several groups of Siskins (*also on the trees)

Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese: of these a pair and a single arrived
- 6? Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 14 (9♂) Mallard
- 14 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (1?♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens
- 29 Coots again
- 7 Great Crested Grebes again
- >150 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants again
- 2 Grey Herons
- *1 Great (White) Egret

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- none

Flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis
- 1 male plumed midge

Springtails:
- 1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 money spider Erigone sp.

Noted later elsewhere:

Flowers:
- *Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis
- *"Primrose": Primula vulgaris (garden escape)

It seems a long while since I took a photo of the moon. This is known as the Worm Moon and was full about 20 hours previously. The name is derived from the warming of the soil and the increased activity of worms.

The haze made a red glow pre-sunrise. Otherwise it was a disappointing sunrise. I understand Saharan dust is headed this way and we can expect colourful sunrises and sunsets for a few days.

A first year Herring Gull unusually joins Black-headed Gulls on the grass behind the dam. With a dark eye and a rounded head it can be confused with a Common Gull. It is too large, the bill to thick and the wing markings too extensive. There are certainly three first year and one adult Black-headed Gull. The left-most bird is a puzzle: there seems to be no dark in the wing suggesting a first year yet there is no sign of the development of the dark hood of an adult.

It is unusual to see a Great (White) Egret in a tree away from a breeding site. Like Grey Herons they nest high up in trees.

Jays are shy birds and as soon as this one saw me it was off.

A Magpie of course. Note that the white in the wing actually comprises black-edged feathers. And also note that this species "glosses" green (or violet) when the light catches the plumage at an angle. The brown area on the lower back is not often noted.

Staring me down is a female Pied Wagtail. On a male the black of the head joins with the black throat on the neck.

Whee! A male Siskin in free-fall!

That's better!

The only thing of interest on the street lamp poles pre-dawn was this money spider Erigone sp.

Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis is easy to overlook with its inconspicuous white flowers.

This cultivar primrose Primula vulgaris must be a garden escape even though I found it growing on the bank of the Wesley Brook well away from the estate houses.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:25

(46th visit of the year)

Also an addition to my bird year list for here:
- a Mistle Thrush was singing from the wooded hilly area to the south-east
This year's bird species count now #55.

Other bird notes:
- the drake Pochard still here.
- just one Great Crested Grebe: a full-plumed adult.
- a Stock Dove was seen in display flight over the East side
- *three Chiffchaffs: two heard singing and another seen.
- the feeding station was quiet with just a few Siskins.
- a Blackcap was giving its 'chack' call some distance from the feeders.
- *Siskins were also again in Alders both along the West side and the top end.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese: a pair flew off
- 2 Mute Swans
- 25 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 35 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *52 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: third? year
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near?) adult, very briefly again.

Around the area:

Nothing else of note

The Ivy was in full sun but exposed to the easterly breeze. I noted one unidentified fly!

A fisherman was throwing bait in to the water and the Black-headed Gulls were after it.

All first year birds, one with a prize.

A late arrival will be lucky to get a look in.

When not after bait the gulls were plucking at the water surface – I assume there was a hatch of insects though I could not see what they were catching.

The non-singing Chiffchaff was flitting about looking for insects.

It spent most of the time hiding from me.

There were Siskins working the Alder cones here as well as at the Balancing Lake. A rare opportunity to photograph them in good light. Here a female. A messy eater.

You have to be acrobatic to get at the food.

Easier this way up?

Siskins seem to like to hang upside down. This way...

...and that.

Males are equally adept.

Presumably able to digest upside down?

 Time for another seed?

Check the coast is clear first.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
13 Cormorants
4 Greylag Geese
22 Tufted Duck
5 Sand Martins
6 Redwings
8 Chiffchaffs
>500 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
50 Tufted Ducks
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
7 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
1 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Mediterranean Gull.
Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull.
>1500 Black-headed Gulls
2 Redwings
65 Magpies
25 Siskins
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
6 Swans
2 Pochard
85 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Buzzards
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebe
4 Gadwall
36 Tufted Duck
c.160 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebe
3 Greylag Geese
32 Tufted Duck

Trench
1 Cormorant
43 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Ringed Plover
1 Cormorant
1 Mallard x Pintail
18 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Kittiwake
33 Wren
29 Robin
24 Blackbird
3 Chiffchaff
39 Magpie
3 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
1 Snipe
3 Chiffchaff
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Barn Owl
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shoveler
30 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
321 Wood Pigeons
2 Skylarks
5 Meadow Pipits
33 Wrens
21 Robins
21 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
3 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Tit
18 Greenfinches
8 Siskins
1 Linnet
6 Reed Buntings
1 Yellowhammer.
(Ed Wilson)