11 Feb 15

Priorslee Lake:

Location

Afternoon update: 1:00pm

2 Gadwall

Again very few large gulls here and nothing of note.

(John Isherwood)

Morning Report:  6:28am - 9:12am

Telford sunrise: 7:34am

2.5°C > 3.5°C Overcast again, but not quite so dull as Tuesday. Very light S / SW wind. Moderate visibility.

Another quiet morning but a few bits and pieces.
- a drake Shelduck dropped in to the lake: I did not see it arrive or depart but can only have been present a few minutes at most
- a drake Teal was new at Trench Lock

(8th visit of the year)

Notes
- I only had to note yesterday that they had been absent: a party of, strangely silent, Greylag Geese over this morning.
- significant exodus of ducks since yesterday with 2 pairs of Gadwall, a drake Pochard and >10 Tufted Ducks ‘missing’: the Tufted Ducks seemed to have moved to The Flash.
- a 2nd Grey Heron appeared but the bird already present made sure it did not think of landing.
- very few large gulls again
- two parties of >180 Jackdaws again passed far to the W of the lake. Later passage was sporadic and mainly over / to the far E of the lake – probably more birds were too distant to see in the rather moderate visibility.
- 5 of the 8 Song Thrushes logged were singing this morning: a Blackbird joined in singing for a while.
- did not visit the main Redwing roost today (usually once a week only): but at least 6 birds seemed to be leaving a different (and new to me) roost site in the SW area
- a Reed Bunting called along the N side and then flew off very high to the W

Counts of birds flying over the lake (therefore in addition to those on / around lake)
- 16 Greylag Geese
- 15 Canada Geese
- 1 Grey Heron
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves
- c.350 Jackdaws
- 83 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Also
- c.100 on Wood Pigeons on trees to far NE

Counts of birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 6 Redwings (alternative roost: see notes)
- 72 Magpies
- 1 Reed Bunting

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Shelduck
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 10 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 18 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Cormorants
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 122 Coots
- 65 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

The drake Shelduck was present at the lake for just a few minutes this morning  

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 9:18am - 9:59am
Map

(7th visit of the year)

I see that on Google Maps this is called Hangman’s Pool: anyone know why?

Notes
- with the melting of the ice many of the Mallard have left
- yet another duck Pochard and yet another drake gone!
- the 3 brownhead Goosanders circled but did not stay to land
- Great Crested Grebe new in: not, directly, from the lake
- 2 Song Thrushes in song here
- the Ravens seemed to be prospecting the wooded hill to the E / SE

Birds counted flying over The Flash
- 3 (0♂) Goosanders
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 2 Ravens

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 15 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 33 (23♂) Mallard
- 1 feral ducks (white one only)
- 5 (3♂) Shoveler
- 6 (3♂) Pochard
- 46 (22♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 7 Moorhens
- 17 Coots
- 82 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls

Grey Heron at The Flash. As it is standing on one leg I assume this is the bird I first noted late autumn with a missing foot. A breeding-condition adult would have an all-yellow bill and a paler crown by this date – Heron’s breed from early March. So I doubt this bird will breed at least this year.

I can’t resist a poser (poseur?)and a real close-up here: an adult winter Black-headed Gull

No doubt we will get one in better light in due course but until then this shot of a singing Song Thrush will have to suffice

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:
Map

Afternoon Update:

2 Caspian Gulls this afternoon and early evening (4:30pm) A 1st winter again and a 3rd winter. Via BirdGuides Here


Morning Report: 10:08am - 10:41am

(5th visit of the year)

Notes
- one of the distant Shovelers was rather warm-toned and seems likely to have been an immature drake yet to acquire any adult plumage: 2 full drakes

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Goose
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 1 (1♂) Teal
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 4 (3?♂) Shoveler
- 1 (1) Pochard
- 37 (13♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0) Goosander
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- 43 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls

Drake Teal lurking at Trench Lock Pool: not easy to find

(Ed Wilson)

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Devil's Dingle: 11:00am
Map

1 male Peregrine

19 Teal

(John Isherwood)

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Holmer Lake: 12:30pm
Map

25 Goosander
1 Teal

(John Isherwood)

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On this day in 2009, 2012 and 2014

Priorslee Lake
2014
Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
(Gary Crowder)

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2012
Iceland Gull (Juvenile)
Yellow-legged Gull (adult, 3rd winter, 1st winter)
Caspian Gull (2nd winter)
(Tom Lowe)

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2009
Glaucous Gull