16 Feb 15

Priorslee Lake: 13:48 – 15:01

Map

Telford sunrise: 07:26

6.5°C > 7.5°C Brightening after rain; then dull again until clearance c.14:30; light NW wind; good visibility.

Avoided the early rain and a quick tour to see what was on the water. Number of gulls very low.

(13th visit of the year)

Notes
- still 9 Great Crested Grebes here: additional birds at The Flash and Trench Lock must have come from elsewhere.
- 4 Mistle Thrushes seen flying around with 2 also seen on the SW grass.

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 23 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Little Grebes
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 101 Coots
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Not for the squeamish! This adult winter Black-headed Gull looks as if it has collided with something and has a broken wing. It is unlikely to survive long but was still alert-enough to prevent me from getting close-enough to rescue it.

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 13:06 – 13:44
Map

(12th visit of the year)

Notes
- 1 of the drake Goosanders flew off.
- 4th Great Crested Grebe confirmed today: an immature with the pair at the N end of the lake; an adult at the S end.

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 14 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 37 (24♂) Mallard
- 1 white feral duck
- 5 (3♂) Shoveler
- 8 (5♂) Pochard
- 32 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 5 (3♂) Goosanders
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens
- 14 Coots
- 58 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

The Magpies were rather upset at this Raven in their ‘patch’. But the Raven ignored them as did the other bird near by. I suspect they are a pair and are looking to nest in this area so the Magpies better get used to them.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 11:58 – 12:54
Map

(8th visit of the year)

Best was my first Common Gull of the year. They seem to prefer this area. Never ‘common’ in this part of Shropshire.

Notes
- 2nd pair of Great Crested Grebes new in.
- further reduction in Coot numbers: remaining birds fighting and at least 1 sitting on a nest.

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 15 Canada Goose
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 3 (2♂) Shoveler
- 32 (14♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Cormorant
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 64 Coots
- 33 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Common Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls

Stayed rather distant but there is sufficient here to confirm this as an adult Common Gull – the dark eye, rather small bill and mantle that is slightly darker than Black-headed and Herring Gulls.

This duck was showing much white at the base of the bill. With a duck Scaup being reported locally it needed to be checked. But the extent of the white is rather less than a typical Scaup and the head-shape is wrong – indeed a vestigial ‘tuft’ of what is undoubtedly a duck Tufted Duck can just about be seen. Also a Scaup would not show any white between the grey bill and the black tip.

Dunnock in full song: this species seems particularly vocal at the moment.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2008

Priorslee Lake
2008

3rd winter Glaucous Gull

1st winter Glaucous Gull

(Paul King)