Priorslee Lake: 6:21am - 9:21am
Map
Telford sunrise: 7:22am
1.5°C > 4.5°C Fine, clear and frosty. Moderate WNW wind kept ice away. Very good visibility.
At last a fine clear morning. Would be churlish to complain about the sun in my eyes!
Some of the Great Crested Grebes seem to have moved on with the clear night. Otherwise best
- a pair of Wigeon new in at the lake
- a pair of Teal briefly at the lake
(14th visit of the year)
Notes
- a pair of Gadwall seen in flight but I think just repositioning on the lake: if so then one pair was missing this morning
- the Pheasant heard calling again, but this time inside the lake area alongside the Ricoh fence
- 105 Wood Pigeons in 4 distant high-flying parties, apparently on the move: 56 more in the trees around the lake
- highest count of Magpies so far this winter. Highest numbers are usually in late winter. I have read that such gatherings of parties from several areas are thought to facilitate gene-mixing as birds from different origins pair up for the new season – sort of “Young Farmer’s disco” equivalent
- a Treecreeper seen: my first of the year here
- 72 Fieldfare in 2 parties seen to the NE and then overhead: seemed to be no Redwings with them
- 9 Song Thrushes singing this morning (and 4 others seen)
- 2 Mistle Thrushes: these seemed to have moved back to their usual breeding area: no song heard as yet.
and
- the daffodils are now showing through the ground by the Castle Farm Way gate
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 49 Canada Geese
- 25 Black-headed Gulls
- 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 105 Wood Pigeons
- 301 Jackdaws
- 106 Rooks
- 72 Fieldfares
- 5 Pied Wagtails
Counts of birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 79 Magpies
Redwing roost not visited but 5 noted leaving in the distance
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Wigeon
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- 10 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 29 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe heard
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Moorhens
- 97 Coots
- 65 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Male Great Tit. The width of the black ‘zip’ tells you it is a male. The bill might just be open for something other than song.
Its that time of the year: the Coots are getting territorial and aggressive. You would not want to get scratched by the spurs on their feet.
Telford sunrise: 7:22am
1.5°C > 4.5°C Fine, clear and frosty. Moderate WNW wind kept ice away. Very good visibility.
At last a fine clear morning. Would be churlish to complain about the sun in my eyes!
Some of the Great Crested Grebes seem to have moved on with the clear night. Otherwise best
- a pair of Wigeon new in at the lake
- a pair of Teal briefly at the lake
(14th visit of the year)
Notes
- a pair of Gadwall seen in flight but I think just repositioning on the lake: if so then one pair was missing this morning
- the Pheasant heard calling again, but this time inside the lake area alongside the Ricoh fence
- 105 Wood Pigeons in 4 distant high-flying parties, apparently on the move: 56 more in the trees around the lake
- highest count of Magpies so far this winter. Highest numbers are usually in late winter. I have read that such gatherings of parties from several areas are thought to facilitate gene-mixing as birds from different origins pair up for the new season – sort of “Young Farmer’s disco” equivalent
- a Treecreeper seen: my first of the year here
- 72 Fieldfare in 2 parties seen to the NE and then overhead: seemed to be no Redwings with them
- 9 Song Thrushes singing this morning (and 4 others seen)
- 2 Mistle Thrushes: these seemed to have moved back to their usual breeding area: no song heard as yet.
and
- the daffodils are now showing through the ground by the Castle Farm Way gate
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 49 Canada Geese
- 25 Black-headed Gulls
- 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 105 Wood Pigeons
- 301 Jackdaws
- 106 Rooks
- 72 Fieldfares
- 5 Pied Wagtails
Counts of birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 79 Magpies
Redwing roost not visited but 5 noted leaving in the distance
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Wigeon
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- 10 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 29 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe heard
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Moorhens
- 97 Coots
- 65 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Wow! a fine morning and sky visible!
Oh no: not another duck Gadwall picture! In this light most certainly.
Oh no: not another drake Gadwall picture!! Same comment.
And a Mistle Thrush in better light.
The ‘golden rain’ of the Hazel catkins.
The daffodil plants are starting to appear.
Drake Wigeon: the dark mark behind the eye actually glosses green when the light is right.
... as here.
And the duck Wigeon.
And the pair together.
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash: 9:27am - 10:08am
Map
(13th visit of the year)
Notes
- the Swans were chasing the all-white feral goose this morning: it took refuge inside the island
- one of the Canada Geese seems to have a broken wing
- better view of the Shoveler on the island this morning: it is 4 drakes (one, the immature) and 1 duck [and I was probably mistaken when I logged the five as 3 drakes and 2 ducks yesterday]
- a lone drake Goosander
- just 2 Great Crested Grebes seen today: an adult and an immature
Birds counted flying over The Flash
- 1 Buzzard
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Raven
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 18 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 22 (13♂) Mallard
- 1 white feral duck
- 5 (4♂) Shoveler
- 5 (4♂) Pochard
- 36 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (1♂) Goosanders
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 18 Coots
- 59 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
2014
-------------------------------------------------------
Priorslee Flash: 9:27am - 10:08am
Map
(13th visit of the year)
Notes
- the Swans were chasing the all-white feral goose this morning: it took refuge inside the island
- one of the Canada Geese seems to have a broken wing
- better view of the Shoveler on the island this morning: it is 4 drakes (one, the immature) and 1 duck [and I was probably mistaken when I logged the five as 3 drakes and 2 ducks yesterday]
- a lone drake Goosander
- just 2 Great Crested Grebes seen today: an adult and an immature
Birds counted flying over The Flash
- 1 Buzzard
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Raven
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 18 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 22 (13♂) Mallard
- 1 white feral duck
- 5 (4♂) Shoveler
- 5 (4♂) Pochard
- 36 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (1♂) Goosanders
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 18 Coots
- 59 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in 2012 and 2014
2014
3 Scaup
(Gary Crowder)
-----------------------------
2012
Adult Iceland Gull
(Jim Almond)
Adult Iceland Gull
(Jim Almond)