19 Feb 15

Priorslee Lake: 6:52am - 8:48am
Map

Telford sunrise: 7:18am

6.0°C > 5.5°C Rain later arriving than the forecast: a brief red sky and then light rain from 7:30 and real rain after 08:00. Moderate SW wind. Good visibility became poor at onset of rain.

(16th visit of the year)

Notes
- the 2 Canada Geese that landed at the lake were, unusually, ignored by the Swans
- 2 (1♂) Wigeon still present
- 1 Little Grebes seen: also heard calling again
- 11 Great Crested Grebes at least: perhaps there have been for a while – is hard to count them
- another reduction in Coot numbers
- 2 Stock Doves seen flying out of putative nest site
- 2 Kingfishers again: very noisy and chasing around
- 9 Song Thrushes singing this morning (just 1 other seen)

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 27 Canada Geese
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Feral Pigeons
- 353 Jackdaws
- 148 Rooks
- 3 Pied Wagtails

Counts of birds leaving roosts around the lake
- >60 Magpies (incomplete count)
Redwing roost not visited

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Wigeon
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 10 (5♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 21 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe
- 11 Great Crested Grebes
- 14 Moorhens
- 75 Coots
- 86 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls

A brief red sunrise ahead of the rain. “Shepherd’s warning” indeed

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 9:03am - 9:30am
Map

(15th visit of the year)

Notes
A quick run-around trying to avoid soggy notebook syndrome with nothing of real interest
- more duck Goosander than drakes this morning

Birds noted flying over The Flash
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls only

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 16 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 39 (28♂) Mallard
- 1 white feral duck
- 5 (4♂) Shoveler
- 5 (3♂) Pochard
- 52 (27♂) Tufted Ducks
- 9 (4♂) Goosanders
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 14 Coots
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2010 and 2014

Priorslee Lake

2014
5 Greater Scaup
( Ed Wilson)

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2010
Oystercatcher
( Ed Wilson)