Map
Telford sunrise: 7:16am
2.0°C > 1.0°C > 4.5°C Early frost: high cloud to S & W encroached gradually. Light W wind fell calm for a while. Good visibility.
(17th visit of the year)
Notes
- the Wigeon seem to have left
- but the 3rd pair of Gadwall have reappeared
- the 6 Goosanders were a party of 5 (with at least 3♂♂): and then a single drake. All headed W but not sure where they went – they didn’t seem too sure either wavering to the NW and the SW
- Little Grebes heard calling from two very different locations
- now 12 Great Crested Grebes confirmed today
- 1 Stock Dove flew in to the putative nest area: another flew over
- >250 Wood Pigeons flushed out of the fields to the E: presumably the source of the c.150 birds that were on the groaning boughs of the trees in the NE copse
- Willow Tit noisily singing and calling: then 2 seen flying along N side – presumably a pair: welcome news for this rapidly declining species.
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 21 Canada Geese
- 6 Goosanders (see notes)
- 31 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 1 Stock Dove
- 457 Jackdaws
- 90 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 13 Fieldfare
Counts of birds leaving roosts around the lake
- >52 Magpies (incomplete count)
- 16 Redwings
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 24 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes heard
- 12 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 75 Coots again
- 135 Black-headed Gulls
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 12 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash: 9:13am - 10:00am
Map
(16th visit of the year)
Notes
Minor changes in numbers again
- noticeable reduction in Tufted Duck numbers
Birds noted flying over The Flash
- just 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Mistle Thrush: first at this site this year for me
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 15 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 32 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 white feral duck
- 5 (4♂) Shoveler
- 7 (5♂) Pochard
- 35 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 7 (2♂) Goosanders
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 7 Moorhens
- 16 Coots
- 27 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
Isn't love wonderful? Not sure the pen at The Flash is too happy with her suitor.
Only pretending to be asleep. This drake Pochard keep watch while loafing the day away. Generally this species feeds at night by diving for vegetation growing on the bottom of the water.
An immature (1st winter / 2nd summer) Herring Gull practising carrying things – apparently a rock. A pet-rock? (remember them?). Been in the wars with a couple of primaries missing on its right wing. Not sure why the alula on that wing is so prominent.
At Trench some of the Goosanders allow a closer approach. The light is more friendly for photographs hence this duck shot.
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
2013
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
1st winter Yellow-legged gull
(John Isherwood / JW Reeves)
Kumlien's Gull
(Peter Wilson/Dawn Balmer)
Telford sunrise: 7:16am
2.0°C > 1.0°C > 4.5°C Early frost: high cloud to S & W encroached gradually. Light W wind fell calm for a while. Good visibility.
(17th visit of the year)
Notes
- the Wigeon seem to have left
- but the 3rd pair of Gadwall have reappeared
- the 6 Goosanders were a party of 5 (with at least 3♂♂): and then a single drake. All headed W but not sure where they went – they didn’t seem too sure either wavering to the NW and the SW
- Little Grebes heard calling from two very different locations
- now 12 Great Crested Grebes confirmed today
- 1 Stock Dove flew in to the putative nest area: another flew over
- >250 Wood Pigeons flushed out of the fields to the E: presumably the source of the c.150 birds that were on the groaning boughs of the trees in the NE copse
- Willow Tit noisily singing and calling: then 2 seen flying along N side – presumably a pair: welcome news for this rapidly declining species.
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 21 Canada Geese
- 6 Goosanders (see notes)
- 31 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 1 Stock Dove
- 457 Jackdaws
- 90 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 13 Fieldfare
Counts of birds leaving roosts around the lake
- >52 Magpies (incomplete count)
- 16 Redwings
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 24 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes heard
- 12 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 75 Coots again
- 135 Black-headed Gulls
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 12 Herring Gulls
Mute Swan in classic pose against the morning sky.
(Ed Wilson)
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Priorslee Flash: 9:13am - 10:00am
Map
(16th visit of the year)
Notes
Minor changes in numbers again
- noticeable reduction in Tufted Duck numbers
Birds noted flying over The Flash
- just 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Mistle Thrush: first at this site this year for me
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 15 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 32 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 white feral duck
- 5 (4♂) Shoveler
- 7 (5♂) Pochard
- 35 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 7 (2♂) Goosanders
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 7 Moorhens
- 16 Coots
- 27 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
Lots of splashing!
Seems happy with what he saw and time for another doze.
Gives me neck-ache just looking at it. A duck Pochard.
She is spinning slowly around to keep a watch for danger through slitty-eyes.
And as I got closer she gave me a baleful stare.
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool: 10:09am - 10:44am
Map
(10th visit of the year)
Notes
Minor changes in numbers but again nothing to comment upon
Overhead
Nothing of note
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 14 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 5 (3♂) Shoveler
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 39 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 5 (3♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 58 Coots
- 21 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 5 Herring Gulls
A perfect three-point landing. A sub-adult Cormorant flies in – just a hint of pale on the belly indicates this is not an adult and, of course, there are no head-plumes or white thigh-patch. A look of intense concentration on its face, or am I reading too much into its expression?
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Trench Lock Pool: 10:09am - 10:44am
Map
(10th visit of the year)
Notes
Minor changes in numbers but again nothing to comment upon
Overhead
Nothing of note
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 14 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 5 (3♂) Shoveler
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 39 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 5 (3♂) Goosander
- 2 Cormorants
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Moorhens
- 58 Coots
- 21 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 5 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in 2009 and 2013
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
1st winter Yellow-legged gull
(John Isherwood / JW Reeves)
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2009Kumlien's Gull
(Peter Wilson/Dawn Balmer)