10 Mar 15

Priorslee Lake:
Map

Late Morning Update: 9:40am - 11:40am

Mute Swans 2
Great-crested Grebe 10
Little Grebe 1
Cormorant 2
Grey Heron 1
Gadwall 3 pairs
Tufted Duck 16
Mallard 3
Coot 70
Moorhen 4
Herring Gull 57
Lesser Black Backed Gull 135
Black-headed Gull 27
Buzzard 1
Tawny Owl 1
Wood Pigeon 5
Carrion Crow 4
Magpie 8
Jay 2
Robin 10
Blackbird 5
Song Thrush 2
Dunnock 4
Wren 4
Blue Tit 2
Great Tit 1
Long-tailed Tit 3
Goldcrest 2
Chiffchaff 1
Chaffinch 1
Bullfinch 8.

(Martin Grant)

Early Morning Report: 5:28am - 9:04am

Telford sunrise: 6:36am

4.0°C > 8.0°C Despite the temperature a slight frost in sheltered areas: layer of cloud to far S & E, otherwise clear. Brisk NW wind. Good visibility

(35th visit of the year)

Notes
- 4 Gadwall flew in at 05:45 and these were the only Gadwall seen today
- duck Pochard did not seem to be the same – not so obviously blotchy: but the light was strong today and could have ‘blown-out’ the contrast
- struggled to find even 11 Great Crested Grebes this morning: some seem to have left
- 64 Black-headed Gulls arrived, mainly from the W, by 06:45 but all gone by 07:15. c.30 drifted in later from the fields to the E assumed to be some of the same birds
- more than 300 Wood Pigeons seen in / over fields to NE and frequently flushed in to trees, including some to the trees around the lake. c.40, perhaps other birds, seen flying quite high and possibly on the move. These not included in fly-over totals below
- the 5 Reed Buntings seen flying together from the roost were the only Reed Buntings seen / heard this morning

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 27 Canada Geese in 7 groups
- 4 (2♂) Mallard
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls only
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- c.400 Jackdaws
- 35 Rooks
- 3 Fieldfare
- 15 Redwings
- 1 Sky Lark
- 3 Pied Wagtails

Counts of birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 90 Magpies exactly
- 3 Redwings
- 7 Starlings
- 5 Reed Buntings
The 3 Redwings came from 3 different locations around the lake: the normal roost site not visited

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 4 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 16 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Cormorants again
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 11 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens again
- 72 Coots
- 64 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 11 Herring Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 9:07am - 9:57am
Map

(31st visit of the year)

Notes
- the cob Mute Swan with his new partner (blue 7HJJ) today: no sign of 7HXE this morning
- the Lesser Canada Goose sp. (aka Cackling Goose) with a ‘standard’ Canada Goose this morning but not the usual ringed bird – that was with another Canada Goose elsewhere
- many of the Canada Geese now obviously paired and many out of the water, probably trying to select egg-laying sites

Just 1 bird noted flying over!
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 45 Canada Geese
- 1 Lesser Canada Goose sp.
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 17 (12♂) Mallard
- 1 white feral duck
- 2 (2♂) Shoveler again
- 59 (34♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 6 Moorhens
- 18 Coots
- 9 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2014

Priorslee Lake
2014
7 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Chiffchaff
(John Isherwood)

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2011
Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

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2007
Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)

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2006
2 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)