12 Mar 15

Priorslee Lake: 5:28am - 6:50am // 7:50am - 9:05am
Map

Telford sunrise: 6:31am

7.5°C> 9.5°C Very dull and mainly low overcast. Moderate SE wind fell light. Moderate visibility, poor at times.

Back to the usual summer routine of once around the lake; walk to and around The Flash and back; and then back around the lake again – at the moment running the gauntlet of the road works along Teece Drive.

Three highlights this morning
- 2 Oystercatchers on the SW grass at the lake early only (before 06:15)
- my first Chiffchaff of the year: a singing bird at the lake
- my first Common Redpoll of the year flying over the lake

Also noteworthy were even more Great Crested Grebes, this time at Trench

The owner of the feeding station that backs on to the path between the lake and The Flash confirms that he has seen no Brambling at his feeders this winter. There is still just about time for returning migrants to appear.

(37th visit of the year)

Notes
- back to 4 Gadwall this morning
- the duck Pochard does indeed seem to be the very blotchy bird that has been present intermittently for several days
- a drake Goosander flew in low from the W: not entirely sure it actually landed: it certainly did not stay long
- Magpie seen carrying stick to start repairing nest
- two male Blackbirds fighting – a tight black ball of feathers rolling around on the ground. Later another male was seen carrying nesting material
- spent a long while checking a small flitting bird and just as I had nailed it as a Chiffchaff it decided to start singing: typical!

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
badly affected by the poor visibility
- 6 Canada Geese in 3 groups
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Feral Pigeons
- 145 Jackdaws
- 15 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Common Redpoll

Counts of birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 42 Magpies exactly
- 3 Redwings
Neither roost systematically counted and also affected by the poor visibility

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 9 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (1♂) Goosander briefly
- 2 Cormorants
- 17 Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Moorhens
- 74 Coots
- 2 Oystercatchers early only
- 8 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Herring Gull

The 2 Oystercatchers on the grass by the shelter at the lake (with Coots): this species is just about annual on passage here. Many people are surprised to learn Oystercatchers often breeds inland – indeed what was likely the resident pair returned to Venus Pool area over a month ago. Not the best photo but had to set the ISO to 6400 to try and stop the movement in the early gloom.

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 7:00am - 7:40am
Map

(33rd visit of the year)

Notes
- the ‘now you see then, now you don’t” Shoveler were back today

Again very little noted flying over
- 5 Black-headed Gulls

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 22 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 15 (11♂) Mallard
- 1 white feral duck
- 2 (2♂) Shoveler
- 61 (35♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 7 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 9:15am - 9:37am
Map

(18th visit of the year)

Notes
- the long-term brownhead Goosander has either done a very quick moult or, more likely, been replaced by a splendid drake
- 8 Great Crested Grebes my highest-ever number here

Overhead (en route to Middle Pool?)
- 9 Black-headed Gulls

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 17 Canada Geese
- 10 (5♂) Mallard
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 40 (24♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 2 Little Grebes
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 54 Coots
- 23 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2013

Priorslee Lake
2013
1st winter Iceland Gull
2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls
3 Common Gulls
3rd winter Great Black-backed Gull 
(John Isherwood/J Reeves)

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2011
Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

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2007
Chiffchaff
(Martin Adlam)

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2006
Peregrine
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)