Priorslee Lake: 5:27am - 9:00am
Map
Telford sunrise: 6:38am
-0.5°C > 4.5°C Fine, frosty and calm start, but soon began to cloud-over with increasing SSE wind. Good visibility
A dearth of gulls today – more so than is usual on a Monday
(34th visit of the year)
Notes
- the distinctively marked moulting Pochard back again
- Little Grebe was both heard; and then seen, unusually, in the middle of the water
- at least 17 Great Crested Grebes this morning; continually diving and re-grouping these are very hard to reliably count. This is my largest total this year
- the 4 Stock Doves noted as flying over were in addition to the pair prospecting a potential nest site
- a visit to the Redwing roost site was very unproductive with just 8 birds noted – in fact there were more Blackbirds (11) in the roost area
- 3 different Goldcrests this morning: two of them in song
- none of today’s Goldfinches seemed at all interested in the trees around the lake and all flew fast overhead
- the 2 Siskins flew over together
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 17 Canada Geese in 5 groups
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 4 Stock Doves
- 310 Jackdaws
- 10 Rooks only
- 2 Ravens
- 9 Starlings
- 11 Redwings
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 13 Goldfinches
- 2 Siskins
Counts of birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 62 Magpies (partial count)
- 8 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 9 Canada Geese, briefly
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 9 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 12 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe
- 17 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 74 Coots again
- 37 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Herring Gulls
They were right: “red sky in the morning, shepherds’ warning”. A cold wind and rain soon. But here the sun just rising over a frosty scene.
and again: here you can see the chestnut wing panel on both the duck (left hand bird) and the drake
And with his neck stretched you can see the separate feathers that, when the bird is at rest, give that neat scalloping look.
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash: 9:04am - 9:41am
Map
(30th visit of the year)
Notes
- the additional Mute Swan now seems to be paired with the resident cob: and he is now giving his last-year’s love interest a hard time (blue 7HXE was one of his daughters from 2013). The new pen has a rather pale orange bill suggesting that she too is a sub-adult. I read the ring (blue 7HJJ) today and that reveals, with thanks to Martin Grant (who keeps track of all these things), that she too is one of his daughters – but from 2012
- after yesterday’s absence 2 drake Shoveler returned
- many of yesterdays 104 Tufted Duck moved out
No birds noted flying over
The counts from the water
- 3 Mute Swans again
- 27 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 20 (16♂) Mallard
- 1 white feral duck
- 2 (2♂) Shoveler
- 64 (37♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens only
- 20 Coots again
- no Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
The camera reveals what I could not read with binoculars: the ‘new’ Swan at The Flash is Blue 7HJJ. Born here in 2012 when her current companion was her father.
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool: 9:48am - 10:15am
Map
(17th visit of the year)
Notes
- a singing Goldcrest was my first of the year here
- Kingfisher seen
Overhead (en route to Middle Pool)
- 3 Greylag Geese
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 39 Canada Geese
- 6 (3♂) Mallard
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 38 (28♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Little Grebe
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 58 Coots
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
2012Map
Telford sunrise: 6:38am
-0.5°C > 4.5°C Fine, frosty and calm start, but soon began to cloud-over with increasing SSE wind. Good visibility
A dearth of gulls today – more so than is usual on a Monday
(34th visit of the year)
Notes
- the distinctively marked moulting Pochard back again
- Little Grebe was both heard; and then seen, unusually, in the middle of the water
- at least 17 Great Crested Grebes this morning; continually diving and re-grouping these are very hard to reliably count. This is my largest total this year
- the 4 Stock Doves noted as flying over were in addition to the pair prospecting a potential nest site
- a visit to the Redwing roost site was very unproductive with just 8 birds noted – in fact there were more Blackbirds (11) in the roost area
- 3 different Goldcrests this morning: two of them in song
- none of today’s Goldfinches seemed at all interested in the trees around the lake and all flew fast overhead
- the 2 Siskins flew over together
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 17 Canada Geese in 5 groups
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 4 Stock Doves
- 310 Jackdaws
- 10 Rooks only
- 2 Ravens
- 9 Starlings
- 11 Redwings
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 13 Goldfinches
- 2 Siskins
Counts of birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 62 Magpies (partial count)
- 8 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 9 Canada Geese, briefly
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 9 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 12 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe
- 17 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 74 Coots again
- 37 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Herring Gulls
After a calm start the breeze is already ruffling the water on the lake.
Pair of Gadwall having a good preen this morning
-------------------------------------------------------
Priorslee Flash: 9:04am - 9:41am
Map
(30th visit of the year)
Notes
- the additional Mute Swan now seems to be paired with the resident cob: and he is now giving his last-year’s love interest a hard time (blue 7HXE was one of his daughters from 2013). The new pen has a rather pale orange bill suggesting that she too is a sub-adult. I read the ring (blue 7HJJ) today and that reveals, with thanks to Martin Grant (who keeps track of all these things), that she too is one of his daughters – but from 2012
- after yesterday’s absence 2 drake Shoveler returned
- many of yesterdays 104 Tufted Duck moved out
No birds noted flying over
The counts from the water
- 3 Mute Swans again
- 27 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 20 (16♂) Mallard
- 1 white feral duck
- 2 (2♂) Shoveler
- 64 (37♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens only
- 20 Coots again
- no Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
(Ed Wilson)
-------------------------------------------------------
Trench Lock Pool: 9:48am - 10:15am
Map
(17th visit of the year)
Notes
- a singing Goldcrest was my first of the year here
- Kingfisher seen
Overhead (en route to Middle Pool)
- 3 Greylag Geese
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 39 Canada Geese
- 6 (3♂) Mallard
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 38 (28♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Little Grebe
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 58 Coots
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in 2006, 2009 and 2012
Adult Iceland Gull
(Martin Grant)
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2009Glaucous Gull
(Martin Grant)
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20062 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)