3 Apr 15

Priorslee Lake: 05:48 – 06:50 // 07:55 – 09:07
Map

Telford sunrise: 06:39

7.5°C > 8.5°C Low overcast with drizzle on & off. Light SSE wind fell light. Mostly poor visibility,

Again the usual summer routine of once around the lake; walk to and around The Flash and back; and then back around the lake again.

No real highlights this morning with Chiffchaffs the only summer visitors and apart from Tufted Ducks the winter visitors gone.

(39th visit of the year)

Notes
- just 2 Gadwall noted this morning
- two Stock Doves still around the putative nest site
- 1 Goldcrest in song: another seen
- 1 Sky Lark singing over the fields to the E
- 8 Song Thrushes in song: also a Mistle Thrush singing
- 1 Reed Bunting singing along the dam – an unusual location but there are a few patches of reeds starting to form here.

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake) badly affected by the poor visibility.
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 15 Canada Geese in 5 groups
- 159 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks only
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Counts of birds leaving roosts around the lake
- 26 Magpies the roost has mainly dispersed with birds now roosting around their nest-sites

Count of singing warblers
- 5 Chiffchaffs

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans: pen on nest
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 30 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Cormorants
- 11 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 55 Coots
No gulls

The ‘pussy willow’ flowers of Salix sp. now well open and laden with yellow pollen.

Blackthorn (Sloe) flowers are also fully open

... and in close-up

I am never quite sure when a narcissus becomes a daffodil and a search of the web failed to help. I think they are all part of the narcissus family and that the common separation is that narcissus are white and daffodils are yellow. This specimen may be Narcissus pseudonarcissus: or it may be Narcissus tazetta which is sometimes known as ‘Hermione’. But then again it is probably a cultivar and none of these. Whatever: the water-droplets add something to the basic flower.

This group supports the cultivar theory

A fine study of an adult Great Crested Grebe in breeding plumage. Note the water droplets standing proud on the feathers. None of the birds present at the moment retains any hint of immature plumage.

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Priorslee Flash: 07:05 – 07:40
Map

(35th visit of the year)

Notes
- Mallard doing a lot of flying about and settling briefly on roofs of the houses in the estate
- not sure where all the Tufted Ducks have gone since yesterday. A few back(?) to the lake? Those still present included some groups excitedly swimming around and other pairs sitting quietly around the island.

Very little noted flying over
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull only

Count of singing warblers
- 4 Chiffchaffs

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 35 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 16 (13♂) Mallard
- 1 white feral duck
- 21 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 15 Coots
No gulls here either

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2006

Priorslee Lake
2006
Barn Owl
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)