Priorslee Lake: 4:58am - 8:46am
Map
Telford sunrise: 05:22
9.0°C > 9.5°C. Overcast with occasional light rain. Soon drying out with a few brighter spells. Moderate / fresh W wind. Very good visibility.
(50th visit of the year)
Highlights this morning
- the emergence of this year’s cygnets – very briefly though and there seemed to be just 3. I thought the cob was being unusually attentive yesterday. Perhaps they had already hatched and were being brooded.
- a significant movement of hirundines: it is hard to be certain exactly how many birds were involved as several similar sized groups of, in particular, Sand Martins flew W and may just have been circling around beyond visual range – but I tend to think no. The first party of c.50 Sand Martins that flew in low from the E at 5:25am had me momentarily confused as they were clearly flying through as a tight group and with slight undulation reminiscent of finch flocks: but they looked slightly too large for finches and anyway what finches would still be in flocks – they should all be paired on breeding territory by now. Several groups also included Swallows, though plenty of these also went through in small parties on their own. House Martins remain in low numbers.
With the obvious movement of hirundines I loitered in the hope of something else passing, but nothing much seen: just a flew gulls.
A new sighting here was a radio-controlled model drone / quadricopter being flown from the S side between 6:45am and 7:00am. As far as I could tell, despite the flashing LEDs, the birds took no notice of it.
Other notes
- rather more Coots was unexpected in the windy conditions: no sign of the juveniles last noted on Monday 4th and presume that these are no longer extant.
- Oystercatchers present again.
- after yesterday’s blank there were 4 different Dunnocks singing this morning.
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 7 Canada Geese (3 groups)
- 1 Cormorant
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 1 Collared Dove
- 137 Jackdaws
- 53 Rooks
Count of hirundines etc (see highlight note)
- 17 Swifts
- c.300? Sand Martins
- c.70 Swallows
- 5 House Martins
Count of singing warblers
- 5 Chiffchaffs
- 1 Willow Warbler
- 11 Blackcaps
- 1 Garden Warbler
- 3 Common Whitethroats
- 5 Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 Cormorant
- 8 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens again
- 35 Coots
- 2 Oystercatchers
Here are 40 birds in one of the groups of Sand Martins that flew over the lake early – 05:45 for this group. Seemed to be all different groups of c.50 birds.
Much later the birds passed through low over the water: here are 3 Swallows and 2 Sand Martins pausing to grab a few insects as they move W at 7:25am.
One of the nine gulls over this morning. The tail-band tells us this is an immature and the strength of the underwing marks indicate it is a Lesser Black-backed Gull. The yellow at the base of the bill is rather more extensive than I would expect on a 1st summer bird but that it what I think it is from the underwing pattern.
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool: 6:00pm - 8:15pm
Map
Arctic Tern present before flying west.
Map
Telford sunrise: 05:22
9.0°C > 9.5°C. Overcast with occasional light rain. Soon drying out with a few brighter spells. Moderate / fresh W wind. Very good visibility.
(50th visit of the year)
Highlights this morning
- the emergence of this year’s cygnets – very briefly though and there seemed to be just 3. I thought the cob was being unusually attentive yesterday. Perhaps they had already hatched and were being brooded.
- a significant movement of hirundines: it is hard to be certain exactly how many birds were involved as several similar sized groups of, in particular, Sand Martins flew W and may just have been circling around beyond visual range – but I tend to think no. The first party of c.50 Sand Martins that flew in low from the E at 5:25am had me momentarily confused as they were clearly flying through as a tight group and with slight undulation reminiscent of finch flocks: but they looked slightly too large for finches and anyway what finches would still be in flocks – they should all be paired on breeding territory by now. Several groups also included Swallows, though plenty of these also went through in small parties on their own. House Martins remain in low numbers.
With the obvious movement of hirundines I loitered in the hope of something else passing, but nothing much seen: just a flew gulls.
A new sighting here was a radio-controlled model drone / quadricopter being flown from the S side between 6:45am and 7:00am. As far as I could tell, despite the flashing LEDs, the birds took no notice of it.
Other notes
- rather more Coots was unexpected in the windy conditions: no sign of the juveniles last noted on Monday 4th and presume that these are no longer extant.
- Oystercatchers present again.
- after yesterday’s blank there were 4 different Dunnocks singing this morning.
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 7 Canada Geese (3 groups)
- 1 Cormorant
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 1 Collared Dove
- 137 Jackdaws
- 53 Rooks
Count of hirundines etc (see highlight note)
- 17 Swifts
- c.300? Sand Martins
- c.70 Swallows
- 5 House Martins
Count of singing warblers
- 5 Chiffchaffs
- 1 Willow Warbler
- 11 Blackcaps
- 1 Garden Warbler
- 3 Common Whitethroats
- 5 Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 Cormorant
- 8 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens again
- 35 Coots
- 2 Oystercatchers
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Lock Pool: 6:00pm - 8:15pm
Map
Arctic Tern present before flying west.
Arctic Tern (Dave Tromans)
Arctic Tern (Dave Tromans)
Arctic Tern (Dave Tromans)
(Dave Tromans.)
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On this day in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2013
Shelduck
(Ed Wilson)
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2012Priorslee Lake - Map
Grasshopper Warbler
(John Isherwood)