Priorslee Lake: 4:24am - 6:15am // 7:20am - 8:58am
Location
Telford sunrise: 5:02am
14.0°C > 16.0°C. Cloudy at low-level with drizzle and rain, somewhat clearer for a while after 05:45. Light N wind. Poor visibility in drizzle but better in drier spells.
Back to my traditional start point in Teece Drive now the road-works finished
(91st visit of the year)
Notes
- 2 Tufted Duck seen in flight apparently repositioning on the lake but not re-found
- 10 adult Great Crested Grebes now: no real sign of any new nests with the two juveniles now independent and looking about to fledge
- 2 Common Sandpipers seen at both ends of the water but probably the same two. A lone bird later was also probably one of these
- 286 large gulls seen over just before sunrise with 109 of these dropping in for a wash and bathe before carrying on. As far as I could see all the birds that landed were Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Just 7 more large gulls over later
- one of the Stock Doves flushed from near the putative nest site went and sat on the roof of one of the houses in the estate. This species is normally shyer than Wood Pigeons and I would not expect to see birds around the estate
- many more Wood Pigeons than recently. Included a loose group of 34 birds that had clearly been flushed from somewhere – but this number is more than my recent day-totals
- large screaming party of Swifts over at 4:50am with just 8 located flying around the bottom of the cloud – sounded like many more. Much later 12 birds over the dam but these did not stop
- very poor visibility at the time the corvids should have been passing: that said none was heard at this time either
Location
Telford sunrise: 5:02am
14.0°C > 16.0°C. Cloudy at low-level with drizzle and rain, somewhat clearer for a while after 05:45. Light N wind. Poor visibility in drizzle but better in drier spells.
Back to my traditional start point in Teece Drive now the road-works finished
(91st visit of the year)
Notes
- 2 Tufted Duck seen in flight apparently repositioning on the lake but not re-found
- 10 adult Great Crested Grebes now: no real sign of any new nests with the two juveniles now independent and looking about to fledge
- 2 Common Sandpipers seen at both ends of the water but probably the same two. A lone bird later was also probably one of these
- 286 large gulls seen over just before sunrise with 109 of these dropping in for a wash and bathe before carrying on. As far as I could see all the birds that landed were Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Just 7 more large gulls over later
- one of the Stock Doves flushed from near the putative nest site went and sat on the roof of one of the houses in the estate. This species is normally shyer than Wood Pigeons and I would not expect to see birds around the estate
- many more Wood Pigeons than recently. Included a loose group of 34 birds that had clearly been flushed from somewhere – but this number is more than my recent day-totals
- large screaming party of Swifts over at 4:50am with just 8 located flying around the bottom of the cloud – sounded like many more. Much later 12 birds over the dam but these did not stop
- very poor visibility at the time the corvids should have been passing: that said none was heard at this time either
And
- again just 1 Barred Marble moth was about the only insect in the conditions with another Barred Marble found lurking in the Priorslee Avenue foot-tunnel
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 184 large gulls
- 46 Jackdaws only
- 5 Rooks only
Count of hirundines etc
- >20 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
Count of singing warblers
- 6 Chiffchaffs again
- 13 Blackcaps
- 1 Common Whitethroat
- 4 Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 24 (?♂) Mallard
- 2 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 10 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 6 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 55 + 14 (7 broods) Coots
- 2 Common Sandpipers
- 14 Black-headed Gulls again
- 109 Lesser Black-backed Gull
This rather miserable-looking Lesser Black-backed Gull did not seem to well. It spent much of its time crouched on its haunches and stayed long after all the other gulls had flown off. It did eventually fly off and then looked OK, It was a rather small and attenuated-looking bird. Also only really evident in the photos are the retained immature brown feathers in the wing. There is also a dark smudge on the bill. Otherwise the all-white head would suggest an adult bird but it must in fact be a 2nd summer bird (born 2013).
It is not only insects that like the nectar of umbellifers – Hogweed here. I think it is a Dusky Slug (Arion subfuscus)
‘Only’ and adult Black-headed Gull but worth recording as birds with complete black-hoods are present for only a short while here. As soon as they acquire it in Spring they are off to breeding sites. And as soon as they return, about now, they soon lose it – indeed pale is already showing at the base of the bill. We also see that the wing-moult is already in progress with only 5 primaries visible on the right wing.
- again just 1 Barred Marble moth was about the only insect in the conditions with another Barred Marble found lurking in the Priorslee Avenue foot-tunnel
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 184 large gulls
- 46 Jackdaws only
- 5 Rooks only
Count of hirundines etc
- >20 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
Count of singing warblers
- 6 Chiffchaffs again
- 13 Blackcaps
- 1 Common Whitethroat
- 4 Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 24 (?♂) Mallard
- 2 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 10 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 6 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 55 + 14 (7 broods) Coots
- 2 Common Sandpipers
- 14 Black-headed Gulls again
- 109 Lesser Black-backed Gull
A Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) is caught in the flash pre-dawn.
The now-independent juvenile Great Crested Grebes.
Horrible light but here is a male Blackcap in full song out in the open.
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee tunnel (between the Lake and The Flash)
Location
This is ‘just’ a Celypha striana (Common Marble) moth but here looks much browner than usual – perhaps just the effect of the strip-lights?
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Priorslee tunnel (between the Lake and The Flash)
Location
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash: 6:25am - 7:10am
Location
(66th visit of the year)
Notes
- another brood of 5 small Mallard ducklings. One of the earlier broods not located today
- another new brood of Coot: one adult still sitting and another refurbishing its nest
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Priorslee Flash: 6:25am - 7:10am
Location
(66th visit of the year)
Notes
- another brood of 5 small Mallard ducklings. One of the earlier broods not located today
- another new brood of Coot: one adult still sitting and another refurbishing its nest
And
- a Poplar Grey moth on one of the lamps: this is a common and widespread species but new for me in Shropshire
Birds noted flying over
- a Poplar Grey moth on one of the lamps: this is a common and widespread species but new for me in Shropshire
Birds noted flying over
None
Hirundines etc
Hirundines etc
None
Singing warblers
Singing warblers
None
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 76 Greylag Geese
- 171 Canada Geese
- 1 Lesser Canada Goose ssp.
- 1 Canada x Barnacle Goose
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 38 (?♂) + 7 (2 broods) Mallard
- 11 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 22 + 9 (4 broods) Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 76 Greylag Geese
- 171 Canada Geese
- 1 Lesser Canada Goose ssp.
- 1 Canada x Barnacle Goose
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 38 (?♂) + 7 (2 broods) Mallard
- 11 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 22 + 9 (4 broods) Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool: 9:08am - 9:45am // 10:25am - 10:34am
Location
(34th visit of the year)
Notes
- the second pair of Great Crested Grebes seen building a new nest in a different place. Also seen in display with the male presenting weed – might this indicate that one or both is / are new birds?
- some of the oldest juvenile Coots are likely recorded as adults – hard to separate
- Common Sandpiper heard in flight but not located [it was 16 July last year when I had a group of 11 birds here]
A convolvulus (bindweed) flower but who made those patterns? It is easy to see that the flower was chewed while it was still a bud and that is what caused the pattern as the petals unfurled. Not sure about the inhabitant – did not notice it at the time otherwise I would have taken a closer look. Perhaps a Mirid bug, though it appears to have a long proboscis that rather rules that out.
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Trench Lock Pool: 9:08am - 9:45am // 10:25am - 10:34am
Location
(34th visit of the year)
Notes
- the second pair of Great Crested Grebes seen building a new nest in a different place. Also seen in display with the male presenting weed – might this indicate that one or both is / are new birds?
- some of the oldest juvenile Coots are likely recorded as adults – hard to separate
- Common Sandpiper heard in flight but not located [it was 16 July last year when I had a group of 11 birds here]
Birds noted flying over
None
Count of hirundines etc
- 1 Swift
- 2 House Martins
Count of singing warblers
- no Chiffchaffs again
- 1 Blackcap again
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 23 Canada Geese
- 21 (19♂) Mallard
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 48 + 18 (? broods) Coots
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
A juvenile Moorhen ‘up a tree’. It is not often realised this species can climb bushes and shrubs with ease and will often climb as high as 10 feet. (it will also walk quite long distances to find new waters to inhabit).
Count of hirundines etc
- 1 Swift
- 2 House Martins
Count of singing warblers
- no Chiffchaffs again
- 1 Blackcap again
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 23 Canada Geese
- 21 (19♂) Mallard
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 48 + 18 (? broods) Coots
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
A Great Crested Grebe building a (replacement) nest.
More weed needed!
Now does that feel right?
The pair inspect their work.
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool: 9:50am - 10:20am
Location
(12th visit of the year)
Notes
- goslings and juvenile Coots becoming hard to separate from the adults. All 4 Canada Geese goslings were of rather different sizes – I think though from 3 broods
- the Great Crested Grebes have hatched at least 3 juveniles from their second brood
- adult male Grey Wagtail seen carrying food; also a fledged juvenile also likely from a second brood
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Trench Middle Pool: 9:50am - 10:20am
Location
(12th visit of the year)
Notes
- goslings and juvenile Coots becoming hard to separate from the adults. All 4 Canada Geese goslings were of rather different sizes – I think though from 3 broods
- the Great Crested Grebes have hatched at least 3 juveniles from their second brood
- adult male Grey Wagtail seen carrying food; also a fledged juvenile also likely from a second brood
And
- my first Grey Squirrel here this year
Birds noted flying over
- my first Grey Squirrel here this year
Birds noted flying over
None
Count of hirundines etc
Count of hirundines etc
None
Singing warblers
Singing warblers
None
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 35 + 10 (3 broods) Greylag Geese
- 66 + 4 (3? broods) Canada Geese
- 18 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 + 3 (1 new brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 15 + 5 (3 broods) Coots
The extent of the yellow on the chest suggests this a male Grey Wagtail that is carrying food. The black bib is mostly faded away as is the white eye-stripe – worn out at the end of a hectic breeding season!
Long distance and max. zoom: we can just make out three beaks on the adult Great Crested Grebe’s back. Their previous brood seems to have fledged and left.
In the front here we see four almost-grown goslings and an adult Greylag Goose. 3 of the goslings are sitting and one standing. Note how they lack the neck marking shown by the standing adult. Note too the legs and bills are a more pinky-orange.
(Ed Wilson)
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 35 + 10 (3 broods) Greylag Geese
- 66 + 4 (3? broods) Canada Geese
- 18 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 + 3 (1 new brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 15 + 5 (3 broods) Coots
And an adult with a single gosling in the front.
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On this day in 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012 and 2014
2014
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
Possible Otter
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Common Tern
Possible Otter
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
A female Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2006
A female Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
A drake Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2005
A drake Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Common/Arctic Tern
(Martin Adlam)
Common/Arctic Tern
(Martin Adlam)