14 Sep 15

Priorslee Lake: 05:49 – 09:04
Location

Telford sunrise: 06:41

9.5°C throughout. Started with medium / high overcast. After 07:00 cloud lowered and drizzle / rain until 08:45. Thereafter just very dull. Calm start with a moderate SE breeze later, tending to die away when it started raining. Very good visibility until rain and then only moderate

Only 1 duck Teal today

Other autumn passage included Barn Swallows, House Martins, Meadow Pipits and another group of Siskins

(116th visit of the year)

Other notes
- some of the juvenile Great Crested Grebes were being taught to fish for themselves today: the adults would catch the fish and rather than feed them to the juveniles they dropped the still live fish in front of the juveniles and encouraged them to re-catch the fish, helping as needed to stop the fish getting away. Not pleasant for the fish though
- 2 Sparrowhawks circling together to the NE: birds are usually solitary except during display ahead of the breeding season
- a Kestrel hovering over the grounds of the new academy early: and then seen both over the old Celestica grounds and then the SW grassy area
- 3 House Martins over at 07:00 (two of these low overhead and calling revealing another very high); 3 Barn Swallows through at 07:30; and then a party of 16 House Martins moving W at 08:35. I had expected more in the conditions
- 12 Chiffchaffs (4 in song) and 4 Blackcaps were located today

and
- 3 Pipistrelles at least ahead of the rain
- a grass moth on one of the lamps
- no moths in the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel
- no insects in the poor conditions

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 3 Greylag Geese (1 group)
- 69 Canada Geese (4 groups)
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 158 Jackdaws
- 197 Rooks
- 7 Pied Wagtails
- 4 Meadow Pipits
- 3 Siskins

Count of hirundines etc
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 16 House Martins

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 15 Canada Geese (2 groups, each briefly)
- 1 (0♂) Common Teal
- 34 (18♂) Mallard
- 13 (8♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 8 + 9 (4 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 6 + 11 Moorhens
- 186 Coots again
- c.225 Black-headed Gulls
- 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Priorslee Flash: 09:06 – 09:38
Location

(82nd visit of the year)

Notes
- the cob yellow 52F was noted to be still present and was lurking on the verges around Derwent Drive
- 3 Barn Swallows flew through
- single House Martin overhead
- 2 Chiffchaffs (1 in song again) were the warblers logged here

Birds noted flying over

None

Hirundines etc (as noted)
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 1 House Martin

The counts from the water
- 3 + 3 Mute Swans
- 1 Canada Goose
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 27 (19♂) Mallard
- 24 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 1 Grey Herons
- 2 + 2 Great Crested Grebes as usual
- 2 + 2 Moorhen
- 18 Coots
- 3 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day in 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2014

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here
(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

Water Rail

Hobby

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
Snipe
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake

Sandwich Tern

(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake

Green Sandpiper

(Ed Wilson)