Location
Telford sunrise: 06:44
9.0°C > 10.5°C. Cloudy at medium level apart from some lower cloud during rain shower c.06:30. Light N wind. Very good visibility
Highlights today
- Hobby in the distance
- 2 drake Shoveler return
Yesterday’s work on the dam face seems to have been pretty low-key: some more vegetation has been strimmed at the very ends. None of the reeds etc. in the water have been touched. The remaining vegetation / stumps show no sign of any application of weed-killer – the workers were not certain that conditions would be suitable for spraying yesterday. There was no return-visit by the workers this morning
(118th visit of the year)
Other notes
- when I arrived the lake was packed with geese and 3 more Canada Geese soon arrived. As they left between 06:30 and 06:45 I was able to confirm the numbers as shown below
- a Cormorant over: my first here for 10 days or so
- an additional fledged juvenile Great Crested Grebe was present again
- no Barn Swallows or House Martins until after 09:10. The Barn Swallows stopped to feed / drink in two groups and then moved on. The House Martins stayed rather longer but also seemed to move on
- 14 Chiffchaffs (just 1 in song) and 4 Blackcaps noted: no Reed Warblers located
and
- 5 bats at least: 3 Pipistrelle-types at the S end of the dam; 1 larger Noctule-type flying high and fast; another unidentified bat flying low well out over the water
- 2 moths on the lamps: an Acleris variegana (or Garden Rose Tortrix); and a Square-spot Rustic: both new for me this year
- 1 Silver Y moth in the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel
- no other insects of note in dull weather
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Canada Geese
- 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 208 Jackdaws
- 64 Rooks
- 37 Pied Wagtails
Count of hirundines etc
- 15 Barn Swallows
- 16 House Martins
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 143 Canada Geese (see notes)
- 31 (15♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Shoveler- 21 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 1 Little Grebe only
- 8 + 9 (4 broods) + 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 + 17 Moorhens
- 187 Coots
- 95 Black-headed Gulls
This the common micro moth Acleris variegana (or Garden Rose Tortrix) of the form asperana with a very restricted black dorsal spot.
This is a Square-spot Rustic moth: but the characteristic square kidney mark that gives this moth its name is almost faded away in this rather worn specimen (noted the plumed midge sp. alongside and the small dark midge sp. also on the lamp).
This Silver Y moth was on the roof of the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel amongst all the ancient dusty cob-webs.
(118th visit of the year)
Other notes
- when I arrived the lake was packed with geese and 3 more Canada Geese soon arrived. As they left between 06:30 and 06:45 I was able to confirm the numbers as shown below
- a Cormorant over: my first here for 10 days or so
- an additional fledged juvenile Great Crested Grebe was present again
- no Barn Swallows or House Martins until after 09:10. The Barn Swallows stopped to feed / drink in two groups and then moved on. The House Martins stayed rather longer but also seemed to move on
- 14 Chiffchaffs (just 1 in song) and 4 Blackcaps noted: no Reed Warblers located
and
- 5 bats at least: 3 Pipistrelle-types at the S end of the dam; 1 larger Noctule-type flying high and fast; another unidentified bat flying low well out over the water
- 2 moths on the lamps: an Acleris variegana (or Garden Rose Tortrix); and a Square-spot Rustic: both new for me this year
- 1 Silver Y moth in the Priorslee Avenue foot tunnel
- no other insects of note in dull weather
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Canada Geese
- 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 208 Jackdaws
- 64 Rooks
- 37 Pied Wagtails
Count of hirundines etc
- 15 Barn Swallows
- 16 House Martins
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 143 Canada Geese (see notes)
- 31 (15♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Shoveler- 21 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 1 Little Grebe only
- 8 + 9 (4 broods) + 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 + 17 Moorhens
- 187 Coots
- 95 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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Woodhouse Lane: 08:30 – 09:00
Location
(15th recent visit)
Selected notes / counts
Very quiet and none of the specialities – Sky Lark, Linnet, Yellowhammer. And no passage of pipits / finches either
- at least 13 Pied Wagtails in stubbles. Soon after a party of 17 flew S. I thought at the time they were different birds but when I next was able to look the original party had (also) gone so I am not sure
- 2 Goldcrests around the sluice exit
- 3 Chiffchaffs: 1 in song again
- 1 Grey Wagtail flying over along the line of the Wesley Brook
and
- no insects noted either
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash: 09:34 – 10:20
Location
(84th visit of the year)
Highlights today
- duck Pochard new in
- Meadow Pipit over
- no insects noted either
(Ed Wilson)
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Priorslee Flash: 09:34 – 10:20
Location
(84th visit of the year)
Highlights today
- duck Pochard new in
- Meadow Pipit over
Other notes
- cob Mute Swan yellow 52F not seen today
- geese numbers are likely to be under-recorded as many birds had already arrived by the time I started the counts and some had probably disappeared inside the island
- just 2 Chiffchaffs (no song)
Birds noted flying over
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- cob Mute Swan yellow 52F not seen today
- geese numbers are likely to be under-recorded as many birds had already arrived by the time I started the counts and some had probably disappeared inside the island
- just 2 Chiffchaffs (no song)
Birds noted flying over
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Meadow Pipit
Hirundines etc.
None
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 119 Greylag Geese
- 202 Canada Goose
- [the all-white feral goose not located]
- 39 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 28 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 + 2 Great Crested Grebes as usual
- 2 Moorhens
- 17 Coots
This is the duck Pochard that was new in here today. It shows the characteristic ‘pale spectacles’ effect on the face.
This is I think just a slightly aberrant Wood Pigeon – the neck mark certainly suggests it is this species, as does the overall size and shape. My attention was drawn to it by its white rump patch, not visible in any of the grab-shot photos I am afraid. But this view does show that it had some unusually pale areas in the wing as well. Note the missing (moulted?) inner primary on the left wing.
Obviously foreshortened by the zoom of the camera but I am still amazed that three Canada Geese can land in tight formation even when they have to keep another eye watching for the birds already on the water.
(Ed Wilson)
None
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 119 Greylag Geese
- 202 Canada Goose
- [the all-white feral goose not located]
- 39 (25♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 28 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 + 2 Great Crested Grebes as usual
- 2 Moorhens
- 17 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in 2006, 2007, 2013 and 2014
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Ringed Plover
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Priorslee Lake
Nuthatch
Kingfisher
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)