29 Oct 15

Priorslee Lake: 06:06 – 09:01
Location

Telford sunrise: 07:00

11.5°C. Early breaks but soon showery rain. Moderate / fresh SSE wind. Good visibility

Highlight this morning (after nearly a month in Bolivia) was a singing Cetti’s Warbler at the lake. This is only the 2nd record for this site following the bird I found on 01 December last year which stayed for about 2 weeks on that occasion. Possibly the same bird?

(130th visit of the year)

Other notes
- all of the geese on the lake apart from 1 Canada Goose left: just 3 Canada Geese seen flying over
- 5 Gadwall were my first of the Autumn
- a drake Shoveler and, separately, 2 ducks present today
- the Cormorant is logged as over flying but was first seen very low and may just have come off the water: if it did it was unusual in being present before dawn
- 3 Grey Herons disputing who should ‘own’ the fishing rights
- just 1 Little Grebe seen briefly but conditions rather poor for finding this species
- 8 Great Crested Grebes at least: again conditions meant unable to age the birds
- largest Coot count this year so far and that was possibly incomplete due to the wind and rain (last winter numbers peaked at c.150)
- 1 adult Great Black-backed Gull dropped in: a rather early date for this bird – mid-winter is more usual
- no migrant parties of Wood Pigeons as yet, but conditions probably prevented them moving today
- small parties of Jackdaws continued to pass until I left
- no parties of Rooks seen at all this morning: just a few stragglers
- Starling roost in NW reeds at least 350 birds. Also c.40 logged flying over
- small number of passing Fieldfares and Redwings: a few more Redwings in the trees around the lake.

and
- no moths on the lamps

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 3 Canada Geese (1 party)
- 1 Cormorant
- 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 156 Fieldfare
- 14 Redwings
- 293 Jackdaws
- 9 Rooks
- 47 Starlings (4 groups)
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Redpolls

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- >350 Starlings (5 groups)
- 3 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
All counts potentially affected by wind and rain
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 31 Canada Geese
- 5 (3) Gadwall
- 17 (9♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂) Shoveler
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 126 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 32 Moorhens
- 252 Coots
- c.175 Black-headed Gulls
- 44 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Great Black-backed Gull

(Ed Wilson)

A red sky at dawn means wind and rain: correct! Note Grey Heron on the launching platform.

I gather there has been no real frost as yet but the sap has stopped rising, the leaves have turned and the wind has blown many off. Here is the path just beyond the S end of the dam.

And here is the view along the reconstructed Teece Drive outside the school. Half-term means little traffic to move the leaves.

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Priorslee Flash: 09:04 – 09:36
Location

(90th visit of the year)

Notes
- the cob Swan was nowhere near the pen and the cygnets today
- small group of 3 Teal around the island
- rather disappointing number of Tufted Duck: seemed to be all at the lake today
- single adult and juvenile Great Crested Grebe logged today – as on my last visit a month ago

Birds noted flying over
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Wagtail

The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 24 Greylag Geese
- 63 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 3 (1♂) Teal
- 26 (16♂) Mallard
- 34 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 1 + 1 Great Crested Grebes again
- 3 Moorhens
- 13 Coots
- 16 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012 and 2013
2013
Priorslee Lake
7 Gadwall
1 Teal
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

 The Flash
Location
1 Pochard
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

 2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow legged Gull
2 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
1 Wigeon
Chiffchaff
10+ Fieldfare
Siskin
Willow Tit
(John Isherwood)

 The Flash
Location
3 Pochard
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

 2010
Priorslee Lake
34 Pochard a high count 
500+  Lesser Black-backed Gulls
432 Jackdaws
228 Rooks
171 Fieldfare
5 Redwings
2 Siskins
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

 2006
Priorslee Lake
115 Canada Geese
9 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
c.200 Golden Plover
23 Pied Wagtails
17 Robins
18 Blackbirds
12 Song Thrushes
70 Redwing
1 Mistle Thrush
9 Fieldfare
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Tit
195 Jackdaws
206 Rooks
31 Greenfinches
4 Redpoll
10 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

 2005
Priorslee Lake
Buzzard feeding on earthworms, mobbed by Black-headed Gulls
1 Raven
7 Pied Wagtails
3 Grey Wagtail
11 Meadow Pipits
Kingfisher
1700+ Wood Pigeon
192 Redwing
111 Fieldfare
(Martin Adlam)