8 Nov 15

Priorslee Lake: 06:18 – 08:43
Location

Telford sunrise: 07:19

7.5°C > 9.0°C. The ‘Telford hat’ of low cloud with rain after 08:05. Light / moderate SE wind, briefly fresh, dropping away again on arrival of rain. Good visibility, became very moderate for a while

Rain stopped play early: the moment I left it seemed to stop raining and the cloud lifted, but whether it did around the lake is a moot point.

(137th visit of the year)

Notes
- all the geese were seen ‘outbound’ (towards The Flash) apart from 3 Greylags flying SW at the same time as all the outbound geese
- not certain about number of Gadwall: a party of 5 with apparently 4♂♂ flushed from near the dam and were possibly not seen again: all I could find thereafter were 3 pairs
- possible Water Rail heard: I was at the ‘other’ end so hard to be sure and I did not hear it again
- not only were the Rooks missing again but so were most of the Jackdaws: just 31 birds in 10 small groups: perhaps they don’t like fireworks?
- 1 Starling seen leaving the N side reeds
- Cetti’s Warbler vocal again
- small passage of Fieldfare and Redwings. 5 Redwings seen leaving roosts around the lake – none of these came from the traditional roost site in the NE. 5 more were seen in the trees around the lake later
- 2 small groups of Chaffinches over. For some reason Chaffinches are never common here (though 2 or 3 pairs breed)
and
- 3 different moths on the lamps; an Epiphyas postvittana (Light Brown Apple Moth); an Epirrita sp. (November Moth type); and a, presumed female, Feathered Thorn, new for me this year

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 65 (3 groups) Greylag Geese
- 22 (1 group) Canada Geese
- 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 3 Stock Doves
- 37 Wood Pigeons (2 migrant groups))
- 31 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
- 2 Ravens
- 18 Fieldfare
- 27 Redwings
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 6 Chaffinches

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- c.25 Magpies
- 1 Starling
- 5 Redwings
- 9 Greenfinches

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 11 (7♂) Gadwall (see notes)
- 16 (9♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 65 (28♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe yet again
- 12 Great Crested Grebes again
- ? Water Rail
- 35 Moorhens
- 227 Coots
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

A Feathered Thorn moth. The male has very feathered antenna that he uses to detect the pheromones of the female. I am sure that had it been a male these feathered antenna would have been visible and so conclude this is a female. My first here for a few years.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2014

2014

Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
10 Mute Swans 
4 Wigeon 
4 Gadwall 
3 Teal 
1 Pochard 
53 Tufted Duck 
1 Water Rail 
223 Coots 
c.3500 Wood Pigeons
78 Fieldfare
34 Redwings
433 Jackdaws
135 Rooks 
c.155 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
Location
18 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
70 Greylag Geese
Pink-footed Goose 
2 Gadwall 
7 Pochard 
35 Tufted Ducks 
149 Coots 
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
Great Black-backed Gull
c.320 Wood Pigeons
166 Redwings
31 Fieldfares
889 Jackdaws
126 Rooks
200+ Starlings left roost
1 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Wrekin
Location
Firecrest
(Jim Almond)

2006
Priorslee Lake
20 Pochard
108 Tufted Ducks
15 Lapwings
c.587 Black-headed Gulls
938 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
161 Wood Pigeons
36 Robins
25 Blackbirds
7 Song Thrushes
13 Redwings
4 Mistle Thrushes
202 Jackdaws
163 Rooks
29 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)