22 Dec 15

Priorslee Lake: 06:59 – 09:49

Telford sunrise: 08:19 again

12.5°C > 13.5°C Mainly cloudy and rather windy – fresh / strong SW wind. Good visibility

The wind made viewing conditions difficult. The small birds stayed hidden and the larger birds were swirling around making accurate counts impossible

Most notable was the preponderance of Herring Gulls in the (now typically) small number of large gulls over

Best was the Woodcock seen at a different place around the lake and apparently going to roost at a different location

(158th visit of the year)

Notes
- the geese will have to go down as unidentified: even at long range the different flight action of the smaller Greylags is usually obvious: today the wind was making the flight action very atypical
- the 2 Cormorants had a good look at the lake but moved on – they probably saw me
- only 4 Wood Pigeons seen this morning: apart from thick fog days this must be a record low number
- Cetti’s Warbler not heard
- all the finches were logged as flying over – the trees were waving about in wind too much for them to land
and
- nothing on the lamps

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 93 geese sp. (11 groups)
- 2 Cormorants
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 17 Herring Gulls
- 5 Feral Pigeons (1 group)
- 269 Jackdaws
- [no Rooks!]
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 17 Redwings (4 groups)
- 2 Greenfinches
- 3 Goldfinches
- 4 Siskins
- 2 Redpolls

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- 41 Magpies (partial count)
- c.80 Starlings (3 groups)
- 2 Redwings
- 3 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 10 (6♂) Gadwall
- 14 (7♂) Mallard
- 11 (9♂) Pochard again
- 69 (38♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 10 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 or 2 Water Rails heard
- 20 Moorhens
- [** Coots not counted]
- 1 Woodcock
- 99(!) Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull

A belated and half-hearted attempt by the weather to deliver another red sky morning.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:52 – 10:18

(108th visit of the year)

Notes
- see note above about over-flying Herring Gulls: a few Black-headed Gulls with them
- Kingfisher yet again

Birds noted flying over
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 55 Herring Gulls

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 19 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 34 (21♂) Mallard
- 33 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 18 Coots
- 46 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)    

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On this day in 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall 
2 Teal 
6 Pochard 
78 Tufted Ducks 
1 female Greater Scaup
222 Coots counted
Caspian Gull
2 Fieldfare
17 Redwings 
429 Jackdaws
173 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

 The Flash
1 Pochard 
110 Tufted Ducks 
17 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

 Trench Lock Pool
11 Swans 
1 Shoveler 
c.115 Tufted Duck 
7 Goosander
129 Coots 
41 Black-headed Gulls
51 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
21 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
12 Pochard
26 Tufted Ducks
181 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

 The Flash
3 Pochard
40 Tufted Duck
16 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

 Trench Lock Pool
32 Swans
114 Canada Geese
39 Tufted Duck
1 Goldeneye
166 Coots counted
(Ed Wilson)

 Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
3rd-winter American Herring Gull
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Tom Lowe/Kriss Webb)

2011
Priorslee Lake
c.6000 Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls
7 Yellow legged Gulls
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
Sparrowhawk
(Martin Adlam and Ian Grant)

 2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
1 Black-necked Grebe 
5 Great Crested Grebes 
42 Swans
2 Gadwall
51 Pochard
132 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
296 Coots
c.2000 Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls
30 Lapwings
50 Golden Plover
7 Redwings
8 Fieldfares
15 Goldfinches
11 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
1 Great Crested Grebe
31 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
58 Coots
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
c.3200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
15 Pied Wagtails
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

 2005
Priorslee lake
c.600 Black-headed Gulls
c.100 Lesser Black-backs
11 Herring Gull
7 Pochard
14 Tufted Duck
1 Cormorant on the Lake.
200 Coot
1 Water Rail
18 Pied Wagtails
231 Rooks
323 Jackdaw
3 Redwing
c.50 Siskin
7 Redpoll
8 Reed Bunting
1 Willow Tit

(Martin Adlam)