Location
Telford sunrise: 08:01
8.5°C > 11.0°C. Overnight rain about finished and then a few clear spells before mainly high cloud ahead of more rain after I left. Moderate S wind fell light for a while. Moderate visibility and rather misty for a while.
Most notable record today was the burst of song from a Mistle Thrush. I do usually hear one or two before the turn of the year but at the moment the other early songsters – Song Thrushes are rather uncharacteristically quiet. That might be because there seem to be only 1 or 2 birds here anyway. After the vocal performance I saw a Mistle Thrush bouncing around the lamps along Priorslee Avenue as I was leaving
(144th visit of the year)
Notes
- 7 of the Tufted Ducks flew off pre-dawn – 4 to the E; and then 3 more towards The Flash
- 10 Wood Pigeons was all I could find this morning
- two Starlings left the reeds together this morning
- Cetti’s Warbler was definitely heard this morning, calling loudly and having moved to the NE corner
- >700 Jackdaws today: 3 large parties over the lake totalling at least 570 birds before 07:45. Most of the later birds were in parties passing well to the E
- 30 of the Fieldfare were in a single group seen leaving the fields to the E – it seems rather late in the year for these to still be moving locally. After November I usually see rather few until they start moving back in March
- 7 Bullfinches was not that exceptional: however 4 males together without any females was noteworthy
- at least 5 Siskins overhead. Just 1 other bird seen in the trees today
and
- a new and very fresh Mottled Umber on one of the lamps
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c.700 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks only
- 38 Fieldfare (2 groups)
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 5 Siskins
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- 63 Magpies
- 2 Starlings
- 6 Redwings
The counts from the lake area
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Mute Swans
12 (8♂) Gadwall
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 2 (1?♂) Shoveler
- 10 (8♂) Pochard again
- 73 (>42♂) Tufted Ducks
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail heard
- 23 Moorhens
- 257 Coots
- c.165 Black-headed Gulls
- 52 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls
Just a Grey Heron but shows just how still they can be when hunting – this was a 1/10th second exposure in the gloom. It was amazingly close – I think in the conditions it had just failed to see me.
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Priorslee Flash: 09:44 – 10:18
Location
In the autumn Council contractors flailed the hedge in the NW area and dislodged the lamp surround to one of the street lights – the one that attracts most of the rather few moths I see here. Since my last visit the lop-sided lamp has now fallen off
Other notes
- the whole family of Swans went for a fly today with the cygnets belying the name ‘Mute’ Swan. Later the two parents separated again
- 3 Canada Geese, today standing in charge of the roadway
- the drake Goosander that flew over did seem to even look at the water and seemed to be on a mission
- is it the same adult Lesser Black-backed Gull that is here every morning?
- Kingfisher at the moment is very regular: same bird as seen earlier at the lake?
Birds noted flying over
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 3 Redwings
- 1 Redpoll
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 3 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 32 (19♂) Mallard
- 46 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Moorhens
- 17 Coots
- 53 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014
2014Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
60 Golden Plover
6 Gadwall
3 Pochard
2 Shoveler
2 Teal
(John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Teal
3 Gadwall.
8 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
163 Coots
7 Redwings
c577 Jackdaws
c149 Rooks
8 Siskins
22 Goldfinches
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Adult Caspian Gull
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(JW Reeves)
Priorslee Flash
Tundra Bean Goose
Great Black-backed Gull
8 Goosander.
(JW Reeves/Andy Latham /Tom Lowe)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
3rd-winter Caspian Gull
(JW Reeves)
Wellington
Pair of Blackcaps in my garden
(JW Reeves)
2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Pete Nickless)
Priorslee Lake
8 Goosander
Woodcock
21 Greylag Geese
A drake Gadwall
6 Pochard
58 Tufted Duck
2 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
6 Meadow Pipits
14 Redwing
3 Fieldfares
31 Magpies
47 Siskins
12 Goldfinches
11 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
22 Goosander
27 Pochard
16 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
27 Pochard
69 Tufted Ducks
4 Buzzards
68 Coots
1 Woodcock
528 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
20 Robins
22 Blackbirds
3 Song Thrushes
3 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
187 Jackdaws
168 Rooks
11 Greenfinches
10 Goldfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
5 Cormorants
8 Pochard
32 Tufted Duck
201 Coot
Water Rail
c.2100 Black-headed Gulls
c.175 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
440 Jackdaws
225 Rooks
1 Kestrel
2 Collared Dove
1 Sky Lark
18 Pied Wagtails
5 Meadow Pipits
5 Redwings
40 Fieldfare
1 Kingfisher
11 Robins
19 Blackbirds
2 Song Thrushes
2 Goldcrest
5 Redpolls
12+ Siskins
2 Yellowhammers
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson/Martin Adlam)