4 Dec 15

Priorslee Lake: 06:51 – 09:42
Location

Telford sunrise: 08:02

5.5°C > 10.0°C. Broken cloud with light passing showers. Moderate WSW wind. Good visibility

Road noise from the M54 was very intrusive again: it seems to me that the resurfacing has made it worse and not better.

Best sighting was my first Woodcock of the season: a bird dropping in to roost pre-dawn

Also of special note were the 15 Lapwings that circled the lake for a while even threatening to land on the SW grass. In doing so they spooked the Moorhens already on the grass and this in turn spooked the Lapwings and they flew off

Huge roost exodus of Jackdaws this morning – my log totalled 1036 birds: this included 5 parties of >100 birds where totals are always a ‘best estimate’

(145th visit of the year)

Other notes
- the Mallard seen flying over were all pre-dawn and some may have come from the lake
- 9 (6♂) of the Gadwall were in a tight group displaying and calling pre-dawn; the male tossing their heads back
- both the drake Shoveler now gone
- the Great Crested Grebes are being troublesome to count with birds hiding in the reeds and other playing submarines. I feel there are 12 birds present, but cannot prove it!
- the 6 Wood Pigeon parties were flying high and all heading between N and E
- Magpie numbers low because I flushed then from their roost well before dawn as I made my way to the Redwing roost area. They left when too dark to see
- Cetti’s Warbler was calling loudly back its usual NW area today. Some of the calls were so explosive that you could hear the same timbre as that of its distinctive loud song
- the two Starlings left the reeds together again this morning: a small group and a single over
- short burst of quiet song from one of three Song Thrushes logged today
- just 6 Redwings noted leaving the traditional site in the NE area: there were more birds than this leaving the trees around the Teece Drive gate!
- a Yellowhammer flying over is never common
and
- a different Mottled Umber on the same lamp as yesterday’s specimen

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 8 (?♂) Mallard
- 15 Lapwings
- 106 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 196 Wood Pigeons (6 groups)
- 1036 Jackdaws
- 14 Rooks
- 5 Fieldfare (1 group)
- 5 Redwings (2 groups)
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 5 Starlings (2 groups)
- 1 Yellowhammer

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- >30 Magpies
- 2 Starlings again
- 14 Redwings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 12 (8♂) Gadwall
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Shoveler
- 11 (8♂) Pochard
- 80 (44♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe
- 9 Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Water Rail heard again
- 34 Moorhens
- 256 Coots
- 1 Woodcock
- c.160 Black-headed Gulls
- 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

Another brooding sunrise to start.

Better later.

Grey Heron in silhouette.

The 15 Lapwing over.

 A Black-headed Gull also more or less in silhouette.

Today’s Mottled Umber looks quite different to yesterday’s specimen.

(Ed Wilson)

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 Trench Lock Pool: 09:53 – 10:05 // 10:50 – 11:13
Location

(48th visit of the year)

Notes
- most birds in Wednesday’s high count of Mallard have gone, taking with them ...
- .... the 2 duck Shoveler which were not seen
- what seemed to be the same 2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull was present: and a fine adult as well

Birds noted flying over
None

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 36 Canada Geese
- 12 (7♂) Mallard
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 45 (20♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 179 Coots
- 54 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Yellow-legged Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls

The front gull here is an adult Yellow-legged Gull: it shows a much darker mantle than a Herring Gull but is still obviously paler than the Lesser Black-backed Gull behind. The best clue is the very clean and white plumage without streaking. But this distinction will fade as soon as we are in to 2016 and some of the Herring Gulls will start to lose their head-streaking.

A closer view of the adult Yellow-legged Gull.

This shot shows clearly both upper- and under- wing pattern of winter adult Black-headed Gull.

2nd winter Herring Gull. The mantle and inner primaries are adult-like in tone but the wing shows much brown. Note the diffuse tail-band – a Lesser Black-backed Gull would show a neater band.

(Ed Wilson)

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 Trench Middle Pool:  10:10 – 10:45
Location

(19th visit of the year)

Notes
- Goosanders were the best sighting here
- party of at least 25 Goldfinches

 Birds noted flying over
None

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 35 Canada Geese
- 17 (11♂) Mallard
- 4 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 20 (8♂) Tufted Ducks
- 9 (3♂) Goosander
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Moorhens
- 18 Coots
- 96 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Here are the 3 drake Goosanders.

And the 6 brownheads with 2 of the drake Goosanders: a few Black-headed Gulls get in on the act.

I thought I had missed the Autumn colours this year while I was away: but a few leaves linger.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2014
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
9 Pochard
20 Tufted Ducks
1 (1) Goosander
155 Coots
28 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
14 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
c.368 Jackdaws
97 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorant
33 Mute Swans
Water Rail
13 Pochard
85 Tufted Ducks 
274 Coots
1000 Black-headed Gulls
2000 Lesser Black-backs
3 Yellow legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed
5 Redwings
2 Willow Tit
c.325 Jackdaws
20 Siskins
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorants
15 Pochard
45 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
2 Sparrowhawks
2 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
>700 Black-headed Gulls
324 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
8 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
649 Wood Pigeons
25 Robins
22 Blackbirds
16 Fieldfares
4 Song Thrushes
6 Redwings
322 Jackdaws
224 Rooks
2 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

 2005
Priorslee Lake
140 Golden Plover
8 Cormorants
900 Black-headed Gulls
c.250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
13 Pochard
43 Tufted Duck
2 Little Grebes
225 Coot
371 Jackdaws
313 Rooks
6 Redwings
32 Fieldfares.
8 Reed Buntings
19 Robins
30 Blackbirds
16 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)