8 Dec 15

Priorslee Lake: 06:59 – 09:39
Location

Telford sunrise: 08:07

10.0°C > 9.5°C. Mainly broken cloud with more cloud and light rain as a cold front passed. Moderate S wind, occasionally fresh and also occasionally light. Good visibility. Still mild temperature but much fresher feel

At the time I thought it a rather quiet morning but
- my first Green Woodpecker at the lake this year
- 2 duck Teal at The Flash
- 2 drake Shoveler also at The Flash
made it a worthwhile visit

(149th visit of the year)

Notes
- not too sure about Gadwall numbers: a party of 6 were flying around pre-dawn and not sure whether they were coming, going or just repositioning
- Little Grebe seen for the first time for about a week
- at least 14 Great Crested Grebes again this morning
- 2 Water Rails heard calling
- 8 Black-headed Gulls roosted (or at least arrived before 07:00)
- just 5 Wood Pigeons seen this morning: 1 in the grounds of the Academy and 4 flying over. None in the trees around the lake
- 2 Kingfishers today
- a Green Woodpecker heard calling and then seen in flight today (I thought I heard one yesterday but was not convinced so did not log it). New for me here this year
- no large party of Jackdaws seen or heard this morning. All early parties were passing low to the W; later they were all passing high to E
- Willow Tit calling and singing briefly
- Cetti’s Warbler heard again today
- no Starlings seen leaving this morning
- in addition to the 10 Redwings leaving roosts and 10 flying over there were 7 more in the trees
- 13 Siskins in the Alder by the Teece Drive gate
and
- no moths this morning
- first catkins of the season noted

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Greylag Geese (1 party)
- 88 Canada Geese (7 parties)
- 27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls again
- 376 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 4 Fieldfare (1 group)
- 10 Redwings (1 group)
- 7 Starlings (1 group)
- 2 Greenfinches
- 3 Siskins

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- >32 Magpies
- 9 Redwings yet

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 9 (5♂) Gadwall (see notes)
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Shoveler
- 5 (4♂) Pochard
- 72 (37♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe
- 14 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Water Rails heard
- 33 Moorhens
- 241 Coots
- c.175 Black-headed Gulls

So that was winter and Spring is here with the Alder catkins!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:43 – 10:23
Location

(102nd visit of the year)

Other notes
- 2 duck Teal seen in flight and then on the water near the island: when I got round the other site all I could find were
- 2 drake Shoveler tucked up against the island
- Tufted Duck numbers return to a more normal number with birds having gone back to the lake after Sunday’s disturbance
- one of the four drake Goosanders was a moulting brownhead
- after the dearth of Wood Pigeons at the lake there were 13 in the car park of The Priorslee, including at least 2 immatures

Birds noted flying over
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 5 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 2 (0♂) Common Teal
- 24 (13♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Shoveler
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 41 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 (4♂) Goosander
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 23 Coots again
- 31 Black-headed Gulls

the two drake Shoveler.

What must be two drake Goosander, the nearer bird moulting out of immature ‘brownhead’ stage and still with a brown head but much too much white on the body to be a duck.

Another view of the same birds. We see how the angle of the light changes this – there is a definite green cast to the forepart of the head.

(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
2 Wigeon
3 Gadwall
9 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
166 Coots
Peregrine Falcon
118 Black-headed Gulls
>500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.40 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
43 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
c.469 Jackdaws
53 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
33 Swans
31 Pochard
70 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
308 Coots
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c.300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
102 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
225 Jackdaws
3 Siskins
2 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)

Trench
2 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
8 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
drake Mallard x Pintail
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull 
6 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
12 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
2 Goosanders
3 Lapwings
1 Snipe
>1700 Black-headed Gulls
865 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
22 Robins
22 Blackbirds
6 Redwings
243 Jackdaws
133 Rooks
22 Chaffinches
1 Brambling
12 Greenfinches
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
6 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
247 Coot
402 Jackdaws
483 Rooks
37 Siskins
1 Redpoll
21 Fieldfares.
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)