23 Jan 16

Priorslee Lake: 06:57 – 09:58
Location

Telford sunrise: 08:05

2.5°C > 5.5°C. Fine with variable and increasing cloud. Light S wind.

Moderate visibility. Just frosted: no ice remains on the lake
(9th visit of the year)

Best today was, at last, a prolonged view of the often elusive and usually skulking Cetti’s Warbler

Mistle Thrush was new for my site year list

Other notes
- Little Grebe(s) not seen today
- yesterday’s Wigeon gone
- not sure why early counts consistently produce higher totals of both Moorhens and Coots. At one stage there were 16 Moorhens together on the grass in front of the shelter
- >150 Starlings left the E end in at least 3 groups: then about 3 minutes later >250 more left the NW reeds in at least 2 more groups
- the slightly milder conditions tempted more song – a Blackbird, 3 Song

Thrushes and a Mistle Thrush all joined in with the tits
- no sign of any Reed Bunting roost this morning: just 1 bird heard calling at W end

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 4 Greylag Geese (1 group)
- 7 Canada Geese (2 groups)
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 3 Stock Doves
- 5 Redwings
- c.540 Jackdaws
- 29 Rooks
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 7 Greenfinches
- 1 Goldfinch
- 2 Siskins

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- 76 Magpies
- >400 Starlings (5 groups – see notes)

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Gadwall
- 8 (4♂) Mallard
- 20 (17♂) Pochard
- 37 (22♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 19 Great Crested Grebes
- 26 Moorhens
- 137 Coots
- 56 Black-headed Gulls

 this morning’s sunrise, such as it was

Slightly obscured – and slightly scruffy – this Mistle Thrush was tempted to sing by the rather milder weather this morning.

A grab shot of a not-that-common occurrence: a Jay on the ground and in the open. It didn’t stay long.

A shot I have been after for ages: here is the often elusive and usually skulking Cetti’s Warbler feeding in the open along the Wesley Brook just below the footbridge. Note the warm brown tones of the back and crown; the thin white supercilium with dark lores; greyer side to the head; typically raised and rather long tail (this often looks rounded when spread).

In this view the thin and pointed bill are obvious.

Here we can see how the tail can look rounded from some angles.

Milking this sighting for all its worth! Here we see the pale-tipped undertail coverts, typically a noticeable feature of the (vagrant to the UK) River Warbler, though in that species the undertail coverts are both more boldly tipped and also extend almost the length of the tail.

And now for something completely different: a Carrion Crow contemplates how it can anything else in its bill.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013 and 2014

2014
Priorslee Lake
6 Pochard
42 Tufted Duck
A drake Scaup
1 Velvet Scoter
111 Coots
78 Black-headed Gulls
2 Lesser Black-backed Gull
8 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson , Unknown Observer)

The Flash
1 Little Grebe
5 Pochard
116 Tufted Ducks
1 Goosander
8 Moorhens
5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
5 Pochard
64 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
72 Coots
69 Black-headed Gulls
15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
43 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
1 Willow Tit
1 Tufted Duck
4 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
28 Wigeon 
8 Gadwall 
25 Pochard 
99 Tufted Ducks 
1 Greater Scaup 
169 Coots
>1500 Black-headed Gulls
3 Common Gulls
>500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.100 Herring Gulls
8 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Yellow legged Gull

(Richard Vernon)

2008

Priorslee Lake

1 Yellow-legged Gull
200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Greater Black-backed Gull
27 Herring Gull
150 Black-headed Gulls.
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
10 Pochard
17 Tufted Ducks
149 Coot again
1 Water Rail
2 Lapwings
10 Robins
13 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
37 Siskins
2 Redpolls
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)