Location
Telford sunrise: 07:10
c.2.0°C > 5.0°C. Showery rain clearing to fair skies. Light / moderate W wind. Very good visibility
(25th visit of the year)
After yesterday’s goodies it was back to normality this morning
Notes
- I’ve seen this previously: some of the Cormorants arrive and straight away haul themselves out on the boat-launching platforms. So presumably even by 07:45 they have been elsewhere and eaten that morning?
- the Little Grebe seems to be well tucked away in the NE reeds at the moment. As it is calling from out of sight I assume this means there is probably a pair
- the 9 Feral Pigeons were different birds to the 9 seen yesterday – different mix of colour morphs and sizes of groups
- in addition to the 300 Wood Pigeons over the fields to the E there were at least 75 more flying overhead: all these very low and apparently just local movements
- a / the Willow Tit was singing and giving its nasal call along the N side: presumably the same bird was at the W end later
- 2 Reed Buntings singing this morning, one from the W end; the other from the main N-side reed bed
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 11 Canada Geese (3 groups)
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 28 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 9 Feral Pigeons (2 groups) again
- 4 Stock Doves (2 groups)
- >300 Wood Pigeons over fields to the E
- 29 Jackdaws
- 15 Rooks
- 6 Greenfinches
- 9 Goldfinches
- 2 Siskins
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (3♂) Gadwall remain
- 2 (1♂) Mallard again
- 5 (5♂) Pochard
- 21 (11♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe heard only
- 15 Great Crested Grebes
- 21 Moorhens
- 63 Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
Immature Herring Gull. An immature Lesser Black-backed Gull would be more heavily marked on the underwing and, crucially, would not show such translucent inner primaries.
Managed to sneak up on one of the Cormorants today and get a close-enough shot to show the nice blue eye of the adults. You would not want to mess with this bill.
c.2.0°C > 5.0°C. Showery rain clearing to fair skies. Light / moderate W wind. Very good visibility
(25th visit of the year)
After yesterday’s goodies it was back to normality this morning
Notes
- I’ve seen this previously: some of the Cormorants arrive and straight away haul themselves out on the boat-launching platforms. So presumably even by 07:45 they have been elsewhere and eaten that morning?
- the Little Grebe seems to be well tucked away in the NE reeds at the moment. As it is calling from out of sight I assume this means there is probably a pair
- the 9 Feral Pigeons were different birds to the 9 seen yesterday – different mix of colour morphs and sizes of groups
- in addition to the 300 Wood Pigeons over the fields to the E there were at least 75 more flying overhead: all these very low and apparently just local movements
- a / the Willow Tit was singing and giving its nasal call along the N side: presumably the same bird was at the W end later
- 2 Reed Buntings singing this morning, one from the W end; the other from the main N-side reed bed
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 11 Canada Geese (3 groups)
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 28 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 9 Feral Pigeons (2 groups) again
- 4 Stock Doves (2 groups)
- >300 Wood Pigeons over fields to the E
- 29 Jackdaws
- 15 Rooks
- 6 Greenfinches
- 9 Goldfinches
- 2 Siskins
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (3♂) Gadwall remain
- 2 (1♂) Mallard again
- 5 (5♂) Pochard
- 21 (11♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe heard only
- 15 Great Crested Grebes
- 21 Moorhens
- 63 Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
As the showers cleared away another great cloudscape over the lake.
With the reeds bathed in the yellow early-light.
Almost as good as Autumn colours.
One of the houses that backs on to the footpaths between the lake and The Flash has bird-feeders in its garden and this attracts birds to the trees alongside the path as well. This morning ...
This Siskin might at least wait for the Alder cones to ripen before attacking them! This female lool a lot more yellow-toned than one I photographed last Friday (19th) – perhaps the other was a 1st winter bird. A male would have less flank streaking and a black crown.
(Ed Wilson)
“are you taking my photo?”
So with the black crown this is a male with the blood rushing to his head!
(Ed Wilson)
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Priorslee Flash: 09:40 – 10:00
Location
(16th visit of the year)
Of note
- 1 Kingfisher again
- c.6 Siskins in trees to SW
Birds noted flying over
- 1 Siskin
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 17 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 25 (17♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard again
- 38 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 11 Coots only
- 10 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
5 Cormorants
3 Grey Herons
8 Pochard
8 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
1 Kingfisher
6 Redwings
391 Jackdaws
217 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
201 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
(Ed Wilson)
Hortonwood
21 Redwings
(Dave Tromans)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Observer Unknown)
The Flash
Drake Scaup
(Richard Vernon)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
5 Cormorants
3 Grey Herons
8 Pochard
8 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
1 Kingfisher
6 Redwings
391 Jackdaws
217 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
201 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
(Ed Wilson)
Hortonwood
21 Redwings
(Dave Tromans)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Observer Unknown)
The Flash
Drake Scaup
(Richard Vernon)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
55 Pochard
104 Tufted Duck
1 Common Gull
2 Ravens
22 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
55 Pochard
104 Tufted Duck
1 Common Gull
2 Ravens
22 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
200 Black-headed Gulls
400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
20 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
Glaucous Gull
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
(Pete Nickless)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Cormorant
5 Pochard
9 Tufted Duck
2 Kestrel
556 Wood Pigeon
27 Robin
23 Blackbird
1 Fieldfare
14 Redwing
47 Magpie
100 Jackdaw
96 Rook
16 Greenfinch
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorants
9 Pochard
36 Tufted Ducks
3 Water Rails
c.420 Wood Pigeon
c.60 Starling
29 Pied Wagtails
23 Blackbirds
6 Greenfinches
17 Siskins
1 Redpoll
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)