9 Feb 16

Priorslee Lake: 07:15 – 09:55
Location

Telford sunrise: 07:38

c.3.0°C > 1.0°C > 5.0°C. Fine and mostly clear, just frosted. Light / moderate W wind. Very good visibility

A standard day with rather few things of interest – the first Goosander for a while at The Flash perhaps the best.

(16th visit of the year)

New species for my year-list
None

Other notes
- 2 Canada Geese landed and this woke up the Swans but they went back to sleep and it was 90 minutes later before they started to give rather perfunctory chase
- more Coot logged today – probably a reflection of the rather better conditions. Some serious fighting has started so territories will soon be claimed
- very few large gulls – indeed even Black-headed Gulls in low number. It has been a dreadful winter for gull number here
- Magpie roost count started too late and will be unable to get any further full counts now mornings are lighter
- no big groups of Jackdaws this morning: just steady passage. Larger groups may have passed before I was in position
- 7 Song Thrushes were in song this morning
- Mistle Thrush again also in song
- 33 Redwings flew over from the fields to the E
- a single Starling seen leaving a N-side reed bed

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 27 Canada Geese (3 groups)
- 2 (1?) Mallard
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Stock Dove
- >100 Wood Pigeons (over fields to E)
- 354 Jackdaws
- 75 Rooks
- 33 Redwings
- 4 Fieldfare
- 2 Siskins

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- 28 Magpies (partial count again)
- 1 Starling
- 2 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese
- 5 (3?) Gadwall still
- 3 (2?) Mallard
- 20 (17?) Pochard
- 27 (12?) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Cormorants again
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 17 Great Crested Grebes
- 26 Moorhens
- 86 Coots
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

At last: no rain and little wind to start.

A female Siskin on Alder cones: note the Alder catkins with rather sparse flowers.

This Cormorant shows extensive white head-plumes as well as the white thigh-patch, both acquired when they start to pair-up for breeding. It used to be thought that such extensive white head plumes indicated that the bird was of the continental race but it now seems to be acknowledged that it is more to do with age, older birds showing more white.

This was the only large gull that stopped-off at the lake today – a full adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. Here we see that, certainly at this range, it has lost the head-streaking of winter plumage. The neat white tips to the primaries and the single white ‘mirror’ on the outermost primary are typical.

Rather unusual photo opportunity here: a Coal Tit having a bath in the Wesley Brook.

and having a good splash-about!

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane: 08:30 – 08:50
Location

(1st visit of the year)

Not a full visit: only went as far as the top of the concrete access road

None of the specialities of the area noted
- no Pheasants heard
- no Sky Larks (they have been singing for >a week around Newport)
- no Linnets over
- no Yellowhammers calling or singing – these do usually become scarce in the winter

Did log
1 singing Song Thrush
3 Mistle Thrushes: 1 in song to the W and a pair in the fields
3 Siskins in the Alders

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:05 – 10:30
Location

(12th visit of the year)

New species here for my year-list
None

Notes
- not sure where all the Mallard were today: was rather pushed for time but don’t think that was the complete reason

Birds noted flying over
- 1 Siskin

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 8 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 15 (8?) Mallard
- 66 (38?) Tufted Duck
- 1 (1?) Goosander
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- [no Moorhens]
- 14 Coots
- 44 Black-headed Gulls

Not helpful lighting conditions but a fine-looking drake Goosander nevertheless.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2006, 2012 and 2015
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
A juvenile Iceland Gull
2nd winter Iceland Gull
A juvenile Glaucous Gull
1st winter Greater Black-backed Gull
An adult Common Gull
(Ian Grant / Roger Clay / Martin Grant / Jim Almond / Paul King)

Ringed Birds 
Today Roger Clay found 75 ringed birds. Only 12 of these had he seen on previous days before. There were:

- 3 from Iceland
- 3 from Netherlands
- 3 Still to be checked and the remaining ringed birds were all from the UK
(Roger Clay)

2006
Priorslee Lake
9 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
11 Pochard
40 Tufted Ducks
144 Coots
2 Water Rails
88 Lapwing
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
63 Lesser Black-backed Gull
27 Herring Gulls.
Kestrel
Sparrowhawk
c.45 Fieldfares and Redwing
450 Jackdaws
259 Rooks
250 Starling
19 Robins
16 Blackbirds
10 Song Thrushes
12 Greenfinches
33 Siskin
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)