3 Nov 16

Priorslee Lake: 07:20 – 09:55
Location

Sunrise: 07:11 GMT

2°C > 5°C: Clear to far E but clouding from W. Mainly light SE wind. Very good visibility

Passage much lighter this morning: still some notable numbers

(139th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- 2 Little Grebes today
- strangely almost all the Lesser Black-backed Gulls were flying N / NE whereas usual movement is W. And almost all were singles, 2's and 3's rather than groups (by the time I got to The Flash birds had reverted to flying W
- all the Feral Pigeons were independent of any Wood Pigeon groups today
- the lower number of Wood Pigeons were mainly headed SW today and passing to the W of the lake
- many Starlings over. Also 2 birds, rather unusually, were seen on trees at the W end
- winter thrushes in small groups apart from a late group of 66 Fieldfare
- over-flying Yellowhammers are rather unusual
and
- 2 November Moth agg. moths again: different lamps today
- a female Feathered Thorn on one of the lamps

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 35 Canada Geese (1 group)
- 64 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 19 Feral Pigeon (5 groups)
- 1 Stock Dove
- 874 Wood Pigeons (16 groups logged)
- 19 Jackdaws
- 9 Rooks
- 3 Skylarks (singles)
- 170 Starlings (11 groups)
- 90 Fieldfare (5 groups)
- 77 Redwings (10 groups)
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 5 Meadow Pipit (singles)
- 2 Greenfinches again
- 4 Goldfinches yet again
- 3 Siskins
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
- 1 Yellowhammer

Count of birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
*** all gone before I arrived ***

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall remain
- 14 (8♂) Mallard
- 70 (37♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Little Grebes
- 7 Great Crested Grebes again
- 11 Moorhens
- 62 Coots
- 51 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

>60 Wood Pigeons in one of the groups over the lake this morning. Time to get the camera in action between the groups today, unlike the manic passage yesterday.

A Redwing in the trees: the ‘eye-brow’ is distinctive: the red on the underwing is often hidden.

Two Starlings, unusually, in the trees

Another view.

A Feathered Thorn moth, by first of the ‘season’ for this species. Hard to see the antenna but it seems they are not ‘feathered’ (as in the species name) and hence this is a female (the detritus to its right is the remains of the locals spiders dinners).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:00 – 10:35
Location

(102nd visit of the year)

Notes
- no special comment necessary

Birds noted flying over
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Skylark again
- 6 Redwings
- 3 Goldfinches

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 29 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 30 (22♂) Mallard
- 14 (6♂) Tufted Ducks
- 7 (0♂) Goosanders
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 14 Coots
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

A grab-shot before I realised a couple of joggers would flush this bird. This Carrion Crow shows a few white spots in the otherwise all-black plumage. In flight this individual shows a large white wing-bar. One day ....

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Shifnal, Lizard Wood
Location
2 Hawfinch
(Arthur Harper)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Several Herons
>3800 Wood Pigeons
11 Sky Larks
2 Meadow Pipits
199 Fieldfare
32 Redwings
9 Siskins
1 Linnet
Brambling 
(Ed Wilson)

Wrekin
Location
1 Crossbill
Several Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
21 Pochard
58 Tufted Ducks
2 Buzzards
>900 Black-headed Gulls
176 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
807 Wood Pigeons
16 Pied Wagtails
26 Wrens
14 Dunnocks
34 Robins
24 Blackbirds
213 Fieldfares
6 Song Thrushes
150 Redwings
5 Mistle Thrushes
1 Blackcap
447 Starlings
2 Siskins
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)