1 Dec 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

0.0°C > 2.0°C: Mainly clear and frosty. Moderate NNW wind. Very good visibility. Some thin ice in sheltered areas

Sunrise: 07:58 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:25 – 09:50

(148th visit of the year)

Three sightings worthy of special mention
- an Egyptian Goose landed from the NW at 08:05 and despite some attention from the cob Mute Swan it eventually hid amongst the Mallard and was left alone. This is my first record of this species here and my first in Shropshire for some years. What were presumably originally escapes from a collection have been in the area for some years and I saw a pair with unfledged goslings on Chetwynd Park Pool some 10 years ago. Up to 6 birds are not infrequent visitors to Aqualate Mere, just across the Staffordshire border. In parts of England there are self-sustaining populations. It became my 102nd species here this year
- a party of at least 32 Cormorants flew S to the E at 07:45. Thereafter these, or other, birds were seen as follows
- 3 over Bayliss Pools to the SE at 07:55
- 1 flew low W at 08:30
- 1 flew in from the E and fished in the lake from 08:40
- 2 birds flew W at 09:00
- a party of 2 adult Mute Swans with 7 cygnets flew in at 09:35. The residents soon moved them on

Other notes from today:
- 58 Canada Geese outbound just after 08:00 were later than usual
- yesterday’s duck Teal not seen
- Mallard seen copulating at 06:45 – warms you up I suppose
- the 4 adult Great Crested Grebes again
- male Sparrowhawk flushed out of trees near the Teece Drive gate: later both male and female birds seen separately high to E – different male?
- 3 Buzzards flew over the lake early as they often do. Two, probably of these, seen in trees around the lake later
- 31 Golden Plovers: 22 flew N to the E at 08:05; 9 more at 08:10
- I made a specific count of the Black-headed Gulls arriving from the W – 51 birds. Many of these seemed to fly on over. At no time was there more than 35 birds on the water so the rest must have been fly-overs
- c.125 Starlings came out of reeds in the NW area after 07:48: it took over five minutes for all 7 groups to emerge. A lone bird flew over
and
- nothing noted on the lamps
- a non-exhaustive check of flowering plants found the following still going, if not going strong
- Daisy (Bellis perennis)
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
- Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)
- Shaggy Soldier (Galinsoga quadriradiata)
and
- Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris)
which I seemed to miss off my mid-November check

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 58 Canada Geese (5 groups outbound)
- 32 –> 38 Cormorants (see highlights)
- 2 Sparrowhawks (male and female)
- 3 Buzzards
- 31 Golden Plovers
- >15 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Stock Doves
- 8 Wood Pigeons only
- c.535 Jackdaws
- 2 Ravens
- 1 Starling
- 12 Redwings (3 groups)
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 2 Goldfinches
- 7 Siskins

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- >20 Magpies
- c.125 Starlings
- 14 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting

The counts from the lake area
- 4 + 10 Mute Swans (see highlights)
- 1 Egyptian Goose
- 11 (6♂) Gadwall still
- 27 (15♂) Mallard
- 7 (5♂) Pochard
- 50 (25♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 4 Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Water Rail heard
- 11 Moorhens
- 182 Coots
- c.35 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Kingfisher once again

Here was the cause of concern for the local Mute Swans. What is presumably a family party of 2 adults and 7 cygnets arriving.

The resident cob gives chase.

One of the resident cygnets is learning how to look fierce.

Six of the seven visiting cygnets look confused.

Off they go: from this angle looks like the cygnets are leading.

Egyptian Goose is rather a strangely plumaged bird and not confusable with anything else.

Even in flight with the very contrasting underwing there are no confusion species.

The light is different here – I am not sure ‘better’! Here we see that alongside a drake Mallard it is actually quite a small goose.

Not unattractive in its own way: certainly different.

One more shot.

I seem to be making a habit of ‘record shots’: here are 28 of the party of at least 32 Cormorants that flew S to the E of the lake. Not that I would expect you to identify the species from this angle.

And here is the one Cormorant that did visit the lake. Is that the beginning of the white thigh patch indicating the bird is coming in to breeding condition? These can be acquired before Christmas.

One of the local Buzzards being harried by a Carrion Crow.

(Ed Wilson)

Also
Thank you to Mark Williams for the following photos taken here today around midday.

Egyptian Goose

Egyptian Goose

Egyptian Goose

Egyptian Goose

Redwing

Siskin

Goldcrest

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The Flash: 09:55 – 10:40

(103rd visit of the year)

Notes from here
- now 4 Great Crested Grebes: as two pairs at each end of the island
- no idea why Coot numbers so variable
- a Collared Dove seen and then heard calling was my first here since 02 October
- a Song Thrush seen bathing at the N end was also my first here for some while – 26 September
and a visit to the Ivy produced
- 1 wasp sp. (eventually!): a December wasp record!
- >10 flies of at least 2 species
no hoverflies

Birds noted flying over
- 1 Sparrowhawk (sex not determined)
- 1 Starling
- 1 Siskin

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans as usual
- 20 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose
- 24 (18♂) Mallard
- 21 (11♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens again
- 7 Coots only
- 27 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again

A Song Thrush takes a bath.

And the rather soggy-looking post-bathe bird needs to preen to get all its feathers back in order.

Almost back to normal. Note the pale tips on the coverts. None of my books mention this feature which I guess means it is a freshly moulted bird and the tips will soon wear off. The bill-colour suggests to me that it is an adult, though I am not certain a 1st winter bird would look different.

Just to prove that wasps can be found in December.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall 
7 Pochard 
29 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye 
1  Goosander
142 Coots
33 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
203 Jackdaws
50 Rooks
3 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1st-winter Mediterranean Gull
500 Black-headed Gulls
Yellow-legged Gull
800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
30 Herring Gulls
A drake hybrid Mallard x Pintail
(Tom Lowe)

Overdale
11 Waxwing
(Observer Unknown)

Granville Country Park
10 Waxwing
100+ Redwing 
6 Bullfinch 
20+ Redpoll 
1 Tawny Owl
3 Sparrowhawk 
1 hovering Buzzard
(Stuart Edmunds)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Yellow-legged Gull
(Richard Vernon)

The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Observer Unknown)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Great Crested Grebes
23 Pochard
58 Tufted Ducks
65 Coots
>450 Black-headed Gulls
1128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
30 Robins
29 Blackbirds
46 Fieldfares
6 Song Thrushes
19 Redwings
2 Mistle Thrushes
168 Jackdaws
122 Rooks
1 Siskin
15 Linnets
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
10 Reed Buntings
A duck Wigeon
3500 Black-headed Gulls
2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gulls
2 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck
228 Coot
496 Jackdaws
193 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)