4.0°C > 5.0°C: Some clear spells and some cloudy spells with light shower. Light / moderate W wind. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 08:12 GMT
A very wild night after late evening rain. Many small branches scattered about but no major loss of trees at either location
Priorslee Lake: 06:50 – 09:40
(3rd visit of the year)
Notes from today:
- 5 additional adult Mute Swans again. These flew around several times before eventually apparently leaving c.09:00. Soon after a lone adult flew in. Whether it was one of these birds is impossible to say. One of the local dog-walkers told me that up to 11 birds had been present over the weekend
- at least 14 Mallard present pre-dawn when too dark to sex. Some of these flew off and later I noted only 6 (3♂). Perhaps they went to The Flash where there were more than usual
- 2 drake Goosanders flew off of the water c.08:00. I had not seen them previously
- 17 Cormorants seen heading S to the E (to Bayliss Pools). Later 9 seen heading NW and then N – some of the same birds? Two had arrived at the lake and may also have been from the earlier group
- 266 large gulls were seen passing W, mainly to the S. These seemed to come from the Bayliss Pools area and may have been put up by the arrival of the Cormorants. Many of the Black-headed Gulls from the lake had headed off there and were also put to flight several times. All the large gulls I was able to check – almost all of them – were full adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls. One group contained 108 birds
- 2 roosting Redwings were found in the alternative S-side roost area
- still no Rooks: where have they gone? (none yet this year over my house in Newport either)
and
- nothing on the lamps
5 new species, taking my year total at this site to 46: in order of recording
Water Rail, Goosander, Pied Wagtail, Song Thrush, Chaffinch
Today’s bird totals
Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 17 (or 26) Cormorants (see notes)
- 266 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (8 singles / groups)
- 2 Stock Doves
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- c.265 Jackdaws
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 4 Chaffinches
- 4 Greenfinches
- 1 Goldfinch
- 1 Siskin
Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- [Magpies not counted]
- 2 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting
The counts from the lake area
- 7 (8?) + 3 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 2 Canada Geese
- 12 (7♂) Gadwall
- 14 (?♂) Mallard (see notes)
- 7 (5♂) Pochard again
- 66 (37♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants
- 3 Little Grebes
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail heard
- 8 Moorhens
- 176 Coots
- c.220 Black-headed Gulls
A splendid sunrise after the excess of wind overnight.
Got better too.
And when the sun emerged ‘looking the other way’ was impressive too.
A fly-by as some of the Mute Swans leave.
This one arrived.
Touch-down.
8 of the party of 9 Cormorants over.
Not sure whether to file this under Coot, sunrise or pattern. Fits all three.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:45 – 10:35
(2nd visit of the year)
I visited the bank of Ivy near the Priorslee Academy which was sheltered from the wind and in full sun. I failed to find any early insect activity. While here I met an Environment Agency officer taking a water sample from the Wesley Brook as it leaves here and heads for the two downstream pools and eventually Priorslee Lake (and on to Shifnal). He appraised me of the ‘Love Your River Telford’ project. This activity is in its fourth year and seems to have Friends of Apley Woods as the driving force, also involving the Shropshire Wildlife Trust as well as the Environment Agency. For more information see the following websites:
Environment Agency
Restore Rivers
Apley Woods
Friends of Apley Woods also have a Facebook page Here.
Notes from here
- the higher than usual number of Mallard may be due to birds having left the lake
- the Goosander again surprised me by ‘appearing’ at the edge of the island and then launching itself in to the water for a fishing expedition. Must have been inside the island earlier
- a Coal Tit was singing again
3 new species, taking my year total at this site to 34: in order of recording
Cormorant, Song Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker: also Grey Squirrel
Birds noted flying over
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose again
- 37 (24♂) Mallard
- 5 (5♂) Pochard
- 44 (32♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂) Goosander again
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 10 Moorhens
- 15 Coots
- 50 Black-headed Gulls exactly
A fine drake Tufted Duck with a long, flowing ‘tuft’ and showing the purple gloss on the head.
This duck Goosander emerged from inside the island as I was about to leave.
Many attempts to photograph it as it started to fish gave this result (or worse!).
Eventually it behaved!
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2017Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
1 female Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
2 Yellow Legged Gulls
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Probable "intermedius" Lesser Black-backed Gull.
At least 1 Ring-billed Gull look-alike
(Andy Latham / Ian Grant)
2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
25 Pochard
100 Tufted Duck
3 Water Rails
1000 Black-headed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.400 Wood Pigeons
Blackcap
1000 Starlings
30 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
14 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
11 Great Crested Grebes
6 Pochard
26 Tufted Duck
208 Coot
c.900 Black-headed Gulls
c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gull
13 Herring Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Kingfisher
53 Siskins
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson. Martin Adlam)