6 Feb 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

-1.5°C > 1.0°C: Mainly medium overcast. Dusting of lying snow. Almost calm. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:44 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:35 – 09:35

(18th visit of the year)

A drake Shoveler dropped in to become my 60th bird species here this year

Other notes from today:
- no change with the Mute Swans today with all yesterday’s birds still present. Much posturing by no real threats being made
- 19 Canada Geese present when I arrived: 4 more arrived as 2 pairs: all left
- Pochard new in / back
- further decline in number of Coots
- many of the Black-headed Gulls flew straight over the lake this morning. Those that did settle soon left and most of the time fewer than five birds present
- pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers with one bird seen drumming
- a lone Starling seen leaving the NW reeds: there did sound like other birds muttering away in the reed bed but nothing seen
- very quiet start with no Song Thrushes singing when I arrived. At most 4 birds heard this morning
- >25 Siskins flying around and often in the Alders along the N side today
- no repeat of yesterday’s roost dispersal of Reed Buntings. However a lone bird flying over was unusual
and
- the lamps empty again

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 26 Canada Geese (4 groups outbound)
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 12 Wood Pigeons only
- c.250 Jackdaws
- 14 Rooks
- 1 Greenfinch
- 1 Reed Bunting

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- [Magpies not counted]
- 1 Starling
- 3 Redwings

The counts from the lake area
- 7 + 4 Mute Swans again
- 23 Canada Geese
- 10 (6♂) Gadwall
- 10 (6♂) Mallard also
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 21 (8♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Cormorants
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 73 Coots
- 46 Black-headed Gulls

No longer a super moon and a touch of cloud spoiling it somewhat, but still impressive.

The head and bill of visiting Mute Swan cygnet: note that its bill in wholly black as well as the body plumage showing more brown.

In comparison one of the resident Mute Swan cygnets with colour on the bill – all three of the residents are similar.

Here we see all three resident cygnets and three adults. The resident adult in the one with the very bright bill.

Very much a record shot of the drake Shoveler.

Another set of Cormorant portraits, all immature birds with varying amount of white on the breast and belly.

Here is #2 with more extensive white.

And #3 with less white.

This Great Spotted Woodpecker has found a dead snag to use as a sounding-board for its drumming – here we see it actually drumming.

A male Greenfinch giving its rasping call / song.

(Ed Wilson)

Thank you to Mark Williams for the following images.

I went down to the lake earlier today and there was loads of fun down there with the Mute Swans.

(Mark Williams)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:40 – 10:20

(10th visit of the year)

Nothing unusual to note

Birds noted flying over
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 3 Jackdaws

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose as usual
- 23 (16♂) Mallard
- 15 (14♂) Pochard (see notes)
- 51 (36♂) Tufted Ducks
- 5 (0♂) Goosanders
- 2 Cormorants
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 9 Moorhens
- 17 Coots again
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

Struggled to sex two Pochard this morning. This seemed rather too pale on the back to be a duck and I assumed a first-winter drake. The slight mark behind the eye and the pale on the bill tell us this is a duck.

W cannot see the bill on this bird but there is no pale line behind the eye suggesting this is a first-winter drake.

Now a set of Tufted Duck portraits: a pair in breeding condition with even the duck showing a sizeable tuft. Note there are still a few white flecks at the base of the bill.

The same drake on his own.

Two ducks. Always look rather angry from this angle. Both showing white around the bill-base. The front bird is nevertheless a full adult with blue-grey bill with a prominent white band across it. The back bird likely a first-winter with a drake bill and vestigial white band. This despite having less white at the bill-base and an obvious ‘tuft’.

A duck Goosander flaps its wings while balancing on the log.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
9 Pochard
9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c80 Black-headed Gulls
(Gary Crowder)

Telford Central Railway Station
35 Redwing
(Gary Crowder)

Horsehay Pool
1 Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2013
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site:
2 Glaucous Gulls 
1 Caspian Gull
(Kris Webb)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
15 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
c.1200 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c.420 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.30 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
10 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock
2 Little Grebes
30 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
 3 Pochard
6 Goosanders
4 Pale Brindled Beauty moths
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
34 Greylag Geese
9 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
775 Black-headed Gulls
488 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
28 Robins
19 Blackbirds
8 Song Thrushes
1 Redwing
1 Willow Tit
41 Magpies
250 Jackdaws
100 Rooks
4 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
 2 Gadwall
22 Pochard
63 Tufted Ducks
164 Coots
600 Wood Pigeons
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
84 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
9 Herring Gulls
21 Robins
24 Blackbirds
9 Song Thrushes
3 Willow Tits
11 Greenfinches
15 Siskins
17 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)