1.5°C > 6.0°C: Broken cloud becoming scattered: recent sleet shower as I arrived. Light SE wind. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 06:52 BST
Priorslee Lake: 05:50 – 07:00 // 07:55 – 10:25
(34th visit of the year)
My extended visit this morning was devoted to litter picking – thanks to Paul in the catering vehicle in the Castle Farm lay-by for the loan of a picking tool. With the vegetation flattened by the snow all manner of junk has been exposed and I have gradually been removing it before the Spring growth hides it again. Managed to fill three containers with plastic bags, plastic and glass bottles and sweet wrappers from otherwise inaccessible places in the brambles this morning. You would hope that people wanting to enjoy the lake would take their litter home with them. Not so apparently. A distressingly high proportion was close to the Telford Yacht Club hut and shelter. Litter control not high on their agenda perhaps?
A Barn Swallow flew through at 08:05: my 72nd species at the lake this year
A footnote to the Mute Swan showing BTO ring W41365: we have data from the BTO. The bird was ringed just over 2 years ago at Bewdley, in Worcestershire on the River Severn when the bird was immature – likely born in 2014. It was also given the Orange Darvic ring 65S but that has evidently been lost along the way. Its sex was not noted. It seems possible that this bird is making its first attempt to nest
I was told of a Red Kite seen over Priorslee on Monday (16th)
Other notes from today:
- the geese are no longer flying obviously outbound (E) early to feed; and then returning inbound later. They are just flying around more or less at any time
- 2 Common Buzzards seen standing on the ‘football’ field: an unusual sighting. Were these the same as the two birds seen flying from a roost to the S of the M54 and across the lake much earlier?
- a tight group of c.75 adult Black-headed Gulls flew low W at 08:25, obviously going somewhere
- big number of Wood Pigeons flying over: most of these were birds from the fields and the trees to N / NNE which were flushed off and flew W over and to the N of the lake
- Jackdaw passage again started with two early birds at 06:13 today. Thereafter 131 more birds in 21 pairs / groups, all to the E of the lake
- 3 male Pied Wagtails on the dam-top this morning. At this time of year there will be passage birds and we need to check for the paler European allies species White Wagtail
and
- nothing on the lamps
- first Common Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) flowers noted: a very common plants of gardens and all waste places
Today’s bird totals
Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Common Buzzards
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Stock Doves
- >140 Wood Pigeons
- 137 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Siskin
Hirundine count
- 1 Barn Swallow
Warblers noted: figure in brackets is singing birds
- 7 (5) Chiffchaffs again
The counts from the lake area
- 6 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 2 Cormorants
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 57 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 07:10 – 07:45
(21st visit of the year)
Notes from today
Birds noted flying over
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws again
Warblers noted: figure in brackets is singing birds
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 24 Canada Geese
- the white feral goose as usual
- 14 (12♂) Mallard
- 52 (33♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 7 Moorhens
- 16 Coots
Seen between the lake and The Flash
- 2 Canada Geese on the lower pool
- 1 Moorhen on the lower pool
- a male Siskin in trees near the upper pool
This male Siskin found looking for feeders in the back gardens between the lake and The Flash
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2017Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
3 Great Crested Grebes
4 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
31 Tufted Duck
3 Redwings
5 Sand Martins
7 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cackling Goose
2 Common Teal
49 Tufted Ducks
3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes
17 Tufted Ducks
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool
3 Tufted Duck
3 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
7 Wigeon
Iceland Gull
(John Isherwood and et al)
The Flash
1 Shoveler
2 Pochard
(John Isherwood)
Horsehay Pool
2 Mandarin Ducks
(Paul Spear)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
16 Tufted Duck
2 Blackcaps
12 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebes
47 Tufted Duck
1 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Red-legged Partridges
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Oystercatcher
Blackcap
5 Chiffchaffs
Sand Martins
7 Gadwall
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
6 Sky Larks
1 Fieldfare
3 Redwings
Lapwing
Green Woodpecker
14 Linnets.
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Barn Owl
25 Sand Martins
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
47 Redwings
4 Meadow Pipits
12 Tufted Duck
4 Jays
433 Wood Pigeons
(Ed Wilson)