3 Dec 18

Priorslee Lake: then Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

Priorslee Lake:  06:25 – 09:25
Trench Lock Pool:  09:45 – 10:25 // 11:10 – 11:20
Trench Middle Pool:  10:30 – 11:05

9°C > 8°C:  Periods of very heavy rain before 09:00. Then mostly cloudy with a few light showers. Moderate SSW wind veered NW later as the temperature fell. Very good visibility but moderate in rain

Sunrise: 08:01 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:25 – 09:25

(169th visit of the year)

The rain started almost as soon as I arrived. Most of my log was taken from inside the sailing club shelter. A quick dash to the dam and back between showers enabled me to count everything on water other than Coot

Bird notes:
- all the Mute Swans slept together. Once awake the cygnet paddled off and did its own thing. Both adults on the SW grass for a while. One of them seems to have arthritis(!) and walks very slowly and stiffly
- a 3rd pair of Gadwall arrived (back?)
- the number of Tufted Ducks much reduced
- first c.50 Black-headed Gulls arrived 07:25 with >500 by 07:45 when they started to leave. Just 20 remained by 07:55. c.75 returned (I assume) later
- c.330 birds in the main group of Jackdaws at 07:45 – my largest count for a long while. Just 10 stragglers

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 12 Greylag Geese (1 group outbound)
- 7 (?♂) Goosanders
- 1 Herring Gull
- 4 Wood Pigeon only
- c.330 Jackdaws
- 3 Redwings

Birds leaving roosts around the lake
- [Magpies not counted]
- 3 Redwings (main roost not visited)
- 2 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans as usual
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 12 (8♂) Mallard
- 7 (7♂) Pochard
- 83 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 5 Little Grebes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 8 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- >500 Black-headed Gulls

And other notes

My log today consisted of
- 2 Mottled Umber moths on lamp poles: 1 where it was yesterday; the other very close to where it was yesterday, apparently now caught in a spider’s web
- >20 plumed midges (Chironomus plumosus?)

Before the on-set of rain there was almost a sunrise. Pleased how this turned out – note the headlights along Castle Farm Way in the distance. Hand held at half a second!

This adult winter Black-headed Gull is stoically standing in the rain.

Something different and hard to capture. Once the rain stopped out came the midges. The camera finds it hard to focus on these dancing targets. They look rather like the plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus).

The entrance to the lake was very muddy during the rain. Here is why as the drains disgorge in to the Wesley Brook by the Teece Drive gate. The left-hand drain is the real Wesley Brook as it runs alongside Teece Drive and is running clear. It is the drain on the right that is the main culprit. I wonder if Severn-Trent know who is silting up their water?

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  09:45 – 10:25 // 11:10 – 11:20

(26th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here
- most of the Greylag and Canada Geese overhead were seen later on Trench Middle Pool
- completely lost track of the Goosanders. When I arrived there were just 7 (3 drakes). Suddenly birds started arriving in small groups from all around. I waited until they settled down and I then started a recount. At that point many took off and I noted 38 in the air over the water, mainly heading away. A count showed 28 (7 drakes) still present. Another recount five minutes later gave me 50 birds (13 drakes) without any apparently flying in. Quite how these counts fit with the 38 seen apparently leaving is unclear. Whatever, 50 is a splendid count from here
- drake Pochard new in
- it was hard work counting the Coots amongst all the other birds: there did seem to be a small reduction in the number
- Song Thrush singing here
- Grey Wagtail yet again

No birds noted flying over / near here
[excluding the local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws coming and going]
- >25 Greylag Geese
- >20 Canada Geese
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 Cormorant
- 6 Feral Pigeons

The counts from the water
- 3 Mute Swans only
- 2 Greylag Geese (arrived)
- 77 Canada Geese (arrived)
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard again
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 47 (23♂)Tufted Ducks
- >50 (>17♂) Goosanders (see notes)
- 2 Grey Herons
- 3 Little Grebes
- 5 Great Crested Grebes still
- 4 Moorhens
- 153 Coots
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Nothing special: just a fine-looking Greylag Goose.

Two drake Goosanders power by.

And here is a brownhead. Against the light the head-colour can be difficult to judge: brownheads have the white in the chin area.

A good trick if you can do it – land on a barrel in the water.

So the Grey Heron made it OK. Note the breast and nape plumes as well as the reddish-orange of the lower mandible. All indicative of the start of the breeding season. This species is often sitting on eggs in February.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  10:30 – 11:05

(25th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- rumour has it the cygnets went in to a cooking pot: probably just that – a rumour
- most of the Greylag and Canada Geese were seen over Trench Lock Pool earlier
- just 2 duck Teal today
- no Goosanders was rather strange given the number at Trench Lock
- the 2 Ravens over were my first here since 12 February

Birds noted flying over / near here
- 2 Ravens

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans: adults Blue 7JLE and 7JLL
- 31 Greylag Geese
- 26 Canada Geese
- 2 (0♂) Teal
- 24 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard once more
- 6 (4♂) Tufted Ducks
- [no Goosanders]
- 1 Great Crested Grebe once more
- 13 Moorhens again
- 29 Coots again
- 79 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
60 Golden Plover
6 Gadwall
3 Pochard
2 Shoveler
2 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Teal
3 Gadwall.
8 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
163 Coots
7 Redwings
c577 Jackdaws
c149 Rooks
8 Siskins
22 Goldfinches
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Adult Caspian Gull
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(JW Reeves)

Priorslee Flash
Tundra Bean Goose
Great Black-backed Gull
8 Goosander.
(JW Reeves/Andy Latham /Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
3rd-winter Caspian Gull
(JW Reeves)

Wellington
Pair of Blackcaps in my garden
(JW Reeves)

2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Pete Nickless)

2007
Priorslee Lake
8 Goosander
Woodcock
21 Greylag Geese
A drake Gadwall
6 Pochard
58 Tufted Duck
2 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
6 Meadow Pipits
14 Redwing
3 Fieldfares
31 Magpies
47 Siskins
12 Goldfinches 
11 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
22 Goosander
27 Pochard
16 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
27 Pochard
69 Tufted Ducks
4 Buzzards
68 Coots
1 Woodcock
528 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
20 Robins
22 Blackbirds
3 Song Thrushes
3 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
187 Jackdaws
168 Rooks
11 Greenfinches
10 Goldfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
5 Cormorants
8 Pochard
32 Tufted Duck
201 Coot
Water Rail
c.2100 Black-headed Gulls
c.175 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
440 Jackdaws
225 Rooks
1 Kestrel
2 Collared Dove
1 Sky Lark
18 Pied Wagtails
5 Meadow Pipits
5 Redwings
40 Fieldfare
1 Kingfisher
11 Robins
19 Blackbirds
2 Song Thrushes
2 Goldcrest
5 Redpolls
12+ Siskins
2 Yellowhammers
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson/Martin Adlam)