17 Feb 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:15 – 08:30
The Flash:  08:35 – 09:15

7.0°C:  Clear but hazy start with high cloud from W after 07:00. Moderate + ESES wind. Good visibility

Sunrise: 07:23 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:15 – 08:30

(45th visit of the year)

Bird notes
- seemed to be no Mute Swans when I arrived. One on the water by 07:30 and stayed in the water so unable to see whether ringed. I wondered whether it (and a mate) are already using a nest and I looked at the traditional site without seeing any evidence, although the successful pair last year did not use this site. All a mystery at the moment
- a lone Black-headed Gull arrived at 06:35. No more until 40 flew in at 06:58. As usual these left. Then at least 52 flew east directly over the lake. At 08:10 I counted 146 on the water – from where?
- corvid numbers lower this morning – with the rather brisk wind I suspect some more were unseen, field hopping below my sight-line
- two Sky Larks heard and seen singing over fields to the east
- Song Thrushes singing from 13 locations this morning: at least 11 birds involved

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 2 Greylag Geese (pair outbound)
- 8 Canada Geese (2 groups outbound)
- 52 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 14 Wood Pigeons only
- >575 Jackdaws
- 16 Rooks
- 34 Starlings (31;1;2)
- 1 Greenfinch
- 1 Goldfinch

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- 3 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area:
- 1 Mute swan (arrived?)
- 2 Canada Geese (arrived again)
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 3 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 33 Coots
- >146 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

The lamp poles were disappointing yet again – too windy?
- 1 Nursery Web Spider
also
- Common Field-speedwell (Veronica persica) in flower

The sunrise was the ‘wrong way round’ this morning. It was clear to the E and it was the high cloud spreading from the W that was colouring up at sun-up.

The first new flower of the year. The flower is not yet fully open but from the leaves I would judge this to be Common Field-speedwell (Veronica persica).

And again.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  08:35 – 09:15

(40th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- Gadwall not located today
- one pair of Mallard taken to ‘roof-sitting’ as they seem to at this time of year
- a second drake Shoveler found
- a pair of Great Crested Grebes displaying
and
- 3 Grey Squirrels having a stand-off in squirrel alley

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Stock Dove
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
- 2 Greenfinches

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 9 Canada Geese
- 41 (25♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Shovelers
- 4 (4♂) Pochard
- 56 (33♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Moorhen
- 27 Coots
- 11 Black-headed Gulls only

A pair of Mallard roof-sitting. I wonder why they do this mainly in Spring. If they were after the warmth from the house they would be there all winter.

Rather a long way away when these Great Crested Grebes decided to display.

Looking deep in to each other’s eyes.

A ritual turn away – always to the right, I wonder?

A bit of preening.

Raising the head plumes.

And off we go. Perhaps later I will get an opportunity for a closer encounter.

Wood Pigeons are rather misnamed these days. Perhaps Garden Pigeons would be a better name, or in the case of this bird sitting in the middle of Derwent Drive – ‘Road Pigeon’.

Did not really want to move for me – but did when a vehicle came along. Wise move. 

(Ed Wilson)

Notes
1. A few photos taken at Venus on 17 Feb Here.
2. A few photos taken at Belvide on 14 and 16 Feb Here.

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

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Scaup 
1 Grey Wagtail
8 Pochard
23 Tufted Duck
3 Great Crested Grebe
(Gary Crowder)

Telford Crematorium
2 Caspian Gull
c.500 Lesser Black-backed Gull
c.40 Herring Gull
(Gary Crowder)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
(Jim Almond)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
5 Cormorants
2 Gadwall
9 Pochard
18 Tufted Ducks
121 Coots
741 Wood Pigeon
289 Jackdaws
108 Rooks
290 Starlings
1 Sky Lark
18 Robins
19 Blackbirds again
11 Greenfinches
6 Siskins
23 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)