7 Feb 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  06:45 – 09:00
The Flash:  09:05 – 09:35

5.0°C:  Mainly cloudy with spells of mainly light rain after early clearer spells. Very strong WSW wind abated somewhat after 09:00. Good visibility if rather dull

Sunrise: 07:43 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:45 – 09:00

(37th visit of the year)

Best today was the Woodcock that flew low over my head at 07:00. I was sheltering in the lee of the copse in the SW area and had three sightings of dark shapes struggling with the wind flying very close to me. The first two were perhaps Blackbirds. The third passed low overhead and was perfectly silhouetted against the sky and clearly a Woodcock. It is just possible the others were too – perhaps even the same bird circling the copse before going to its day-roost

And a frustrating ‘one that got away’. A distant first-winter gull with well-marked upper-wing pattern flew W. It was likely either a Common or Mediterranean Gull – first-winters of these species are very similar in flight at the best of times: this wasn’t

Bird notes
- the usual group of geese was 11-strong today with an additional 8th Canada Goose
- drake Shoveler not located
- Black-headed Gulls swirling around in the wind, coming and going in all directions. Possibly many more
- the passing Jackdaws in a long swirling stream at 07:16: judged to be at least 450 birds. No obvious Rooks amongst them, but .... Just 5 more Jackdaws much later

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 3 Greylag Geese [part of group outbound]
- 8 Canada Geese [3 groups outbound]
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 3 Stock Doves
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- >455 Jackdaws
- 1 Greenfinch

No birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- too windy to make any valid counts

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 5 (1♂) Pochard
- 19 (10♂) Tufted Ducks only
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
- 11 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- >235 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Nothing on the lamp poles – too windy

An early break in the wet and very windy conditions.

Red sky in the morning is supposed to indicate wind or rain: both in this case.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:05 – 09:35

(32nd visit of the year)

No ice remaining

Notes from here:
- despite yesterday’s remark that all the geese are ‘paired-off’ I found what seemed to be a lone Canada Goose on the island. Its partner could have been lurking inside somewhere
- could not locate the Gadwall – wrong conditions for a lengthy search
- now 6 drake Pochard

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Sparrowhawk

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 9 Canada Geese
- 40 (24♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler still
- 6 (6♂) Pochard
- 45 (23♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 3 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 27 Black-headed Gulls only

(Ed Wilson)

Note

1. A few photos from Belvide on 4 Feb Here.

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

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)