21 Feb 20

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

Priorslee Lake:  06:20 – 08:45
The Flash:  08:50 – 09:25
Trench Lock Pool:  09:35 – 09:45 // 10:20 – 10:55
Trench Middle Pool:  09:50 – 10:15

7.0°C > 9.0°C:  Cloud with occasional very light drizzle. Fresh / strong SW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:15 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  06:20 – 08:45

(38th visit of the year)

A very quiet morning

Bird notes:
- The cob Mute Swan half-heartedly chased two different cygnets. Both were allowed back in to the fold after a few minutes.
- The first Black-headed Gull arrived at 06:45. It continued to fly up and down the length of the lake until 07:15 when it was joined by a few more gulls. A trio of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls dropped in briefly at this time. c.300 Black-headed Gulls swirling around in the wind later.
- All except ten of the Jackdaws passed in a single group. Definite drop-off in number of birds leaving roosts, presumably as they move back to breeding territories.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 2 Canada Geese (pair outbound)
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- 20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults
- 1 Herring Gull: immature again
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- c.310 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- [Magpies not counted]
- nothing else noted

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 3 Canada Geese: pair and single arrived separately
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 7 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Cormorants yet again
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 8 Moorhens again
- 49 Coots again
- c.300 Black-headed Gulls again
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults

Nothing else of note

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  08:50 – 09:25

(37th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Six of the Canada Geese flew out.
- Another day with fewer Tufted Duck.

 Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Common Buzzards

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 15 Canada Geese
- 34 (21♂) Mallard
- 9 (9♂) Pochard again
- 34 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 3 Cormorants again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 4 Moorhen
- 18 Coots
- 8 Black-headed Gulls only
- [no Kingfisher]

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  09:35 – 09:45 // 10:20 – 10:55

(14th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here:
- 26 of the Canada Geese flew in while I was away at Middle Pool.
- This location seems to be attractive for Great Crested Grebes. No repeat of Monday’s nest-building activity.

Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]:
None

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 32 Canada Geese
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 8 (6♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Little Grebe
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 8 Coots
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults
- 3 Herring Gulls: adults

One adult Herring Gull flies in to join another rather disinterested-looking adult.

Here they are again. I surmise it is the male on the right with the larger bill. His bill – if it is a male – still has some remnant black from winter plumage.

The Moorhen did exactly the same this morning as it did on my last visit – caught me unawares as it flew by. Seems to have flown along trailing both toes and tail in the water.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  09:50 – 10:15

(14th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- Just one Great Crested Grebe located.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Common Buzzard

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 42 Canada Geese (6 of these flew in)
- 1 all-white feral duck?-type
- 21 (15♂) Mallard only
- 8 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 9 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 35 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Dreadful light as these two Canada Geese are about to splash-down – and making a lot of noise about it too.
A portrait of an adult Cormorant. Just a few white flecks on the head of this bird. Hard to see whether it has a white thigh-patch – I suspect not. Not for the first time a bird sitting with the tip of its tail in the water.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

 2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

 2014
Priorslee Lake
5 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
7 Pochard
2 Tufted Duck
14 Redwing
c.600 Jackdaws
268 Rooks
17 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

 The Flash
1 Greylag x Canada x ? Goose
180 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

 The Wrekin
1 Raven
2 groups of Fallow Deer.
(Ed Wilson)

 2013
Priorslee Lake
 1 Iceland Gull 
1 Yellow-legged gull
(JW Reeves)

 Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site / Buildwas
2 Caspian Gull
Herring x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid
A leucistic Herring Gull
8 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Common Gull
(Tom Lowe)

 2012
Priorslee Lake
33 Tufted Duck
8 Pochard
175 Black-headed Gulls
160 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
11 Herring Gulls
5 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Iceland Gull
35+ Redwing
(Martin Grant, John Isherwood)

 Holmer Lake
7 Goosander
1 Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)

 2007
Priorslee Lake
12 Tufted Ducks
2 Buzzards
2 Kestrels
1 Water Rail
269 Wood Pigeons
25 Blackbirds
11 Song Thrushes
4 Redwings
58 Magpies
140 Jackdaws
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

 2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
5 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
116 Coots
1 Water Rail
1 Great Black-backed Gull
403 Wood Pigeons
Barn Owl
228 Jackdaws
88 Rooks
1 Skylark
35 Pied Wagtails
31 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
10 Song Thrushes
1 Redwing
2 Willow Tits
16 Greenfinches
49 Siskins
2 Redpolls
13 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)