6.0°C > 7.0°C: Overcast with continuous moderate rain. Light and variable, mainly S, wind . Good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:13 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:20 - 08:40
(13th visit of the year)
This won't take long. What the weather forecast suggested would be patchy light rain seemed persistent moderate, at least, rain to me. I spent the entire time in the sailing club shelter. It was a very quiet morning.
Notes:
- A single immature Mute Swan again seen in flight, leaving to the W.
- *A third Great Crested Grebe present. The pair in the NW area were seen displaying.
- >425 Black-headed Gulls arrived c.07:00. Most stayed only a short while with only 32 remaining by 07:15. While some birds returned numbers stayed low with just 5 at 08:15.
- From my less elevated location in the shelter the only group of Jackdaws I saw were at least 50 behind trees alongside Teece Drive at 06:50. Unusually there were no later small groups with just two at 08:10.
- The Cormorant seemed to be an adult as there were no white feathers on the breast / belly. However it showed no sign of breeding plumage - no white thigh-patches or head plumes.
- A footnote to my suggestion that yesterday's small gathering of Carrion Crows may have similarity with the pre-breeding groups of Magpies involved in 'family-mixing' to improve the gene pool. After I had written that I read later in the day that Choughs, also members of the Corvid family, do the same thing.
- A single Starling left a roost in the W end reeds.
- Two Reed Buntings also left the W end reeds. I suspect these birds headed to the S side where a male has been singing recently.
Birds noted flying over / near here: low numbers of everything:
- 5+ Canada Geese: pair and single outbound; at least two others heard outbound when too dark to locate.
- 1 immature Mute Swan
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- >50 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 10 (7♂) Mallard; 4 (3♂) flew off
- 3 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- no meaningful count of Coots
- *3 Great Crested Grebes
- >420 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, very briefly
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 2 Grey Herons
My 2021 bird species list for here remains at 61.
On / around the street lights pre-dawn
Sunrise: 07:13 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:20 - 08:40
(13th visit of the year)
This won't take long. What the weather forecast suggested would be patchy light rain seemed persistent moderate, at least, rain to me. I spent the entire time in the sailing club shelter. It was a very quiet morning.
Notes:
- A single immature Mute Swan again seen in flight, leaving to the W.
- *A third Great Crested Grebe present. The pair in the NW area were seen displaying.
- >425 Black-headed Gulls arrived c.07:00. Most stayed only a short while with only 32 remaining by 07:15. While some birds returned numbers stayed low with just 5 at 08:15.
- From my less elevated location in the shelter the only group of Jackdaws I saw were at least 50 behind trees alongside Teece Drive at 06:50. Unusually there were no later small groups with just two at 08:10.
- The Cormorant seemed to be an adult as there were no white feathers on the breast / belly. However it showed no sign of breeding plumage - no white thigh-patches or head plumes.
- A footnote to my suggestion that yesterday's small gathering of Carrion Crows may have similarity with the pre-breeding groups of Magpies involved in 'family-mixing' to improve the gene pool. After I had written that I read later in the day that Choughs, also members of the Corvid family, do the same thing.
- A single Starling left a roost in the W end reeds.
- Two Reed Buntings also left the W end reeds. I suspect these birds headed to the S side where a male has been singing recently.
Birds noted flying over / near here: low numbers of everything:
- 5+ Canada Geese: pair and single outbound; at least two others heard outbound when too dark to locate.
- 1 immature Mute Swan
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- >50 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 10 (7♂) Mallard; 4 (3♂) flew off
- 3 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- no meaningful count of Coots
- *3 Great Crested Grebes
- >420 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, very briefly
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 2 Grey Herons
My 2021 bird species list for here remains at 61.
On / around the street lights pre-dawn
Nothing - wet again.
Last year an abundance of this species - as many as 14 - seemed to defer display and mating until late in the year and there were no multiple broods. Perhaps it will be different this year.
As the rain patters down these two Great Crested Grebes perform a rather half-hearted display.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2020
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
5 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
7 Pochard
3 Tufted Duck
11 Redwings
>800 Jackdaws
127 Rooks
9 Ravens
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Little Grebe
1 Greylag x Canada x ? Goose
172 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)
Telford Crematorium
Iceland Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2013
Priorslee Lake
23 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
(Martin Grant)
The Flash
Drake Scaup
(JW Reeves)
Horsehay Pool
Iceland Gull
(Jim Almond)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Iceland Gulls
2 Glaucous Gulls
(Tom Lowe)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Martin Grant)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Teal
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Mallard x Pintail
2 Shoveler
4 Pochard
4 Tufted Duck
2 Buzzard
1 Common Gull
5 Fieldfare
6 Redwing
41 Magpie
197 Jackdaw
13 Greenfinch
7 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
4 Cormorants
6 Pochard
21 Tufted Ducks
116 Coots
1 Water Rail
627 Wood Pigeon
13 Pied Wagtails
28 Blackbirds
4 Willow Tits
10 Greenfinches
133 Siskins
1 Linnet
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)