Priorslee Lake and The Flash
6.0°C > 7.0°C: Early squally shower: clear for a while: mostly cloudy after 09:00. Fresh W wind, but stronger in shower; moderated somewhat later. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:23 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:20 – 09:15
(42nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Two Little Grebes flew out of the NE area and along the N side. With a brisk headwind they were both airborne rather than indulging in their usual pattering progress.
- Just seven Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:15. Almost all the others were later arrivals. They came low, unusually from the E, at the same time as passing Lesser Black-backed Gulls as if they had been travelling together.
- No large gulls settled on the water at all. At 09:00 a lone adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was trying to find somewhere to land between dogs being exercised on the football field. It gave up and flew off.
- I confirmed a Skylark was singing overhead the fields to the E. I could not locate the bird itself: the song was from beyond the latest 'development'.
- The Cetti's Warbler sang at least five times in the NE area after 06:50. One of the nearby Song Thrushes seems to have been listening to the warbler and can give a reasonably good impression of part of the song.
- A second Blackbird was singing early on.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Greylag Geese: duo outbound
- 18 Wood Pigeons
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- 16 Herring Gulls
- 131 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: together
- no Common Buzzards
- 254 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 10 Redwings: two groups
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Moorhen
- 34 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull only: see notes
- *1 Cormorant: arrived
- no Grey Herons
All on the same street lamp pole:
- *1 Common Flat-body (Agonopterix heracliana) (a micro moth)
- 1 small plumed midge
- 1 female Nuctenea umbratica spider: probably the same individual as seen yesterday.
Noted later, also on lamp poles:
- *1 red-eyed fly
- *1 dark-eyed fly
Also:
Simon tells me that his Honey Bees have been out and about during sunny spells recently, probably feeding on the crocuses and snowdrops in local gardens.
6.0°C > 7.0°C: Early squally shower: clear for a while: mostly cloudy after 09:00. Fresh W wind, but stronger in shower; moderated somewhat later. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:23 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:20 – 09:15
(42nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Two Little Grebes flew out of the NE area and along the N side. With a brisk headwind they were both airborne rather than indulging in their usual pattering progress.
- Just seven Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:15. Almost all the others were later arrivals. They came low, unusually from the E, at the same time as passing Lesser Black-backed Gulls as if they had been travelling together.
- No large gulls settled on the water at all. At 09:00 a lone adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was trying to find somewhere to land between dogs being exercised on the football field. It gave up and flew off.
- I confirmed a Skylark was singing overhead the fields to the E. I could not locate the bird itself: the song was from beyond the latest 'development'.
- The Cetti's Warbler sang at least five times in the NE area after 06:50. One of the nearby Song Thrushes seems to have been listening to the warbler and can give a reasonably good impression of part of the song.
- A second Blackbird was singing early on.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Greylag Geese: duo outbound
- 18 Wood Pigeons
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- 16 Herring Gulls
- 131 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: together
- no Common Buzzards
- 254 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 10 Redwings: two groups
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Moorhen
- 34 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull only: see notes
- *1 Cormorant: arrived
- no Grey Herons
All on the same street lamp pole:
- *1 Common Flat-body (Agonopterix heracliana) (a micro moth)
- 1 small plumed midge
- 1 female Nuctenea umbratica spider: probably the same individual as seen yesterday.
Noted later, also on lamp poles:
- *1 red-eyed fly
- *1 dark-eyed fly
Also:
Simon tells me that his Honey Bees have been out and about during sunny spells recently, probably feeding on the crocuses and snowdrops in local gardens.
This morning's Cormorant was a full adult in splendid breeding plumage.
A Treecreeper shinning up a trunk – always up.
And alongside it was this dark-eyed fly. I cannot identify either!
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:15
(40th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- More duck Mallard located this morning.
- The pair of Teal again out in the open. They remain shy, taking little notice of people walking but as soon as I stop to try and get a close photo they move away.
- All five drake Pochard remain, once more tucked up against the island. They have been present for two weeks now.
- Even fewer duck Tufted Ducks (25) though the same number of drakes as yesterday (56). Although ducks are less easy to spot that does not explain the large difference.
- After yesterday's early gull bonanza there was but a modest count of Black-headed Gulls and a single Herring Gull on the water.
- A Mistle Thrush was singing well to the S of the area this morning, beyond the Co-op even.
- A few *Siskins and Goldfinches again.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On /around the water:
- 37 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 38 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- *2 (1♂) Teal
- 5 (5♂) Pochard
- 81 (56♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 59 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Grey Heron
On /around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted
The heads on the Daffodils alongside Priorslee Avenue are now swelling and will soon be bending over to flower.
How could I resist the drake Teal.
What a sweetie. One of the friendly Robins poses for me.
"Is this my better side?".
Very smart.
Have I mentioned twigs in the way? A male Bullfinch peering out.
A bit of patience and out it popped.
Time for breakfast.
Munch, munch, munch.
"Now: what's next on the menu? Another bud?"
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
Sightings from previous years without links are below
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 Skylark
18 Robins
19 Blackbirds again
11 Greenfinches
6 Siskins
23 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)