15 Mar 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

1.0°C > 6.0°C: Clear early with distant areas of cloud in most directions. These, both at medium and medium-high levels, drifted over the area later. Early frost and mist over the lake again. Light and variable breeze. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:25 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake:  05:25 – 06:35 // 07:35 – 09:30

(62nd visit of the year)

Best today was a Common Kestrel flying SW over the E end at 08:10 taking my 2022 bird list here to 70 species.

Bird notes:
- Two Collared Doves flew over and landed in trees alongside the M54. I often see these passing over, flying to or from Stafford Park and the Priorslee Estate.
- Two Little Grebes heard and later seen at the W end.
- Two Great Crested Grebes were displaying in the NW area. Later another was seen at the E end.
- A lone Black-headed Gull arrived at 06:00 but did not stay. Later one was hanging out on one of the buoys and chasing Coots for food.
- A Kingfisher was heard dashing by at 05:55.
- The Cetti's Warbler's was not heard.
- Twelve singing Chiffchaffs, with several territorial battles seen. Two other silent birds noted.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: a pair outbound; a pair inbound
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 11 Herring Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- *1 Common Kestrel
- 55 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Sand Martins: after 08:00

Warblers noted. (figure in brackets is singing birds)
- no Cetti's Warbler
- 14 (12) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair throughout
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived and was soon chased away by the Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (5♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- *28 Coots
- *2 Little Grebes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

On / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *1 Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria): on a different pole from yesterday
All bar one of the poles was heavily frosted.

Noted later:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

I forgot to put in the log for yesterday
- 1 Honey Bee (Apis mellifera): my first of the year.

A misty and frosty start. Note the cloud in the distance to the E. Such cloud was all around in the distance. Unusual for Telford to miss out!

Feisty Coots having a squabble. Generally it all posing but...

 ...occasionally it get more serious until it all calms down again.

A rather distant and enlarged shot of the two Little Grebes. The bird on the right is more or less in full summer plumage with the chestnut neck, rufous flanks and bright yellow spot at the base of its bill. A bit more rufous on the flanks to go. Its companion is much less advanced with a paler neck. The whitish flanks are more consistent with winter plumage.

A record shot as the Common Kestrel flies by. A much-declined bird locally – it used to be a common sight on the electricity pylons in the fields to the E (Remember those? The pylons were removed at least 10 years with the cables being placed underground somewhere near to where the latest housing development is going on...).

A male Pied Wagtail with a rather patchy-looking back. I guess it has to be a first year male moulting in to its first black feathers. It is worth checking all Pied Wagtails in the next few weeks as migrant White Wagtails pass through. These would show clean white flanks so this is not one of they.

Covered in dew / frost and on a very different lamp pole to the one seen yesterday here is this morning's Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:40 – 07:30

(59th visit of the year)

A very thin layer of ice at the top end.

Bird notes:
- After yesterdays relatively high number of Mallard there were rather few today.
- Two Great Crested Grebes located one seen to have caught a Perch (Perca fluviatilis).
- Just four Chiffchaffs noted, all singing.
- I neither saw nor heard a Reed Bunting. We shall see what transpires.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 2 Jackdaws

Warblers noted. (figure in brackets is singing birds)
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs

On /around the water:
- *40 Canada Geese: pairs flying in and out; assumed all different birds
- 11 Greylag Geese: of these one departed and a group of six arrived
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 22 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal again
- 77 (52♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens again
- 26 Coots again
- *2 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Black-headed Gulls only

On / around the street lamp poles:
- *1 Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria)

Elsewhere:
Nothing of note

There is much flying in and out of Canada Geese at the moment. Usually, as with these two arrivals, in pairs.

What you might call 'splash-down'. A fast retreating Moorhen shows its white under tail.

Goody: breakfast! This Great Crested Grebe has caught a Perch (Perca fluviatilis). Identify the fish by the two dorsal fins and reddish tone to the pelvic, anal and tail fins.

The fish needs careful manoeuvring to avoid the spines on the fins going the wrong way down its throat.

It puts the fish down briefly to reposition its grip.

Seems to be going in.

Down the hatch. This sequence cried out for a video but I knew it would take me too long to switch to video mode and I would likely miss all the action.

Gulp! Just the tail fin visible and a 'full' throat. Should keep it fed for a while.

A much better marked Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria) on a lamp pole here.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- 2 (1♂) Mallard in the lower pool.
- 2 Moorhens in the lower pool.
- 8 Starlings in trees
The Starlings seem to do an early morning gathering, flying to the top of a tree as I walk to The Flash. They are nowhere to be seen when I walk the other way.

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Noted in the tunnel:

- A few gnats was all I could find.

(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

2011

Priorslee Lake

2  Pochard

18 Tufted Duck

23 Redwings

5 Meadow Pipits

26 Greenfinches

8 Linnets

1 Redpoll

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock

6 Sand Martins

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

5 Pied Wagtails

1 Chiffchaff singing

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

2 Little Grebe 

4 Great Crested Grebe 

1 Heron

6 Gadwall

1 Pochard

41 Tufted Duck

1 Goosander

108 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

2 Cormorant

12 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

A leucistic Black-headed Gull

3 Stock Dove

391 Wood Pigeon

27 Wren

23 Robin

21 Blackbird

8 Fieldfare

7 Chiffchaff singing

43 Magpie

11 Greenfinch

5 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

6 Great Crested Grebe

2 Pochard

33 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

3 Chiffchaff singing

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

5 Great Crested Grebes

7 Pochard

36 Tufted Ducks

c.1110 Black-headed Gulls

22 Wrens

20 Robins

19 Fieldfares

19 Redwings

7 Greenfinches

3 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)