0.0°C > 1.0°C: Mainly clear with just a few patches of medium/high cloud. Frosty. Light winds. Good visibility.
[Sunrise: 07:44 GMT]
* = a photo from today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:45 – 11:10
(32nd visit of the year)
A later visit post-The Flash. Viewing from the dam-top area only.
Bird notes:
- Two Canada Geese have been regularly noted on the grass behind the dam recently. Could they be the pair that nested here last year? The nest was at the other end but they brought their goslings to this area every day. At least they did until the cob Mute Swan killed the goslings.
- Today a fifth Great Crested Grebe was noted with two pairs seen displaying.
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- *4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 2 (2♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 105 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
One of the two pairs of Gadwall noted today, the duck in the front.
Here she is getting on with the serious business of eating, leaving...
...him to sit around showing off his plumage.
There were not many gulls around. One fewer after this adult Herring Gull departed.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:40
(30th visit of the year)
A small amount of thin ice at the top end.
Bird notes:
- The Mute Swan cygnet was seen in flight today so it does, as I thought, not have a damaged wing. It was perhaps holding it at a strange angle.
- No Common Teal located.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Noted on / around the water
- 37 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 37 (25♂) Mallard
- [the all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck) not noted]
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- *62 (34♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (1♂) Goosander
- 20 Moorhens
- 46 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 48 Black-headed Gulls
- *1 Herring Gull: different immature from yesterday, a first year
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 2 Grey Herons
On / around the street lamp poles or of note elsewhere:
Nothing noted
A well-tufted duck Tufted Duck.
Two more making waves.
And two rather more sedate swimmers.
A first-winter Herring Gull.
Note the right wing of this individual. The primary covert feathers 'stick out' to form a step along the leading edge of the wing.
Here again.
Do you prefer this male Siskin with the traditional "branch in the way"?
Or with a shadow across him?
Or the whole bird but a back view? I cannot win.
Signs of spring. Pussy willow just starting to open.
(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
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)