6 Mar 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 7.0°C: Early pulses of rain. Dry after 08:45 and bright for a while with more cloud later. Light WSW wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:46 GMT

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:10 – 09:05

(55th visit of the year)

A rain-delayed start as I debated whether to get wet or not. I did.

My 2023 bird species count here is gradually mounting up. A fly-over Raven became species #72 this morning.

Other bird notes:
- Three drake Pochard gone. One of them perhaps to The Flash.
- Five Goosander flew from the East at 06:45 with two (an adult drake and duck) separating from the group and splashing down on the water. The other three (another adult drake and two presumed ducks) carried on. As is usual here the Goosander on the lake stayed less than ten minutes and flew off south-west.
- Once again two Mistle Thrushes flew across Castle Farm Way to settle in trees at the South end of the dam. Later two (more?) were in trees near the Teece Drive gate. Still no song heard.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 3 Greylag Geese: loosely together, inbound
- 3 Goosander: see notes
- 4 Stock Doves: a single and a trio loosely together
- 35 Wood Pigeons: of these 9 flew very high North together
- 11 Black-headed Gulls flew West together
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 5 Jackdaws
- *1 Raven

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: throughout
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 25 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander: see notes
- 14 Moorhens
- 64 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 63 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gull: all adults
- *1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons

As it was raining I did not check the street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Later:
Nothing of note

This immature Cormorant arrived very early and perched on the pier almost as soon as it arrived. The extent of the white on the chest and belly suggests it is a first year bird.

I watching this corvid as it approached the lake from far away. I was trying to decide whether it was a Carrion Crow or a Rook when it suddenly closed its wings and rolled upside down – the sure sign it was a Raven. They seem to invert just for the thrill of doing so. As it got closer it was clear that is what it was with its massive bill and head and well-separated outer primaries.

It, or another, passed by again giving me a 'song' - a distinctive guttural 'cronk'. Note the large tail, diamond-shaped when seen from below though the smaller Rook also can show a diamond-shaped tail if spread.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:25

(51st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Only a single duck Shoveler was located.
- Mallard are well in to nesting now with pairs wandering around and appearing from under vegetation.
- A drake Pochard was new in. One of those missing from the Balancing Lake?
- One full adult drake and one first year drake Goosander along with three ducks.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker seen at the top end again.
- Two Jays were heard calling along the East side
- After all the Long-tailed Tits yesterday I neither saw nor heard a single bird today. Too wet?
- Two Chaffinches were seen at a nest from last year. I was not sure what they were doing. I have not heard any song here this year so far.

Also: I was told about a Reed Bunting seen recently at a garden feeding station along with the regular male Blackcap, the latter having been present most of the winter.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Noted on / around the water
- 22 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- *1 (0♂)Shoveler
- 25 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- *1 (1♂) Pochard
- 38 (23♂) Tufted Duck only
- 5 (2♂) Goosander
- 18 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 29 Black-headed Gulls only
- 2 Herring Gulls: both second years
- *2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adult and second year
- 2 Cormorants

On / around the street lamp poles
Nothing noted

Noted elsewhere:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- 1 Brown Rat

A somewhat better view of the lone duck Shoveler than yesterday when I failed to get any sort of image. The pair from yesterday seemed to have gone.

He may look to be asleep but if you look carefully a red eye of this drake Pochard is watching what is going on.

An adult Lesser Back-backed Gull has been watching the Mallard and "anything you can do I can do" so it standing on a roof in Derwent Drive. The feet are pink and the legs do look a different colour. When compared with the bill though they do not seem yellow. Perhaps it is the rendering by the camera. Just a smidgen of black on the upper mandible

(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)