9.0°C > 11.0°C: The 'hat' of the Telford micro-climate's low cloud only partially lifted and cleared. Light southerly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:24 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:25 – 09:10
(36th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a duck Goosander back in the same area of water as two weeks ago. The same bird? Did she in fact go away?
- now three Great Crested Grebes, two of these giving a rather desultory display.
- a big count of at least 850 Black-headed Gulls. Rather few large gulls.
- Cetti's Warbler heard singing from West end and south-east area: same?
- my first Chaffinch song of the year: [19 February 2023; 5 February 2022] (two weeks behind those on the Ambridge soundtrack).
- a Reed Bunting heard calling. This species has been very scarce all winter with no roost departure seen since the turn of the year.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 17 Canada Geese: seven outbound as two pairs and a trio; 10 inbound together
- 4 Greylag Geese: two pairs outbound
- 20 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 5 Canada Geese: one pair throughout; a pair and a single arrived
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 24 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- *1 (0♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- 56 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- >850 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *2 Cormorants: arrived separately
Noted on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- none
- none
Flies:
- 1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
- 1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
Other insects:
- *1 blueish-toned springtail perhaps Tomocerus minor
- *1 blueish-toned springtail perhaps Tomocerus minor
Spiders:
- *2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp.
Notes later:
- dancing columns of midges over my head in several places;
- *first flowers of Colt’s-foot (Tussilago farfara) [13 March 2023; 10 March 2022]
- *2 Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp.
Notes later:
- dancing columns of midges over my head in several places;
- *first flowers of Colt’s-foot (Tussilago farfara) [13 March 2023; 10 March 2022]
A duck Goosander was back on the lake. Here having a good scratch.
"I wonder if I can..."
"...I think I can..."
"...There: I can". An immature Cormorant achieves buoyancy.
This blueish-toned springtail is perhaps Tomocerus minor.
One of the two Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp.
The Blackthorn [Sloe] Prunus spinosa is now in full flower alongside Teece Drive.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:15– 10:30
(36th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- possibly more Greylag Geese than I have listed below: four of those logged, along with probably more, were lurking inside the island.
- it is also likely there were more Tufted Duck. At least 45 birds, uncounted at the time, took off and I am not certain they all landed back at all and if so whether they were all visible from my vantage point.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 7 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 28 Canada Geese
- 7 Greylag Geese at least
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 1 white feral goose
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 39 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- *3 (3♂) Pochard
- *85 (45♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: arrived
Of note.
Bird notes:
- possibly more Greylag Geese than I have listed below: four of those logged, along with probably more, were lurking inside the island.
- it is also likely there were more Tufted Duck. At least 45 birds, uncounted at the time, took off and I am not certain they all landed back at all and if so whether they were all visible from my vantage point.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 7 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 28 Canada Geese
- 7 Greylag Geese at least
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 1 white feral goose
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 39 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- *3 (3♂) Pochard
- *85 (45♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: arrived
Of note.
Nothing else
A Long-tailed Tit amongst Blackthorn flowers.
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
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)