0.0°C > 1.0°C: Cloudy and dull. Very light south-easterly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:21 GMT
More or less back to normal
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:35 – 09:25
(4th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the resident cob Mute Swan spent a long while chasing the first winter bird. As I was walking back up Teece Drive an adult Mute Swan flew off West followed by a first winter. As I could not see the lake I was unable to see how these related to the three seen earlier.
- in the dull conditions it was likely that I overlooked some harder to see duck Pochard and Tufted Duck. It was also the reason why I made no attempt to count the Coots today.
- a single Long-tailed Tit was noted in with a group of Great Tits. Single birds are most unusual.
- the onset of the cold snap resulted in no Song Thrushes singing today.
- a Reed Bunting called twice along the South side c.07:30. Nothing seen and nothing heard later.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 19 Jackdaws
- 33 Rooks
- 2 Siskins
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: of these a pair arrived and later departed
- 4? Mute Swans: see notes
- 5 (2♂) Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 7 (5♂) Pochard
- 28 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- no count of Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- >500 Black-headed Gulls
- >35 Herring Gulls
- > 3 Yellow-legged Gulls
- >250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: arrived separately; two later departed together
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived 07:10
- *1 Great (White) Egret: arrived 07:35
- 1 Kingfisher
Also noted.
Nothing else
Telford Sailing Club
All the street lamp poles and the walls of the Telford Sailing Club HQ were covered in frost and nothing was seen.
New Bird Species
Today's additions to the birds on my site for here in 2025:
40 Reed Bunting
41 Rook
42 Goldcrest
43 Long-tailed Tit
New Bird Species
Today's additions to the birds on my site for here in 2025:
40 Reed Bunting
41 Rook
42 Goldcrest
43 Long-tailed Tit
The Great (White) Egret seems to like it here flying in almost daily from the East. I wonder where it roosts?
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:35
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:35
(4th visit of the year)
With calm winds overnight ice had formed at the sheltered top end – c.15% cover
Bird notes:
- my first Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling at the top end and then what was likely the same bird seen flying down the water and over The Priorslee.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Redwings: together
Noted on / around the water:
- *9 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- *4 Mute Swans
- 42 (29♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- *58 (36♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- 59 Coots
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: one adult; one second winter
- *3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: one adult; one second winter; one first winter
Elsewhere:
Nothing noted
New Bird Species
Today's additions to the birds on my site for here in 2025:
33 Great Spotted Woodpecker
34 Redwing
When food was offered from the Derwent Drive area birds soon flew in to the feast. Here one of the two first winter Mute Swans....
A drake Tufted Duck. Note how the tail feathers are held laying on the water. Note too the slight mauve tinge to the head – more obvious in better light.
Shall we dance? Perhaps trying to warm its feet is this first winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. Note the strong underwing markings and the black bill with a dark tip.
A second winter Lesser Black-backed Gull with noticeably brown and faded medium coverts. The black bill now has a pale base as well as a pale tip.
New Bird Species
Today's additions to the birds on my site for here in 2025:
33 Great Spotted Woodpecker
34 Redwing
...getting ready to splash down.
A Canada Goose on finals.
And a drake Tufted Duck.
A drake leads a duck Tufted Duck to join the fray.
Not to be outdone a Carrion Crow wants some of the food. An unusual view.
Another friendly Robin. Probably looking for hand-outs this cold morning.
(Ed Wilson)
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2014
Priorslee Lake
Two 1st winter female Scaup
(Tom Lowe)
Horsehay Pool
Kittiwake
(Jim Almond)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Tom Lowe)
2013
Priorslee Flash
Drake Scaup
(J Reeves)
Trench Middle Pool
22 Goosander
(Dave Tromans)
2012
Priorslee Lake
96 Greylags Geese
20 Pochard
15 Tufted Ducks
86 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
54 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
27 Great Black-backed Gulls
Peregrine
204 Redwings
4 Fieldfare
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
Trench Pool
2 Little Grebes
215 Canada Geese
3 Pochard
76 Tufted Ducks
131 Coots
219 Black-headed Gulls
4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
Holmer Lake
46 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
44 Mute Swans
2 Gadwall
47 Pochard
117 Tufted Duck
2 adult Common Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.3400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.250 Herring Gulls
c.2500 Black-headed Gulls
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gull
3 Water Rail
324 Coots
17 Goldfinches
13 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson/Jason)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
12 Great Crested Grebes
10 Mute Swans
1 drake Shoveler
11 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
Iceland Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
122 Coots
34 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Paul King)
2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
26 Pochard
106 Tufted Ducks
4 Water Rails
100 Herring Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
>7 Pochard
31 Tufted Ducks
9 Goosanders
>2000 Black-headed Gulls
>481 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
>33 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
28 Robins
14 Blackbirds
5 Fieldfares
67 Redwings
222 Jackdaws
3 Reed Buntings;
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
1 Goldeneye
22 Pochard
43 Tufted Duck
c.3000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.2000 Black-headed Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
131 Herring Gull
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
66 Siskins
14 Robins
15 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)