Plus Sleap Airfield.
0.0°C > 3.0°C: Early broken cloud soon cleared away. Moderate south-easterly wind. Good visibility: somewhat hazy.
Sunrise: 07:20 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:10 – 09:15
(42nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- of course there were four pairs of Gadwall.
- a duck Pochard was a new arrival.
- yesterday's Water Rail was in the north-east area. Today one flushed out of the Wesley Brook and flew over my head to dive back in to the reeds as I stood on the bridge.
- I was premature yesterday in suggesting it was "goodbye and thanks for all the fish" [© Douglas Adams] for the Grey Heron. One was back today.
- a trio of Redwing was in trees in the south-west wooded area. This species and Fieldfare seemed to be in lower numbers than usual on Autumn passage and remain scarce.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: two separate pairs outbound
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- >50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 9 Starlings: together
- 44 Jackdaws
- 94 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 14 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- *8 (4♂) Gadwall
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 15 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail
- 6 Moorhen
- 84 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- 33 Herring Gull
- *1 Yellow-legged Gull: immature
- *>200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived and departed
- 1 Grey Heron
Of note:
This is looking West pre-dawn with the illuminated "Ricoh" sign shining. The bright sky to left is the light pollution from Stafford Park and the town centre.
What I believe to be a first year Yellow-legged Gull. The extensive markings on the upper-tail rule out any thought of a Lesser Black-backed Gull yet the inner primaries are only paler on the inner webs.
A near adult (4th year?) Lesser Black-backed Gull with extensive dark on the bill and faint head-streaking but otherwise looking like an adult.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:25
(40th visit of the year)
A small amount of very thin ice, mainly in the areas behind the bridges.
Bird notes:
- the all-white Aylesbury Duck feral-duck was present again.
- yesterday's bird carcass had gone so I am none the wiser.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 10 Canada Geese
- *2 Greylag Geese
- 4 Mute Swans
- 4 (3♂) Shoveler
- 42 (28♂) Mallard
- *1 (♂) Aylesbury Duck
- 5 (4♂) Pochard
- 57 (31♂) Tufted Duck
- 17 Moorhens
- 33 Coots
- 51 Black-headed Gulls
- *3 Herring Gulls: two adults; one first year.
- 1 Cormorant
Of note:
Sleap Airfield.
Later I went to Sleap Airfield near Wem and found winter thrushes feeding in an adjacent field. Using the car as a hide and trying to photograph through the fencing here is a Redwing.
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Scaup
20 Tufted Duck
7 Pochard
1 Cormorant
2 Buzzards
2 Redwings
162 Jackdaws
140 Rooks
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)
The Flash
1 Pochard
192 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
38 Pochard
88 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
136 Coots
3 Redwings
12 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
5 Pochard
6 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail.
600 Starlings
21 Robins
18 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
5 Reed Buntings.
(Ed Wilson)
0.0°C > 3.0°C: Early broken cloud soon cleared away. Moderate south-easterly wind. Good visibility: somewhat hazy.
Sunrise: 07:20 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:10 – 09:15
(42nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- of course there were four pairs of Gadwall.
- a duck Pochard was a new arrival.
- yesterday's Water Rail was in the north-east area. Today one flushed out of the Wesley Brook and flew over my head to dive back in to the reeds as I stood on the bridge.
- I was premature yesterday in suggesting it was "goodbye and thanks for all the fish" [© Douglas Adams] for the Grey Heron. One was back today.
- a trio of Redwing was in trees in the south-west wooded area. This species and Fieldfare seemed to be in lower numbers than usual on Autumn passage and remain scarce.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: two separate pairs outbound
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- >50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 9 Starlings: together
- 44 Jackdaws
- 94 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 14 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- *8 (4♂) Gadwall
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 15 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail
- 6 Moorhen
- 84 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- 33 Herring Gull
- *1 Yellow-legged Gull: immature
- *>200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived and departed
- 1 Grey Heron
Of note:
Nothing else
**the street lamp poles remain devoid of insects, spiders etc.
**the street lamp poles remain devoid of insects, spiders etc.
It is a while since I saw the moon even if it was partially obscured by clouds.
The cloud soon cleared and, as yesterday, the sunrise from different locations around the lake.
From the North side.
The actual sunrise through the trees across Castle Farm Way.
One of the four pairs of Gadwall came close again. Here is the duck...
...and the drake.
Another view of the same bird.
A Grey Wagtail in one of its favourite haunts – the Wesley Brook, upstream from the footbridge.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:25
(40th visit of the year)
A small amount of very thin ice, mainly in the areas behind the bridges.
Bird notes:
- the all-white Aylesbury Duck feral-duck was present again.
- yesterday's bird carcass had gone so I am none the wiser.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 10 Canada Geese
- *2 Greylag Geese
- 4 Mute Swans
- 4 (3♂) Shoveler
- 42 (28♂) Mallard
- *1 (♂) Aylesbury Duck
- 5 (4♂) Pochard
- 57 (31♂) Tufted Duck
- 17 Moorhens
- 33 Coots
- 51 Black-headed Gulls
- *3 Herring Gulls: two adults; one first year.
- 1 Cormorant
Of note:
Nothing else
Greylag Geese are usually more wary than Canadas and rarely come close. This pair(?) were an exception. Females average smaller than male and I am not sure I can see a difference here.
The all-white drake Aylesbury Duck feral bird was here again. The last time I saw it here was in the January freeze. What was almost certainly the same bird was at the Shropshire Ornithological Reserve, Venus Pool near Cross Houses about ten days ago.
Compare the inner primaries with those on the Yellow-legged Gull I photographed at the Balancing Lake.
And the underwing. I am surprised how pale the eye is here. Perhaps because by now it has developed from first winter to first summer.
If it asks for your chips I suggest you don't argue with this adult Herring Gull's bill.
A first winter Herring Gull springs in to action.
A splendid Long-tailed Tit.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sleap Airfield.
And another.
And an imperious Fieldfare with wings typically drooped to expose the grey rump.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Scaup
20 Tufted Duck
7 Pochard
1 Cormorant
2 Buzzards
2 Redwings
162 Jackdaws
140 Rooks
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)
The Flash
1 Pochard
192 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
38 Pochard
88 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
136 Coots
3 Redwings
12 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
5 Pochard
6 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail.
600 Starlings
21 Robins
18 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
5 Reed Buntings.
(Ed Wilson)