27 Feb 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 7.0°C: Patchy low cloud. Keen-feeling moderate westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:01 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:10

(48th visit of the year)

Bird notes
*An Oystercatcher was on the south-west grassy area by 08:40. It had probably arrived much earlier – its calls are not dissimilar to notes given by Song Thrushes. There were seven on those singing away. My 70th bird species here this year.

Other bird notes:
- When I arrived there were nine Canada Geese present. Four of these flew off together. Later two pair arrived – were these different birds?
- no Gadwall seen today. A pair of Mallard were lurking in the same area today.
- Coots have started nesting and there are probably a few more birds hidden away in the reeds. Soon after dawn 31 Coots (and eight Moorhens) had gathered for breakfast on the south-west grass.
- I can confirm that one of the erstwhile paired Great Crested Grebes does swap partners.
- A silent Chiffchaff was seen at the West end again.
- A Treecreeper was heard in song with a different bird seen concurrently.
- I have previously recorded just two instances of calling Reed Buntings this year. Notwithstanding this, one bird was singing at the West end this morning (20 February was my first recorded singing bird in 2024).

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: two pairs outbound
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 16 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 110 Jackdaws
- 23 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 9 (13?) Canada Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- no Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- *1 (?♂) Pochard
- *12 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhen
- 61 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Oystercatcher
- *c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- *16 Herring Gulls
- *49 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 3 Cormorants: arrived separately; one of these departed
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 1 Kingfisher

Seen later:
*Blackthorn Prunus spinosa in flower

Of note:

Nothing else
***even though there was no frost or dew on the street lamp poles I could find no insects or spiders.

Yet again Telford seemed to be generating its own cloud. Early on there was just this strip of cloud persisting to the East.

More cloud developed...

... and spread across most of the sky to the East. It remained clear to the West. The sun can be seen just above the horizon bottom left.

A blanket of cloud overhead, the sun shining underneath. And yes: the photo is horizontal – it is the way the North shore looks from the dam top!

Head-shapes in silhouette to compare and contrast. On the left a Tufted Duck; on the right a Pochard.

The Oystercatcher on the south-west grass has found a worm...

 ...which does not want to be eaten and is putting up a fight.

The Oystercatcher flies off with a muddy bill.

A trio of gulls. From the front an unusually pale first year Herring Gull; an adult Black-headed Gull without and sign of the breeding dark hood as yet; and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull with yellow legs.

Not a typical location for a Blackbird. A male fording the Wesley Brook.

Blackthorn Prunus spinosa in flower. Almost an month later than last year (04 February) though since my attention was drawn to it by some white petals on the ground it has perhaps been flowering for a few days.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:30

(46th visit of the year)

Bird notes
A Mistle Thrush was singing at the top end before flying off West. My 53rd bird species here this year.

Other bird notes:
- *yesterday's sick-looking Canada Goose was lying dead in the water.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 24 Canada Geese: also the dead bird
- 4 Mute Swans
- 22 (16♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 44 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: two adults and one second year
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- no Cormorant

Otherwise of note:
*- just one fly on the Ivy, possibly the blow-fly Calliphora vomitoria.

Yesterday's unwell-looking Canada Goose is now dead. This is the fifth recent death (not counting the two carcasses that I was unable to positively identify). Bird flu must be suspect.

Carrion Crow is not a species I expect to see using a feeder.

The only insect sunning itself on the Ivy bank was this fly. Almost certainly one of the blow-fly group and a good match for Calliphora vomitoria.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Iceland Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Greater Scaup
26 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
33 Tufted Ducks
84 Coots
c.800 Black-headed Gulls
c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.60 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

Horsehay Pool
1 Glaucous Gull
(J W Reeves )

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shelduck
4 Pochard
30 Tufted Duck
35 Robins
24 Wrens
15 Dunnocks
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
9 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
4 Gadwall
35 Pochard
51 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
103 Coots
c.700 Black-headed Gulls
c.225 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
27 Herring Gulls
Common Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
2 Willow Tit
124 Jackdaws
86 Rooks
1 Linnet
14 Siskins
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Iceland Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Pochard
19 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
600 Black-headed Gulls
100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
36 Wren
28 Robin
7 Redwing
20 Magpie
134 Jackdaw
8 Greenfinch
4 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorant
2 Gadwall
7 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
110 Coots
150 Starlings
23 Pied Wagtails
21 Wrens
15 Robins
17 Blackbirds
2 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
16 Greenfinches
38 Siskins
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)