4 Feb 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 9.0°C: Variable amounts of cloud. A little sun early. Moderately southerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 07:47 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:20 – 09:30

(28th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the fly-over Canada Geese were perhaps birds that had recently departed from the lake.
- the first Lesser Black-backed Gull arrived at 07:10; the first group of Black-headed Gulls again at 07:35. Gull numbers further declined though with a higher number of Herring Gulls.
- I managed to see the two egrets that, together, flew South to the East at 07:55 well-enough to confirm that they were Great (White) Egrets with 'our' bird still present around the lake.
- two Mistle Thrushes were on the football field.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 15 Canada Geese: but see notes
- 2 Stock Doves together
- 31 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 23 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *2 Great (White) Egrets: together
- 63 Jackdaws
- 94 Rooks
- 11 Starlings

Counts from the lake area:
- 39 Canada Geese: most of these departed
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 15 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 141Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- c.600 Black-headed Gulls
- 26 Herring Gulls
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull
- 47 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Cormorant: arrived and departed
- 1 Great (White) Egret:

Street Lamp Poles
Nothing noted on the street lamp poles pre dawn:
Disappointing for mild conditions: too windy?

Telford Sailing Club
Noted around Telford Sailing Club HQ pre dawn.

Spiders etc.:
- 11 spiders not specifically identified

Noted later:

Nothing

New Bird Species
No additions to the bird species on my site for here in 2025

A not uncommon start to the day. Cloud overhead and clear to the East.

 Better later with high cloud to the West ahead of incoming rain.

The Cormorant did not stay long this morning. Here it is leaving. The white 'thigh-patch' that adults of this species develop in the breeding season seems both indistinct and in the wrong place: too high and too far forward. Must be the angle of view.

A not-very-good photo of the two passing Great (White) Egrets.

And only very slightly better view of one of them.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:40

(26th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *a Common Buzzard seen rather distantly was, belatedly, my first of the year here.
- the carcass from yesterday was still present. Some nearby large white feathers, if related, rule out it being a Cormorant but are no help for me to make a positive identification.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 12 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- *12 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- *4 Mute Swans
- 24 (15♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 75 (44♂) Tufted Duck
- 15 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 35 Black-headed Gulls
- *9 Herring Gulls: six adults; three immatures: many only briefly
- 1 Cormorant

Noted elsewhere:

Fungus:
- *Conifer Mazegill Gloeophyllum sepiarium

Plant:
- *possible Sambucus sp. (Elderberry) leaves sprouting

New Bird Species
One addition to the bird species on my site for here in 2025:
49 Common Buzzard

The Canada Geese formation team touch down.

One of last year's cygnet Mute Swans on finals.

Preparing for...

 ...splash down.

Not as neatly done as I it expect it planned. Much better than I could have managed.

An unusual backdrop for the flying drake Mallard – a house in Derwent Drive.

A second year Herring Gull.

What might be a third or fourth year Herring Gull – the dark smudges on the feathers at the bend of the wing indicate it is not a full adult. Pink legs and brighter pink feet at all ages for this species.

A distant Common Buzzard. My first here this year.

This fungus is almost certainly Conifer Mazegill Gloeophyllum sepiarium. I found it on the wooden railing along the West side. The rails does seem to be made from conifer wood.

These opening leaves were emerging from dense Ivy growth and I was not able to see more of the plant. Obsidentify gave me three choices none of which seemed at all likely as they were all large trees starting with Hornbeam. Google Lens suggested a Sambucus sp. (Elderberry) and that seems more likely with what looks like a small cluster of flowers showing.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
8 Pochard
(Gary Crowder)

2013
Priorslee Lake
8 Gadwall
26 Wigeon
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Common Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Mike Cooper)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Mediterranean Gull
(Roger Clay / Tom Lowe)

2011
Priorslee Lake
10 Pochard
16 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
<10 Pochard
c.50 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
1 Lapwing
1 Common Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
c.35 Herring Gulls
c.400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Glaucous Gull
c.25 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Jim and Jason)

2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
211 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
23 Herring Gulls
65 Black-headed Gulls
(Martin Adlam)

2007
Priorslee Lake
12 Pochard
26 Tufted Ducks
21 Robins
21 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
10 Cormorants
2 Gadwall
19 Pochard
89 Tufted Ducks
183 Coots
c.580 Black-headed Gulls
116 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
31 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
540 Wood Pigeon
169 Jackdaws
16 Wrens
10 Dunnocks
27 Robins
34 Blackbirds
2 Willow Tits
13 Greenfinches
40 Goldfinches
127 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)