16 Dec 25

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake:  

6.0°C > 7.0°C:  Low cloud and mist, lifting slowly. Light north-westerly wind. Poor visibility, becoming moderate.

[Sunrise:  08:16 GMT]

No photos again today.

Have I mentioned the Telford micro-climate?. I delayed my start until after the rain stopped and the school-run. I left Newport in bright sun until coming up Limekiln Bank from Donnington, and then...

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:15 – 10:45

(304th visit of the year)

From the dam-top area only again. Very very quiet. I left in disgust

Bird notes:
- where were all the gulls?
- a Great (White) Egret seemed to be getting along fine with one of the two Grey Herons. It either departed while my attention was elsewhere or stepped in to the reeds and disappeared.

Counts from the lake area:
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- 30 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 39 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Black-headed Gulls only
- no Herring Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls only
- 3 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egrets

(Ed Wilson)

-------------------------------------

The Flash: 09:20 – 10:05

(298th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- no drake Shoveler seen.
- no Goosander noted.
- I really must make a concerted effort to get an accurate count of the Coots. Numbers seem very low (as they do at the Balancing Lake). Why so few this year? Food shortage?
- where have all the gulls gone here as well?
- the Great (White) Egret not seen: replaced by another large white bird – an adult Mute Swan!

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- 27 (18♂) Mallard
- 6 (3♂) Pochard
- 34 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- no Goosander
- 11 Moorhens only
- 37 Coots: see notes
- 4 Great Crested Grebes still
- 10 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Herring Gull very briefly
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret: arrived

Around the area:

Nothing noted

(Ed Wilson)