6 Mar 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

1.0°C > 8.0°C: Clear but hazy. A calm start with light / moderate southerly breeze developing. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:45 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 09:20

(54th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- four small ducks (Teal? Tufted Duck?) were seen in flight at 06:05. They may or may not have been birds from or to the lake.
- six Great Crested Grebes. As usual too some finding at times and I don't think I missed any. Two pairs.
- an Oystercatcher was on the south-west grass at 08:00 at least. I did not see or hear it arrive or leave.
- two Great (White) Egrets present for some time before one was chased away.
- I hope I have the split between Jackdaws (107) and Rooks (168) correct. Passage of apparently mixed groups started before 06:00 with birds distant in still low light levels.
- now two Chiffchaffs singing: one in the north-west area where it has been for a week or so. The other heard singing from across the other side of Castle Fame Way.
- a month ago I was noting 12 or 13 singing Song Thrushes. Now only five or six. Were the others winter visitors that have now left us?
- two Mistle Thrushes were again on the south-west grass. At c.08:45.
- just one Reed Bunting calling and then singing at the West end.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose: outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: outbound together
- 1 Feral Pigeon: an all-white bird
- 54 Wood Pigeons
- 18 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 107 Jackdaws
- 168 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 13 Canada Geese: of these a pair and a trio arrived; and a quartet departed
- 1 Mute Swan: plus one dead
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhen
- 65 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Oystercatcher
- 11 Black-headed Gulls
- 20 Herring Gulls
- 24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants: arrived individually
- *2 Great (White) Egret: one chased away
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

Seen later:

Nothing

On the street lamp poles pre dawn:

Nothing noted

An amazing glow pre-dawn but with no clouds, just haze, to provide the colour.

A distant record shot, taken from the dam, of the Oystercatcher on the south-west grass.

One of four Cormorants that dropped in. The fishermen will be please. They call them "black death".

Legs akimbo the two Great (White) Egrets begin to spar.

Some photos of each of them as they flew around.

I lost track of which was which.

They looked the same anyway.

One heads off.

"So what did you have for breakfast?" Can almost see inside this Wren.

A very scruffy-looking tail on this bird.

Open wide...

....wider..

 ...wider still. It is not just the tail that looks as if it could do with a good preen.

Very loud for such a small bird.

A smart male Greenfinch catches the morning sun.

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane area:

I paid my first visit of the year here. It was very quiet.

Ponds
In the two ponds / storm overflows for the new estate I noted
- 10 (8♂) Mallard: they had all flown off when I passed back

In the lane
- 2 Yellowhammers were moving between trees ahead of me

That was about it. no Pheasants, no Skylarks, no wagtails, no Linnets and just one calling Chaffinch being the only finch. The singing Chiffchaff around the sluice exit could be heard from the dam top and so is included in the main list.

*Also noted were my first Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna flowers this year.

A small copse in the middle of a field against the sunrise.

A misty view down Woodhouse Lane. Now permanently a no-through road used only by farm machinery in order to access just three fields.

Looking rather battered and frosted are these Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna flowers on the verge.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:20

(52nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- definite reduction in Tufted Duck numbers (as there had been, less obviously, at the Balancing Lake).
- no gulls noted: all gone?
- I was told a Grey Heron had been seen alongside one of the bridges some 15 minutes before I arrived.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- *16 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- *3 Mute Swans
- *20 (12♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard [’Aylesbury Duck’]
- no Pochard
- 37 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- no gulls
- 2 Cormorants

Of note:

Nothing else

A Canada Goose makes a noisy approach.

Last year's Mute Swan cygnets fly strongly and usually stay close together.

Lord and Lady Mallard survey the scene from a rood in Westcroft Walk.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
9 Pochard
9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c80 Black-headed Gulls
(Gary Crowder)

Telford Central Railway Station
35 Redwing
(Gary Crowder)

Horsehay Pool
1 Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2013
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site:
2 Glaucous Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
(Kris Webb)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
15 Pochard
54 Tufted Duck
c.1200 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c.420 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.30 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
10 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock
2 Little Grebes
30 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Pochard
6 Goosanders
4 Pale Brindled Beauty moths
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
34 Greylag Geese
9 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
775 Black-headed Gulls
488 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
28 Robins
19 Blackbirds
8 Song Thrushes
1 Redwing
1 Willow Tit
41 Magpies
250 Jackdaws
100 Rooks
4 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
22 Pochard
63 Tufted Ducks
164 Coots
600 Wood Pigeons
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
84 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
9 Herring Gulls
21 Robins
24 Blackbirds
9 Song Thrushes
3 Willow Tits
11 Greenfinches
15 Siskins
17 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

5 Mar 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

1.0°C > 5.0°C: Broken medium-high cloud giving an impressive sunrise. Another calm start with light south-westerly breeze developing. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:47 GMT

Other calls on my time today. There will be photos later – honest!

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 09:25

(53rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the duck(?) Pochard not seen.
- nine Great Crested Grebes. Four pairs.
- after several days without either Grey Heron or Great (White) Egret both were present today and another Great (White) Egret flew over.
- very few Black-headed Gulls: more flying over than visiting (gone from The Flash too)
- I assume the same Reed Bunting as yesterday started calling from deep in the reeds at the West end at 06:40 and five minutes later had started to sing. At c.06:50 it flew off high East. What was therefore almost certainly another individual was singing along the South side at c.06:55 and thereafter.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Greylag Geese: inbound together
- 31 Wood Pigeons
- 10 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 144 Jackdaws
- 132 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 11 Canada Geese: of these two pairs arrived; and a quintet departed
- 1 Mute Swan: plus one dead
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 12 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhen
- 59 Coots
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Herring Gulls
- 45 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived individually
- 1 Great (White) Egret
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Kingfisher

Seen later:

Nothing

Street Lamp Poles
Nothing noted pre dawn

Not only the best sunrise of the year (so far) but one of the best I can remember. Deep red across much of the sky well ahead of the sun being anywhere near being visible.

As wider perspective as I could take.

From the West end zoomed in on as the trees the other side of Castle Farm Way are silhouetted against the red sky.

And zooming out again.

Quite spectacular.

Even after the sun was just about to rise and the colour was fading there was an interesting cloud effect.

Well that is a problem. I though I would be able to read the Mute Swan's ring and therefore determine what is the sex of the survivor. Seems it is only half the ring and its reflection and '7J...' tells me nothing useful.

A posing duck Mallard. She is showing the white-bordered and black-edged blue speculum in her wing particularly clearly.

A Grey Heron standing in a favourite spot in the Wesley Brook. The long dangling feathers (aigrettes) and the bright bill indicate it is in breeding condition. This is an early-nesting species and its partner is likely on eggs at a nest in a communal heronry.

 "Here's looking at you kid".

A reflective pose. The heron did not seem unduly concerned by appearing on camera,

An unsuccessful jab for a meal.

Now here is a surprise. Now I look at the photo the fly-over egret yesterday was a Little Egret and not as I thought and logged a Great (White) Egret. The bill is black and not yellow; and the legs do not stick out far enough. It should show yellow feet but these are not apparent as the bird is too far away and taken against the light. It becomes bird species #72 for me here this year.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:35

(51st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- goose numbers are likely under-recorded as pairs take to nests on the island and are difficult to view
- yesterday's additional pair of Mute Swans had gone.
- no Pochard found.
- I surmise that the brief visits (so far) by Great Crested Grebes suggests that there are few small fish for them to eat. It probably also explains why the Goosanders have been scarce all winter – serves then right for scoffing them in the hundreds a few years ago! Tufted Ducks, Coots etc. eat vegetable matter and not fish.
- two Stock Doves were in a tree on the island.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 3 Mute Swans
- 21 (14♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard [’Aylesbury Duck’]
- no Pochard
- 48 (33♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- 31 Coots
- 3 Herring Gulls: two adults, briefly; one un-aged immature
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly
- no Cormorant

Of note:

Nothing else

The all-white drake feral Mallard, commonly known as an Aylesbury Duck is a strong flyer. If it was ever in captivity its clipped wings have long since grown full-sized replacements.

At long range. Two Stock Doves on the island. The iridescent patches on the neck show well. Note too the black marks across the centre of the folded wing.

A first year Herring Gull unusually still sporting an all-black bill. At this date most show some pale at the base.

An unusually dark Common Buzzards. This species has a wide range of tones from almost white to almost all dark brown. Most are somewhat paler than this one.

With a glint in its eye.

As usual a Carrion Crow is none too pleased with its presence on the crow's territory and seeks to persuade it elsewhere.

The adult Lesser Black-backed Gull that was present joins in the pursuit.

There is a little known law that means I have to take a photo of any Long-tailed Tit I come across.

Well: actually a photo or two...

 ...or three.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Horsehay Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
20 Goosander
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Paul King)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
4 Great Crested Grebes
2 Pochard
21 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
4 Great Crested Grebes
8 Pochard
51 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
6 Gadwall
28 Pochard
57 Tufted Duck
c.1000 Black-headed Gulls
55 Magpies
1 Linnet
2 Siskin
12 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
c.200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.10 Herring Gulls
2 Common Gulls
9 Mute Swans
12 Tufted Duck
8 Great Crested Grebe
(Mike Cooper)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
1 Cormorant
11 Pochard
90 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
607 Wood Pigeon
11 Greenfinches
23 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

4 Mar 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

1.0°C > 9.0°C: Clear to start with mist rolling in from the East for a short while. Then clear again with just thin high cloud to the West. Another calm start with light / moderate south-westerly wind developing. Very good visibility but poor during the short misty period.

Sunrise: 06:50 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:15

(52nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- at least seven Canada Geese: a pair was seen to depart; a pair and a quintet arrived.
- one adult Mute Swan and the dead body of its partner.
- what seems to be the same duck(?) Pochard seen again. Has it been lurking unseen for a few days?
- a Goosander flew West at 06:40. I think a drake but there was still not enough light to be certain
- a Woodcock flushed off the South side grassy area c.06:15 heading towards the M54.
- eight Great Crested Grebes. Three pairs.
- many more gulls today. At least 50 large gulls were on the water by 06:10 when it was still too dark to pick out any Herring Gulls among them. Later a group of eight immature Herring Gulls visited.
- there were at least 100 Black-headed Gulls by 06:30. None was seen after 07:00.
- the Jackdaws and Rooks probably passed over unseen during the misty period.
- a Chiffchaff was singing near the Teece Drive gate c.07:00. Later one was heard calling in the same general area with a brief sighting of a silent bird later still. Likely all the same individual.
- a Reed Buntings started calling from deep in the reeds at the West end at 06:40 and five minutes later had just about begun to string a few notes of its desultory song together, continuing to stay hidden..

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Canada Geese: one flew South; a quartet inbound
- *2 Greylag Geese: outbound together (same as yesterday?)
- 1 (♂?) Goosander
- 17 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 9 Jackdaws
- no Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 7+ Canada Geese: see notes
- 1 Mute Swan: plus *one killed?
- 5 (3♂) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- *1 (0♂) Pochard
- 15 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhen
- 63 Coots
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Herring Gulls
- c.50 Lesser Black-backed Gull-types
- 4 Cormorants: arrived individually

Seen later:

Nothing

Noted on the street lamp poles pre dawn:

Moths:
*1 Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria

Ugh! What more can I say.

Beginning to clear.

Sunrise.

 Beautifully sunny later with just thin high cloud encroaching from the West.

Two Greylag Geese. Two flew across about the same time yesterday: the same pair?

The dead Mute Swan has been in the water for at least 24 hours so it could have been attacked by e.g. a Pike Esox lucius, but I suspect this wound was deliberately inflicted by person(s) unknown.

 The Pochard never seems to tyre (sic!) of resting near here.

There are too many Magpies around and there are too many collective nouns for groups of Magpies. I have recently noted a number of these gatherings outside the communal roost locations. I recall reading that these are thought often to be young birds looking for mates. Swapping between families is a way of strengthening the gene pool.

A distant view of yet another Long-tailed Tit with nesting material. A third site here.

This morning's Dotted Border moth Agriopis marginaria. The cross-lines on the wings of this specimen are less clear but the 'dotted border' is more obvious.

Willow catkins ("pussy willow") about to open.

More flowers of Blackthorn Prunus spinosa . The strange thing is that these flowers were in deep shade alongside Teece Drive and the Wesley Brook whereas most of the plants around the lake, many in the open, have yet to show any flowers. Perhaps the warmer micro-climate from the shelter and water off-sets the lack of direct sun. (Mr. Google now with improved AI!) tells me all Blackthorns are the same species but there are different varieties. Helpful: not.

Planes of the day travelling together.

FlightRadar24 data for one: note the height as 37000'.

FR24 data for the other flying at 39000' - typical separation is 2000' with odd-numbered heights when southbound. Northbound flights would use even numbered heights - 36000' or 38000' though the corresponding airways would also be laterally off-set.

And something I have never noted previously. The aircraft are on EXACTLY the same heading - you can see the trail of the Ryanair Boeing inside the trail of the IT Airways Airbus aircraft towards the top of the view. Such is the accuracy of navigation via GPS along the same airway.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:30

(50th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- another pair of Mute Swans present (that was quick) causing some consternation to the residents.
- I surmise that some Mallard are now hidden away at nest sites, hence the lower number recorded.
- no Great Crested Grebes seen.
- it is likely that many Black-headed Gulls have left for their breeding grounds. They typically breed on islands on inland lakes and are not "sea gulls".

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- *5 Mute Swans: see notes
- *21 (14♂) Mallard
- *1 (1♂) feral Mallard [’Aylesbury Duck’]
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 53 (35♂) Tufted Duck
- 15 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebe
- no Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: un-aged immatures departed together
- 1 Cormorant

Of note:

Nothing apart from:
*1 Dandelion sp. probably Taraxacum officinale: my first of the year

All five Mute Swans here. The two immatures from last year last year are in the foreground. To left and right are the new arrivals with the surviving resident adult in the middle trying to persuade them to leave. If I am correct that the survivor is the pen perhaps she only wants the visiting pen to leave!

After many months of absence the all-white feral Mallard or ’Aylesbury Duck’ seems to be becoming a regular again. Not easy to overlook!

That, Mrs. Mallard, is where the Grey Heron sits (not that he has been around for several weeks).

And that is not a very elegant departure.

My first flower of a Dandelion sp. probably Taraxacum officinale: the taxonomy of this 'species' is a minefield with some authorities suggesting there are hundreds of individual species. The seeds from the 'clocks' produce clones of the single parent and no cross-pollination occurs. Which sounds OK except how did so many species evolve? Answers.... Dandelion is a corruption of the French "dent de lion" meaning "lion's tooth", referring to the leaf shape. I have never looked that closely at a lion.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
13 Cormorants
4 Greylag Geese
22 Tufted Duck
5 Sand Martins
6 Redwings
8 Chiffchaffs
>500 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
50 Tufted Ducks
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
7 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
1 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Mediterranean Gull.
Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull.
>1500 Black-headed Gulls
2 Redwings
65 Magpies
25 Siskins
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
6 Swans
2 Pochard
85 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Buzzards
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebe
4 Gadwall
36 Tufted Duck
c.160 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebe
3 Greylag Geese
32 Tufted Duck

Trench
1 Cormorant
43 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Ringed Plover
1 Cormorant
1 Mallard x Pintail
18 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Kittiwake
33 Wren
29 Robin
24 Blackbird
3 Chiffchaff
39 Magpie
3 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
1 Snipe
3 Chiffchaff
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Barn Owl
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shoveler
30 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
321 Wood Pigeons
2 Skylarks
5 Meadow Pipits
33 Wrens
21 Robins
21 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
3 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Tit
18 Greenfinches
8 Siskins
1 Linnet
6 Reed Buntings
1 Yellowhammer.
(Ed Wilson)