Location
Telford sunrise: 07:20
Before I start: some 250 photos I took on my recent birding trip to Bolivia are now available via the Readers Corner tab on this web-site Here.
9.0°C > 12.5°C. Started with scattered cloud below a medium overcast; cloud increased with showery light rain after 08:45. Moderate S wind, veering and increasing fresh SW wind with some stronger gusts. Very good visibility
Another rain affected day
Potential bad news of the day affects Trench Lock. Notices on the lamp posts tell of a planning application for “Erection of 18no. semi detached and 3no. detached dwellings and widening of off-site localised road to create passing places and improvements on the “land adjacent to the Blue Pig”. Capewell Road is the ‘localised road’ to be improved. This is bound to mean increased disturbance. The belt of trees along the S side of the pool is shown on the application as remaining (it will block the view from the new houses so perhaps someone will have a bright idea?). Comments on the planning application are due by 24 November. You can see the application using reference at TWC/2015/0949
On with the logs
(138th visit of the year)
Notes
- all the geese were logged ‘outbound’ but 2 small groups of Canada Geese were flying N – neither ‘outbound’ nor ‘inbound’ but as this was pre-dawn I assume they were outbound from somewhere else
- the small Wood Pigeon passage took place later than usual. The largest party of c.160 birds either came from the conifers between the estate and the open area behind the academy; or, perhaps more likely, the birds were flying low against the windy conditions
- 2 Meadow Pipits flew in from the E and dropped in to the long grass in the SW area
- just 1 Pied Wagtail over: September’s roost dispersal from / over Ricoh seems to have stopped and in the last few days birds have been flying NW, perhaps from the usual roost at the M54 Services
- no big Jackdaw group again, today a steady passage of small groups. Somewhat unusually a significant proportion of these contained an odd number of birds – when not in big groups this species is usually obviously in pairs
- Rooks mostly missing yet again
- 4 groups of Starlings seen leaving roosts in the reeds: and more overhead
- Cetti’s Warbler vocal again but this morning only after 07:40
- passage of Fieldfare and Redwings again. At least 6 more Redwings seen leaving trees around the lake (I visited the traditional roost site in the NE area but there were no Redwings there)
- rather few finches seen over today – too windy? (perhaps too much road noise to hear them – the resurfacing does not seem to delivered the lower noise-level promised)
and
- a Mottled Umber moth on the lamps
- a Mottled Umber moth on the lamps
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 94 (6 groups) Greylag Geese
- 20 (3 groups) Canada Geese
- 102 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 6 Feral Pigeons (2 groups)
- 4 Stock Doves
- c.190 Wood Pigeons (3 migrant groups)
- 148 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 99 Starlings (3 groups)
- 241 Fieldfare (9 groups)
- 39 Redwings (14 groups)
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Chaffinch
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- c.25 Magpies
- 73 Starling (4 groups)
- 6 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 12 (6♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 53 (27♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Little Grebes
- 10 Great Crested Grebes
- 30 Moorhens
- 249 Coots
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull
(Ed Wilson)
- 94 (6 groups) Greylag Geese
- 20 (3 groups) Canada Geese
- 102 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 6 Feral Pigeons (2 groups)
- 4 Stock Doves
- c.190 Wood Pigeons (3 migrant groups)
- 148 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 99 Starlings (3 groups)
- 241 Fieldfare (9 groups)
- 39 Redwings (14 groups)
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Chaffinch
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- c.25 Magpies
- 73 Starling (4 groups)
- 6 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (3♂) Gadwall
- 12 (6♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 53 (27♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Little Grebes
- 10 Great Crested Grebes
- 30 Moorhens
- 249 Coots
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:24 – 10:02
Location
(95th visit of the year)
Notes
- most of the geese presumably still out in the fields: certainly not here!
- first Goosanders of the season for me here: there seems to be some correlation between their presence here and the River Severn being in spate and therefore perhaps too discoloured for fishing?
- the 2 Stock Doves over were my first of the year at this site
- >110 Wood Pigeons flying low over heading SW: presumed migrants even though they were rather low (due to strong wind? low cloud?); and at the late time of 09:55 (this species usually stops passing by 09:00)
- not counted but a larger number of Jackdaws passing in small parties mirrored their behaviour at the lake (q.v.)
Birds noted flying over
- 2 Stock Doves
- >100 Wood Pigeons
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 3 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 30 (18♂) Mallard
- 38 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes: adult and immature
- 6 Moorhens
- 13 Coots
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(95th visit of the year)
Notes
- most of the geese presumably still out in the fields: certainly not here!
- first Goosanders of the season for me here: there seems to be some correlation between their presence here and the River Severn being in spate and therefore perhaps too discoloured for fishing?
- the 2 Stock Doves over were my first of the year at this site
- >110 Wood Pigeons flying low over heading SW: presumed migrants even though they were rather low (due to strong wind? low cloud?); and at the late time of 09:55 (this species usually stops passing by 09:00)
- not counted but a larger number of Jackdaws passing in small parties mirrored their behaviour at the lake (q.v.)
Birds noted flying over
- 2 Stock Doves
- >100 Wood Pigeons
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 3 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 30 (18♂) Mallard
- 38 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes: adult and immature
- 6 Moorhens
- 13 Coots
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Lock Pool: 10:11 – 10:20 // 10: 50 – 11:00
Location
(45th visit of the year)
Notes
Did not seem to be much about and it was raining so I did not walk around today
Birds noted flying over
Location
(45th visit of the year)
Notes
Did not seem to be much about and it was raining so I did not walk around today
Birds noted flying over
None
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese
- 30 (18♂) Mallard [same as at The Flash]
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 7 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 154 Coots
- 48 Black-headed Gulls
- 53 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese
- 30 (18♂) Mallard [same as at The Flash]
- 3 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 7 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 154 Coots
- 48 Black-headed Gulls
- 53 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Middle Pool: 10:25 – 10:45
Location
(18th visit of the year)
Notes
- most of the geese from here were presumably also still out in the fields
- Tufted Duck numbers more normal after high counts all autumn
- just 1 Great Crested Grebe seen: an adult
Birds noted flying over
None
(18th visit of the year)
Notes
- most of the geese from here were presumably also still out in the fields
- Tufted Duck numbers more normal after high counts all autumn
- just 1 Great Crested Grebe seen: an adult
Birds noted flying over
None
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans (blue 7FTX and 7HSZ)
- 13 Canada Geese
- 14 (9♂) Mallard
- 8 feral Mallard-type ducks
- 14 (6♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 12 Moorhens
- 21 Coots
- 104 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
1 Pochard
60 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
235 Coots
7 Song Thrushes
118 Fieldfare
30 Redwings
466 Jackdaws
139 Rooks
c.450 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
4 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
1 Pochard
60 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
235 Coots
7 Song Thrushes
118 Fieldfare
30 Redwings
466 Jackdaws
139 Rooks
c.450 Starlings from roost
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
c.100 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall.
8 Pochard
18 Tufted Ducks.
153 Coots.
c.500 Black-heeaded Gulls
c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
10 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
118 Wood Pigeons
103 Redwings
154 Fieldfares
809 Jackdaws
201 Rooks
7 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
Location
1 Pink-footed Goose
c.100 Greylag Geese
41 Canada Geese
41 Tufted Duck
12 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Yellow legged Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)
c.100 Greylag Geese
3 Gadwall.
8 Pochard
18 Tufted Ducks.
153 Coots.
c.500 Black-heeaded Gulls
c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
10 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
118 Wood Pigeons
103 Redwings
154 Fieldfares
809 Jackdaws
201 Rooks
7 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
Location
1 Pink-footed Goose
c.100 Greylag Geese
41 Canada Geese
41 Tufted Duck
12 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Yellow legged Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
28 Pochard
65 Tufted Duck
46 Greenfinches
5 Fieldfares
11 Redwings
12 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
Location
2 Goosanders
1 Pochard
45 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Great Black-backed Gull
1 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
2 Wigeon
Peregrine Falcon
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
23 Pochard
75 Tufted Ducks
950+ Black-headed Gulls
1204+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
499 Wood Pigeons
11 Meadow Pipits
23 Robins
23 Blackbirds
13 Fieldfares
4 Song Thrushes
18 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
321 Jackdaws
241 Rooks
22 Greenfinches
9 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)