15 Jan 16

Priorslee Lake: 07:11 – 09:27
Location

Telford sunrise: 08:14

0.0°C > 1.0°C.  Mainly fine with a few light sleet / snow showers after overnight snow; moderate NNW wind; very good visibility; some ice at edges of lake; water at the highest level I can recall

(4th visit of the year)

One of those visits that makes getting up early for little reward more acceptable
- the Cetti’s Warbler gave a burst of full song pre-dawn (thereafter only occasional calls)
- a Water Rail called in the NW area (and later I saw one in the NE area)
- a drake Goldeneye appeared – my first here for several years
- a male Peregrine flew over
- a Great White Egret flew over: only my second-ever here
Other new birds for the site year list were Pied Wagtail, Jay and Goldcrest

Other notes
- at least 15 Great Crested Grebes present
- all duck numbers are ‘best effort’ from 'bitsa' counts all around the lake – rather to ‘fresh’ to stand on the dam and do sweep counts of the birds!
- dire number of Black-headed Gulls: just 7 on the water. Another 12 flew over high S
- big count of Jackdaws this morning: after c.200 flew S over the Ricoh grounds most of the other birds were flying high and well to the E
- most of the 68 Starlings seen leaving roosts did so from the ‘other’ E end with just a single bird in a roost in the NW area
- many Siskins over with just 4 noted in the alders in the NE area
and
- Rabbit prints seen in the snow. This species was once common here but it was October 2014 when I saw my last one here

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 1 Greylag Goose again
- 30 Canada Geese
- 2 (1?) Mallard again
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- >840 Jackdaws
- 36 Starlings
- 38 Rooks
- 3 Greenfinches
- >10 Siskin

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
- 67 Magpies
- 68 Starlings (3 groups)
- 8 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 10 (6?) Gadwall
- 10 (5?) Mallard
- 17 (15?) Pochard
- 60 (28?) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (1?) Goldeneye
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Great White Egret
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 15 Great Crested Grebes
- 20 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

(Ed Wilson)

A light dusting of snow this morning.

A snowy corner: the whole area is so wet that much of the snow melted on contact.

It was supposed to be a fine morning but here we see the snow showers in the distance.

Not often we get one these days so no apologies for another snowy view

One of the morning highlights: a drake Goldeneye, readily identifiable by the oval white spot on the cheek. But the head-shape is also distinctive.

Another view: while the light was somewhat better the contrast was greater and the overall result is hardly better! Shows why it is called ‘Golden’eye though.

Another highlight: rather a ‘grab shot’ as it flew over between trees but enough to identify as a Great White Egret. Apart from size note the yellow bill, the long neck held in a curve, the large feet and in particular the feet are not yellow as they would be in a Little Egret.

This drake Pochard was having a good preen. Perhaps, following on from Goldeneye, it out to be ‘Fire-eye’! Note the fine vermiculations on the back feathers.

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

The Flash:  09:29 – 10:14

(3rd visit of the year)

Notes
- Kingfisher, Carrion Crow, Raven and House Sparrow were all new at this site this year for me

Counts of birds flying over the water
- 39 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 38 (26?) Mallard
- 1 (1) Pochard
- 52 (34?) Tufted Duck
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 22 Coots
- 44 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in 2006,  2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Velvet Scoter
3 Scaup
10 Pochard
87 Tufted Duck
2 Goosander
121 Coot
23 Herring Gull
4 Great Black-backed Gull
181 Lesser Black-backed Gull
157 Black-headed Gull
Kingfisher
(Gary Crowder, Chris Cameron)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Greater Scaup
4 Gadwall
1 Goldeneye
82 Tufted Ducks 
15 Pochard
143 Coots
1 Dunlin
Great Black-backed Gull
3 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
184 Jackdaws
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Mike Cooper, John Isherwood)

The Flash
29 Tufted Duck 
8 Goosanders 
14 Goldfinches
(Ed Wilson)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
Caspian Gull
Yellow-legged Gull.
(Observer Unknown)

2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
19 Pochard
22 Tufted Duck
2 Goosanders
14 Magpie
1 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Mediterranean Gull
2 Yellow legged Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
20 Herring Gull
100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
80 Black-headed Gulls
c. 60 Tufted Duck 
9 Pochard
(Mike Cooper, Andy Latham)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull

(Geoff Holmes) 

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
8 Cormorants
11 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
>252 Black-headed Gulls
>66 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
23 Herring Gulls
200 Wood Pigeons
35 Robins
15 Blackbirds
76 Fieldfares
17 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
39 Magpies
217 Jackdaws
175 Rooks
11 Greenfinches
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake

9 Cormorants
200 Wood Pigeons
11 Great Crested Grebes
11 Pochard
24 Tufted Duck
243 Coot
1 Water Rail
236 Jackdaws
216 Rooks
33 Siskins
15 Pied Wagtails
24 Robins
19 Blackbirds
8 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)