11 Dec 17

Priorslee Lake

-5.0°C > -3.0°C: Remaining cloud clearing to SE; fine, crisp and cold. Lying snow. Moderate NW breeze. Good visibility

Sunrise: 08:11 GMT

Not the weather for an early start!

Priorslee Lake: 09:12 – 11:22

(157th visit of the year)

c.10% ice in sheltered NW areas. Sky had cleared late in night and the very cold temperatures were quite recent. Open water kept moving by the wind

Best bird today was another duck Goldeneye. The 3rd Goldeneye – 1 drake, 2 ducks – this winter for me here: a bird I do not see here every year

Notes from today:
- 4 additional adult Mute Swans again today. They did not want to leave
- 32 Canada Geese flew in. Swans were too busy to care. A party of 11 flew towards The Flash
- pair of Wigeon new in
- did not see the ‘spare’ drake Gadwall today but rather chilly on the dam to do complete scans – hence no Coot count
- Tufted Duck count also ‘best effort’ as they dived and moved around to avoid the battling swans
- not entirely sure how many Cormorants there were today. Did not see any fishing in the water. 2 appeared to be leaving. Then 4, and eventually 6, more all on similar path that could have come from Bayliss Pools alongside the M54. Certainly the party of 26 that flew over a few minutes later came from that way. Several later singles may have peeled off from these groups. I reckon at least 34 birds
- a female Kestrel flew W over the dam: my first record of this species here since 17 October
and
- not surprisingly there were no moths on the lamps

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 11 Canada Geese (1 group, inbound)
- >32 Cormorants (see notes)
- 1 Sparrowhawk (male)
- 2 Buzzards
- 1 Kestrel (female)
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 56 Wood Pigeons only
- 1 Fieldfare
- 2 Redwings
- 1 Linnet
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Started too late to see birds leaving roosts around the lake:

The counts from the lake area
- 6 + 3 Mute Swans again (see notes)
- 32 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 10 (5♂) Gadwall
- 23 (13♂) Mallard
- 9 (8♂) Pochard
- 62 (33♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂) Goldeneye
- 2+ Cormorants (see notes)
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen only
- [Coots not counted]
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Oh dear: six adult Mute Swans does not make for a peaceful morning.

The residents had work to do: the cob on the warpath again.

Here the pair work together.

Two try to escape: the bird on the right has a dull bill suggesting it is the younger bird. Talk about low flying!

Anchors out!

Here two adults look a bit amorous and clearly have the interest of the cygnets.

But they were not the parents and the resident cob was not happy with his children getting sex education.

It can get quite serious with more than just threats.

The bird on the right has an orange Darvic ring (not readable) so it was not ringed in Shropshire.

They always look surprised, though it probably was: a duck Goldeneye – wonder why it is called that?

A very distinctive head profile.

A study in black and white (with a bit of grey and blue).

Here is a little Goldcrest trying to find some parts not covered in snow where it can look for small insects and eggs. Sadly not sharp – they do move about a lot – but we see red on the crown, so the bird was clearly excited and had raised its crown feathers to expose the red bases.

These little sprites spend a lot of time hover-feeding, as here.

The crown feathers are still raised here.

A Blue Tit also at work trying to find food.

Taking a breather to check for danger perhaps.

A perky little Wren will be struggling to find food.

Well: a lot more snow and some more pictures will not go amiss of what has, recently, been a very rare occurrence. Branches bending under the weight of snow make the N-side path barely passable.

And the bulrushes are even more horizontal than they were.

Another north side view.

And the north west area.

Again with the blue sky behind.

Not often you see reeds with snow on them.

The Wesley Brook bridge: not my feet marks.

Real Christmas Card scene.

Can’t think of anything original to say!

Looking across to the northwest area.

And across to the north. Note how the taller trees have caught the wind and the snow has been blown off.

The south east area.

(Ed Wilson)

Also

Thank you to Mark Williams for the following photos.

Down at the sailing lake today I saw 2 Kingfishers and managed to get a better photo.

Canada Geese, Mallard and Tufted Duck

Mute Swans fighting.

Mute Swans fighting.

Mute Swans fighting.

Looking across the lake from one of the snow covered fishing pontoons.

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On this day..........

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
Scaup imm/fem
4 Yellow-legged Gull
(Gary Crowder)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow-legged Gull
8 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 duck Gadwall
3 Goosander
4 Teal
1 Wigeon
1 Redshank
8 Pochard.
55 Tufted Ducks 
1 Water Rail
172 Coots.
4 Great Black-backed Gulls . 
36 Redwings
42 Fieldfares
453 Jackdaws
64 Rooks
(John Isherwood/Roger Clay/Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
35 Mute Swans
1 drake Wigeon
1 duck Goldeneye
2 drake Shoveler
40 Tufted Duck
1 Common Gull
6 Herring Gull
163 Lesser Black-backed Gull
128 Black-headed Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
165 Coot
Lesser Black-backed Gull with a Dark Blue ring with Orange [red] numbers 567. This bird bred in Germany. 
(Martin Grant/Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Adult Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black necked Grebe
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Cormorants
18 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
27 Robins
23 Blackbirds
3 Fieldfares
2 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
750 Black-headed Gulls
1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Little Grebes
5 Great Crested Grebes
15 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
2 Redpolls
25 Siskins
15 Pied Wagtails
2 Redwings
32 Fieldfares
5 Reed Buntings
13 Robins
18 Blackbirds
11 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)