Priorslee Lake, Trench Pool and Venus Pool, Shropshire, Great Britain.

A days birding with friend John Morgan around some old haunts.

Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus).

After arriving in the UK ysterday I got Jayne and Barb to drop me off at Priorslee lake where I had a look around the pool and in the first area of woodland near the M54.

Canada Goose (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis).

On the water I picked up several Mute Swans (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), dozens of Tufted Ducks (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and in the air and around the margins I added Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Rook (Graja /  Corvus frugilegus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and Blue Tits (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo). 

Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

A shower then drifted in and I walked back to the parking area and met John who turned up just in time to prevent me getting soaked.

Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea).

We had a chat and then headed a short way down the queens way to Trench Pool where there had been (and as I do this post it is still present) a Long-tailed Duck (Pato Havelda / Clangula hyemalis) but during the time we were there it had obviously moved to one of the many nearby smaller pools as we did not see the bird.

Rook (Graja /  Corvus frugilegus).

We did however see more Tufted Ducks, Great Crested and Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coots, Common Moorhens, Lesser-black Backed and Black-headed Gulls, Mute Swans, Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).

After spending some time searching the site we headed to Venus Pool, a site I have visited in the past many times.

Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citrinella).

We arrived and checked out the main hide which looked over the main pool, here we saw Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Tufted Duck, Mallard, Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Great Crested Grebe, Black-headed Gull, Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Grey  (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).

Our next stop was at the feeder hide but it was fairly quiet but we did see Blue, Great, Long-tailed and Coal Tits (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Dunnock, Common Chaffinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

We continued on around the reserve checking the two other hides but did not see anything new so we went and had a look out on the fields above the reserve.

Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

We walked along a long Hawthorn hedge where we saw very pleasing numbers of Yellowhammers (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citrinella), Reed Buntings (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Redwings (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus) and Fieldfares (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris). 

Thanks John for running me around during the day and the lift back to Albrighton, good to do some birding together again and hope it will not be as long before we meet up again.