2012

5th February - Ring-billed Gull Hybrid (Cont) -

View from Ed Wilson - The identification of the Ring-billed Gull, first located on Friday, has now been questioned with some of the more subtle features suggesting perhaps some genes from another gull species. I did not see the bird yesterday when the dull but flat light apparently gave it a rather different appearance from when it was seen under bright, low winter light. My own view is that most of us have seen too few Ring-billed Gulls at this time of year to be certain that is not within the natural variability of that species. The pictures have been sent to experts in the USA where these birds should be right now. It had not been seen today. But whatever it turns out to be it was a instructive bird and the challenge of looking hard at gulls was rewarded with a 2nd / 3rd winter Herring Gull-type showing an all-dark bill when it should have extensive pale at the base. This needs follow up as well.

View from Martin Grant:
The Hybrid Ring-billed Gull found at Priorslee could almost be the same individual as seen on these two website's: Gull Research and Larus Fuscus Blogspot (although it was in Spain two months ago).

View from Ed Wilson:

Had long chats to various folk at the lake this morning as we looked at the 1st winter Glaucous Gull! As you say doubts have been raised over the Ringed-bill Gull and it MAY be a hybrid but in my view the other parent is not likely to have been a Lesser Black-backed Gull. There seem to be three features that have raised doubts:
- the mantle colour being too dark
- the bill being too small
- the legs not being yellow enough

When I saw the bird it was bright sun and the first and last were hard to judge accurately (though in fact the legs should be 'pale', not 'yellow'!. The bill looked OK to me for a female. I especially noted the different tone to the tip and the base, though that is not mentioned in all the literature but was a feature I noted on the very first RBG I saw in Cornwall years ago. The doubters all saw the bird yesterday when the light was poor but much better for judging colour's: so they may be right. What I suggested, and what has been done, is that the pix be sent to US gull experts to see what their thoughts are. My thoughts about the 'hybrid' theory are
- it seemed to me that while the mantle might have been slightly darker than a Black-headed Gull it was not as dark as a Common Gull would have been so the other parent is unlikely to have been a Lesser Black
- however unlikely a Ring-billed Gull might be inland in the UK then a hybrid Ring-billed x anything must be many times more unlikely. (Though I accept that any RBG 'trapped' this side of the Atlantic might in desperation mate with almost anything!)

I think we don't have enough experience to say for sure. I have seen 100s of Ring-billed Gulls but mainly in the US where they are common and you just glance at them and move on. (Ed Wilson)

4th February - Ring-billed Gull Hybrid (Cont) -

View from Steve Nuttall: I arrived this afternoon at Priorslee to see the adult Ring-Billed Gull that was seen the day before. I was greeted by Andy Latham and Chris Webb saying the were not happy with the bird. The bird was sat on the ice and it was immediately obvious that the mantle was too dark, being a similar shade to Common Gull or Yellow-legged Gull. The bird also appeared on the large side, being not much smaller than the surrounding Lesser Black-backed Gulls. However, the bill, eye and leg colour all seemed to fit Ring-billed Gull. Also the wing pattern appeared ok for Ring-billed Gull. Those that were present, were in agreement that the bird was probably a hybrid, possibly with a Lesser Black-backed Gull. I was very glad I went to see this bird. Very educational and a complete eye opener. (Steve Nuttall)

View from Tom Lowe: We considered the possibility of (the more likely) Common x Ring-billed Gull, but the large size and even darker mantle perhaps rule that out. A known example can be seen here on Birding Frontiers (Tom Lowe)

3rd February - Ring-billed Gull Hybrid -

Another try for the Glaucous Gull. That failed but the finding of an adult Ring-billed Gull was probably even better. Roger Clay had been present since 10:00 and reading the codes on the few ringed birds amongst the thousands of gulls standing around on the ice. An expert in this he managed some 35 individuals wearing rings from Iceland, Norway and Denmark as well as, more prosaically, Gloucester landfill tip and Bristol – even the London area. During this detailed examination he spotted a mainly sleeping winter adult gull with a clearly ringed bill and heavy streaking on the head. It was some while before we were able to get all the necessary features to clinch the ID – the greenish legs; the pale eye; the stronger bill than would be shown by a Common Gull; the mantle paler than a Common Gull but slightly darker than many Herring Gulls and with rather‘soft' looking plumage, the feathers blowing in the very light wind; as well as the size, rather smaller than even a small female Herring Gull. This was a great spot by Roger especially as he had no previous experience with the species or any idea that one might be present. This somewhat diverted us from looking at the other gulls but noted - an adult Common Gull: it looked amazingly different from the Ring-billed Gull and we all wondered why we ever needed to eliminate it as a possibility.

Images of Ring-billed Gull Hybrid courtesy of Martin Grant

Images of Ring-billed Gull Hybrid courtesy of Ed Wilson

Note: A big thank you to Roger Clay who found the adult winter Ring-billed Gull while reading gull rings at the Lake. All those assembled in another fruitless search for the Glaucous Gull had great views for about an hour before it flew off high N. It might still be in the area. This was a splendid lifer for Roger; the bird initially asleep in amongst 1000s of other gulls. Well done Roger from all of those present today.

2nd February - Herring Gull with leg Ring - Today I recorded 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a Herring Gull with rings on their legs as they stood on the ice. The Herring Gull had an orange darvic ring on its left leg with 1665 in black letters. Further investigation revealed that the first sighting of this bird was several years ago as an adult, as part of a study looking at gull movements around west London between reservoirs and landfills. This bird was ringed at Gerrards Cross landfill, near High Wycombe, Berkshire. The details are as follows:

21 Jan 04 @ 15:00hrs GN77068 HERGU adult Grid Ref. SU9589

18th January - Friends of Priorslee Lake Update on Wesley Brook - Following the very dry autumn and the low water levels Severn Trent have been under pressure from the Environmental Agency about increasing the water flow out of Priorslee lake. We have been in touch with the Severn Trent Public Access Co-ordinator about their plans. We made sure they understood our views on the wildlife value the different habitats around the lake. The planned work, which seeks to increase the flow in to the lake along the feeder stream, the Wesley Brook, in now just about complete. No more clearance of wood / scrub is expected. We particular emphasised the value of the reed beds and our on-going concerns after last Spring's ill-timed removal of reed by the Water Sports Association where they sought to ease the manoeuvring of their boats to the landing stage. As we understand it they will be maintaining the reeds to their current outline. The fishermen wish to keep open access to their 'pegs' along the N side and will trim the reeds, again to their current outline. They are well aware that this must not be done during the breeding season. We have useful contacts with ST and with the anglers and hope we can work together to respect our various interests and responsibilities in this valuable asset for the enjoyment of everyone”

9th January - Wesley Brook (Dredging) - Dredging and straightening of Wesley Brook downstream of the footbridge has now been undertaken, with further vegetation removed upstream. Cut logs, from previously felled trees, not yet removed but scheduled to be so. Visibility along stream and into western reedbed much improved but whether sufficient cover now remains to attract many birds to this formerly productive area remains to be seen.

4th January - Wesley Brook (Latest News) - Latest news in is that Severn Trent has been advised by the Environment Agency that the year round flow rate of Wesley Brook, particularly downstream of the Lake, must be improved. Accordingly a further large tree has been cut down, adjacent to the west reed bed, and vegetation removed upstream of the footbridge. Additionally next Monday (9 Jan) a mini digger is to be used by contractors, under Severn Trent supervision, to essentially dredge the brook from the footbridge down to the Lake itself. Subsequently work is to be undertaken at the dam to remove a build up of silt that that has developed there. On the positive side, if there is one, Severn Trent believe there will be no need to remove any further trees and will try to ensure minimum damage to the reed bed next Monday (to a large degree though this is too late) - also it is Severn Trent's intention to maintain the current vegetation free state of the dam which should improve it's attractiveness to Wagtails, Waders, Wheatear etc. all of which have become increasingly scarce in recent years.

2012

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2011

8th November - Trees Cut Down (Latest News) - This is the reply from Severn Trent with regards the tree felling at Wesley Brook: "It had been identified by my operational colleagues who manage the lake that the trees, and surrounding vegetation, were impeding the flow of the stream into the lake thus contributing to the low water levels. This is the reason why some of the trees in that area have had to be removed. You will be aware that the operational function of the lake is a priority above all else and I can assure you that the work has been carried out by professional grounds maintenance contractors at the right time of the year."

4th November - Trees Cut Down (Latest News) - No further work done at west end of Lake - in total believe 4 trees have been felled, 1 large on north side of Wesley Brook and 3 medium on south side.

2nd November - Trees Cut Down (Latest News) - A visit to the Lake this afternoon revealed that at least one more tree has been felled on the south side of Wesley Brook, opposite the tree already felled.  Are there any more are scheduled to be cut ?

1st November - Trees Cut Down (Latest News) - A visit was made today to look at the tree which has been felled.  It has plainly been felled and cut into logs by a professional.  It has holes in the trunk and I am guessing that the tree was considered to be in a dangerous condition and has been felled on behalf of Severn Trent.  I am awaiting a response to an enquiry with them. At the scene it appears only one tree has been felled and it had a number of trunks rising out of its base, so it probably covered quite an area.  It is a shame when any mature tree is felled but if there is doubt over its condition, safety has to come first.

30th October - Trees Cut Down - Several mature trees have been chopped down at the western end adjacent to Wesley Brook. This is (was) a key area for Willow Tit which as you know is a nationally threatened species. Additionally Bittern and Water Rail have been seen at this spot in the last few winters. No information on by whom, or for what purpose, this 'work' has been carried out.

1st August - Little Ringed Plover (LRP's) - Friends of Priorslee Lake recorded the succesful breeding of a single Little Ringed Plover this year and below are some of the sightings observed. We have released the news now as ' The Little Ringed Plover receives special protection under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. ( http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/urbanwt/ecorecord/bap/html/plover.htm ) and after discussion with the Shropshire Ornithological Society (SOS) we took the decision that to "say nothing" so long as there remained no development activity on the site provided the best opportunity for the birds to be left in peace. This has proved successful and we are all delighted at their breeding success even though it has meant that only the regular birders have seen this engaging small wader here. Anyone interested in observing these birds is Shropshire can see them most years at the SOS Reserve at Venus Pool where they have the facilities to protect them from disturbance'

1st Aug - No sign of birds today, at ex-Celestica site, on favoured area of bank - suspect have migrated south. Additional info of interest; though adult birds were occasionally seen in flight over the Lake, neither they or juvenile ever seen actually adjacent to water (either at the Lake or the large drainage pool on the Celestica site). Perhaps the case that this species does not require presence of water to succesfully breed. (John Isherwood)

22nd Jul - Adult and well grown juvenile (almost fully fledged) on bank at ex-Celestica site. (John Isherwood)

14th Jul - At the lake this morning LRP seen flying around the E end: trees blocked the view of where it went to, but seemed to be headed back to the old Celestica site. Unable to age the bird on views obtained. Visited the 'pan' area later but unable to locate. Some disturbance nearby with a JCB digging a trench in the verge on the E side of Castle Farm Way would not have helped (Ed Wilson)

7th Jul - Adult and juvenile LRP on bank above concrete pan (ex-Celestica site) this morning. (John Isherwood)

1st Jul - Pleased to confirm that Little Ringed Plover have bred successfully at the ex-Celestica site. Single fluffy chick seen this morning with adult pair on large concrete pan near to Castle Farm Way. (John Isherwood)

16 Apr - Pair seen today (Ed saw birds in display flight over the Lake first thing then we both saw them on the concrete pan where they look set to nest.) (John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)

13 Apr - Pair of LRPs today at Celestica site (1200) in same location as Saturday's birds. (John Isherwood)

9 Apr - Obvious pair of birds on bare ground within the former Celestica site. Ed saw a single bird at Lake this morning that appeared to drop down towards Celestica site (John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)

10th June - Photo Album - The photo album is up and running now and the FoPL would like to say a big thanks to Ed Wilson for a fantastic set of images. Click here to see the album

2nd June - New Online Photo Album - As soon as I recieve the DVD from Ed Wilson there will be a new way of viewing his images on-line using the Canon Image Gateway. As a taster I have started using it with a few images from a few years back. Click here and see what you think.

3rd May - Loss of Reedbeds (cont) - The Priorslee Lake Water Sports Association lease the use of the Lake for all water based activities and are able to perform maintenance and control of weed/rushes/building slipways, etc.,   Although the terms and conditions of such work is not known by us it appears to be fairly wide ranging with a minimum of consultation with Severn Trent and has been for over 25 years. Its primary use is to provide a water sports facility, allowing competitors to compete in competitions at regional, national and international levels. However when the Balancing Lake was created its primary role then was to ensure that rain water running off from neighbouring roads and housing estates, was carefully controlled, so as to stop flooding in local towns and villages east of Telford.

In its infancy the original banks were not protected other than at the dam end to the east and so plants were very much a welcome addition to the lake to stop erosion, especially when ski-boats are one of the many water activities seen at the lake. Fortunately the past 25 years has seen vegetation successfully establish itself with over 150 plant species recorded. Along with this, 156 species of birds have been logged of which many breed along its shores. A fact that has now seen Priorslee Lake designated as a County Wildlife Site.

So it was with great sadness to see the established habitat cut back on the 22nd April; which at this time of year has Sedge and Reed Warblers visiting the reedbeds with the view to nesting. It is also possible a pair of Great Crested Grebes were nesting in the reeds prior to the cut. All we can say is that in our experience the behaviour of Great Crested Grebes and Coots in the area now cut back leads us to believe that there were active nests in the area - display by the Great Crested Grebes and the frequent visits and absence of one or both birds in the area prior to the work: and the presence of both in the area after the work. Coots similarly, though they do not display but do fight over territory.

Severn Trent say they did not agree to the wholesale cutting down of the reeds nor did Severn Trent know that such work would have been carried out at this time of the year.  Had Severn Trent known this, it would not have given approval for such work to be done at the beginning of the breeding season

When the “Friends of Priorslee Lake” approached Priorslee Lake Water Sports Association to explain their actions we were given this reply:

“The water sports clubs and the wildlife have developed over over 25 years when the priorslee site was re shaped and bare of vegetation. There has always been a respect for the wild life that has developed over the years and this wild life would not be in the state that it is now without respect from the water sports clubs that use the lake. However we have a contractual agreement with Severn Trent to provide a water sports facility that strives to produce competitors for regional national and international competitions. To enable us to do this we have to carry out risk assessment's on the activities that take place on the site so that members are not put at risk. The water depth at the west end of the lake was to shallow to operate safely. That is why these reeds were removed also for the safety of the birds we would not want to encourage further colonisation of this area again. Thank for you interest in this matter. We would appreciate your help in trying to educate dog walkers not to allow there animals to run through the undergrowth and throwing objects into the lake for their dogs to retrieve. This is a safety matter to both wild life and water sports users.“

Just to show you what has been cut down with a few before and after shots.

23rd April - Loss of Reedbeds - Visited the Lake this morning to find over half of the West reedbed gone. Most of the silt has not been removed, just deposited around the western end of the Lake. Area including swan's nest still intact and female still incubating. However many nest sites (or putative ones) for Coot, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Mallard, Reed Warbler etc. undoubtedly lost. That this work was undertaken in the middle of the breeding season is disappointing.

22nd April - Silt Clearing - At 1000 today there was a large piece of earth moving machinery active in the West reedbed. The supervisor explained they were working on behalf of Severn Trent to remove a build up of silt that was preventing the water acting as a balancing lake. They were informed that swans are nesting on the northern edge of the bed and they agreed to restrict their activities to the southern part of the reedbed. Additionally they stated that they would not be working on any other part of the site.

28th February - Our Latest Report - As a follow up to our Report of the Lake we have now produced "Priorslee Lake - Telford's Premier Birding Site" - Click here to view the report

24th February - West Fifty Four - Thank you to one of our readers who sent this link in of the proposed new development to the north of the Lake known as West Fifty Four. An interesting Site literally: Follow the Link here West Fifty Four

13th January - Otter - Highlight for me this so far this year at Priorslee Lake was the Otter that ran past me along the N shore at c.07:45 this morning (13 January 2011)

I have wondered about what look like spraints that appear from time to time on the bridge rails across the Wesley Brook but have been unable to identify them. My sense of smell can detect cigarette smoke or aftershave at half a mile but fail to notice decaying copses at a few feet. As a result I have been unable to tell whether these were 'fishy' smelling (otter) or 'foul' smelling (mink) - they don't smell to me at all

Last November one of the fishermen reported several partly-eaten fish and remarked that he had been told by another club member it looked like the work of an otter

Yesterday while collecting some of the litter from Teece Drive I tried to pick up what turned out to be rather similar to a large pile of cuckoo-spit in the grass. I left well alone and wondered idly what nasty stuff it might have been. I now know: it was it seems anal jelly, used as a marker by an otter. Isn't the Internet wonderful

Hope to do a bird update for the year to date soon

(Ed Wilson)

2011

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2010

22nd June - Botanical Report - Thank you to the Botanists at Shropshire Wildlife Trust for the comprehensive report on the Plants found at the Lake. Click here for the Report dated 5 Jul 07

19th June - Our Latest Report - As a follow up to our last Interim Report of the Lake we have now produced Number 5 - Click here to view the report

17th June - Orchids and Moths - After the dearth of orchids I had more of a poke about this morning and inspired by finding a Bee Orchid (just 1, but they seemed all to fail / get grubbed up last year) I counted 25 spikes of at least 3 species - plants are not my speciality! And also a splendid Small Magpie Moth on one of the lamps. (Ed Wilson)

 Small Magpie Moth

2nd April 2010 - Winter Gull Roost at the Lake- Click here for Ed Wilson's View 20th March 2010 - This update is based on various recent conversations. Note that as these are all word of mouth I am unsure of the status of this informationNew building in the area
Of longer-term interest is that Telford & Wrekin Council are reported to have bought a tract of land 'behind the garden centre' (in Woodhouse Lane) to build 'a new Academy to specialise in sports'What, when and how it may survive the current financial climate is unclear. I can find nothing about this on the webThe Chairman of the Priorslee Water Sports Association thinks that there are plans for the use of Priorslee Lake by the academy for sailing. This sounds relatively harmless for wildlife, but what it might require for access and changing facilities is another matterTreatment of the Lake
2 years ago part of the lake was treated to kill off some of the weed growth. This includes the invasive Canadian Pondweed The treatment was not done last year with mixed results
- the best news was that due to fouling there was very little water-skiing. Whatever they say the wash from their boats and the skiers produces waves that flood grebe and coot nests
- less good was that as it sank to the bottom at night it was trapping and effectively drowning fish. This upset the anglers who pay good money to catch (and return) some large specimen fish - pike especially The situation got so bad that work parties were organised to pull the weed last year

There is already a mat of dead(?) weed on part of the surface, perhaps as a result of the winter's ice. This has been supplemented by a lot of the recent strimmings from the dam that were thrown / blown in to the waterThis year the treatment was done last Monday (15th) apparently across the whole lakeI am told that it had to be done before the end of March as the granules used have been banned from that date by the Environment Agency. Spraying is apparently ineffective on a lake as large as PriorsleeIt is too soon to say what effect it may have. In the immediate term all the diving ducks left due to the disturbance. Many of them are back, but they are migrating north soon anyway - the Pochard had already left in factAnd if weed control is not possible what then?

I will keep checking and talking. Meanwhile if anyone knows anything about the Academy I would be interested in any links / contacts(Ed Wilson)

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9th March 2010 - Ref. Weed Control at Priorslee Lake, Canadian Pond weed on 15th March 2010

We wish to advise you that we intend to carry out weed control by the application of an environmentally friendly Herbicide to approximately 1/3 of the lake on Monday 15th March 2010. Our contractor, who has considerable experience in this type of application, will arrive at the Lake at approximately 0700 hours and estimates that the application will take 2 to 3 hours weather permitting. I'm sure that you would have noticed that 2009 was an exceptional year for weed growth; preventing a number of sporting events from taking place on the lake. In addition our angling colleagues have reported that a large number of fish have died though, they believe, lack of oxygen in the water caused by the large growth of pond weed. On occasions a number of individuals from each club have attempted to remove the weed by dredging, this has had little effect as you would imagine and only results in large quantities of weed rotting on the lake side. After extensive research into the problem and seeking guidance from all of the national organisations our committee members came to the decision that we had no alternative but to fund the attempt once again to slow the growth of this foreign intruder to our water. We have received agreement from the Environmental Agency and Severn Trent water, both organisations are happy that we are attempting to control this water problem and may attend on the day. I will personally be supervising the contractors on the day as our safety boat will be used to aid the contractor in the application of the chemical. Should you wish any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me via email, or my mobile number 07880 501202. Kind regards Glyn Jones Director Priorslee Lake Water Sports Association (PLWSA). Commodore, Telford Sailing Club

2010
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2008

10th October 2008 - Celestica Site I have heard lots of rumours from the locals about what is going on at the old Celstica siteEarlier this week, not for the first time, 2 of the workers climbed the gates from their site and then the ST gate near the Teece Drive entrance and after peering in the Wesley Brook walked off round the N sideI engaged them in conversation: it is their daily task to check all the watercourses from the site and make sure that they are not affecting the lake. I was able to point out one of the courses they were not checking - where the Water Rail is sometimes in the NE area - and which was very muddyIt isn't now! I asked them about the smell: it seems that after several false starts and trails the real source of the broken sewer was found about 5 weeks ago and is now fixed. It is true the smell has all but goneI also asked whether it was true that the hotel was being built first. They thought not: after the current work to lay out the site - the culverts and the roads - it is likely that the offices will be erected first to provide some income and people who may want to stay in a hotel in due courseThey told me that it will all take time as Castle Farm Way is expected to be widened and 3 (count them) sets of traffic lights erected - 1 at Priorslee Avenue junction (scheduled anyway); and at both ends of the developmentApart from that I continue to be amazed as they move earth from A to B and then to C and back again - apparentlyOn a sadder note there was an island of trees left on the land near the Teece Drive gate: I wondered about the viability of the 'island', with a high side likely to mean the water-table would be adversely affected, especially for the shallow rooted conifersOn Tuesday they chopped down the poplars On Wednesday they chopped down the conifersOn Thursday they bull-dozed the hithertoo carefully left island!No idea why but I guess as it is their site they can do what they likeOne of the locals used to work for T&W Council and it was his view that McPhillips were one of the better developers with professionals in charge(Ed Wilson)

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7th March - Our 3rd Interim Report - As a follow up to our Second Interim Report of the Lake we have now produced Number 3 - Click here to view the report

25th February 2008 - Dead Swan and Slurry Sad news today as I came across a dead juvenile Mute Swan, washed up against the reedbeds in the NE bay. Unfortunately it's not possible to get to it by land so cause of death is unknown.Also where the water comes out of the two pipes into Wesley Brook (by the Yacht Club gate), one of them is discharging sludge, which not only looks awful as it passes down the brook but smells absolutely dreadful.

 Slurry coming out of the underground Pipe

 Slurry moving down the brook

 Slurry stuck to the bottom of the brook  Slurry moving further down the brook

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22nd February 2008 - Slurry, Scrub clearing and Tree removal Severn Trent were contacted again today about the awful smell near the Teece Drive gate. They took 2 tankers full of crud away last week and told the locals that it would take a while to flush through. But this morning it was worse than ever.Worst news is that the contractors seem to be on site now and yesterday they had a nasty JCB / lawn-mower hybrid they were using to remove all the scrubby growth and many of the shrubs inside the boundary. They also seem to have removed some of the trees, though there are several stands left and some of the shrubs alonside Teece Drive have been left untouched. As far as I can tell this all outside what I understand is the STW boundary. I guess that it is all part of the site clearance we should expect. I doubt the Mistle Thrushes expected it!

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2008
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2007

17th October 2007 - Map of new Housing Estate and Science Park It has been awhile since we have had any news but here it is the map of the Proposed Site for Redevelopment of old Celestica Site and surrounding fields. The main point of interest with regards to "Friends of Priorslee Lake" is that It doesn't include any development on the Lake. Also it looks like that our proposal of an industrial/Science Park immediately to the north of the lake has been acknowledged. The proposed new Housing Estate and Science Park north of the Lake28th April - Celestica Site RedevelopmentDevelopment gets the go ahead at the old Celestica site, owned by Bovale. According to a Bovale spokeswoman the new development will not involve the northbank of the lake, apparently she quoted: “The initial plans included development around the lake, but that has changed now". However it doesn't state whether there will be a science park or houses just beyond the northbank. Hopefully it will be business units which would form a barrier between the lake and the new housing estate. We shall see. For more information see Shropshire Star..................................

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18th April 2007 - Ringer's Day It's interesting to note that at this stage of Spring this year, a lot of migrants have skipped their stopovers at Priorslee Lake and other locations throughout the UK. This as most of you will probably agree has been down to the exceptionally mild and on a few days hot conditions, we have experienced over the past few weeks. This has undoubtedly led to a lot of migrants moving straight to their breeding grounds. However, having just looked at the Portland Bird Observatory website, it may well be that a majority of our migrants hadn't actually arrived. Headlands along our southern and eastern shores are quite obviously the first strips of land that birds come across, when they head north and west. Yes if the weather is fine, they will often move inland without stopping, but yesterday, as the weather closed in just a bit, the PBO celebrated an exceptional ringing feat in the field. I have added a link here so that you can read it for yourself. What a day it must have been..................

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25th March 2007 - Friends of Priorslee Lake (FoPL) Membership Form Now that Priorslee Lake is a County Wildlife Site we need to put pressure on the Telford planning authority to ensure that when adjacent development takes place, as it surely will, the area around the Lake is treated sympathetically and not damaged. It will obviously add to the weight of our arguments if we can present to the powers to be that we have hundreds of people supporting us. Therefore we ask that you become a member of the FoPL. There are no fees involved and no commitment other than moral. If you wish to support to the FoPL then please fill in the attached form and email it to us. Your support is much appreciated. Martin Adlam/Richard Camp. Click here for: FoPL membership Form

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23rd March 2007 - Yesteryear Thank you to Ian Forshaw for this photograph of the lake from the early 80's, with Celestical (formerly NEC) in the background. Early 80's possibly. Celestica formerly the NEC in the background

5th March 2007 - Birds Fly North to Escape The ' Reckless ' Damage To Nests A Shropshire Conservative MP, Mark Pritchard, is to introduce a Private Bill in Parliament next month that seeks to give greater protection to the nation's common and wild bird population.  The Wild Birds Protection Bill has gained the backing of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (“RSPB”) and a cross party group of MPs. The MP is seeking to "make more robust" [The Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981), since amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000). And The 2006 Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (“NERC”) which provides broad protection for birds in the UK where local authorities, or individuals, deliberately damage or destroy birds' nests while they are in use, which is a criminal offence, however, the NERC failed to close a loophole which includes the “reckless” damage of birds' nests.This is because some developers, once they have been granted planning permission, do not always proceed with due caution. The RSPB claims that, every Spring, there are many cases where developers proceed with developments that may involve the removal of trees or hedges and there is consequent damage to nesting birds, sometimes unwittingly. Introducing a “reckless clause” would lower the burden of proof and encourage developers to “take more care”.  Mr. Pritchard's Bill will seek to amend the WCA 81 to include “reckless damage to nests, not just intentional and deliberate damage”.He said he would also be calling on the Environment Agency, Natural England and local authorities to issue clearer guidance to developers on their legal responsibilities and the need to carry out comprehensive bird surveys “before beginning work”.  Mr. Pritchard said:  “Introducing a reckless clause would focus the minds of developers and reckless local authorities to reduce the number of nests destroyed and bird deaths”. The MP has pointed to a “geographic anomaly” where birds flying north to Scotland are protected by law covering “reckless damage” as the WCA81 has been amended by the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003.   The legislation says:  “All birds, their nests and eggs are protected by law and it is an offence, with certain exceptions, to intentionally or recklessly take, damage, or destroy or otherwise interfere with the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built.” Mr. Pritchard said:  “I will be pursuing this and I hope to be able to table an amendment to a future government Bill on crime on the environment".

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20th January 2007 - County Wildlife Site - We have recently received an outline of the Priorslee Wildlife site, which can be found Here13th January 2007 - Priorslee Lake Bird Species List - Please note that our interim reports Part 1 and Part 2 refer to the Bird Species recorded on and around the lake, between 2000 and 2006, as being 153. Since those reports were published we have added two new species - Little Egret and Caspian Gull, and the List has been updated to 2000 to 2007.

2007

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2006

28th November - Wildlife Site - It's official, Priorslee Lake is now a Wildlife Site. With a lot of work, alongside Severn Trent, Telford & Wrekin Borough Council, Shropshire Wildlife Trust and the Shropshire Ornithological Society, all parties have agreed that the Lake should be designated as a Wildlife Site. This is the first major hurdle in preserving this wildlife corridor and the Friends of Priorslee Lake (FoPL) would like to thank all those involved in this very important development. The news hasn't gone unnoticed and along our journey we pay thanks to Mark Pritchard, Wrekin MP; who as an avid bird watcher, has worked closely alongside Richard Camp our FoPL Co-ordinator. There is one founder member who must also be congratulated, and that is Ed Wilson. Ed has visited the lake nearly every morning and in all weather conditions for as long as I can remember, and that's going back a good ten years or more. He has meticulously kept a comprehensive log of all the birds he has seen at the lake, and this has proved to be very valuable data. We would also like to say thank you to the 157 or so SOS members who have backed the FoPL on this important campaign. It has been much appreciated.Finally thank you to Peter Johnson, Chief Editor of the Shropshire Star, who put together an excellent article on page 11 of the Star tonight (28 Nov 06). I might just point out though Peter, that we are the Friends of Priorslee Lake and not the Friends of Priorslee, with the sole purpose of trying to preserve the wildlife in and around the lake from land developers. Martin Adlam

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4th November - Ancient Burial Ground - Does anybody recall a documentary produced on an ancient burial ground (Bronze / Roman), that was just north of the lake. It would have been broadcast just before the reservoir (Priorslee lake) was created in the early 80's. Michael Aston was the producer and it was in the area where the farm used to be, before it was covered in water. The event is a little hazy but if anybody out there can shed some light on this, then please email us. Thank you (Martin Adlam) 16th October - As you have already noted we have a new Conservation Party, Rural England. Quite how they will fair is anybodies guess, but hopefully they will prove a useful adversary with our campaign to save the Lake. Their web address is Rural England 13th October - As we mentioned before, on the 27 Aug 06, Bovale forwarded a planning application to the Borough of Telford & Wrekin Council to redevelop the Celestica Site. And lo on behold we now hear that jobs at Celestica are going because a big contract was lost! See Shropshire Star................. I'm not suggesting for one moment, that there is a connection, but it does make you wonder what is really going on. I mean to say, it's strange to read a quote like this: "The redundancy risk to the whole workforce - 340 permanent staff at the site and a further 325 agency workers - was announced in the summer after bosses said the company lost one of its biggest contracts. The company has since been unable to secure further contracts to save the jobs during a 90-day consultation and now the site will close."and they couldn't find another contract, I really do find that hard to believe. It will be interesting to see what Bovale will attempt to build on the site now, especially as they can now start from ground zero. As we have already stated before, FoPL are dead against any redevelop ideas Bovale have in mind. Ideally we would prefer that there should not be any further redevelopment, but appreciate that this will not be an option. The Council's proposal for a Science park which retains the habitat on the northbank, as opposed to Bovale's vision of a science park overlooking a promenade along the northbank, is something we would back. There are still more negotiations going on, and as and when we get anymore news, we will keep you posted. Martin Adlam 5th October -

Telford & Wrekin Local Development Framework Development Plan Document Submission Consultation October 3rd – November 14th 2006

Following consultation on a series of Preferred Options Reports in Autumn 2005, the Council has considered all the representations made in relation to the Core Strategy and Waste Policies & Proposals Development Plan Documents and made appropriate amendments. These two documents have now been submitted to the Secretary of State, together with the Proposals Map for independent examination:

Core Strategy sets out the spatial vision, objectives and spatial development strategy and strategic policies, for the borough; Waste Policies & Proposals sets out a spatial vision for waste management in the borough and key objectives and policies that will be used to determine planning applications for waste management facilities throughout the borough; Proposals Map identifies the changes proposed as a result of the submission Development Plan Documents above to the adopted Wrekin Local Plan Proposals Map. Both of the Development Plan Documents have been subject to a Sustainability Appraisal that has assessed the potential social, environmental and economic affects of the council's proposals. In support of the Core Strategy Development Plan Document a Technical Supporting Document has also been submitted, together with a copy of the Council's Statement of Community Involvement. These are each available separately.

For a six week period from the submission of the documents (3rd October) any person or organisation may make representations about the above documents.

All representations which have been ‘duly' made will be made available for public inspection and sent to the Secretary of State for consideration as part of the examination of the soundness of the documents. Representations may be accompanied by a request to be notified of the publication of the report of the person appointed to carry out the examination and/or the adoption of the Development Plan Documents. To ensure that your comments are duly made, representations must state whether you consider the document to be sound or unsound using the Planning Inspectorates 9 tests of soundness. If your comments relate to the document being unsound you must give details of the change/s you would like to see to the document, having regard to the test of soundness you consider the document fails to meet, including why this change would make the document sound.  This information is essential for your comment to be considered fully and therefore a representation form and guidance notes have been prepared to assist in preparation of any representation you wish to make, these forms should be used wherever possible.

In addition to the above documents the Council has produced the following:
· Pre-submission consultation and participation statement (available for both DPDs)
· Statutory Notice
· Form for making Representations
· Guidance Notes for making Representations Attached for your information is a guidance note relating to both the Core Strategy and Waste Policies & Proposals Documents. All the documents submitted to the Secretary of State can be viewed on the council's web site ( www.telford.gov.uk ), at the council's offices at Darby House and Civic Offices, Telford, Libraries, Post Offices, Community Centres and Wrekin Housing Trust Shops. Alternatively you can purchase copies from Darby House, Telford – see attached list of documents and charges. If you submitted comments as part of any previous consultations, please note that they will not be considered at the examination and only those ‘duly' made comments received by the Council up to and including 14th November 2006 (5pm)  can be accepted. If you have any queries with regards to this letter, or would like to discuss any aspect of the Local Development Framework please contact a member of the Plans & Policy team on 01952 202331. Alternatively you may wish to attend one of our exhibitions in your local area, details of which are enclosed.  Yours sincerely

Emma Pierce-Jenkins
Principal Planning Officer A list of documents can be found here:
LDF Consultation Document Price List

LDF Public Exhibitions Core Strategy Leaflet Submission Notice

30th September - Media Coverage - The past 3 weeks has seen a fair bit of media coverage within the County. First off there was an excellent piece in the Shropshire Star, followed by the frontpage coverage in the Telford Journal (28th September). Then last Friday I joined Ian Perry at the lake for the 7:45am broadcast on BBC Shropshire Radio. Unfortunately due to technical difficulties it wasn't put out on air until 8:50am. At least I got to hear it. Our thanks go out to the media for their coverage on the lake, lets hope there is more to come. (Martin Adlam)

23rd September - Nice Mirror - Thanks Gary for posing with this really nice looking Mirror Carp caught in the lake, not bad at 17lb 14oz. (Martin Adlam)

21st September - Lapwing/Curlew Meeting - Not local on our doorstep I know, but nevertheless of importance. There is a public meeting being held at the Lydham & More Community Centre, on Monday 16th October, to talk about ways in which we can help increase the habitat and improve breeding success for both the Lapwing and Curlew See Poster........... (Martin Adlam)

15th September - Our 2nd Interim Report - As a follow up to our first Interim Report of the Lake we have now produced Number 2 - Click here to view the report 27th August - Bovale Planning Application - Just as we were full of expectations, from the Borough of Telford & Wrekin Council's Draft Development Guidelines; which favours the preservation of the wildlife corridor, who should come along but Bovale with their own planning application. (Bovale own the land north of Severn Trents fence line). If approved this would see the northbank turned into a "Promenade", just so that office workers can overlook the lake from the comfort of their chairs. What a caring community we live in, that can see a huge company just snuff out 25 years of wildlife just so that office workers can put their feet up and watch the world go by.

Their three applications can be found HERE on the Borough of Telford & Wrekin Council's website. To see their applications in full you will need to visit Darby House. In the meantime we have our own thoughts and views on their proposal and included HERE are a few extracts from their application.I for one have put in my own personal objection, but you will have to be quick as all objections need to be in by Wednesday 30th August. So if you feel like me and the rest of us that enough is enough, then feel free to use what information we have on this matter and contact Adam Shreeve to voice your objection. You can either send him an email or post a letter to him at

Planning Department,
Borough of Telford and the Wrekin
Darby House,
Lawn Central,
Telford. RF3 4JB

(Martin Adlam) 8th August - Our Interim Report - As a follow up to the Borough of Telford & Wrekin Council's Draft Development Guidelines we are now in a position to publish our first Interim Report of the Lake - Click here to view the report 26th July - Lakeside Redevelopment Area - Well the Borough of Telford & Wrekin Council have now given our patch of wildlife a name now. It is going to be called "Lakeside" and along with it the proposal of:
- 600 new homes
- 60,000 sq M of new employment uses
- A new 11 - 21 Learning Campus
- A new hotel
- Enhanced sports and leisure facilities especially by the lake
and
- Open space providing for sports and recreation, wildlife value and sustainable urban drainage as well as a quality landscape setting for the development.A set of draft Guidelines have been drawn up and will be displayed at the Priorslee Community Centre adjacent to Priorslee Primary School between Monday 31st July and Friday 4th August, and an officer will be present at the display between 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm on Wednesday 2nd August to answer any specific questions. Click Here to see the Lakeside Draft Development Guidelines on the Telford.gov website.Here are just a few quotes from the Guidelines: Para 2.9 "The site occupies a strategically important and visually prominent location; it has established employment uses and an extensive balancing lake used for recreation. The site also contains substantial areas of open space, some of which (particularly parts of the north shore of the lake) have significant ecological/ornithological value."Para 4.12 "Severn Trent land ownership fulfils and provides:
• Operational (flood and drainage) functions
• Leisure facility (sailing club)
• Valuable ornithological and ecological habitat"Interest Groups
Para 4.23 "The input of other local interest groups including the sailing club which utilise the balancing lake and Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Friends of Priorslee Lake will also be integral to this process."Ecology and Nature Conservation
Para 5.10 "The south eastern corner of the site is occupied by Priorslee Lake. To the north are grasslands with remnants of mature woodland located alongside a network 19
of water courses. Similar remnants of mature woodland are also located to the north west of the lake along the course of Wesley Brook." 5.11 "The site contains considerable nature conservation value in the local context, such as mature trees and shrubs both in linear formation and in patches including pollarded willow, alder and large hazel stools in the northern part of the site. These features have an interesting associated ground flora containing species indicative of ancient woodland. They exist in the northern part of the site and along the banks of the Wesley Brook." 5.12 "Priorslee Lake is an attraction to a great number of birds and is also of considerable nature conservation value in the local context. The lake and its shoreline provide an important habitat to a number of these birds. Areas of scrub, particularly close to the lake, include hawthorn, blackthorn, roses and brambles provide nesting habitat and a food source for finches and warblers. Grasses and tall herbs also provide seeds as a winter food source for birds and small mammals." 5.13 "In accordance with the identified ecological and nature conservation value of the site, there is significant potential that protected species are present on the site including great crested newts, bats, badgers, dormice, otters and water voles and rare birds." Landscape Character
"Ecological wetland
• Priorslee Lake and its surrounds comprise low lying open grassed areas and natural areas of woodland and wetland habitat with considerable ornithological value and a gently sloping landscape area that rises northwards from the M54 to a series of terraces.
• Wesley Brook and its associated wetland/woodland corridor"Click Here to see a Map of the Proposed Redevelopment Martin Adlam 23rd June - Late News - Visited site on 14 June, saw Common Spotted Orchid, Bee Orchid, and a species of Marsh orchid that I need to get verified. Also some other nice species present including Yellow Rattle, Celery-leaved buttercup, Goat's Beard, Meadow Vetchling. (Viv Geen - Wildlife Sites and Planning Development Officer Shropshire Wildlife Trust )

22nd June - Orchids galore - June is a fairly quite time anywhere in the UK for birds and Priorslee lake is no exception. However what the lake lacks in June birds it is certainly making up with Orchids, with yet another species found today. With Heather's Bee Orchid found last week, it now looks like we might have a Late Spider-orchid Ophrys fuciflora, which would bring the total of different Orchids to around 5 or 6 species. The latest find by Ed Wilson is shown below and does look very similar to the one found on Britain's Orchids website.

Late Spider-orchid or Bee Orchid?

Possible Late Spider-orchid. (click on images to enlarge)

20th June - Severn Trent Signs - If you go down to the lake today you will see that there are Severn Trent signs around the waters edge indicating that there is a surplus amount of algae floating on the surface. They also go on to say that touching the algae could could cause a rash and that animals should be kept away from the water.What it doesn't say is that the reason there is so much weed floating about, is that over half of the lake has been treated with a herbicide causing the weed to float to the surface as it rots. Mind you, you don't need to see it you can smell it. This evening was first time I can ever recall, that the water was totally devoid of birds, apart from the Swans and their cygnet which were hugging the northbank. Martin Adlam 19th June - Cygnet update - Well its still alive and I guess with two adults giving it close protection, there is every chance it will survive.18th June - Cygnet update - Not to sure what happened last tuesday, as a Cygnet was reintroduced back with its family, but it wasn't the one that was taken into care last friday. Apparently Cygnet No. 4 was taken to a wildfowl sanctuary, but alas it didn't fare to well. The following text is a an email I received courtesy of Garth, (Pet's Choice Veterinary Centre) "Rather a sad follow up to the news on the cygnet we nursed at the surgery. On Tuesday it was strong enough to be returned - eating well on its own, swimming and walking about. On the advice of some wildlife experts who run a sanctuary I decided not to try and return it to its own family. Apparently anything longer than 48hours away from parents and they see it as an interloper and try to drown it. I took it to a sanctuary in Much Wenlock where it was put in with 5 much younger and smaller cygnets also recently rescued. Another cygnet about the same age as "ours" was being tube fed as very ill but it was hoped to settle the 2 of them together at a later stage.The sanctuary owner phoned us the next morning to say that unfortunately the 5 smaller ones seemed to have ganged up on ours and killed it during the night. Although everything was done in the best interests of the cygnet, I am afraid sometimes nature is rather less forgiving than us."This was my reply to Garth. Please forgive my anger at DEFRA's response, it was just unbelievable."Hi Garth, Unfortunately its got worse, there is only one left now and I really do fear the worse for it. Anglers at the lake have seen a mink in the northwest corner of the lake and it looks like it has been picking off the cygnets one by one. I contacted DEFRA who deal with the problem with mink, but I'm disappointed to say that they only work mondays to fridays. Strange when you think about it, as wildlife is 24/7, needless to say I'm not impressed by their attitude. Apparently I am to contact their administration department on Monday and apply for a gun licence to shoot the Mink. All I can say is, if that last Cygnet is dead by monday, then they will be getting both barrels of my wrath. Unbelievable.Any way I'm really sorry to hear of the plight of Cygnet No.4, the whole family has really suffered since they fledged on the 12 May. Lets hope they have better luck next year. Regards Martin"I'm still puzzled how it was, that there were 4 cygnets on the lake on tuesday, but only one present now. I guess its irrelevant how many there were. I did contact the RSPCA but unless the cygnet is injured, there is nothing they can do, which is fair enough. What is ironic though, is the fact that if I did have a gun, a licence and I had shot a mink and wounded it, the RSPCA would be obliged to come out and rescue the mink. As for DEFRA a government approved organisation with its head office close to Buckingham Palace, I'm afraid they have let themselves down badly. How can you have an organisation, that that now has a policy to deal with mink, but only operates during the working week. What's more infuriating is that I thought Swans had special protection because of their association with the Queen, see Swan Upping which has a brief history on Swans and the sovereignty. Time will tell, let's just hope the adult birds can protect their last sibling. Martin Adlam

Orchids - Many thanks to Dave Ash who took these close-ups of some of the Orchids at the Lake recently. Compared to the Southern Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa) shown on the Flora section on this sites, these do look like distinctly different Orchids. These could be Broad leaved Marsh Orchid or Western Marsh Orchid as they are sometimes known (Dactylorhiza majalis) Martin Adlam

Is this possibly a Broad leaved Marsh Orchid?

A closer view (click on images to enlarge)

Chemical Spraying - I have just received these images, which show the extent of the second dose of the herbicide Luxan Dichlobenil sprayed onto the lake on thursday 15th June. It is quite obvious from the images that more than half of the lake has now been subjected to this powerful residual herbicide. If you happen to be walking along the banks where it has already been applied you can smell the stench, it really does wreak where the plants have rotted away on the bottom of the lake. What was disappointing to see was the extent of the spraying, especially where Wesley Brook enters the lake, as this area was left alone when the herbicide was first introduced into the lake on the 19th May. But as you can see from the map below, a good two-thirds of the lake has now been treated. I can't be sure but I thought only one-third was supposed to be applied!

17th June - This afternoon I had look to see how the Swans were getting on and was sad to see that there is only one cygnet left. I rang the RSPCA to tell them about the Mink that is clearly knocking them off one by one, but they put me onto DEFRA (Department of Food and Rural Affairs) whose responsibility it is now. After being given the run around with different numbers etc. I was put in contact with an emergency helpdesk. Unfortunately nothing can be done until Monday, which judging by this weeks devastation called spell the end of the last Cygnet. We can only cross our fingers and pray.

15th June - Cygnets - On the very day that the 2nd dose of the chemical Luxan Dichlobenil was sprayed onto the lake, it transpires that not only was their one cygnet missing but two. Speaking to the local anglers it looks very much like a Mink is at the lake, as just recently there were signs of blood and feathers close-by to one of the fishing jetties in the Wesley Brook area of the lake.

This is all that remains from the 9 Cygnets that left the nest on the 12th May

Orchids - Today I had an email from Heather B. saying that she had come across a Bee Orchid. Well I'm not an expert on Orchids, and I look forward to the Shropshire Wildlife Trust's survey, but after popping down to the lake this evening there does appear to be at least 4 different Orchids around the west bank and along the northwest corner. I know that there are many sub-species, but the four shown below do look different from each other.

Orchid 1

Orchid 2

Orchid 3

Orchid 4

14th June - Tomorrow sees the second application of the chemical Luxan Dichlobenil into the lake, which will mean that over half the lake would have been treated. It is still not clear what the long term effects of this chemical will have on the eco system, but hopefully it will have little effect on the wildlife that has been dependant on the water after 25 years or so. Unfortunately there isn't anything we can do about it, as it has been given the green light by the Environment Agency. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed that it won't have any other serious consequence, apart from its main purpose in killing off all the aquatic plants. Your sightings - A little plea here. If you happen to be out and about and passing the lake between the 15th - 21st June, we would really appreciate it if you could email us your sightings, as there won't be a daily report for this period. Any news is better than no news, even if its just to tell us about the welfare of the 4 cygnets on the lake. If you have snippets then please send us an email. Thank you. Martin Adlam 13th June - No.4 Cygnet has been reunited with his family. This morning Garth and his team from Pet's Choice Veterinary Centre successfully returned the sick cygnet back to its family on the lake, after being taken in sick for 4 days. After some excellent nursing the cygnet was well enough to be returned and at 9:00am this morning released back onto the lake. The biggest fear was that "he" would be rejected but we are pleased to say, that he was welcomed back into the clan with open "wings". The local vets do a wonderful job in the community and I for one would like to thank Garth and his staff for helping this little chap. Martin Adlam12th June -Cygnet - Regarding the missing cygnet - we have it at our surgery (Pet's Choice Veterinary Centre) on Stafford Park 15. We had a call on Friday afternoon from a distressed member of the public to say that the bird was collapsed on the side of the lake after being trapped in or under the fisherman's platform. It was completely exhausted when our nurse collected it and returned it to the surgery and unable to hold its head up. Having got it to take fluids it improved marginally and with further shock therapy survived the night. Partial improvement during Saturday and it started eating. Still barely able to lift head and unable to even support head when offered a swim. VitB and anti-inflammatory injections given as either muscle or slight nerve damage suspected. Improved further re eating Sunday but still assisting to feed as neck not strong enough - some natural instincts returning at last as starting to hiss at us.
Sunday- much the same but will hold own head up for short periods. Assisted feeding during the day.
Monday - improved further able to swim for short time -pm able to get up for a minute or so of its own accord now. Hopefully well enough to re-introduce to the lake tomorrow as we want to return it asap to give it best chance of being accepted again. Hope this of some use to you.
You are welcome to give us a call if you want further info or would like a short visit - can't do this for more than 1 or 2 people though.
Have been trying to find out who cares for the well-being of the wildlife on the lake but T&W council and Severn Trent can't tell me so good to know someone at least monitoring it. Regards
Garth Tozer11th June - There are real concerns now, as another dead fish has just been found at the lake. Since the introduction of the chemical Luxan Dichlobenil back on the 19 May 06, there have now been four dead fish found. The fish found this morning was identified by local anglers as a Tench. With a further dose of the chemical planned for Thursday 15 Jun, it is hoped that the dead fish were not the result of the previous application, otherwise the fish population could be in serious trouble. (Martin Adlam)

Still on the fish theme, Ed Wilson came across this bizarre sight yesterday. As an angler myself I can honestly say I have never come across this before.

5th June - We have a new domain name - www.priorslee.org.uk - Even though there is no mention of "lake" in the name, the content of the site is still the same and we are fully focused on preserving the habitat around the lake. The plus side is of course that priorslee.org.uk is a lot easier to remember and to pass on to others.Here is a good test of your knowledge On the Insect Page (Click here) there are 6 mystery Flies and a possible Drone-Fly - If you think you know what they are then why not email us - Email. 31st May - News just in. The second application of Luxan Dichlobenil which was scheduled to be sprayed onto the lake on Monday 5th June has been put back to Thursday 15th June. It appears that Severn Trent have been busy taking water samples over the past week or so. It isn't known whether it is they that have delayed the next application.
It is also interesting to note that the anglers have not caught any fish in the area already treated and that the water birds seem to be avoiding it as well. Is it possible that after it was introduced into the lake twelve days ago, the Chemical has already started to work and destroyed the aquatic plant life?On a brighter note there has been an unconfirmed report of a rare Orchid seen growing on the banks of the lake. Not only do we have Southern Marsh Orchids but there is a good possibility that Broad leaved Marsh Orchid (Western Marsh Orchid - Dactylorhiza majalis) is also growing here. It is hoped that the Shropshire Wildlife Trust will be carrying out a survey of the lake in the next few weeks or so, which will give us a better idea as to what Orchids we actually have at the lake. (Martin Adlam) 26th May -

Local Development Framework Update

The purpose of this letter is to update you on key stages in the production of the documents that will make up the new Local Development Framework (LDF) for the Borough. Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) The Statement of Community Involvement sets out how the council will involve the community in the preparation of the LDF and significant development control decisions in the Borough.  In its preparation the SCI went through two periods of consultation, representations received were considered by an independent Planning Inspector.  We received the Inspector's report in March 2006 which included amendments that the council are required to make to the document.  Both the Inspector's Report and the amended SCI were formally approved by Cabinet on 8th May 2006 .   Copies of the adopted Statement of Community Involvement and the accompanying Inspector's Report are available for inspection free of charge at Darby House, Lawn Central, Telford and Civic Offices, Telford during normal office hours Monday – Friday 8.30 – 17.15. Copies have also been supplied to Public Libraries, Post Offices and Wrekin Housing Trust shops across the Borough and can be viewed via the Council's web site www.telford.gov.uk/environment Any person aggrieved by the decision of the Council to adopt its Statement of Community Involvement may apply to the High Court for permission to apply for judicial review of the decision to adopt the statement. Any such application must be made promptly and in any event no later than 3 months after the day on which the statement was adopted.Local Development Scheme (LDS) The Local Development Scheme sets out the timetable for the production of all of the documents that will make up the new Local Development Framework for the Borough.  It covers a 3 year period and is updated annually.   In April this year I wrote to inform you that we had published a new LDS covering the period up to 2009.  I explained within the letter that we would have to amend our timetable for the production of the Core Strategy Development Plan Document. We will now be consulting on both the Core Strategy and the Waste Development Plan Documents in October and November 2006. As a result of these changes both the Core Strategy and the Waste Development Plan Documents will go to: Cabinet                                              July 31 st Council                                               September 21st Borough wide Consultation October 3rd – November 14th 2006 These dates have yet to be formally approved.  If any further changes are required you will be informed directly. The information will also be posted on our website.   If you have any queries regarding any of the above or would like any further information regarding the Local Development Framework please contact the LDF Team on 01952 202331 or 01952 202380. Jackie Leask Team Leader : Local Planning 22nd May - If anybody has some photographs of Moles, foxes, squirrels etc. then please email for inclusion on this site.
Image size image shouldn't be less than 500 pixels (width) by 375 pixels (height) and @ 72 ppi (resolution).19th May - Today there was a controlled application of a Chemical, called Luxan Dichlobenil, into the Lake. The chemical is being used to kill all aquatic plants which have prevented the Priorslee Lake Water Sports Association from using the lake to its full potential. The chemical was applied to 1/3rd of the Lake under the watchful eye of the Environment Agency, who were present throughout the proceedings. For further information on the chemical being used then please click on this link and then go to page 102. The Effects on aquatic fauna is that Dichlobenil is moderately toxic to fish, water fleas and algae. Excessive decaying vegetation, following successful treatment in aquatic areas, can lead to oxygen depletion and indirect adverse effects on fish, and other aquatic fauna if not controlled correctly. Dichlobenil is slightly toxic to birds.

Today's application will be followed up by a further dose of Luxan Dichlobenil on Monday 5th June 2006.

18th May - "Friends of Priorslee Lake" Meeting to be held at the Priorslee Pub tonight at 7:30pm. All are welcome.

20th April - As seen back on December 18th the local council built the anglers a jetty which was about 15 feet short of the water. So the local River Authority cut back the reeds last week, but instead of placing the cuttings onto the bank, they left them straight on top of this years new growth.

So with garden fork in hand and a pair of leaking waders I spent a good two hours picking up the dead reeds and placing them on the bank. Believe me it was back breaking, but the end result very satisfying. At least next year, if not before, the reeds might now have a chance to re-establish themselves.What was pleasing was hearing a Sedge Warbler next to me as I was working away, so at least for the time being no serious harm has been done. Also came across a Toad and several Perch and Roach. (Martin Adlam)
PS. Apologies for the poor quality images, they were off my mobile. 13th April -

Telford & Wrekin Local Development Framework LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

On 10th April 2006 the council's revised Local Development Scheme came into effect. This Scheme replaces the scheme that took effect in July 2005 and has been amended to reflect the finalisation of draft guidance and revisions to the regional spatial strategy. As a Local Development Framework document the Local Development Scheme must be prepared in accordance with regulations which require assessment by the Government Office within a 4 week period following approval at Cabinet. During this period new research and updated information has become available that has a bearing on the Core Strategy and that will require further time to address.  As a result the Core Strategy timetable shown in the April 2006 document will be subject to further revision. The revised timetable for the Core Strategy has yet to be finalised but it is proposed that it will follow the same production timetable as that for the Waste Development Plan document and that the publication of the Submission Draft document for consultation will take place in Autumn 2006.  Details of revisions to the timetable will be made available at the locations listed below and posted to you once finalised and formally approved.  The timetables for the production of the Land Allocations, Development Control, Central Telford Areas Action Plan and Minerals Policies and Proposals documents as shown in the April 2006 document remain unchanged.  Copies of the Scheme are available to view on the Council's web site, at Wrekin Trust shops, Telford Community Centres, Libraries and Post Offices or can be purchased from Plans & Policy at a cost of £3.00 (plus 50p post & packaging) If you have any queries on any aspect of the Local Development Framework please contact any member of the Local Development Framework Team on 01952 202331 or 202380Rachel Everton ~ Administrative & Technical Assistant Borough of Telford & Wrekin
Environment and Regeneration
Plans & Policy Business Unit
rachel. everton@telford.gov.uk Tel. No. 01952 202331

30th March - The meeting scheduled for the 23rd March will take place tonight at the Priorslee Pub, starting at the slightly later time of 8:00pm. Our next meeting will take place on Thursday 18th May. 23rd March - Tonight's meeting has been postponed and will now take place on Thursday 30th March at the Priorslee Pub, Priorslee starting at 7:30pm. All are welcome.19th March - In response to the mystery Gull I received an excellent email from Steve Whitehouse, which would suggest that the Siberian Gull is a slight variant of a 3rd Winter Lesser-black backed Gull. Thank you Steve."Hi Martin, saw you photo on website. Siberian Gull is still, as far as the BOU is concerned, a race of Herring Gull ! Although the Dutch and others have gone with full specific status. There is no British accepted record as yet - there are plenty of claims. I have been seeing gulls slightly paler than the palest LBB Gulls for at least 16 years in Worcs. We have had at least 3 individuals this winter alone. Some of the adults look a bit like dark Yellow-legged Gulls and John Martin who has seen one of them suggested they may be LBB x Yellow-legged Hybrids. These mixed pairs are frequent in Belgium and northern France ! True Siberian Gull would dwarf LBB as they are mostly larger than argentatus Herring - some approaching GBB in size. Your bird looks closer to LBB and in my guess could either be a pale LBB or a hybrid as suggested above. The messy head and bill would rule out any type of 'darker michahellis'. (Steve Whitehouse)" Click here to return to Archived Bird News - March 06 13th March - The timetable (Local Development Scheme) for the LDF went to Cabinet on the 6th March. It is now available on the internet 23rd February - This evening we held our first meeting to decide the name of the Group and its Aims & Objectives. We had 4 members attending; Martin Adlam, Richard Camp, Steve Jones and Ed Wilson. Hopefully at our next meeting, penciled in for the 23 March, we will add more members to help our cause. The agreed name for this group will be "Friends of Priorslee Lake" and the name on the Home Page has been changed accordingly. A precis of tonight's meeting will, hopefully, be put on line shortly. Martin 13th February - I have recently learned from a reliable source that the Local Development Framework (LDF) Core Strategy as per timetable Land Allocations, Development Control Policies, Central Telford Area Action Plan Development Plan Documents has been delayed by at least 1 year. This means that we do have a little bit more time on our hands than the 5 months or so originally planned. What we need to do now is to put forward the environmental argument and give a summary of our concerns and hard facts that we might have on the ecological value of the site. What will be of use is the notable/rare/at risk or other wise prioritised species and habitats in and around the lake. So if you can help, then please let me know your findings, so that I can pass them on to those that can help our cause. It could make a big difference between a wildlife site and a long stretch of tarmac and a great loss in flora and fauna. Martin 3rd February -
Trees/Scrub I drove past Priorslee Lake one day last week in the late afternoon, not able to stop, and the groundsmen were burning scrub/trees? which they had cleared on the Celestica Site near to the lake and the road to Priorslee. I have checked with the Council and the tree preservation orders have been made permanent (they were temporary) so they should not be touching any with a TPO on them.  Please keep you eyes peeled for any tree cutting and let me know immediately and I will complain to the council.  This also includes the Ricoh site.I have asked for copies of the TPO's so we will know better which trees are protected.  The Council Tree Officer has left and someone else is doing it on a "temporary do it with my other two jobs" (!) basis but I have a contact in the Legal Dept who seems keen to ensure they do not break the law.If you have any suspicions pass me the details and I will pass them on to my contact. Meeting We ought to have another meeting to further consider matters.  I shall be away birding in Kent the week of 13th. Feb. so I suggest Thursday, 23rd. Feb at 7.30pm, venue to be fixed but in Telford.  Let me know if this is OK by most of you. Richard. 19th January - Thank you to those that responded to my letter below. I have it on good authority that the Shropshire Wildlife Trust will visiting the Lake in June to carryout a survey of the Southern Marsh Orchid. Lets hope there are a few around to see. Martin 18th January 2006 - The letter below was sent today to key personnel involved in the future plans of the lake. We can only hope that those in a position to do something positive will come up with an outcome acceptable for all. The letter................. "Currently the lake sees Contractors busy chopping down trees and bushes within the Celestica grounds, which is very disappointing, as Ed and I know that Greenfinches have been using the trees in the northeast corner as a roost.The fact that there are contractors working in the grounds at this moment in time (it has been pretty quiet for the past 4 months) can only mean one thing and that is that they are "cleaning up" for the next phase of their plan, whatever that may be. If memory serves me right, Celestica lease the land, whom from I forget, but their contract is up within the next 2 years. There has been talk of this plot being turned into a science park, which I for one would find acceptable, its got to be better than 600 houses. However there was a proposal that a sister site be built on the Southwest corner of the lake and that woodland on the north bank would be cleared so that the northern science park could see the southern science park. This would be disappointing as we have an excellent wildlife corridor running along this north bank.I'm hoping along with many others, that the Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Shropshire Ornithological Society, Celestica, Severn Trent, RICOH and T & W Council members can make a decision on whether there is any possibility of turning the lake and the surrounding habitat into a Wildlife/Bird Reserve.Without covering old ground, the lake is actually fast turning into a top birding spot in Shropshire, and with so few reserves in the County, I for one believe this should be a big consideration when it comes to developing the land around the lake. I just hope this is a common consensus." Martin Adlam

14th January 2006 - Yet again contractors within the Celestica Grounds have destroyed habitat used by birds. Back in April last year, when they illegally chopped down mature trees, they destroyed a Song Thrush nest and now it seems they have destroyed the Greenfinch roost. See 14th January Report. It is a great shame that there isn't any consultation with local wildlife trusts etc., to ascertain what they can and cannot chop down throughout the year. Words fail me I'm afraid but I'm sure someone will have a quiet word with them. On Tuesday 10th Jan, the Telford & Wrekin Council Planning Department sent out receipts in acknowledgement of receiving comments on the Local Development Framework Preferred Options Report, dated Sep/Oct 2005. It appears there were 3500 responses, though just how many referred to Priorslee is unknown. All the comments received are currently being analysed and it is hoped that the "submission" version of these Development Plan Documents will be considered by elected members of the council as follows:Core Strategy - Apr/May 2006, for submission to the Secretary of State and further consultation in June 2006.Land Allocations, Development Control Policies, Central Telford Area Action Plan and Waste Policies & Proposals - June/July 2006, for submission to the Secretary of State and further consultation in September 2006.If, when any of the above documents are submitted to the Secretary of State, we are unhappy with any of the proposals / policies etc. we need to make formal representation during the appropriate six week consultation exercise for it to be considered by an independent inspector.For further information we can contact Emma Pierce-Jenkins, the Principal Planning Officer on 01952 202331 or email 2021plan@telford.gov.uk In the meantime, one of the options proposed by members of the Shropshire Ornithological Society, the Shropshire Wildlife Trust and the Telford & Wrekin Natural Environment Office was to put forward a plan to "turn" the woods on the north bank into a Wildlife / Bird Reserve. I'm not sure how that is progressing but I'm sure someone will let us know. Martin Adlam

2006
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2005

24th December 2005 - What with all the talk about building around the lake its nice to know that someone had a sense of humour.

No Kidding

22th December 2005 - I was wondering why I hadn't seen or heard any Water Rail in the NW reedbeds for the past couple of days. So this morning I had a look at the reed beds at close quarters, only to discover that some kind-hearted soul has trampled all the way through the reedbeds from two sides. A tell tale empty packet of cigarettes, is proof enough that a human was the culprit. It might also explain why the Starling roost is a miserly 6 birds and not the 700 birds we have seen roosting here in the past.

20th December 2005 - A big thank you to Colin and the Shropshire Ornithological Society for linking this site to theirs. It really is appreciated.18th December 2005 - Speaking to the local anglers this morning it appears that the workman had a problem with their measurements when they put in some new jetty's for them.

The new Jetty, which is a few planks short.........

As you can see the new jetty they erected on the north bank is about 5 metres short of the open water and is absolutely useless for anglers. Where do they get these people from!

Reedbeds destroyed

Not only that, but they completed destroyed 10% of the reedbed, where birds nest in the Spring/Summer and for roosting in the winter. Its a shame they didn't consult the anglers as they would have told them where to put it! (Martin Adlam)

2005

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