Houghton Area, Co.Durham

[StevieEvans]

First time in a while that ive spent a full day walking around the local area.

Start 07:15 - Council Estate which is due to be demolished.
AM- Spent checking a compact low lying stream with an adjacent swg wks, for yesterdays Firecrest & Scandi-Chiffchaff.
Searching around Dis-used (but intact) Railway line & Coke works.
Finished 16:30 - Former pit/opencast site of Rainton Meadows & surrounds.

Total Species = 72
Species List

2Short eared Owl, 2Little Owl, 4Long eared Owl, 4Kestrel, 1Sparrowhawk
Green Sandpiper, 1Jack Snipe, 27Snipe, 110Lapwing, 3Curlew, Golden Plover, 3Redshank
2Kingfisher, 1Water Rail, 2Heron, Grey & Pied Wagtail
Gbbgull, Hgull, Cgull, BHgull, 1Cormorant
Pink footed Goose 93south, Canada goose, Greylag goose, Mute swan
Scaup, 34Teal, Mallard, prGadwell, Coot, Moorhen, Tufted duck, 2Dabchick
Waxwing single flew overhead calling unseen!, 2 (olive/green)Chiffchaff
Gswpkr, 3Treecreeper in Hawthorn scrub, Willow tit, Lttit, Btit, Gtit, Ctit, Goldcrest
Lesser Redpoll, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Brambling
Robin,Wren,Dunnock, Starling, House Sparrow
Stock Dove, Coll Dove, Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon
Grey Partridge, Pheasant, Jackdaw, Crow, Rook, Magpie
Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird
Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting.

A nice selection for an inland area, with Kingfisher & Green Sand within the first 10 species seen.
Missed both the Siberian Chiffchaff & Firecrest (the latter was relocated later in the day) but the only others birds we could have reasonably expected were:- Linnet, Skylark, Tree Sparrow, Siskin, Tawny & Barn Owl.
So all in all an enjoyable day.
SE.

[salty]

nice work stevie! certainly a great deal of birds around if your area, well impressed with your owl sightings. will have to start doing a bit of birding in your neck of the woods in the near future! - not too far away (15mins!) from me, so thats handy.

[IanF]

A very nice list for the day.

[tom mckinney]

Thank God for that Stevie - no year ticks :-)

If that's what you get on your doorstep then I think I need to move up your way. I once tried a walk around my local area and got an Anti-Social Behaviour Order.

Tommo

[Andrew]

Muy impressivo!

[StevieEvans]

Yes, not a bad little area
If you want a look on Multimap
the stream/cokeworks area is GridRef NZ 320 506
Rainton Meadows area is NZ 324 484

The Winter specialities to the area are Green Sand & Jack Snipe, with all 5 owls too.
As well as the 'one-offs', (BuffBreastedSand & a brace of Richards Pipits spring to mind) the range of resident species is expanding annually as LSW has been 'found'at 2 sites (no records in previous 20+years) this year.
GSWpkr & Nuthatch have increased over the past 10 years with Green Woodpecker still increasing its range in the County & has fledged young here.
Dipper has re-appeared onto the small stream in only the past few years as a resident (probably disapearing at the start of the last century?)
Goosander is another which has reared young for the first time recently.

Although the area is lowland & has no moorland/oak woodland specials, it still has a vast variety of species year round.
And, IF the local nature reserve was managed as such, then it'd be even better..!

Went down this morning (cold wet miserable windy...) but got a Water Rail at <10m's mooching about, aswell as a male Kingfisher with prey.
The only addition species wise was Yaffle on call only (rainbird was appropriate today!) & by 10:30 i was off to TeesMouth..

The phone rang at 2:30 pm(Excorcist theme tune) & Yes youve guessed it " Firecrest & the Sibe-Chiff " .....!!!

Oh well! musnt grumble, male Merlin, SlavGrebe, 5Brents(1DarkBellied) & imm Peregrine at Seal Sands, female Blackcap & Bearded Tits at Long Drag, 2Little Egret & 5Twite at Greatham.............But still neither of those 2 little uns... ;)

Had a good weekend, probably got about 100 ssp?
But spending Saturday walking about the Local Patch made me put all of this years UK travelling into perspective...........Theres No Place Like Home.

SE

[IanF]

Ah! It was your pickup parked at Greatham Creek this afternoon?

I popped down just after 2 pm for the Bearded Tits and got there in time to get soaked. I thought I'd have bumped into you somewhere. No sign of the Merlin though. Was it along the Creek path to the hide as I have seen it there a few times lately.

[StevieEvans]

Hi Ian, i didnt see anyone (12:00-15:30) down there at all except John G.
Had the Merlin from where i was parked, ;) it came north off Brinefield 4 up creek over roadbridge up towards Egret roost; it tried for Starling on the way.(John's retired now & down just about everyday & he hasnt had Male yet this winter, despite getting Per's on a daily basis.)
I heard the Beardies while watching the LTTits & femBlackcap (surprise of the day!) & managed to get a glimpse of a pair. Apparently a reliable person has had 11 Beardies on the Drag!! We need a nice calm sunny day on top of that mound!
Regards Stevie.

[IanF]

I didn't even hear them let alone see them. I must admit that I didn't hang around for very long as it was a bit wet and windy. I guess I should have checked the other side of the road up the creek.