Durham Birding (5 Viewers)

[IanF]

Greatham Creek Saline Lagoon this evening - Common Sandpiper x1, Redshank x2, Little Ringed Plover x2, Avocet x9, Shelduck x2, Canada Goose x2, Oystercatcher x2 (mating), Lapwing x3, Curlew x2, Swallow x2, Pied Wagtail x2, Kestrel x1.

Spoonbill still present at 18.20 preening on west side of Back Saltholme.

 

[StevieEvans]

Just been catching up on the forum and caught the bit about air guns, iv had a few run ins with two lads in esh winning they dress in camoflague and walk round the village with there guns, they started to walk round my housing estate so i challenged them when i saw them looking over a few garden fences with there guns out of there bags. all i got was told where to go and the police said they ok as long as guns are in bags. So the next time i saw them i just took the dog out and followed them at a safe distance to stop them shooting, no point in phoneing police as they would have legged it and i dont know there names but when i do find out there names il report them as everyday they walk round the village dressed as soliders,

Hi
probably worth discussing this situation with the firearms people at Aykley Heads.
Nowadays, Im pretty sure anyone carrying a bagged air rifle in a public place must be able to prove they are heading to a location where they have the permission to shoot.
good luck.

 

[StevieEvans]

Houghton to Seaton Pond, via Warden Law

bizarre ratio of the Whitethroats toay.
1Common Whitethroat, 4Lesser Whitethroat, 1Wheatear, 65Sand Martin, 3Sparrowhawk, 2pr Grey Partridge, 2singing Willow Tit, 4 colonies of Linnets totalling @200 birds, 17Tree Sparrow, 1Common Buzzard

Seaton Ponds area
2pr Gadwall, prOystercatcher, prRedshank, prCurlew, multiple broods of young Lapwings, 12Common Snipe, 1Jack Snipe - hope it stays on till the bird race., 1Heron, 1M.Swan, 8Greylag, 5Dabchick, 1Yellow Wagtail, 2Lesser Whitethroat, 1Common Whitethroat, 2Grasshopper Warbler, 45Sand Martin, pr Stonechat

Latest Leks are in evelopes now !

 

[ian hamilton]

Grasshopper Warbler still reeling off queens road,southwick at 0430;

Timber Beach 0500-0605;
Grey Heron
4prs Shelduck
3 Mallard flew east
4 Redshank
Common Sandpiper
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Woodpigeon
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Grasshopper Warbler reeling briefly from pallion
4 Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Linnet

 

[deansmith]

hart to haswell walkway

some pictures from visits over the last week.birds seen, chiffchaff, willow warbler, blue, long tailed and great tit, 2 gs woodpeckers around usual nest tree but no sign of any nesting yet. alot of butterflies about mainly peacock and a few frogs

 

[Jumpin 4 Joy]

A warm evening last night resulted in myself going to Houghton Gate. Very surprised to see a Ruff , as well as a Common Sandpiper.

Afterwards, a walk down a stream next to the Floater's Mill pub was productive, with a kingfisher flying down the river. Mallard duckings also present.

 

[IanF]

Saline Lagoon/Greatham Creek - 8.30 am - Avocet x12, Little Ringed Plover x2, Lapwing x3, Canada Goose x2, Shelduck x2, Oystercatcher x2, Redshank x2 plus Coot and Tufted Duck. Quite a few Swallow around including three pairs on with nest building gathering mud and debris from the north side of Saline Lagoon and Greatham Creek. Several Linnet, Sand Martin, Meadow Pipt and Skylark.

Plenty of birds around at RSPB Saltholme when it opened at 10.00 am on a lovely sunny morning.

Several highlights including the Spoonbill which was present on Back Saltholme. Looked as if it had roosted by the Mute Swans on the SE side. Once awake it was quite active moving around Back Saltholme pretty frequently. It was being harassed by the gulls and Lapwing. Apparently as I was leaving I was told that at around 11.00 am it took flight soaring up to the clouds before heading off northwards. Might yet come back again though.

When I arrived a Kestrel was hovering between the visitor centre and the start of the path to Saltholme Pools hide. It dived into the grass and grabbed a mouse or vole taking it to a fence post to eat - until it looked back and saw me and carried it off.

Loads of Yellow Wagtail around - mostly located in the vicinity of the Saltholme Ponds hide. 15-20 were along the approach along the track from the visitor centre mostly around the hide screens though several along the fences. Also very active hardly staying still for more than a few seconds. Another dozen or so were dotted around the grass on the north side of the hide. At least five flew low over the hide.

Five Little Ringed Plover around the Salholme Pools hide scrapes with Redshank, Pied Wagtail, Grey Heron with a broken wing, Gadwall, Cormorant, Little Grebe, Mute Swan, Canada Geese and Greylag Geese. Pochard, Teal, Wigeon and Tufted Duck a little more distant. Several Great Crested Grebe on the south side of the hide. Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Swallow and a few Sand Martin seen from the hide.

Paddys Pool hide and Wildlife Watchpoint were a little quieter though I didn't have time to stop there for long.

Photos: 1. Linnet - 2. Common Sandpiper - 3. Swallow - 4. Kestrel - 5. Yellow Wagtail

 

[IanF]

A few more photos from this morning.

I tried to convince myself it's a White Wagtail but I think it's just Pied.

1. Pied Wagtail - 2. Little Ringed Plover - 3. Avocet - 4. Swallow - 5. Common Sandpiper

 

[Alan Tilmouth]

Interesting that the Avocet numbers on Teeside reported by Ian lower today, perhaps they are the source of tonight's birds in Northumberland.

 

[StevieEvans]

Houghton Local Patch 09

A warm evening last night resulted in myself going to Houghton Gate. Very surprised to see a Ruff , as well as a Common Sandpiper.

Matthew
You've done well there with those 2 passage waders :t:

We have a grape-vine for local patch bird news in the Houghton area.
This is a simple SMS text, sent to multiple recipients - saves lots of time consuming fone calls, especially when its a bird on the move, like the recent fly-by Osprey - Word sharp gets out to local birders.

If you (or anyone else) is interested, then send me your mobile phone number.

(i had a rare bird-free day today, but some Houghton / Hetton birds included local firsts of Swift & Greenshank.
Now x4 Cuckoos , several Lesser Whitethroats & Grasshopper Warblers, Green Woodpecker, , x3 Common Sandpiper
Best though, a fly over Little Egret at Hetton)

Cheers
Steve 079 79 six zero 1231

 

[rokermartin]

A few more photos from this morning.

I tried to convince myself it's a White Wagtail but I think it's just Pied.

1. Pied Wagtail - 2. Little Ringed Plover - 3. Avocet - 4. Swallow - 5. Avocets

Hi Ian you are right its just Pied Wagtail. Looks like a female.

 

[IanF]

Interesting that the Avocet numbers on Teeside reported by Ian lower today, perhaps they are the source of tonight's birds in Northumberland.

Could very well be though numbers do flucutate quite a bit. It was alomst low tide when I was there so it' possible some were on Seal Sands mud flats as well.

Hi Ian you are right its just Pied Wagtail. Looks like a female.

Thanks for the clarification Martin.

 

[Jamie D]

This evening there were atleast 21 Avocets at Teesmouth and I believe 26 is the highest count recently.

 

[IanF]

This evening there were atleast 21 Avocets at Teesmouth and I believe 26 is the highest count recently.

25 seen this morning!

Saline Lagoon x12, Tidal Pool x6, Greenabella Marsh x6, Back Saltholme x1.

Also on Back Saltholme up until at least 12.30 - Spoonbill x1, Black-tailed Godwit x9, Pink-footed Goose x9, Yellow wagtail c.12, Northern Wheatear x5. Turnstone x1 was the only other wader seen.

Photos: 1. Spoonbill - 2. Pink-footed Geese - 3. Swallow - 4. Yellow Wagtail - 5. Sand Martin

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Me,Mum, and Dad are going to go to Salthome pools tommorow.
Hopefully get the Spoonbill even if we don't might get Yellow Wagtail. Which would make 2 lifers in 1 day!
Can anyone tell me where is the best place to look for the Spoonbill, by that I mead which hide at Salthome? If you could help it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[IanF]

Me,Mum, and Dad are going to go to Salthome pools tommorow.
Hopefully get the Spoonbill even if we don't might get Yellow Wagtail. Which would make 2 lifers in 1 day!
Can anyone tell me where is the best place to look for the Spoonbill, by that I mead which hide at Salthome? If you could help it would be greatly appreciated.

Just head down to the Saltholme Pools Hide. It's been the best place for birds all week. You should pass loads of Yellow Wagtail on the way either side of the path but the field on the right has been giving the best views when I've been there with them often sitting on the fence itself and coming down to the pools. Also a few Wheatear there as well today. The grassland on the north (left) side of the hide also holds quite a few.

The Spoonbill is still present this evening on the right side of the hide on the far bank. It's been roosting/sleeping with a group of Mute Swans. Also with four Cormorant this morning.

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Just head down to the Saltholme Pools Hide. It's been the best place for birds all week. You should pass loads of Yellow Wagtail on the way either side of the path but the field on the right has been giving the best views when I've been there with them often sitting on the fence itself and coming down to the pools. Also a few Wheatear there as well today. The grassland on the north (left) side of the hide also holds quite a few.

The Spoonbill is still present this evening on the right side of the hide on the far bank. It's been roosting/sleeping with a group of Mute Swans. Also with four Cormorant this morning.

Thanks very much Ian. I have never seen a Spoonbill before and was hoping it would stick around and it seems to be.:t: Thanks for the tips for Yellow Wagtail aswell. Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[IanF]

Greatham Creek this evening. A Short-eared Owl struggling to hunt in the strong winds. In the end it gave in and settled on the grass fiercely staring down any cows that came too close! An hour later and it was still there when I left.

A couple of Whimbrel around tonight flying up and down Greatham Creek.

Otherwise pretty much the same as last night other than a few Sand Martin in addition to the Swallows and Shelduck c.50 on Tidal Pool.

Photos: 1. Whimbrel - 2. Whimbrel - 3. Short-eared Owl - 4. Avocets - 5. Avocet

 

[Alan Tilmouth]

Without giving any location specifics are many of the Avocets showing signs of settling down or pairing off or are they grouping together?

 

[StevieEvans]

Without giving any location specifics are many of the Avocets showing signs of settling down or pairing off or are they grouping together?

This info was recently posted :-

. . . <snip> . . . Looks like two nesting Avocets at Greatham Creek plus Lapwing and a Little Ringed Plover present again today. Shelduck, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Redshank and Curlew around the pool/island.

Hope it isnt too specific for you Alan . . . . It was for me . . .