[rokermartin]

Originally Posted by degsy_safc

Thanks Martin - i think i'll need a guided tour next time they are present.

Hi Derek you have plenty of time to swot up on tern id for next year.

[degsy_safc]

Originally Posted by rokermartin

But having said that some butterfly species such as Large Skipper and Small Tort there numbers were well down. Also i dont know what has happened to the Holly Blues i usually see them in the garden but i have'nt seen any this year for some reason.Has anyone seen Holly Blue this year in South Tyneside or in the county.

Hiya Martin - Have not seen a Holly Blue at all this year - got to admit i have seen a fair few Small Tort's on travels and a good few Large Skippers. But if you are benchmarking against garden sightings - well i don't hardly get any species in my garden at all

[degsy_safc]

Originally Posted by rokermartin

Hi Derek you have plenty of time to swot up on tern id for next year.

I thought i was making a bit of slow progress - but that last picture just blew that theory out the water

[seggs]

Cracking afternoon around the Sandhaven area with "Sir Dougie".(sorry mate could,nt resist).
It all started with more media attention in Trow, don,t panic everyone the ECW has,nt turned up again unfortunately!This time the Gazette are running a follow up article about birdwatching in South Tyneside, should be a interesting read when its put to press. And this could lead to a regular feature in the paper!
We had spotted 4 Snow buntings on the beach before meeting Mark and the press whilst we waited for them..as usual the Little owl showed also and so did its mate but a dog walker spooked the 2 of them and the press photographer never got a shot of one..
So after the interviews and goodbyes me and Dougie headed along the beach in search of Snow buntings....after seeing them a few times the best count we got was a flock of 10, very flightly at times.
We met John Sulli. on the pier and walked along the dunes again seeing the buntings again, he left us at the end of the black path with (let me know if you see owt) saying....5 minutes later the Sabines gull was spotted on the beach and after a phone call to him he came back, puffing and panting but pleased to see it.

Ive got the number of Snow buntings down as 10-14 only because of the flock sizes we seen today...maybe only 10 but each count we had differed at times...who knows how manys around there?

Have to agree with Davy about the light issue for shots...(we must have just missed you)..but you have to try

few from today hope dougies are better.

[degsy_safc]

Originally Posted by seggs

Cracking afternoon around the Sandhaven area with "Sir Dougie"

Sir Dougie of Trow, has a kind of nice ring to it

[seggs]

Originally Posted by degsy_safc

Sir Dougie of Trow, has a kind of nice ring to it

Aye does it not!

[rokermartin]

Originally Posted by degsy_safc

I thought i was making a bit of slow progress - but that last picture just blew that theory out the water

Hi Derek thats bird id for you sometimes its not straight forward.But that is what makes bird id interesting and so confusing at times.Even the experts are still learning about bird id.

[echo24]

Hi Folks,

Spent the afternoon in Trow with Mark & Steve, helping the Shields Gazette guys put together an article on local patch birding – seemed to go pretty well. I’d hoped Mr& Mrs ‘Trowl’ would make an appearance, and both of them did – only to be spooked by a dog walker and disappear rather swiftly back into their ‘bolt holes’ before we got near – the gazette lads never seen ‘em once – typical!

As mentioned by others on here already, Snow Bunting numbers are on the increase around the dunes to the north end of sandhaven beach where Steve and I counted at least 14 birds during the afternoon ( four of them nearer to trow than the pier) 5 Pied Wags, 1 Rock Pipit & 21 Sanderling also present.



Met up with John Sulli later in the day and we all got good close views of the Sabines Gull which has been a regular feature around the area for the last ten days or so – wish the light had of been better for the pics but here we go anyway – superb wing pattern btw!

Cheers, Dougie.

[echo24]

Originally Posted by degsy_safc

Sir Dougie of Trow, has a kind of nice ring to it

Funnily enough, Derek, our lass often tells me to "get knighted" (or is it knotted!) when I say that I’m off to Trow - I always go tho’!

Cheers, Dougie.

[The gaffer]

Flock of 13 swans flying south over ST hospital at 11.15 this morning.

At work, no bins and hence no positive ID

Brian

[seggs]

Only.....! managed 6 Snow buntings this morning beside the life guard station behind the fair.

[yukonite]

Originally Posted by The gaffer

Flock of 13 swans flying south over ST hospital at 11.15 this morning.

At work, no bins and hence no positive ID

Brian

were they high or low? wonder if they dropped on the wear or barmston

[JBee]

Originally Posted by yukonite

were they high or low?

Didn't know Bruce Forsythe was a twitcher - higher, higher, lower, lower.
Just had a thought - imagine the Chuckle brothers sitting at opposite ends of a hide when an owl flew past - "To me, to you, to wit to woo"

[The gaffer]

Originally Posted by yukonite

were they high or low? wonder if they dropped on the wear or barmston

Low, about 100 feet and landing gear up. I did think they might have came off the marine park lake

Brian

[Shaggy2070]

Originally Posted by JBee

Just had a thought - imagine the Chuckle brothers sitting at opposite ends of a hide when an owl flew past - "To me, to you, to wit to woo"

Now that would be worth seeing

[seggs]

Originally Posted by Shaggy2070

Now that would be worth seeing

You already have Shaggy - hinge and bracket aka The chuckle brothers Jbee and Scuzz

[JBee]

Originally Posted by seggs

You already have Shaggy - hinge and bracket aka The chuckle brothers Jbee and Scuzz

Scuzz is definitely un-hinged.

[yukonite]

Originally Posted by The gaffer

Low, about 100 feet and landing gear up. I did think they might have came off the marine park lake

Brian

was wondering if they could be bewick's as their sometimes seen at coxgreen

[Scribbly Jack]

Anyone up for finishing off our last day out, tomorrow? By this I mean a trip to Budle/ Stag rocks etc.
Let me know,

Mick

[echo24]

Originally Posted by Scribbly Jack

Anyone up for finishing off our last day out, tomorrow? By this I mean a trip to Budle/ Stag rocks etc.
Let me know,

Mick

Would've loved to, Mick, but I've got some family stuff going on tomorrow, so it'll have to be a 'no'

You still ok for next friday at the Alum, mate?

Cheers, Dougie.

[Scribbly Jack]

Originally Posted by echo24

You still ok for next friday at the Alum, mate?

Try to keep me away!!!

Mick

[mcepjg]

Originally Posted by rokermartin

Been having a look at my dragonfly and damselfly sightings and one place which i will be checking again next year is Testo's roundabout pool i saw 6 species of dragonfly,Brown Hawker,Migrant Hawker,Four-spotted Chaser,Black-tailed Skimmer,Common Darter and Emperor.3 species of Damselfy,Blue Damselfly,Emerald Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly not bad for a small road side pool. Also this year is one of the best i can remember for butterflies there have been loads around especially Painted Ladies,Small Skippers,Ringlets and Speckled Woods.But having said that some butterfly species such as Large Skipper and Small Tort there numbers were well down. Also i dont know what has happened to the Holly Blues i usually see them in the garden but i have'nt seen any this year for some reason.Has anyone seen Holly Blue this year in South Tyneside or in the county.

After visiting the cock crow inn (and seeing to my surprise a comma butterfly I think) I went to testos and there were still some dragonflies around the only one i got a decent look at was very small and short and yellow, I couldn't believe it at this time of year. I went on to boldon I didn't see much out of the usual there, just the greylags non of the migrating geese/ swans as yet. went on to whitburn and saw the huge golden plover flock again and also saw a red/black throated diver out at sea, and a female kestrel. Definately a great year for butterflies it's been great

[echo24]

Hi Folks.

Spent the day walking between The Groyne lighthouse and Camels Island, which included the end of the pier and back - clocking about eight miles in total.

The Leas. 1 big flock of mixed gulls with the usual Jackdaws etc, and c60 Oystercatchers near the Bamburgh pub.

Trow. 2 Little Owls, 1 Kestrel, 1 Robin, 1 Wren, 2 Blackbirds, 4 Linnets, 6 Goldfinch, c20 House Sparrow and 2 Magpies.

The Leas mound, pretty quiet really, with only 1 Reed Bunting and a M&F Stonechat.

Headed towards Marsden next following the cliff top path. 16 unidentified Geese south over the sea (possibly Brent but I’m not certain). Redshanks, Oystercatchers and Turnstones along usual rock marks and plenty feral pigeons (peregrine food) on the cliffs. Rock Pipits in most bays c20 all told.

Following the hedgerow back, 6 Meadow Pips & 2 Skylarks. I then dropped back into Trow with everything much the same as earlier.

Sandhaven Beach, 22 Sanderling, 4 Ringed Plover, 3 Snow Buntings & 4 Pied Wags – usual gulls present including a GBB which snatched an already dead flatfish out of the tide line seaweed then took to the water and washed before eating it at its leisure with none of the other gulls (BH & Common) going anywhere near him – wise move, I think!

No sign of the Sabine’s despite plenty birders looking for it, apparently it was spotted on the north side earlier this morning before flying south across the river.

Black headed gulls all over the place, including this one which was ringed (see photo) anyone know who to contact about this?..... There was also one bird still in full breeding plumage which I thought was most unusual, we had a similar looking bird last autumn/winter around the leas, I remember talking to Ross Ahmed about it and he seemed to think it may have been a sick bird that just didn’t have the energy to moult – I’d be interested to know more about this if anyone can help?

The only other birds of note were two different Med Gulls, one on Sandhaven and the other on Littlehaven – big difference in the leg colouring. And apart from the 300 or so Starlings hanging around the beach car parks waiting for chips to be flung out of car windows, that’s about it!

Cheers, Dougie.

PS, started with the garden feeders again on the first of the month – six species so far!

[echo24]

Please see above post......the rest of todays pics

Cheers, Dougie.

[echo24]

Originally Posted by Scribbly Jack

Try to keep me away!!!

Mick

Good man!