[IanF]

Only the Phil Stead Hide visited this afternoon.

RSPB Saltholme - pm - Phil Stead Hide - Wood Sandpiper x3, Marsh Harrier, Snipe c.30.

Little Gull x2 on west pond but no sign of Garganey.


A ringing result just received -

On 28th April 2012 Dave Harrison came across the carcass of a ringed Fulmar on North Sands, Hartlepool. Ring No. 450756 Rigning scheme Reykjavik.

He's just received the results back.

It was ringed as a nestling on 1st August 1981 at Flatey, Breida Fjordur, Iceland making it around 31 years old when it died. The longevity record is 40yrs 10 months.

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - pm - Phil Stead Hide - Greenshank x5, Wood Sandpiper, Snipe c.20, Water Rail, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier.

West pond from road - Ruff, Little Gull x2, Merlin juv, Cuckoo juv with Meadow Pipit x3, Peregrine.

[Ray.Scott]

Called at Saltholme/Phil Stead hide for an hour this afternoon.
5 greenshank, numerous common snipe, little grebe, single little egret, reed warbler + the usual coots etc.
We left the hide around 4.15, just about finished putting the camera away, when the marsh harrier flew over head, and went unusually, very high before heading towards Dormans.

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - west pond from road - Peregrine, Ruff x2, Wood Sandpiper x2, Greenshank x1, Little Gull x2.

Phil Stead Hide - Greenshank x4 (1 ad, 3 juv), Snipe c.30, Little Egret x1. Brief views of Water Rail.


Greatham Creek -Tidal Pool - 6.45-7.00pm -

Little Stint & Greenshank still present. Bar-tailed Godwit x1. Another group of Dunlin flew in taking it to around 80 along with a Ruff (juv) and a Curlew Sandpiper. Common Sandpiper x3 were asleep on the last pool.

Just before I left a Wood Sandpiper flew in landing on Tidal Pool for a few minutes before flying over to Greenabella Marsh with the Little Stint and most of the Dunlin.

[2slo]

Lovely day to watch garden birds today. Apart from the resident tits etc,



two greater spotted Woodpeckers have been backwards and forwards for suet,



we've had a male Bullfinch eyeing up the bird table,



then the Buzzards appeared overhead calling loudly and all the small birds vanished!

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - Peregrine juv over Saltholme Ponds. Ruff.

Phil Stead Hide - Ruff x2, Greenshank x1, Snipe c.30. Only two Little Egret when I was there but 14 reported earlier in the morning.

Greatham Creek - 6.30-7.45pm - Dunlin x131, Little Stint, Bar-tailed Godwit x1, Golden Plover x4, Black-tailed Godwit x11. The Godwits and Golden Plover were fly-overs heading towards RSPB Saltholme. Around 60 each of Common Tern, Curlew and Oystercatcher as well.

[Ray.Scott]

Sandhaven beach yesterday.
At least 3 adult and 2 Juvenile Roseates, most of the others were common with juv's. Not a lot as far as terns on the beach, most were half way along the pier on the South side of the wall. also the odd turstone, sanderling, oystercatcher, GBB gulls and a couple of distant juv, guilllemot.
Oh!! and hundreds of Humans .
Image one, what I thought was a juv, Roseate, has very short legs. It was suggested by a birder, that It may be a juv, arctic ?.

[Andyclose]

Originally Posted by Ray.Scott

Sandhaven beach yesterday.
At least 3 adult and 2 Juvenile Roseates, most of the others were common with juv's. Not a lot as far as terns on the beach, most were half way along the pier on the South side of the wall. also the odd turstone, sanderling, oystercatcher, GBB gulls and a couple of distant juv, guilllemot.
Oh!! and hundreds of Humans .
Image one, what I thought was a juv, Roseate, has very short legs. It was suggested by a birder, that It may be a juv, arctic ?.

##

Hi Ray, is Sandhaven beach on the south side of the pier, or is it that small beach just inside it?

Cheers

Andy

[2slo]

Originally Posted by Ray.Scott

Oh!! and hundreds of Humans .

You have to be very careful with this species. They migrate to these small beaches sometimes in their thousands at this time of year. They can become quite aggressive if their food supply is any distance away (usually chips and pizza). Best avoided, especially if found on the nest

[Rob67]

Originally Posted by Andyclose

##

Hi Ray, is Sandhaven beach on the south side of the pier, or is it that small beach just inside it?

Cheers

Andy

Hi Andy, Sandhaven is the large beach on the south side of the pier. The smaller beach to the north is the Littlehaven beach.

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - west pond - Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Ruff x2, Little Gull x5, Black-tailed Godwit x18, Dunlin x3. Peregrine x2 (juv & adult).

East Pond - Red-crested Pochard

Phil Stead Hide - Greenshank x5, Ruff x2 (different pair), Snipe c.50.

The Peregrines were more in evidence today hunting over Saltholme Ponds, Haverton Viewpoint and the Wildlife Watchpoint - seen making kills at the latter two.

Greatham Creek - 6.30pm - Spotted Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Sparrowhawk, Dunlin x3!

[2slo]

Ever seen a Woodpecker being aggressive? This male GSW hates small birds eating 'his' food. Here he is on approach scattering Tits, Robins and Nuthatches before having a feed:

[A W Gregory]

Saltholme-Bottom Tank today.
Just to add to Ian's- Greenshank x 6 plus Marsh Harrier x 1 flying up towards Haverton Hole.

[2slo]

Delighted when I saw a pair of Spotted Flycatchers today near Trimdon:

[IanF]

Greatham Creek - 11.45 - Redshank x.100, Ringed Plover x23, Dunlin x63, Knot x6.

RSPB Saltholme - Phil Stead Hide - Greenshank x6, Snipe c.20, Ruff x1, Buzzard x1.

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - 11.00am - Phil Stead Hide - Greenshank x2, Snipe c.20, Heron - until staff member with strimmer came out and chased everything away!

Seaton Common - Kestrel & Curlew x20 including a locally colour ringed bird from 2000.

Saltholme west - 7.00pm - Little Gull x5, Black-tailed Godwit x12, Dunlin x2. Black Tern flew in from east pond briefly hunting over west pond before heading over to Back Saltholme and lost from view

[Ray.Scott]

A couple of shots of our local garden visitor, hasn't been seen for a long while, but saw evedence of a kill the other day at the bottom of the garden.

[TimG]

Greatham Creek this afternoon the Wood Sandpiper was still present on the far side of the tidal pool, but I only located it at low tide. As well as this there were Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew and all the usuals.

Saltholme:
c.30 Snipe and 3 Greenshank from Phil Stead
3 Little Gulls, 1 Avocet, 1 Ringed Plover, Curlew, Black-Tailed Godwit from Saltholme Pools Hide

Also Lots of Ruddy Darters in amongst the Common Darters on the path from the centre to Back Saltholme.

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - east pond - Little Gull x3.

West pond - Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Yellow Wagtail x3. Swift x3 still plus several hundred Sand Martin.

Phil Stead Hide - Greenshank x2, Snipe c.20.

Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park - pm - Marsh Harrier x2 (m&f). Long-tailed Tit x6. Moorhen x21 on the lake.

RSPB Saltholme - Saltholme Hide - pm - Black-tailed Godwit x15, Avocet x1, Ruff x4, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Snipe c.20, Little Egret x2, Greenshank.

[Ray.Scott]

Phil Stead hide yesterday.
4 greenshank, single ruff & green sandpiper, snipe, kestrel, marsh harrier over, teal, little grebe etc.

Video clip of the Ruff & Green Sandpiper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1b7U...1&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOGva...2&feature=plcp

[James Thomas]

Travelling down the A1 this morning and about half a mile before the Darlington turn some road-kill on the hard shoulder appeared to have blue feathers. Could be a jay, feather duster, nothing feathered at all or something more interesting but some of you may be passing and could get a better look.

[IanF]

Low Barns yesterday morning.

West Pond - Heron x3, Great Spotted Woodpecker x3, Jay, Willow Warbler, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Willow Tit, Coal Tit.

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - Phil Stead Hide - Green Sandpiper, Greenshank x3, Water Rail, Snipe c.40 on ground another 60+ in flock flying over.

West pond - Black-tailed Godwit x24, Reeve, Dunlin, Garganey female. Black Tern resting on west pond but feeding over east pond, also Little Gull x3 & Red-crested Pochard.

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - east pond - Black Tern, Little Gull x4, RC Pochard. Marsh Harrier on Dormans Pool.

West pond - Black-tailed Godwit x42, Ruff x2, Wood Sandpiper, Dunlin, Greenshank, Lapwing c.100, Golden Plover x2.

Phil Stead Hide - Snipe x3, Greenshank x1.

Weasel on way down to Saltholme Hide. Migrant Hawker on dragonfly pools.

[rentoncharman]

Had a visit with grandchildren to Low Barns today hoping to see Kingfishers. We weren't disappointed with birds visiting the posts in front of the west hide a number of times during the morning. Good views also of Jay and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, both adult and juvenile.