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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Durham Birding (4 Viewers)

Slugging It Out!

I read with horror the slug-fest additions to this forum. How callous!
:eek!:

Remember though, some slugs eat dead plant material and are therefore good to have about, some eat live plants and so are destructive.

If it's black, put it back. If it's brown, put it down (If it's brown, throw it on the outhouse roof didn't rhyme :king:
 
Two Barn Owl chicks were ringed under Schedule 1 licence locally this evening. Distant views of one of the adults hunting, both of which were already out of the box prior to our arrival c.7:30pm. Possibly a third chick around already fledged as there had been three when last checked - hopefully not gone the way of the other four siblings - eaten!

I'm afraid the exact location will not be disclosed.
 

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Red Note Book

If anybody is visiting Castle Lake Bishop Middleham in the next day or two i have left my red note book on the wall next to the sewage works fence if anybody picks it up i will collect.

John.

John, your book is safe & well :t:
we tried to read it, but it appears to be written in some form of secret code ;)

plenty of waders on Castle Lake today, though pride of place goes to Terek Sandpiper at N.Tees, on the Calor Gas pools (record shots on DBC Members forum)
 
John, your book is safe & well :t:
we tried to read it, but it appears to be written in some form of secret code ;)

plenty of waders on Castle Lake today, though pride of place goes to Terek Sandpiper at N.Tees, on the Calor Gas pools (record shots on DBC Members forum)
Last Terek Sand we had in the county was in 1979 so it has been long overdue for another one to turn up.
 
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John, your book is safe & well :t:
we tried to read it, but it appears to be written in some form of secret code ;)

plenty of waders on Castle Lake today, though pride of place goes to Terek Sandpiper at N.Tees, on the Calor Gas pools (record shots on DBC Members forum)

A very wet visit to Castle Lake and Saltholme today with S.E on a very dull wet day! A good day for waders!! 17 species recorded including the following:
Castle Lake: 2 Greenshank, 3 Green Sandpipers, 4 Common Sandpipers, 8+ Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Snipe, Several Green Plover and and 1 of each Dunlin and Oystercatcher
Saltholme: 3 Greenshank, 3 Ringed Plover, 1 Ruff, 10+ of Redshank, BlackTailed Godwits, Curlews, 1 Whimbrel, 11 Avocets, 1 Turnstone, oh and last but not least..... Terek Sandpiper!

Other birds seen through blankets of rain included Corn Bunting, 6 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Little Grebe, Teal, Shoveler, Pochards, Little Gull, Common Gull, LBB Gull, Sandwich and Common Tern, Stacks of Pied Wagtails and juvs, Yellow Wagtails with Juvs, Wheateater, Blackcaps, Willow Tit, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff.... amongst others.

70 species seen on a thouroughly wet and miserable, yet enjoyable day :t:
 
Calor Gas Pool up to 20:45 - Terek Sandpiper still present this evening with Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Gull x2 (one adult plumage), Black-tailed Godwit x9, Dunlin x5, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover.

Also Green Sandpiper on Firestation Pool.

Photos: 1. Green Sandpiper - 2.&3. Wood Sandpiper - 4.&5. Terek Sandpiper
 

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Also still Wood Sandpiper, Little Gull and Common Sandpiper on Calor Gas Pool.

Roseate Terns and Temmincks Stint this afternoon reported on Back Saltholme as well.

Adult Cuckoo still in migrant bushes Zinc Works Road. Still with a Meadow Pipit staying with it whether in flight or perched but no aggravation between them. Wonder if they're family?

Stonechat with young on Greenabella.

Photos: 1. Cuckoo with Meadow Pipit - 2. Yellowhammer - 3. Common Tern - 4. Grey Heron juv.& adult - 5. Meadow Pipit
 

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Peregrines

Finally had a chance to get out today, and after seeing the crowds at Calor Gas Pool decided to go elsewhere to concentrate the Peregrines.
As soon as I got to the sight I heard a Peregrine calling and soon located an adult bird circling, then another bird called which was a young bird sat on cliff over 150 yards away. It seemed the adult was trying to encourage the young one to fly. The young one flew a bit closer and able to get half decent pics. It was great to see the interaction between the 2 birds
Also at the same site was a family of 4 kestrels, 3 yellowhammer, 1 grey partridge.
Really good morning.
 

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Help Required

If there are any members of the Durham Birdforum Site is logged on here "PLEASE HELP" is there a problem with the site as I have been experiencing the repeative request for the password every time I try and open any of the topic pages, also every time I try and enter a topic it keeps coming up with an error report saying I have not completed the SUBJECT HEADING, even though I do enter a subject line.
All this seems to have occurred since the password was changed on the 5th July
 
If there are any members of the Durham Birdforum Site is logged on here "PLEASE HELP" is there a problem with the site as I have been experiencing the repeative request for the password every time I try and open any of the topic pages, also every time I try and enter a topic it keeps coming up with an error report saying I have not completed the SUBJECT HEADING, even though I do enter a subject line.
All this seems to have occurred since the password was changed on the 5th July

Is it the Bird Forum Durham Birding thread or Durham Bird Club web site or Durham Bird Club member discussion forum you're having trouble with?

It's getting a bit complicated now isn't it! ;)

Everything seems to be working just fine for me on all three.

It sounds like it may be the Durham Bird Club Discussion Forum? Though the change of password on the other part of the site shouldn't affect that as you'll have your own personal password for the forum section.

A few things to try are - sometimes logging out and in again cures problems else using Ctrl+F5. If it's corrupted cookie you may need to delete them and log in again.
 
Rain -Ton

If there are any members of the Durham Birdforum Site is logged on here "PLEASE HELP" is there a problem with the site as I have been experiencing the repeative request for the password every time I try and open any of the topic pages, also every time I try and enter a topic it keeps coming up with an error report saying I have not completed the SUBJECT HEADING, even though I do enter a subject line.
All this seems to have occurred since the password was changed on the 5th July

IanF said:
.......<snip>........It sounds like it may be the Durham Bird Club Discussion Forum?....<snip>.....


Hi Ian
I think Den is referring to the :-
DBC Members Forum to give it its correct name ;)

Den
I had a similar problem, but it appears to have corrected itself.
There is an "Off Topic" Category, within the DBC Members Forum :-
Discuss topics not related to birds or wildlife. For example, ask for help with your computer problem.
.
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Had an hour at the local patch at Rainton yesterday afternoon, while other family members snoozed in the car...

We've only just gone past mid-summer, but a definite feel now of non-breeding birds starting to move through:-
Single drake Pochard & eclipse drake Teal, a single Grey Wagtail over, single sub adult Common Gull, pair of LRPlovers with a fledged youngster in SE corner.
At home numbers of Herring Gulls also increasing at the Biffa Tip.

Steve

 
If there are any members of the Durham Birdforum Site is logged on here "PLEASE HELP" is there a problem with the site as I have been experiencing the repeative request for the password every time I try and open any of the topic pages, also every time I try and enter a topic it keeps coming up with an error report saying I have not completed the SUBJECT HEADING, even though I do enter a subject line.
All this seems to have occurred since the password was changed on the 5th July

I've had same problem but deleting cookies seemed to have fixed it.
 
Where's a good spot (or two) to visit near Saltholme?

Castle Lake Nature Reserve in Bishop Middleham about twenty minutes drive north-west of Saltholme is always worth a look for passage waders, yellow wagtails, corn bunting, outside chance of hobby.
 
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Where's a good spot (or two) to visit near Saltholme?

Spoilt for choice really around Teesmouth, especially the North Tees area around Saltholme Ponds. Check out the Teesmouth Bird Club web site Site Guide.

Main areas would be Saltholme Ponds/Dorman's Pool/Calor Gas Pool, Greatham Creek/Seal Sands, Seaton Snook/North Gare, Hartlepool Headland for sea watching.

On the north edge of the 'Cleveland' area is Castle Eden Dene with a decent sized colony of Little Tern.

Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park is a pleasant wander around with young mixed woodland and parkland habitat with plenty of birds and insects though nothing espcial as regards species at present.

As mentioned to the west in County Durham are Castle Lake at Bishop Middleham which can be good for waders and to a lesser extent Hurworth Burn Reservoir.
 
What a difference some food makes...

I've had same problem but deleting cookies seemed to have fixed it.

I tried that and it worked for a little while....now back to square one?????

:C :C :C :C

Anyway, There has been a distinct lack of garden birds for a good few weeks ....erm in my garden? so decided yesterday to put up 1 feeder. On arrival home tonight the place is wiked with birds!! In ten minutes i counted 2 Coal Tit, 8 Greenfinch 2 Blue Tit, 3 Blackbirds, 1 Hedge Sparrow, 2 Collared Dove a huge Woodpigeon 4 House Sparrow a Chaffinch, and a Robin!!! :t:

Also stuck my head into Rainton Meadows for 1/2 an hour on way home from work. Not alot happening on pool 2 apart from an amazing rise in water level!

2 Little Grebe both with young, one of which now looks like a real little Grebe! 2 Common Tern being very obliging sitting on the fence posts right infront of the hide, Stacks of very noisy Lapwing, and 3 Oystercatcher flew in just before i left to brighten things up a little.
 
If there are any members of the Durham Birdforum Site is logged on here "PLEASE HELP" is there a problem with the site as I have been experiencing the repeative request for the password every time I try and open any of the topic pages, also every time I try and enter a topic it keeps coming up with an error report saying I have not completed the SUBJECT HEADING, even though I do enter a subject line.
All this seems to have occurred since the password was changed on the 5th July

Check your PM's Den :t:
 
Mostly a wet miserable day but this afternoon the skies cleared for about an hour.

A quick visit to Calor Gas Pool just to check the Terek Sandpiper was still there - it was but very distant still and then along to Greatham Creek.

Plenty of activity on the Saline Lagoon with more Common Tern chicks to feed. The Little Ringer Plover seemed to be getting annoyed with the Common Terns as they were constantly chasing them.

A Common Sandpiper briefly dropped onto the island but only for a few seconds before heading over to the Creek itself. Three Common Sandpiper altogether. Several Redshank and Curlew along the Creek.

Avocets all still present on Tidal Pool along with Shelduck c.20, Curlew c.20, Ringed Plover x3, Heron x1, Oystercatcher x7 though also a flock of 23 Oystercatcher passed overhead travelling south-west towards Saltholme Ponds.

Families of Whitethroat, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Swallow and Starling along the creek side footpath fences.

18 Common Seal adults plus 10 pups hauled out close to the road bridge though more were arriving as I came away when a torrential downpour hit.

Black-tailed Godwit x9 - a few possibly Icelandic birds?
 

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