Durham Birding (6 Viewers)

jason-t-71 · Dec 21, 2008

Myself and Martin had a look over Rainton today on the way back from another fruitless search for the Hawfinches at Croxdale. Found the Redpoll flock and managed to find a single Mealy in amongst them, but they were incredibly flighty. A nice surprise was a flock of around 40 Waxwings flying overhead, heading towards the industrial estate.

FoghornKinghorn · Dec 22, 2008

A few Waxwings around Darlington today, more very good views! (Very breif, as we where driving past)
:t:

(Jokes: Morrisons booze selection produced Red, and possible Hazel Grouse. It was also interesting to see a Hummingbird. Some good booze labels out there):-O:-O

IanF · Dec 22, 2008

Castle Eden Walkway/A689 this afternoon.

Crossbill c.6 - only two seen near scout hut but several calling and numerous cones being dropped c.1km SW of scout hut. Siskin c.30, Coal Tit c.20, Goldcrest c.12, GSW x1, Marsh Tit x5, Treecreeper x1, Bullfnch c.12, Redwing, Fieldfare, Little Owl, Jay.

On way home Buzzard flew low over A689 south to north in front of my car between the roundabouts near Wynyard whilst being mobbed by three Crows.

NeilF · Dec 22, 2008

Kinghorn the bird brain. said:
(Jokes: Morrisons booze selection produced Red, and possible Hazel Grouse. It was also interesting to see a Hummingbird. Some good booze labels out there):-O:-O

They used to do a wine called Sandpiper, went down rather well! Sainsbury's do a Pickled Partridge amongst others but don't get me started, it reminds me too much of work

Goosander, Reed Bunting, Willow Tit, Shelduck, Pochard & Pink-footed Geese seen on the local patch (W'ton/Ch-le-St) today.
Couple of rubbish pictures;

DenBee · Dec 22, 2008

Fantasic experience of BO hunting

Visited Low Barnes today not much about as is about the norm lately, however while sitting in West Pasture Hide around 16.20 bemoaning lack of activity suddenly Barn Owl glided in from corner of wooded area over rough pasture at the side of hide and spent a good 15 - 20 minutes quartering between Wetlands hide and West Hide before finally gliding down effortlesly onto its unsuspecting prey.
This activity provided my daughter some good action photo shots of the Owl homing in on prey then flying off back into the wooded area with preyheld in its talons.
Very awe inspiring for the both of us to say the least.

DenBee

russ1610 · Dec 22, 2008

Denbee, was that you then sat in the hide with me when the cormorants were in the tree. Nice to meet you mate wish I had stayed and seen the Owl Just posted the other day that I wanted to see one and appear to have missed out again.

Ray.Scott · Dec 22, 2008

Teesside / Hartlepool today:

Started of at Bowesfield Marsh:
Plenty of the normal coots, moorehens, mallards, mute swans etc plus 6 shoveler, 1 grey heron and around 20 pochard on the ponds. The only birds amongst the reeds were 1/2 doz, goldfinch, 2 mipits and the regular crows & magpies.

Onto Teesside Barrage:
1 YL Gull amongst the BH & Herring Gulls, at least 12 cormorants and 3 seals.
Only a couple of robins seen in the surrounding bushes.

Called at Cowpen Bewley Feeding station:
Much the same as reported earlier, chaffinch, greenfinch, blue, great, coal and LT Tits, tree sparrows etc and tree creeper paid a fleeting visit. No sign of the woodpecker.

Jacksons Landing:
2 GN Divers still present plus 1/2 doz, RB Mergansers, female eider and the regular gulls and cormorants.

Called at Ward Jackson Park on the way home to check on the Parakeets:
Total of 9 seen in the trees opposite the park entrance.

Ray.Scott · Dec 22, 2008

Just a few more pic's from today.

NeilF · Dec 22, 2008

StevieEvans said:
Have you got any big Wood Pigeon roosts locally ?

Have you got large flocks moving first thing in morning & / or back again mid/late afternoon...?

Whilst cruising the streets of Rickleton this morning (looking for Waxwing I hasten to add!) what must have been 400+ Woodpigeons went over North, presumably leaving a roost site on the Lambton Estate.

StevieEvans · Dec 22, 2008

NeilF said:
They used to do a wine called Sandpiper, went down rather well! Sainsbury's do a Pickled Partridge amongst others but don't get me started, it reminds me too much of work

Goosander, Reed Bunting, Willow Tit, Shelduck, Pochard & Pink-footed Geese seen on the local patch (W'ton/Ch-le-St) today.
Couple of rubbish pictures;

Hey Neil, i like both them shots of the drake Goosander

Reecently read about a new one the Famous Grouse people are bringing out "Black Grouse" Enjoy !

NeilF said:
Whilst cruising the streets of Rickleton this morning (looking for Waxwing I hasten to add!) what must have been 400+ Woodpigeons went over North, presumably leaving a roost site on the Lambton Estate.

Im pleased you added the bit in brackets.... wonder if there are many other flightlines out of Lambton Estate in morning ?

Called in at Brasside to see if anything came in to roost, best no's of duck on the pond (500) for years, with 18Goldeneye & 22+Goosander coming in off the river to roost as the light went.

The redpoll plague continues at Rainton Meadows

Stewart J. · Dec 22, 2008

Here's a link to the Black Grouse Whisky as its for a good cause, our local rather small Sainsburys dosen't stock it :-C

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3343172/Black-grouse-whisky-to-raise-RSPB-money.html

Have a good Christmas all

Stewart

DenBee · Dec 22, 2008

russ1610 said:
Denbee, was that you then sat in the hide with me when the cormorants were in the tree. Nice to meet you mate wish I had stayed and seen the Owl Just posted the other day that I wanted to see one and appear to have missed out again.

Yes Russ I was with my daughter, it's a shame that you missed the show. It was a the longest period I have actually been able to observe BO, as usually it is just a fleeting view as it flys over a hedgerow.
I also think we may have met briefly down at Cowpen Bewley CP approx a week gone Friday on my way to a Teesmouth club visit to Seal Sands Penisula. I left you in the capable hands of Ian F to show you round the area.

StevieEvans · Dec 22, 2008

Stewart J. said:
Here's a link to the Black Grouse Whisky as its for a good cause, our local rather small Sainsburys dosen't stock it :-C

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3343172/Black-grouse-whisky-to-raise-RSPB-money.html

Have a good Christmas all

Stewart

Thanks for link Stewart.
Read about it in recent North Pennines News.........
as if we need an excuseB

Yes, while we're on about Whiskey & Xmas i'll also say "Merry Christmas" to the massed ranks & legions of Local Patch birders in Co.Durham (NB: this excludes photographers, stringers, trespassers & Robin-strokers except Derek.C)

ATB to all Wild Bird Enthusiasts.

russ1610 · Dec 22, 2008

Sorry benbee your right we did briefly meet at Cowpen Bewley. I forgot coz I was so excited to meet Ian F Photo/God ha ha. Not forget you next time mate

NeilF · Dec 23, 2008

StevieEvans said:
Hey Neil, i like both them shots of the drake Goosander

Second shot is a Goosander/Shelduck hybrid :-O

Merry Christmas to everyone on the forum B

JBee · Dec 23, 2008

StevieEvans said:
"Merry Christmas" to the massed ranks & legions of Local Patch birders in Co.Durham (NB: this excludes photographers, stringers, trespassers & Robin-strokers except Derek.C)

ATB to all Wild Bird Enthusiasts.

That's you wiped straight off my Xmas Card List

Ray.Scott · Dec 23, 2008

Washington WWT today:

Plenty bird life at the Hawthorn Hide, Blue, great, coal, willow and LT Tits, chaffinch, nuthatch, dunnock, robin, bulfinch, GS woodpecker and 8 pheasants on the ground below the feeders.

LTT, blue tits, bulfinch, robin and magpie by the riverside with 2 grey heron and mallards on the river.

More mallards, redshank, teal and 3 shell duck on the wader pond.

russ1610 · Dec 23, 2008

Well went to Lower Barns again for a few hours mainly to try and see the Barn Owl as spotted by Denbee Yesterday. No chance at 3pm 3 men turned up and decided to round up 4 horses by running round the field where said Barn Owl was seen. As a result I packed it all in and went home. Did manage to see, Blue, Great AND Long Tailed, TITS. Tree Creeper, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Usual Swans and Mallards, No Cormorants that I saw and no sign of the Kingfisher.

IanF · Dec 23, 2008

Much the same as usual at Cowpen Bewley WP this morning. Nothing of particular note on the main pond. Best sightings - Goldeneye x3 and an increase in Shoveler again to 15-16 though most were asleep along the west edge. Lots of gulls but every one of them BH Gull.

Feeding station - Tree Sparrow c.30, Treecreeper, Long-tailed Tit c.20, Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer etc.

Greenabella Marsh this afternoon - SEO x2, Kestrel x1, Little Egret x2, Heron x2, RB Merganser x6, BkT Godwit x4, Teal c.50, Shelduck x2, Kingfisher x1, Twite c.40.

RSPB Saltholme blog updated today as well - Saltholme Blog - sounds like it's still on course for the long awaited opening late January.

Photos : 1. Blue Tit - 2. Treecreeper - 3. Tree Sparrow - 4. & 5. Twite

StevieEvans · Dec 23, 2008

Hawthorn Dene for just after sunrise with the little un, no deer seen, but a perfect bright winters morning with 10+GSW inc 2 drumming, Yaffle on call only, 10+Marsh Tit, 6each of Nuthatch & Treecreeper.
Heard a racket just off the path (no, it wasnt a game of tennis) :-O a naked eye Tawny Owl being mobbed by multiple species in a Yew tree within a Hawthorn copse, good views & it didnt spook. Bairn thought it had followed us from Brasside! - where we had a flypast yestday teatime. 800Wood Pigeon on stubble nr the village, 10Yellowhammer.

The apprentice insisted we tackle the suicide steps :eek!:down to Hawthorn Hive
between beach combining & hoyying rocks in the sea, 1Rock Pipit (1st i can remember seeing here), 12 Oystercatcher, nil OTS, 1Peregrine south offshore.

Ten mins to kill before dinner was ready & a kick about in the street produced flyover Grey Wagtail & what looked like 2 Bewicks Swans heading to RM.....

After a fruitful afternoon nr home, with Green Sand, Kingfisher, Jack Snipe Long-eared & Little Owls and a whopping o

10Woodcock i headed over RM's for the last hour of the day....hoping to see if what may have been 2 Bewicks had headed that way....

At Feeding Station at 15:15, 2-3 Water Rail's calling on approaching Pool2 , very fortunate to see a Jack Snipe fly in over Pool1, :smoke:from north at 15:32, just dipping over the top of the pool2 Phragmites.

A slightly disappointing scene looking at main pool... certainly no wild swans, but some "Ninny" with a camera crouched down at the waters edge throwing bread, seemingly trying to get a photograph of the swans from a low angle with setting sun behind them.....:-C

Fortunately at the same time a Kingfisher flew through & i tried to forget about the Ninny with the camera & made a bee-line for the undisturbed Pool4 - best part of 30 very poor minutes with only a Sprrowhawk, 2Partridge, distant calling Little Owl & a Water Rail flew low over into the near side south corner.

A very nice day.....almost perfect...

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