A really good day out in the west of the county today despite dipping the Black Stork.
Initially I headed to Barnard Castle for a walk along Tees Banks Woods and then into the lower end of Deepdale.
Parking by the 'silver bridge' as it's now being called - it was always called the 'pipe bridge' when I was a kid - as soon as I got out of the car I heard a Pied Flycatcher calling the first one I've actually heard this year though I've seen several. I tracked it down to the trees around footbridge over Percy Beck where it was moving between the trees on either side of the beck. It certainly wasn't there when I last visited.
The bandstand pebbles were very quiet with just a pair of Pied Wagtails though several Swallow, House Martin and Swift were feeding above the river. The only other birds I could see were Mallard. Even the Nuthatches weren't around their nest tree.
No sign of the Tawny Owls this morning I think they must have fledged and moved on but whilst looking for them a Redstart and another Pied Flycatcher were calling from the trees higher up the bank. Another Pied Flycatcher was calling from the trees opposite the bottom end of Water Boatmans Island.
I didn't venture any further upriver this visit as I wanted to check lower Deepdale as well so I headed back to the 'silver bridge' and across into Deepdale. 50m in by where the bankside has been reinforced with stone blocks another Pied Flycatcher was in the trees on the far bank and every now and again checking out a nest box. Willow Warbler, Robin and Wren were flitting about as well as a family of Treecreeper. This area always used to be good for them and it was again today with 8-9 of them flitting about. There were two adults and the rest were juveniles. It was quite comical watching them flit around sometimes with three on the same tree and the adults feeding them every now and again though mostly they seemed to be doing well enough for food on their own.
In the first area of Blackthorn were several Garden Warbler, Blackcap. Chaffinch, Long-tailed Tit, Robin, Thrush and Blackbird - all very actively searching for bugs.
The next area of Blackthorn held Blackcap. Chaffinch and Bullfinch. Across the other side of the beck was another Pied Flycatcher on territory singing and protecting a rather precariously angled nest box almomst fallen off the tree though I don't think it has a mate yet. A pair of Nutchatch were busy taking food into a hole in a neighbouring tree with a pair of Blue Tits doing likewise in a knot hole above them. Mistle Thrush and a Jay were busy travelling back and forth through the trees as well as pair of noisy Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
I followed the Woodpeckers into Raygill where I saw them using the same nest tree as a couple of years ago. Another Pied Flycatcher was in the same area. I'm kicking myself now though as I was stood by the gate leading to Raygill Farm and Osmond Flatt Farm where I later saw the Black Stork was reported as being present about the same time as I arrived but I didn't see it nor afterwards when I had a ride onto the moor road through Lartington. Two Cuckoo were calling as well one from over towards Raygill farm and the other from the south side of Deepdale.
I then retraced my steps back to the car seeing much the same again. The only new find was a Spotted Flycatcher perched on the wires opposite the entrance to Deepdale. It flew into the trees when somone came over the bridge. The first local one I've seen this year.
I then headed over to the Stang for a picnic lunch. Not much at all in the forest just a few Siskin, Mistle Thrush, Chaffinch and Robin.
A very short walk through Brignall Banks Woods where I've been meaning to check for several year yielded another dozen Pied Flycatchers and two Redstarts plus Dipper and Grey Wagtail along the beck. I didn't have time to do the area justice really for a proper check but it's fair to say the woods were 'alive' with singing birds.
A ride along to Barnigham and up onto the moor past Brag House yielded quiet a few moorland birds such as Golden Plover x10 in a flock, several Oystercatcher, Curlew, Linnet, Lapwing, Red Grouse and Buzzard. A nice find was a Cuckoo perched on telephone wires beside the road. Lots of Geese around as well.
All in all it was a pretty good day and quite unexpected the number of Pied Flycatcher.