Durham Birding (5 Viewers)

IanF · Sep 12, 2010

North Gare - am - a return visit to see the Little Stints in better light. Two were present this morning plus a Curlew Sandpiper but nothing like the number of waders that were there last night.

5-6 Wheatear were scattered about as well between the car park and beach plus one that was finding lots of worms to eat in the car park itself. Whinchat 3-4 were along the fence line by the car park and Meadow Pipit 20-30 were along the entrance road.

Zinc Works Road was very quiet with just a few Linnet, Goldfinch and Meadow Pipit. Lapwing c.50 were sat on the Common with a few Curlew but no sign of any Golden Plover yet.

Dormans Pool - 9.40am - Marsh Harrier hunting below top car park though seen off northwards by two Crows. A Cetti's Warbler was calling quite frequently from beside the car park as well.

RSPB Saltholme - Wildlife Watchpoint - Ruff x4, Greenshank x3, Little Egret x3, Gadwall 8-10, Teal c.12, Wigeon c.12.

richtweedy · Sep 13, 2010

Nuthatch on window feeder

Thought I'd share a couple of pics I took this morning of this nuthatch, which is an occasional visitor to the window seed feeder. I live in college on the Bailey in Durham, so the feeder is a short flight from the narrow strip of woodland that lines the river.

The trees also have a healthy population of tawny owls which provide night-time audio entertainment - although, bizarrely one of them hooted briefly just before I wrote this (at 6.20pm!).

great bustard · Sep 13, 2010

Had my 1st PAIR of Buzzards soaring above south east corner of Brasside pond today :0)

martin kitching · Sep 14, 2010

Late availability of pelagic places

Morning all

Had some late cancellations

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1925889#post1925889

cheers
martin

Julie Hogg · Sep 14, 2010

Maybe of interest, some places left:

Durham RSPB Local Group
Coach Trip to Holy Island - Saturday 2nd October 2010
Price: £18 RSPB Members, £20 non-members, £6 juniors
Departure: 9 am, Carr House Drive, Newton Hall, Durham (close to Newton Hall Co-op).
Return: Arrive back in Durham about 7 pm.
Bookings: Contact David Sowerbutts on [email protected] or (0191) 3867201 ASAP.

IanF · Sep 14, 2010

Dormans Pool - am - very little to see on the water other than Lapwings and a Greenshank. Whinchat x2 and a Wheatear and lots of Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit were on the path and on the brambles along the path to the hide.

Saltholme Pond-east - Spotted redshank, Ruff and Greenshank.

RSPB Saltholme - from the Saltholme Hide - Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper x3, Wood Sandpiper x1, Little Stint x2, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Golden Plover.

Quite a few Migrant Hawkers around at Saltholme as well including one that came into the hide to check us out.

JBee · Sep 15, 2010

Been a while since I posted but a quick note that a white winged black tern was in front of Creswell hide today.
Now I can take credit for being the first to see it and photograph it (as I was the only one there) but I must admit I thought juvenile sandwich tern.
My thanks therefore to Martin Kitching for the ID - he arrived with a group of people as the bird returned to the lake.
I should have a couple of decent photos (at a distance and yet to process) but no doubt far inferior to those taken later in the day (after news was out) by 2 guys with cameras who decided that walking to the end of the causeway (where the bird was feeding) was worth putting at risk everyone elses chances of watching the bird.
Luckily the bird didn't seem to mind but it could have easily flown off leaving those who had turned up (or where going to turn up) with nothing to look at.

JBee · Sep 15, 2010

A few shots of the white winged black tern.
Unfortunately it never came too close and pretty much spent it's time flying away from me into the wind.

JBee · Sep 15, 2010

A few more

ian hamilton · Sep 15, 2010

JBee said:
A few shots of the white winged black tern.
Unfortunately it never came too close and pretty much spent it's time flying away from me into the wind.

still good shots though:t:

IanF · Sep 15, 2010

RSPB Saltholme - west pond - pm - Grey Plover x1, Little Stint x2 (though 7 seen earlier), Wood Sandpiper x1, Greenshank x3, Golden Plover c.12, Curlew Sandpiper x3, Ruff, Pink-footed Geese x13, Peregrine.

Saltholme Pond east - Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Ruff.

StevieEvans · Sep 16, 2010

JBee said:
Been a while since I posted but a quick note that a white winged black tern was in front of Creswell hide today.
Now I can take credit for being the first to see it and photograph it (as I was the only one there) but I must admit I thought juvenile sandwich tern.
My thanks therefore to Martin Kitching for the ID - he arrived with a group of people as the bird returned to the lake... <snip>...

Next time you find one, you'll know what it is . . . & with a bit luck it'll be in Durham :t:

Have you totted up your self-found list yet ? :smoke:

JBee · Sep 16, 2010

StevieEvans said:
Have you totted up your self-found list yet ? :smoke:

2 and a bit
Whinchat and RT divers at Horden
A little tichy bit of a white winged duck

IanF · Sep 16, 2010

I picked up the dead Barn Owl this morning I found by the entrance to RSPB Saltholme. It was an unringed juvenile. Neck & leg broken. Possibly one of the reserve birds.

North Gare - Wheatear x7, Stonechat x4, Grey Plover x2, Knot x2, Oystercatcher x9, Dunlin c.150, Curlew x5, Turnstone x3. Purple Sandpiper x1 on pier. Teal x1 on the sea. 15-20 each of Linnet, Goldfinch and Meadow Pipit.

The Headland - Purple Sandpiper x7 & Turnstone c.20 along Heugh Pier railings over high tide. Sandwich Tern x2. Eider c.12. Comorant c.12.

Newburn - Wheatear x5, Pied Wagtail x2 & Whinchat x1 on the north end of the rock armour.

RSPB Saltholme - Saltholme Hide - Little Stint x3, Grey Plover x1, Golden Plover 7+, Curlew Sandpiper x3, Wood Sandpiper x1, Ruff x5, Black-tailed Godwit x5, Greenshank x2. A few more Wigeon and Teal around today.

agamiheron · Sep 17, 2010

Good find JBee - I'm with Stevie next time find one (or something equally as good at Rainton Meadows). Nice meeting you the other week by the mate.

Stevie stop showing off with your Whinchat photos

- no sign of it today sadly mate (but looks a decent area around there and I'll check it out more often)

Boy Wonder · Sep 17, 2010

We have another optics event at RSPB Saltholme this weekend. On Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th the Viking optical team will once again be in the viewing gallery giving top advice on all things binocular and telescope so please pop in if you have any queries.

Ray.Scott · Sep 17, 2010

Hartlepool/Teesside

A few handfuls from yesterday:
IanF more or less covered everything at the headland, didn't expect to see the sandwich terns, looked like an adult and juv, as they landed for a couple of minutes.

Newburn Bridge area:
The only birds along the promenade from Jacksons Landing were pied wagtails and 10 teal just off shore. Nearer Newburn Bridge were, sanderling, turnstone, dunlin, oyster catchers, redshank, ringed plover, med, gull sat on the rocks and small flock of Knot.

Saltholme Bottom Tank:
Teal, mallard and single greenshank all very distant due to lack of water.

Virtually the same birds at the Saltholme Hide as to what IanF mentioned in his previous post + spotted redshank which came quite close to the hide.

Ray.Scott · Sep 17, 2010

Durham Birding (5 Viewers)

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