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

Durham Birding (5 Viewers)

Unfortunately as things stand at the moment there’s very little room/scope for improvement, I thought you both realised this, (weren’t you at the first CCG meeting when all the problems were highlighted?)…

The whole reason this has come up again is precisely because we were at the first meeting where apart from all of the problems a realistic possibility of vastly improving the flats was also mentioned which seems to have been forgotton by some, there are more peolpe than just Martin and I that still think its worth persuing.
 
mud mud glorious mud

Short clip here to hopefully go some way to cheering up Martin & Adam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbamxSKfjMc


Very frustrating situations on those 2 reserves close to home . . .

but take a trip 20 mins down the road to the Bishop Middleham wetlands . . . & its a different story

it may well give you further inspiration as to what can hopefully be achieved over time - in this area this is largly down to one quiet, unassuming & JOlley individual ;)




NB:
The Castle Lake hide will be open on the afternoon of this Saturday, 17th July should anyone wish to have a look.

Members of the DBC conservation team will be on hand to communicate with the public (a circular walk is on as part of the village fete) to help spread the word about the fascinating bird & wildlife down there, as well as outline all the positive works the club is undertaking in that area.

Thankfully theres no problem whatsoever down that way in encouraging local councils & landowners to take positive steps to cater for birds & bird watchers :t

pic shows 'Wader Bay' - the northern end of the lake - future works here include further scrapes, hedging & viewing screens, aswell as more substancial works on the main body of the lake to include island creation, reprofiling of large areas for roosting & foraging & further scrapes below the hide.
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Looks a great place Steve and I must try and get down there some time but 20mins drive may aswell be on the moon when I'm on foot where as Boldon flats is only 30mins walk or just a few minuets drive for most locals making it easy to visit if you only got a short time spare which makes it very frustrating when you see such great potential going to waste.
 
Looks a great place Steve and I must try and get down there some time but 20mins drive may aswell be on the moon when I'm on foot where as Boldon flats is only 30mins walk or just a few minuets drive for most locals making it easy to visit if you only got a short time spare which makes it very frustrating when you see such great potential going to waste.

Hope i havnt rubbed salt into the wound, but i can empathise - a 20 min walk leads me to lack-lustre Joes Pond / RM pools complex . . .

"very frustrating when you see such great potential going to waste" -

must be something in the water.....


i would have suggested posting on the DBC Forum to see if you can "car share" with someone down to Bish Midd - but looking at it recently, i wouldnt hold out much hope -last time i logged on a couple of Tumbleweeds scrolled across the page . . . :-O - but you never know, it might be worth a punt.
 
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Hope i havnt rubbed salt into the wound, but i can empathise - a 20 min walk leads me to lack-lustre Joes Pond / RM pools complex . . .

"very frustrating when you see such great potential going to waste" -

must be something in the water.....


i would have suggested posting on the DBC Forum to see if you can "car share" with someone down to Bish Midd - but looking at it recently, i wouldnt hold out much hope -last time i logged on a couple of Tumbleweeds scrolled across the page . . . :-O - but you never know, it might be worth a punt.

Not at all Steve its nice to know there are places like that out there,Funnily enough i was looking at that very thread on DBC website today but as you say there's not at lot of activity on that forum.
 
Way out West

Spent a 6 hour evening session in & around the Derwent watershed

Highlights include Teal, Wigeon & Goosander all with young
2 roadside Roe Bucks, but no sign of any Foxes- a different picture to the unkeepered land at home.
Lots of waders Golden, Green, Ringed & Little ringed Plovers, 2Woodcock feeding in rushy pasture, Common Sand, Oik & Curlew with young.
Barn Owl with fledged young, single Short-eared hunting out over the fell , Little with 2 young on a dry stone wall, Tawnies with young at several spots but no luck seeing any Leo's.
Post breeding flocks of several species prominant, taking advantage of easy picking on the cleared hay fields - including decent flock of 37 Mistle Thrush & several fields full of BH & Common Gulls, although no juvs for the latter.
Family group of 4 Jay over the road, also small no's of Siskin & Redpoll, single Tree Pipit & Green Woodpecker.
Looks like a good season for Grouse, several well advanced family groups at the roadside, loads of Swallows & Meadow Pipits too. Stock Doves far more prominant up this way.
No sign of Cuckoo nor Stonechat at a couple of locations were ive previously noted them.
Best of all was the peace & quiet, hardly saw a sole.
 

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Hello Thearrow, I have just read your requests for bird id help on this forum you were given some good help and a little criticism. Don't be put off by this enjoy your new interest in birding everybody has to start at the beginning and id is all part of a learning curve.

You never stop learning it's part of the hobby. If you are not a member of the WWT one site is in Washington it would be a good time to join as you are given a choice of books to choose from if you do your membership via direct debit.

The second version of the Collins Guide to birds of Britain and Europe is one of them, its worth around £18:00 it's superb.

Also I would recommend to you to buy the dvd rom Guide to British Birds by Birdguides for id and bird song. This id tool would be hard to beat. Enjoy your new hobby and don't be put off. Good birding to you mate.
 
Hello Thearrow, I have just read your requests for bird id help on this forum you were given some good help and a little criticism. Don't be put off by this enjoy your new interest in birding everybody has to start at the beginning and id is all part of a learning curve.

You never stop learning it's part of the hobby. If you are not a member of the WWT one site is in Washington it would be a good time to join as you are given a choice of books to choose from if you do your membership via direct debit.

The second version of the Collins Guide to birds of Britain and Europe is one of them, its worth around £18:00 it's superb.

Also I would recommend to you to buy the dvd rom Guide to British Birds by Birdguides for id and bird song. This id tool would be hard to beat. Enjoy your new hobby and don't be put off. Good birding to you mate.

Thank you for the encouragement and advice. I am not put off and am very grateful to all who helped and were patient with me - I must admit it looks as if I posted lots of photos without bothering to research them but believe it or not I did look at several guides and various photos on different web pages but I still wasnt sure of a positive id. Some I did have an idea and I just wanted to confirm that I wasnt wrong.
 
Evening Bird & Seal Watch

The Teesmouth Field Centre will be open for an evening Bird & Seal Watch at Seal Sands on Wednesday 21st July from 5.30 pm. The Bird & Seal Watch takes place between 6 - 8 pm with low tide at 7.10 pm and will give visitors the opportunity to visit the Hartlepool Power Station hide which overlooks Seaton Channel and Seal Sands.

For more details look at http://www.teesmouth.freeserve.co.uk/Seal_Watches.htm
 
An interesting report of a 'probable' Sociable Plover at Edmunbyers tonight on Birdguides with a flock of Lapwing. County first I think I'm right in stating (assuming it can be found and confirmed).
 
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An interesting report of a 'probable' Sociable Plover at Edmunbyers tonight on Birdguides with a flock of Lapwing. County first I think I'm right in stating (assuming it can be found and confirmed).

Sounds good, not an easy bird to mistake I guess.

Lets hope it can be pinned down, although I am not hopeful.
 
if its anything like that white tailed it will be seen in ireland today! That thing was moving huge distances every night.

lets hope this one likes the durham chicks and hangs around.
 
Sounds good, not an easy bird to mistake I guess.

Lets hope it can be pinned down, although I am not hopeful.

Maybe a leucistic Lapwing? Or a Redshank in with the Lapwings. Or a particularly large Snow Bunting!? :eek!:

I sincerely hope it is refound, a fantastic looking bird and a real mega these days. There's only been one other July record in the UK, ever, and that was nr Stamfordham, Northumberland on 6-12 July 1971 - which is also the only record for the north-east. Wonder if that turned up with a post-breeding Lapwing flock in sheep pasture?

Hope I'm driving up to Edmundbyers in a couple of hours time.
 
When you go up on the moors and see all the flocks of Lapwings up there it is always tempting to think there might be a Sociable Plover in amongst them one day.

On the other hand, most of the birds must be local - not sure any lapwings come in from E Europe or Central Asia at this time of year; on the coast, later in the year is more likely.

It is interesting that the bird was put out as a 'probable' rather than a 'possible' indicating that the observer must have got a good look at it and was fairly sure of the ID.

Not sure what a well seen bird could be confused with; White-tailed Lapwing is a possibility at the moment, but it is firmly ensconced in Kent still.

This suggests it might be worth a search of the area
 
RSPB Saltholme - am - Bottom Tank - Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit x4, Little Egret x3, Dunlin x12, Redshank, Lapwing. Looking a lot healthier following all the rain yesterday and overnight.

Middle Tank - Little Grebe, BH Gull!

Top Tank - Greenshank, Little Grebe.

Paddys Pool - Common Tern x6, Tufted Duck x6.

Saltholme Hide - Greenshank, Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Knot x4, Turnstone. I stayed only a short while due to the constant babble from visitors and staff who should have known better. The volume of noise was unbelieveable for a bird hide. No wonder there were no birds close to the hide. Wood Sandpiper, Knot, Ringed Plover and LRP had been present earlier.

Along track to hide - Yellow Wagtail x1, Meadow Pipit.

Dormans Pool - Little Gull, Little Egret x7, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler x2 singing, Linnet, Whitethroat, Swift, Swallow, Dunnock and Meadow Pipit. Still a few Reed Warblers calling.
 

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As concerns the report of a Sociable Plover earlier this week, this is the report from Birdguides:

'Potentially of more interest (but only in recent months/years at least, dare I say?!) was the report of a probable Sociable Lapwing flushed from a field at Edmondbyers (Durham) on 19th. Initially seen from a car late in the evening, split-second views all suggested Sociable Lapwing, but after it appeared to join a Lapwing flock it disappeared into the foul weather.'

Its not totally clear how well it was seen, but it doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.
 
Saltholme Reserve

Good day down Saltholme yesterday even though very murky day fair variety of birds around "HIGHLIGHTS" Wood Sandpiper x 2, Green Sandpiper x1, Greenshank x 1 very close to Saltholme Hide for approx 30 minutes photographers paradise (If there had been any). Also present on the reserve
Black-tailed Godwit x 4, Little Egret x 3, Common Sandpiper x 3, Dunlin x 26,Little Ringed Plover x 6 (Juvenile), Ringed Plover x 4 (Juvenile), Yellow Wagtail x 6 (again mostly Juvenile), Turnstone x 3. As well as the usual Ducks, Gulls and Terns etc.
 

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The pair of Wood Sandpipers have still been showing well the last few days at Back Saltholme though there was no sign of the Ruff yesterday.

A Little Stint was present as well though pretty distant likewise Common Sandpiper and Dunlin.

Several Yellow Wagtails seen in front of the hide as well yesterday.

Video clip - Reed Bunting - http://www.birdforum.tv/action/viewvideo/2218/ - taken at Cowpen Bewley WP.
 

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A Marsh Harrier was over Dormans Pool yesterday afternoon. One had been seen in the morning at Haverton Hole flying east. One was seen around 10.00am at Dormans Pool which renmained until 2.00pm when it was seen to fly back west towards Haverton Hole. A juvenile.

The pair of Wood Sandpipers were in front of the hide again at Saltholme.

Video clip of Wood Sandpipers - hand held so a little shaky - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vYHypb4OeU
 

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