-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Durham Birding (13 Viewers)
- Thread starter Skelly
- Start date
FoghornKinghorn
Durham Recorder
Zinc Works Road and Surrounding area.
1 Short Eared Owl, Gulls, Curlew.
BUT!
No Merlin. Made a new friend Phil which was good. I thought I saw a Merlin, Phil thinks Kestrel. We both pretty much agreed that it wasn't a Female Sparrowhawk. It was brown and beating wings with short glides then when it was hunting did a little sort of twist then that was the last we saw of it!
So still unconfirmed! :-C:-C:-C
1 Short Eared Owl, Gulls, Curlew.
BUT!
No Merlin. Made a new friend Phil which was good. I thought I saw a Merlin, Phil thinks Kestrel. We both pretty much agreed that it wasn't a Female Sparrowhawk. It was brown and beating wings with short glides then when it was hunting did a little sort of twist then that was the last we saw of it!
So still unconfirmed! :-C:-C:-C
StevieEvans
Well-known member
Houghton area Local Patch
Barn Owl hunting nr Currys scrapyard at first light this morning
1,500 Redwing over in first hour & a half
Barn Owl hunting nr Currys scrapyard at first light this morning
1,500 Redwing over in first hour & a half
IanF
Moderator
Quite possibly the Merlin if it was a deep chocolate brown rather than reddish brown & dark wing tips which would be Kestrel.
At 3:30pm the Merlin was over the dunes at the end of Zinc Works Road flying very high up chasing something small - Linnet sized.
3:40pm it was sat on a post on the common 100m south of North Gare car park. Around 4:00pm it moved to the fence line before flying onto the golf course where it sat in the open for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile a Short-eared Owl flew over the Common from the north right beside the car park hunting the north side of the road for ten minutes before crossing the road by where I was parked and began to hunt on the other side. In between hunting it landed on the posts I described earlier and on the hand rail of the footbridge. On such a lovely evening I thought the SEO's would be around for longer and in higher numbers than they were.
When I checked on the Merlin again it had moved from the golf course and I didn't see it again.
Also present with flyovers - Brent Goose x8, Black-tailed Godwit c.7, Snipe x12, Mallard, Teal, Wigeon, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Curlew, Kestrel. Lapwing 100+ were flying up fom the Common towards Zinc Works Road which may be where the Merlin went.
Attachments
FoghornKinghorn
Durham Recorder
Just goes to show Ian I left as 3:20. :-O but:-C
I am sure there will be other times.
I did see the Seo but I wish I ID'd that Merlin.
loppydog70
Local Patcher
Spent the weekend at the inlaws caravan in Nesham near Darlington. Birds to visit the feeding table were, blue tits, coal tits, great tits, willow tits, chaffinches and greater spotted woodpecker. Other birds seen around the site were, siskins, robin, dunnock, blackbirds and wren.
Rainton Meadows / Joe's Pond
Popped over early this morning for a couple of hours before the forecast rain, greeted by the yikkering of a Kestrel overhead.
Not much at first on pond one Greylag x 14, Teal x 4, Wigeon x 2, Mute Swan x 2, Canada Goose x 1 & 1 Solitary Pinkfooted Goose grazing on the far bank opposite Hide
As I was about to leave to wander over to Joes Pond there was this cacophony as four large groups of Greylag Geese x 200+ approaching the pond it was like four Squadrons of aircraft in formation descending, it was a spectacle that I have never experienced before,
Joe's Pond
Again not much about apart from the usual BHG x 23, Shoveller x 2 left about 10:00hrs, still with the Honking of the Greylag ringing in my ears.
DenBee
Popped over early this morning for a couple of hours before the forecast rain, greeted by the yikkering of a Kestrel overhead.
Not much at first on pond one Greylag x 14, Teal x 4, Wigeon x 2, Mute Swan x 2, Canada Goose x 1 & 1 Solitary Pinkfooted Goose grazing on the far bank opposite Hide
As I was about to leave to wander over to Joes Pond there was this cacophony as four large groups of Greylag Geese x 200+ approaching the pond it was like four Squadrons of aircraft in formation descending, it was a spectacle that I have never experienced before,
Joe's Pond
Again not much about apart from the usual BHG x 23, Shoveller x 2 left about 10:00hrs, still with the Honking of the Greylag ringing in my ears.
DenBee
Last edited:
IanF
Moderator
A bit of everything today - fog, cloud, rain, sun and strong winds - but mostly dull throughout.
A couple of hours spent at Hartlepool Headland were pretty fruitless for migrating birds. Plenty of waders on the shore though - Rock Pipit x3, Purple Sandpiper c.20, Oystercatcher c.100, Sanderling c.20, Turnstone c.50, Dunlin c.20, Redshank c.20, Curlew x2, Rock Pipit x3, Carrion Crow x2.
On the sea - Eider Duck c.20, Common Scoter x5, Shag x4 and Cormorant
x6.
Also Med. Gull x1 and Sandwich Tern x1 almost certainly the birds seen at Newburn Bridge an hour or so later following high tide.
Newburn Bridge, Hartlepool - 10:30am - Linnet c.20, Sandwich Tern x1, Med Gull x1, Sanderling x53, Ringed Plover 24, Oystercatcher x7, Turnstone x24, Redshank x7, Dunlin x1.
A couple of hours spent at Hartlepool Headland were pretty fruitless for migrating birds. Plenty of waders on the shore though - Rock Pipit x3, Purple Sandpiper c.20, Oystercatcher c.100, Sanderling c.20, Turnstone c.50, Dunlin c.20, Redshank c.20, Curlew x2, Rock Pipit x3, Carrion Crow x2.
On the sea - Eider Duck c.20, Common Scoter x5, Shag x4 and Cormorant
x6.
Also Med. Gull x1 and Sandwich Tern x1 almost certainly the birds seen at Newburn Bridge an hour or so later following high tide.
Newburn Bridge, Hartlepool - 10:30am - Linnet c.20, Sandwich Tern x1, Med Gull x1, Sanderling x53, Ringed Plover 24, Oystercatcher x7, Turnstone x24, Redshank x7, Dunlin x1.
Attachments
StevieEvans
Well-known member
Houghton area Local Patch
Houghton / Warden Law area (06:30-noon)
Highlights
ad fem Peregrine, (West), imm Merlin, (NWest), 1 Crossbill, (North), 1 Lapland Bunting, (flew up at close range, circled below as if to reland, but frustratingly made off away from escarpment & off over the town.....)
Visible Migrants
5 Coal Tit, (West) 1 Siskin, (South West) 14 Linnet (South) 1 Bullfinch, (West) 5Greenfinch, (South West) (3 +2) 2 Skylark, (South)
4 Meadow Pipit, (2North, 2West) 2 Grey Wagtail, (North) 5 Pied Wagtail, (North)
2 Stock Dove, (West) H Golden Plover (-)
14 Fieldfare, (South West) (13 + 1) 1 Fieldfare, (South) @45 Redwing, (various) 3 Song Thrush (2North, 1East) 160 Starling, (West, SWest)
Grounded / Non Migrants
5Kestrel, 2Sparrowhawk,
20+Tree Sparrow, 44+Yellowhammer, 100+Chaffinch,
3Mistle Thrush, 6Song Thrush, 30+Blackbird,
12Goldcrest, 4Willow Tit,
4(!)Grey Partridge, 16Stock Dove, 45+Magpie,
12+Pied Wagtail, 3Grey Wagtail on autumn sown field
W.Pigeon / Crows / Seagulls not counted.
Grounded / Migrants
2Brambling, 50Fieldfare, 80Redwing.
Hetton Lyons
2Brambling, femScaup, 2Kingfisher
Seaton / Sharpley
Buzzard, Jack Snipe, 7-800Goldfinch
Lord Lambtons
Singles of Red Kite & Buzzard up today.
Houghton / Warden Law area (06:30-noon)
Highlights
ad fem Peregrine, (West), imm Merlin, (NWest), 1 Crossbill, (North), 1 Lapland Bunting, (flew up at close range, circled below as if to reland, but frustratingly made off away from escarpment & off over the town.....)
Visible Migrants
5 Coal Tit, (West) 1 Siskin, (South West) 14 Linnet (South) 1 Bullfinch, (West) 5Greenfinch, (South West) (3 +2) 2 Skylark, (South)
4 Meadow Pipit, (2North, 2West) 2 Grey Wagtail, (North) 5 Pied Wagtail, (North)
2 Stock Dove, (West) H Golden Plover (-)
14 Fieldfare, (South West) (13 + 1) 1 Fieldfare, (South) @45 Redwing, (various) 3 Song Thrush (2North, 1East) 160 Starling, (West, SWest)
Grounded / Non Migrants
5Kestrel, 2Sparrowhawk,
20+Tree Sparrow, 44+Yellowhammer, 100+Chaffinch,
3Mistle Thrush, 6Song Thrush, 30+Blackbird,
12Goldcrest, 4Willow Tit,
4(!)Grey Partridge, 16Stock Dove, 45+Magpie,
12+Pied Wagtail, 3Grey Wagtail on autumn sown field
W.Pigeon / Crows / Seagulls not counted.
Grounded / Migrants
2Brambling, 50Fieldfare, 80Redwing.
Hetton Lyons
2Brambling, femScaup, 2Kingfisher
Seaton / Sharpley
Buzzard, Jack Snipe, 7-800Goldfinch
Lord Lambtons
Singles of Red Kite & Buzzard up today.
Ray.Scott
Well-known member
Spent a couple of hours at Joe's Pond today (RM's).
The usual coots, tufties, mallards BH gulls etc, 1 cormorant, 3 distant snipe, 5 little grebe, 2 mute swan with 5 signets.
SpHawk flew over twice, flushing all the gulls, both times.
Cormorant swam round the pond, fishing also unusual photo of a coot with fish in It's beak, I'm not sure but I think It managed to swipe It from the cormorant.
First time I've seen this, I thought that they only fed on the pond weed etc!.
The usual coots, tufties, mallards BH gulls etc, 1 cormorant, 3 distant snipe, 5 little grebe, 2 mute swan with 5 signets.
SpHawk flew over twice, flushing all the gulls, both times.
Cormorant swam round the pond, fishing also unusual photo of a coot with fish in It's beak, I'm not sure but I think It managed to swipe It from the cormorant.
First time I've seen this, I thought that they only fed on the pond weed etc!.
Attachments
IanF
Moderator
Greenabella Marsh - 2:00pm - Merlin, Little Egret x2.
Seaton Common - 3:00 pm - 4:50 pm - no sign of any SEO and no Merlin here.
Plenty of other birds though with - Shoveler c.8, Wigeon c.30, Teal c.30, Mallard c.12, Moorhen x3, Coot x4, Mute Swan x4, Curlew c.20, Black-tailed Godwit x3, Lapwing c.12, Heron x1, Little Egret x1. Stonechat x2, Linnet c.8, Goldfinch c.20 and Kestrel x1. A covey of Grey Partridge x7 as well.
Seaton Common - 3:00 pm - 4:50 pm - no sign of any SEO and no Merlin here.
Plenty of other birds though with - Shoveler c.8, Wigeon c.30, Teal c.30, Mallard c.12, Moorhen x3, Coot x4, Mute Swan x4, Curlew c.20, Black-tailed Godwit x3, Lapwing c.12, Heron x1, Little Egret x1. Stonechat x2, Linnet c.8, Goldfinch c.20 and Kestrel x1. A covey of Grey Partridge x7 as well.
Attachments
StevieEvans
Well-known member
Houghton / Leamside area (14:30-17:30)
RM's
Pool 2: 1Redshank, 2drake Teal, 1Kingfisher, drake Pochard,
approx 500 geese, with 4 species, including 1Barnacle, 2Pink footed Geese plus a fine white greylag-type which attracted attention of the Swans ! 15Snipe counted around the banks - different no's each visit lately.
2Kestrel, 8Reed Bunting, 2ad2imm GBBGull, 1Heron, very few thrushes, but Starling roost starting to build in phragmites on II.
Joes Pond
Loads of smaller birds around here out of the breeze as per usual, but couldnt find Chiffchaff nor Blackcap today. LTTit very common this year, half a dozen Goldcrest & 3Coal Tit(1 continental in the dying Hawthorns adjacent to the phragmites nr hide), 3Willow Tit, 4Shoveller, 4Gadwall 1drake, 7 or more Dabchick, several of the Mallards displaying, Kingfisher, 1Jay, 1Treecreeper.
Went to replenish peanut feeders, 1Water Rail scuttled off giving all too brief views- it/another heard nearby at 5:20 -
Thought the nuts had been going down a bit too fast... Roe Deer slots under the tree identified the culprit!..... re-hung them on a higher branch !
Again flicked up 1Jack Snipe & 2Commons. Could hear a Kingfisher darting about, then it came to land swaying in the wind only 20' away.
Close by 220Lapwing but no Golden Plover, 28Linnet, 6+moreWillow Tit, watched a pr of Bullfinch bathing, 1Grey Wag over headed NE, 1Skylark over SW, 5Jay together in an open area was a very good count, generally 2 or 3 at most. Tree Spug feeding area produced only 2 Chaffs & 3Yellowhammer.... loads of natural feed in area, but a bonus here, in that the Mistle Thrush was singing again (enjoying the breeze). Only 2Fieldfare, <30Redwing this afternoon with no sign of an moving through.
A late Swallow was the only real surprise, hawking briefly at the back of a large farmland copse before twisting & turning off SW into the wind.
Later on Magpie nos building with 45+ in pre-roost groups and many Pheasants about, but Grey Partridge very hard to come by with only 1 heard.
RM's
Pool 2: 1Redshank, 2drake Teal, 1Kingfisher, drake Pochard,
approx 500 geese, with 4 species, including 1Barnacle, 2Pink footed Geese plus a fine white greylag-type which attracted attention of the Swans ! 15Snipe counted around the banks - different no's each visit lately.
2Kestrel, 8Reed Bunting, 2ad2imm GBBGull, 1Heron, very few thrushes, but Starling roost starting to build in phragmites on II.
Joes Pond
Loads of smaller birds around here out of the breeze as per usual, but couldnt find Chiffchaff nor Blackcap today. LTTit very common this year, half a dozen Goldcrest & 3Coal Tit(1 continental in the dying Hawthorns adjacent to the phragmites nr hide), 3Willow Tit, 4Shoveller, 4Gadwall 1drake, 7 or more Dabchick, several of the Mallards displaying, Kingfisher, 1Jay, 1Treecreeper.
Went to replenish peanut feeders, 1Water Rail scuttled off giving all too brief views- it/another heard nearby at 5:20 -
Thought the nuts had been going down a bit too fast... Roe Deer slots under the tree identified the culprit!..... re-hung them on a higher branch !
Again flicked up 1Jack Snipe & 2Commons. Could hear a Kingfisher darting about, then it came to land swaying in the wind only 20' away.
Close by 220Lapwing but no Golden Plover, 28Linnet, 6+moreWillow Tit, watched a pr of Bullfinch bathing, 1Grey Wag over headed NE, 1Skylark over SW, 5Jay together in an open area was a very good count, generally 2 or 3 at most. Tree Spug feeding area produced only 2 Chaffs & 3Yellowhammer.... loads of natural feed in area, but a bonus here, in that the Mistle Thrush was singing again (enjoying the breeze). Only 2Fieldfare, <30Redwing this afternoon with no sign of an moving through.
A late Swallow was the only real surprise, hawking briefly at the back of a large farmland copse before twisting & turning off SW into the wind.
Later on Magpie nos building with 45+ in pre-roost groups and many Pheasants about, but Grey Partridge very hard to come by with only 1 heard.
interesting to see / read reports about some of our more familiar species Ray, Cheers.
Last edited:
StevieEvans
Well-known member
perfect imprint of one on a kitchen window at Ch-le-Street today, also surprised to see (especially after yestdays Swallow) a late House Martin low over the roof tops several times during the day.
IanF
Moderator
You must have been in the grey coloured car that pulled in behind me on Seaton Common by the gate - very similar Grey Partridge photos to mine. Mine was the blue C3. I'll say hello if I see you around again :t:
Back there again this evening. Met up with Jbee, Scuzz, Dave and Renton Charman plus another member from Stokesly area.
The SEO's were showing very well this evening around the North Gare car park area. Three seen in the air together several times but there could easily have been more of them as they kept appearing from different directions.
The Merlin was present again though staying pretty distant along the fence line in the centre of the Common towards Zinc Works Road. Also at least two Kestrel.
Other birds - Teal, Wigeon, Lapwing, Heron, Curlew, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Snipe, Mallard, Mute Swan, Stonechat.
Attachments
rentoncharman
Well-known member
Good to catch up with you, John and Ray last night Ian at the Owl show. What a beautiful bird and a great opportunity to try and get some shots. Surprised at the way Auto White balance gave such varying hues on the shots I got. Got a lot of "blurries" with autofocus being missy in low light but still got some pleasing shots.
Attachments
Ray.Scott
Well-known member
Started the day at Hartlepool Headland in the coumpany of JBee and spent a couple of hours between the Heugh and Lifboat Piers:
Cormorants, shags,GBB, LBB, BH and Herring gulls, red shank, oyster catchers,
rock pippets, turnstones, purple sandpiper, 1 sandwich turn.
Continued to Newburn Bridge:
Sanderling, oyster catchers, ringed plover and a couple of purple sandpiper and some guy digging sea coal/duff.
No good for photo's as tide was on It's way out, birds to far away.
Ended up at Znkwks Road and North Gare:
Near the entrance to znkwks, JBee noticed a few grey partridge, turned out to be at least a dozen which kept there heads down most of the time until finaly something flushed them. Other birds were pair stonechat, dunnock and small flocks curlew.
North Gare produced the goods, as IanF mentioned, the owls were due up around 3.30 and sure enough we didn't have much longer to wait before at least 3 owls were hunting around the common. also merlin landed at a distance and kestrel on a nearby post.
They obviously were aware that Ian was here :t:, cos the rest of us, just don't carry that luck
. Also nice meeting up with Renton again :t:.
Well done Ian and thanks for the Info and timing for the owls :t:, albeit you'll have to have a word with them as they were nearly 15mins, late.
Cormorants, shags,GBB, LBB, BH and Herring gulls, red shank, oyster catchers,
rock pippets, turnstones, purple sandpiper, 1 sandwich turn.
Continued to Newburn Bridge:
Sanderling, oyster catchers, ringed plover and a couple of purple sandpiper and some guy digging sea coal/duff.
No good for photo's as tide was on It's way out, birds to far away.
Ended up at Znkwks Road and North Gare:
Near the entrance to znkwks, JBee noticed a few grey partridge, turned out to be at least a dozen which kept there heads down most of the time until finaly something flushed them. Other birds were pair stonechat, dunnock and small flocks curlew.
North Gare produced the goods, as IanF mentioned, the owls were due up around 3.30 and sure enough we didn't have much longer to wait before at least 3 owls were hunting around the common. also merlin landed at a distance and kestrel on a nearby post.
They obviously were aware that Ian was here :t:, cos the rest of us, just don't carry that luck
. Also nice meeting up with Renton again :t:.Well done Ian and thanks for the Info and timing for the owls :t:, albeit you'll have to have a word with them as they were nearly 15mins, late
.Attachments
Last edited:
