[mckivitt]

Originally Posted by DCJ

Today, crappy shots, either too distant or dull weather early doors, a goshawk was spotted by the exiled one, forty mins later a pair directly over the ponds, male clearly displaying for her.

Green woody, kittiwake, GS Woody, redshank and goshawk.

Without trying to pour doubt onto your Goshawk, Dave...honest!! Can someone point out the key features that make that bird a Goshawk and not a Sparrowhawk?

I only ask because in the last couple of weeks I've seen a couple of high level birds of prey over Rainton. I managed to get my scope on one yesterday, but not really having a reliable size reference, I just walked away and assumed Sparrowhawk.

Searching on the internet just seems to confuse the issue, especially when most sightings are distant and lacking any detail. Most frustrating...

[DCJ]

Originally Posted by mckivitt

Without trying to pour doubt onto your Goshawk, Dave...honest!! Can someone point out the key features that make that bird a Goshawk and not a Sparrowhawk?

I only ask because in the last couple of weeks I've seen a couple of high level birds of prey over Rainton. I managed to get my scope on one yesterday, but not really having a reliable size reference, I just walked away and assumed Sparrowhawk.

Searching on the internet just seems to confuse the issue, especially when most sightings are distant and lacking any detail. Most frustrating...

ID'd 40 mins earlier by your very good friend Steve, have checked and checked again kelvin, blame the twitchers m8



__________________________________________________

From private land, late 2011, early 2012.

__________________________________________________ _

[DCJ]

From private land, late 2011.

[DCJ]

From private land, late 2011, early 2012.

(Three different birds for those with vision problems)


(Kudus to several people)



.

[Shaggy2070]

Some cracking shots there Dave

[IanF]

Seaton Common - am - single Wheatear along fence to North Gare at bottom of Zinc Works Road. Lots of Meadow Pipit there this morning. Stonechat pair along side Zinc Works Road. Kestrel x2 on telegraph poles. Four colour ringed Curlew still present - the one in the photo was ringed as a juvenile on Seal Sands in 1991.

Cowpen Marsh - Wheatear x2 east side of road opposite Holme Fleet access road.

RSPB Saltholme - Wildlife Watchpoint - Water Rail.

Tilery Wood - Crossbill x2, Chiffchaff x1 in the same spot as yesterday but in better light and singing a little more, Goldcrest 5+, LTT x6, Bullfinch x2, Siskin x8, GSW x2.

[DCJ]

A couple from around the doors over the past week or so in Durham.


Ta Shagster.

[2slo]

Wrens building a nest at the bottom of my garden (100% crops of shots taken from at least 40 feet away & behind cover, the birds were not disturbed):



Treecreeper which landed next to me whilst I was watching the Wrens!

[rentoncharman]

Enjoying' your photos, Dave, keep them coming'.

Renton

[seggs]

Originally Posted by DCJ

From private land, late 2011, early 2012.

(Three different birds for those with vision problems)


(Kudus to several people)



.

You really have to stop hanging out in BOP's centre's Davy, you might get a name for yourself.

[Ray.Scott]

Plenty on the water, including goldeneye, little grebe, gadwall, pochard, wigeon, G.C grebe, cormorant, as well as the usual coots etc.
nuthatch, song thrush and G.S woodpecker in the trees/bushes.

Spent 3 to 4 hours waiting of the hen harrier which didn't make an appearance during my stay .
Other birds were kestrel, skylark, L.T,blue and great tits, g.s woodpecker and very distant buzards.

[Ray.Scott]

Kestrel and distant skylark from Wynyard.

[MalR]

The black redstart was showing at Newburn today, but it never came very close. It favoured the concrete blocks at the north end of the bay.

Here is a link to a short video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAynE...ature=youtu.be

Lovely bird to watch, but the constantly changing light today was a bit of a nightmare for filming.

Malcolm

[DCJ]

Gadwall, Stoats, Weasels and a "Water Pipit" ? (looking more like a Scand rock pipit tho) from rainton ponds

[Ray.Scott]

Haverton view point.
Glossy Ibis still present, but way off, also plenty meadow pipits and single kestrel. called in to Saltholme bottom tank where there were 2 water pipits present which were even further away.
A couple of record shots from today.

[Mark Newsome]

Originally Posted by DCJ

Gadwall, Stoats, Weasels and a "Water Pipit" ? (looking more like a Scand rock pipit tho) from rainton ponds

Hi Dave,

Scandinavian Rock Pipit for me. This is usually the peak time for them moving through the area (or at least being detected more, as they start to acquire summer plumage). Whitburn Steel is normally a good area to see a few and get close views.
There's a useful article on the NTBC website on Water/Rock Pipits:
http://www.ntbc.org.uk/water%20and%20rock%20pipits.html
Nice looking birds, especially when they start to get a pinkish flush on the breast.

Mark

[2slo]

Taken in my garden this morning: a Tree Sparrow checking out a hollow branch. The first Sparrow of any kind I've seen here in 12 years and he spent a good 2 - 3 minutes flitting around this possible nest site. Fingers crossed

[DCJ]

Originally Posted by Mark Newsome

Hi Dave,

Scandinavian Rock Pipit for me. This is usually the peak time for them moving through the area (or at least being detected more, as they start to acquire summer plumage). Whitburn Steel is normally a good area to see a few and get close views.
There's a useful article on the NTBC website on Water/Rock Pipits:
http://www.ntbc.org.uk/water%20and%20rock%20pipits.html
Nice looking birds, especially when they start to get a pinkish flush on the breast.

Mark

Nice one Mark, I did try to tell the daft, out of breath and sweat stained twitchers like.

[Mark Newsome]

Originally Posted by DCJ

....daft, out of breath and sweat stained twitchers like.

Covers most of the Houghton/Hetton regulars...!

At least 3 Scandinavian Rock Pipits at Whitburn Steel today too.

I also saw this interesting patterned adult Lesser Black-backed Gull at Shibdon Pond today. The pattern isn't due to moult, so will likely stay the same through spring/summer. Wonder if anyone else will see it, to monitor its movements.

Mark

[Ray.Scott]

Had a walk round yesterday.
Apart from the captive species there were, bullfinch, coal,great,blue and LT tits,
GS woodpecker, chaffinch, robin, chiff chaff, dunnock, pheasant, sparrow hawk fly through.
On the wader lake:
8 Avocet, 2 bar tailed godwit, 2 LBB Gulls and the usual shell duck, herons etc.

[Ray.Scott]

Few more from yesterday at WWT.

[Ray.Scott]

Last lot.
Also one of the Avocets was ringed, red ring on each leg with E2. None of the others were ringed.

[One Man and His Dog]

Originally Posted by Ray.Scott

Had a walk round yesterday.
Apart from the captive species there were, bullfinch, coal,great,blue and LT tits,
GS woodpecker, chaffinch, robin, chiff chaff, dunnock, pheasant, sparrow hawk fly through.
On the wader lake:
8 Avocet, 2 bar tailed godwit, 2 LBB Gulls and the usual shell duck, herons etc.

ray, your godwit is a black-tailed not a bar-tailed.
Cheers
steve

[Ray.Scott]

Originally Posted by One Man and His Dog

ray, your godwit is a black-tailed not a bar-tailed.
Cheers
steve

Cheers Steve , evens bet, and I still get It wrong .

[One Man and His Dog]

Originally Posted by Ray.Scott

Cheers Steve , evens bet, and I still get It wrong .

at least it turned out to be the better one when i got the rough legged buzzard id wrong it turned out to be an untickable harris's hawk
cheers
steve