Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, Billingham. UK (1 Viewer)

[IanF]

Popped in this afternoon for an hour - hoping for SEO - but to no avail. Loads of birds around still, but nothing new apart from a pair of Grey Partridge on the hill behind the viewpoint and a Pheasant in the field by the sluice on the east side by the bridge.

49. Grey Patridge
50. Pheasant

 

[white van man]

had an hour to spend on sunday soon as i got out of the car could hear linnets overhead, goldeneye, tuffted ducks, widgeon on the lake mallards and mute swans on the bank. also seen two yellowhammers calling to each other on opposite sides of the train line a good hour spent.

 

[IanF]

I had a walk around the park this morning on a lovely sunny day. Wind was quite strong from the south and quite cold.

Starting from the car park I put out some food in the feeding station as there was none at all out. I figured by the time I returned the birds would be drawn in.

Walking along the board walk and over the bridge all I came across were a pair of Reed Bunting chasing each other around. For a change after crossing the bridge I headed left to the sewage works fence and followed it along - ther's quite a path developing here. I came across a pair of LTT and a Blackbird followed by a group of Goldfinch x7 and a Wren.

Still heading north and crossing Faith Wood to the stream and turning right to follow it to the hill I didn't see or hear one bird - the Redwing, Fieldfare, Redpoll and Siskin seem to have departed for good now. Actually there was nothing to see until I reached the pond by the hide when I disturbed LTT x2, Wren, Great Tit and Blue Tit from the hawthorn bushes by the hide.

The pond was pretty quiet too. Mallard and Tufted Duck were in good numbers. A drake and a female Goldeneye were still present. Also present were Pochard, Mute Swan, Muscovy Duck, Teal x2, Little Grebe x2, Coot, Mallard, Moorhen. Best find though was a pair of Gadwall - regulars each year but the first I've seen here this year.

51. Gadwall

Normally by the railway lines there are several Yellowhammer, but I suspect we've seen the last of them on this stretch as Railtrack workers were sawing down all of the bushes they use for breeding on the east side of the line and making wood chips of them! A few Yellow hammers were still in the corner by Seal Sands Road.

Back at the feeding station the food had all disappeared even from the hanging feeders! I put out some more and waited a while for the birds to return. Nothing special turned up, just the usual BT, GT, CT, LTT, Robin, Chaffinch, Tree Sparrow x7, Yellowhammer x2, Wren, Dunnock x2 and one GSW. Mind you I think the Rats x7 must have accounted for the missing food from the tables.

 

[IanF]

A wander around the park this morning in the snow brought fewer birds than expected but a new species for the year albeit Canada Goose.

Plenty of food in the feeding station when I arrived mostly peanuts in the handing feeders. The seed had been all eaten. Bird wise it was pretty quiet when I arrived with Robin, Treesparrow, Yellowhammer, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Wren and Blackbird.

The hedge in the car park held Yellowhammer x9, Robin, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, pigeon and Blackbird.

Following the boardwalk - first person oft he day going by the virgin snow I disturbed Wren and Reed Bnting that were beneath the walk way. Crossing the hump back bridge I saw Gadwall x2, and Mallard on the weir. Surprisingly the Green Sandpiper was back on the weir. It's a few weeks since I last saw it and I thought it had moved on. Of course it saw me as I saw it! magpie were in the bushes either side of the stream.

Following the path through the wood I came across more Magpie, Blackbird and a few Goldfinch but nothing else. Rooks were roosting in the old tree by the five bar gate along with a few pigeons. A Mistle Thrush followed by a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew towards the main pond.

Making my way over to the pnd through Faith Wood, there were just a few Reed Bunting, Great Tit and Blue Tit and Goldfinch.

Even the pond was pretty quiet with a few Tufted Duck c.12, Little Grebe x1, Coot c.8, Moorhen x3, Mute Swan x2, Muscovy Duck x1, Pochard x2. New species for the year was Canada Goose x2 on the island where they usually nest. It was nice to see them back on the pond - hopefully the Mute Swan will let them breed in peace this year.

A Kestrel was hunting alongisde the railway lines, repeatedly diving into the grass.

Heading back to the car park, nothing new was seen.

 

[Shaggy2070]

The wife and I had a walk round your patch this afternoon and saw pretty much the same apart from the Green Sandpiper, which was a shame as I've only seen one once before.
Walking up the road passed the Treatment Works there was three Goldcrest flitting about in the bushes.
Quite a few Rats at the feeding station now at least 5, and a couple of Rabbits around by the lake.

New species for the year was Canada Goose x2 on the island where they usually nest. It was nice to see them back on the pond - hopefully the Mute Swan will let them breed in peace this year.

Things don't look too promising at the moment, when we were there one of the Swans was hissing and chasing one of the Canada Geese about the lake.

 

[IanF]

First visit of the month today. A lovely sunny morning with a light though cold breeze.

There was little to see in the car park area apart from a male Reed Bunting singing from one of the bushes between the reed bed and the sewage works. Waking towards and along the boardwalk there were several singing birds - Wren, Robin, Reed Bunting, Dunnock, Great Tit and Blue Tit. A few Long tailed Tit were flitting about in the bushes by the stream. No sign of the Green Sandpiper from the hump back bridge.

We then headed left to the sewage works fence along what is becoming a well marked path. More singing Wrens and Robins and in the distance an Chiffchaff - first of the year here. We tracked down the Chiffchaff in Faith Wood still singing it's heart out - the only one we saw or heard. There were few other birds around until we reached the main pond.

53. Chiffchaff

In the bushes around the hide were Dunnock, Reed Bunting, various tits, Magpie and Robin.

The pond itself was pretty quiet with just Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Pochard, Mute Swan and Little Grebe. No sign of the Canada Goose today. The resident female Goldeneye was present but I was a little surpised to find a drake Goldeneye still present as well. Most other ones locally have headed north already. Plenty of Black headed Gulls on the pond.

Heading back to the car park we saw nothing new.

 

[IanF]

We had blanket cloud for much of the day and a chilly wind from the west and drizzly rain every now and again - not the best of conditions for singing birds. Few birds were singing and even those that braved the winds were singing from the centre of bushes rather than the tops - even the Willow Warblers. Whilst a good number of Willow Warbler about, I heard just one Chiffchaff.

Blackcaps were singing well - five males I came across spread over the park. Two were actually within yards of each other which was the only time I saw a female.

Goldfinch and Long-tailed Tit seem to be doing well with them spread over the park as were Yellowhammer.

The main pond held nesting Mute Swan, Coot and Moorhen. The pair of Canada Geese are back but no obvious nest. The male Mute Swan spent the whole time pursuing one of the Canadas around the pond.

Overhead were 50-60 hirundines. Mostly Sand Martin but with a good few Swallow and House Martin amongst them. First Swifts of the year as well with three circling for a while.

No sign of the Muscovy Duck today.

Plenty of Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Robin around.

On the smaller ponds Coots had several recently hatched chicks.

New species for the year -

54. Willow Warbler
55. Sand Martin
56. House Martin
57. Barn Swallow
58. Swift

 

[IanF]

Oops! I've gotten a bit behind with updates and new species for the year.

It was a lovely sunny morning if a litle cool in the cold westerly wind. As it was the first decent morning we've had I went out first thing to do the first BTO BBS recording.

I haven't written up the records yet but overall there were good numbers of birds around, but nothing like as many as we had last year. Just one Gropper this time and a few species absent including Bullfinch, Little Egret. No Chiffchaff heard, though they've all but stopped singing now.

A Stonechat by the rail lines was a nice find as I haven't seen one there this year.

Very few Yellowhammer seen/heard though the 1/2 mile of bushes they usually use alongside the railway lines were ripped out by Railtrack a month ago.

Most numerous species was Common Whitethroat closely followed by Blackcap and then Willow Warbler.

It was interesting to see four Common Tern on the main pond - defending the stone island from LBB Gull and BH Gull. I can't see them nesting there, though a pair seem to have that in mind.

New species -

59. Common Whitethroat
60. Common Tern
61. Common Sandpiper
62. LLB Gull
63. Stonechat
64. Grasshopper Warbler

 

[Bonsaibirder]

... just Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Pochard, Mute Swan and Little Grebe ...

Hi Ian,

Just noticed this thread due to following links from chimp_choker's blog. I may be seeing things but your photo of a Tufted Duck looks remarkably like a hybrid to me. There is a brown colouration to the head, a bump rather than a crest and the back appears vermiculated like a Lesser Scaup. It is not a pure scaup because of the big black bill-tip. I have no idea what it could be - perhaps a tufted x pochard?

Perhaps the light is fooling me but it is such a good photo I don't think so. Maybe you have some more photos. There are some good guys on duck hybrids on this forum (Joern Lehmus in particular) and it might be interesting to throw it out for a discussion on an ID thread. If you do then please let me know!

Cheers,

 

[IanF]

Hi Ian,

Just noticed this thread due to following links from chimp_choker's blog. I may be seeing things but your photo of a Tufted Duck looks remarkably like a hybrid to me. There is a brown colouration to the head, a bump rather than a crest and the back appears vermiculated like a Lesser Scaup. It is not a pure scaup because of the big black bill-tip. I have no idea what it could be - perhaps a tufted x pochard?

Perhaps the light is fooling me but it is such a good photo I don't think so. Maybe you have some more photos. There are some good guys on duck hybrids on this forum (Joern Lehmus in particular) and it might be interesting to throw it out for a discussion on an ID thread. If you do then please let me know!

Cheers,

Definitely a hybrid - it's been resident here for a couple of years now. I'd always thought of it as being a Tuftie-Pochard hybrid (Tuftard) rather than Scaup due to the red ringed iris in the eye.

On checking back it was discussed in the ID threads back in 2003!!!
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=3725

No definitive answer though.

 

[Bonsaibirder]

Hi Ian,

Sorry, didn't realise it had been discussed previously. Its a cracker and seems like Pochard/Tufted explains all its features!

Cheers,

Steve

 

[chimp_choker]

An afternoon at Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park

I'm not 100% sure what I saw is what I saw today but heres the story of my afternoon, I look forward to your comments.

A warm sunny afternoon made a welcome change to the weather we've had this week, I took the opportunity to spend the latter part of the afternoon at CBWP. I headed down the cycle path towards Greatham where I took the walk on the left hand side just after the treatment works. About half way round I decided I would have to stop, and a bridge looked just as good a place as any, an let the birds come to me if I was going to see anything. So far all I'd managed to identify,that wasn't a Wood Pigeon, Crow or Magpie, as it flew away from me was a Great Tit and Goldfinch. I waited for five minutes or so for the birds to forget about me and start making some noise, there were hungry young Whitethroats in a bush just by me. A little further along something caught my eye landing on the edge of another bush, it was a "little brown job" and that's all it was, very brown, not streaky or spotted or speckled but plain dark brown with a slightly darker head. I had my pocket bird book with me and looked through it and the only photo I could find that matched it was a Savi's Warber, the bird sat there a while so I could keep checking, so what do you think? Could it have been or is there something else it might be?

The walk is circular and ends back at the car park, from there I headed past the pond, and the pair of Mute Swans with just two signets left, to the Lake.

On the way there I saw a Yellow Hammer on a post by the railway lines in almost the same place I seen one on a previous visit, when I reached the Lake I spotted a Grasshopper Warbler in a nearby bush. The usual suspects occupied the Lake, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, a Pair of Mute Swans, I'd only seen one on previous visits, and a Blacked back gull. There was also a Little Grebe present which seems the norm for every bit of water I stop and look on locally.

Stu
http://chimpchoker1969.spaces.live.com/

 

[Bonsaibirder]

Hi Chimp-choker,

Savi's Warbler would be exceptionally rare. Can't really tell what from your description. - do you have any more details?

Cheers,

 

[IanF]

Savi's does seem unlikely. If along the beck section Reed Warbler or Marsh Warbler are more likely.

I'll have to pop over for the Little Gull though. As you say there seem plenty around this year.

 

[chimp_choker]

Hi Steve and Ian

Thanks for the input, I've just been looking at some pictures of a Marsh Warbler particularly this one, http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?search=1&mode=search&sp=136092&rty=0&v=0&off=142740I
called in again today for another look and spotted it again on the same bush singing, noticeable was the lighter patch below its mouth. Thanks for your help.
Also did anyone see the HUGE raptor over Cowpen Marsh this afternoon, I first spotted a car parked near one of the pools then caught sight of what he was watching, I pulled off the road beside the pool for a better look. Its wingspan was huge, but had a very short tail. It was being mobbed by gulls and it dwarfed them! It headed off towards the landfill site.The other chap suggested it may have been a young Osprey but he wasn't sure either.

Stu

 

[Bonsaibirder]

Hi Stu,

Can i just check, are you now saying this was a Marsh Warbler? This would also be a very rare bird in Durham, although not as rare as Savi's Warbler. What features have you used to separate it from Reed Warbler? A slightly unusual Reed Warbler is much more likely than a Marsh Warbler! On the other hand there are a few Marsh Warblers around this year in the country, but their identification is very tricky. Was it singing - as this might give a clue to its identity? Also, there are probably local birders who would like to know if there is a Marsh Warbler there.

Cheers,

Hi Steve and Ian
Thanks for the input, I've just been looking at some pictures of a Marsh Warbler particularly this one, http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?search=1&mode=search&sp=136092&rty=0&v=0&off=142740I
called in again today for another look and spotted it again on the same bush singing, noticeable was the lighter patch below its mouth. Thanks for your help.
Stu

 

[chimp_choker]

Hi Stu,

Can i just check, are you now saying this was a Marsh Warbler? This would also be a very rare bird in Durham, although not as rare as Savi's Warbler. What features have you used to separate it from Reed Warbler? A slightly unusual Reed Warbler is much more likely than a Marsh Warbler! On the other hand there are a few Marsh Warblers around this year in the country, but their identification is very tricky. Was it singing - as this might give a clue to its identity? Also, there are probably local birders who would like to know if there is a Marsh Warbler there.

Cheers,

Are you kindin, I'm still not sure what it was!
It had an unstreaked brown back more like a reed warbler, a lighter coloured throat which was fluffed out and it was perched ontop of a bush singing, more like a marsh warbler, some write ups about them say its rare to hear a marsh warbler sing, others say thats just because marsh warblers are rare to start with. I've looked at loads of pics of the three birds and the variation in the same species can be greater than across the three as I'm sure you know.

Stu

 

[Bonsaibirder]

Hi Stu,

Yes, you're right. Marsh and Reed are very difficult to tell apart. If they are singing then it should help a bit though. The song should immediately rule out (or in) Savi's Warbler since they sing a bit like a Grasshopper Warbler and nothing like Reed or Marsh (from my recollection). Marsh generally has a more varied song than a Reed Warbler with quite a bit of mimicry, although there are occasions when Reed Warblers can do some impressive mimcry themselves.

Cheers,

Are you kindin, I'm still not sure what it was!
It had an unstreaked brown back more like a reed warbler, a lighter coloured throat which was fluffed out and it was perched ontop of a bush singing, more like a marsh warbler, some write ups about them say its rare to hear a marsh warbler sing, others say thats just because marsh warblers are rare to start with. I've looked at loads of pics of the three birds and the variation in the same species can be greater than across the three as I'm sure you know.

Stu

 

[IanF]

I completed the second part of the BTO BBS this morning. One of the sunniest mornings we've had for a long while - though still a little chilly considering it's July! Plenty of birds about but nothing really of note amongst them.

There seemed to be an awful lot of Kestrels around - though I dare say they were the same ones seen over and again. It looks like they have nested in one of the pylons.

Little Grebe 2
Grey Heron 1
Mute Swan 4
Gadwall 4
Mallard 29
Tufted Duck 11
Goldeneye 1
Kestrel 6
Moorhen 11
Coot 22
Black-headed Gull 20
Common Gull 2
Woodpigeon 19
Collared Dove 4
Swift 12
Skylark 2
Sand Martin 4
Swallow 11
Meadow Pipit 2
Pied/White Wagtail 2
Wren 8
Dunnock 11
Robin 3
Blackbird 8
Song Thrush 1
Grasshopper Warbler 2
Sedge Warbler 9
Whitethroat 17
Blackcap 18
Willow Warbler 15
Blue Tit 4
Great Tit 1
Magpie 15
Carrion Crow 18
Tree Sparrow 4
Chaffinch 19
Greenfinch 2
Goldfinch 19
Linnet 4
Bullfinch 2
Yellowhammer 8
Reed Bunting 4
Feral Pigeon 10

 

[IanF]

We had a stroll around the main pond on a lovely sunny evening c.7:00pm. Plenty of young Whitethroat, Blackcap, Goldfinch and Swallow flitting about. On the pond were Moorhen chicks just a few days old and some young Little Grebe.

No sign of the Sparrowhawks tonight - they've successfully bred in two locations and were ringed last week.

Plenty of butterflies around mostly Meadow Brown but we also came across Small Heath, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Ringlet and Comma. Also Emerald Damselfly and Southern Hawker.