-
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 (34 Viewers)
- Thread starter Skelly
- Start date
ian hamilton
mackem born and bred
female sparrowhawk flew north over southwick road at 10 25 am
JBee
Well-known member
Probably more than next to nowt but less than hods of them.
FoghornKinghorn
Durham Recorder
10-20 Waxwing over Mendip Avenue road. Very quick views as they flew over. Got about a 10 second view.
IanF
Moderator
Spring is in the air -
It certainly seems like it!
Yesterday a pair of Canda Geese were displaying and mating at Cowpen Bewley WP. Today it was Siskin, Robin and Parakeets!
Stillington Forest Park - am - Siskin c.20, Lesser Redpoll x6, Green Woodpecker x1 - flew in and landed in the top of a tree on the hill on the south side before dropping to the ground in the factory area where also calling. Linnet x3, Song Thrush x2, Goldfinch c.20, Yellowhammer x4, Dunnock, LTT x6, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coot and Moorhen. Coots were displaying/fighting and Siskin male displaying to female and passing food.
Hurworth Burn - feeding station very active mostly with Blue Tit and Great Tit but also LTT x2, Robin x2 with one displaying to the other and gifts of dried leaves and seed, Blackbird. GSW overhead but didn't come to feeders.
Crookfoot Reservoir - Goldeneye 15+, Shelduck x2, Wigeon c.30, Great Crested Grebe and loads of gulls. No sign of the Smew.
Ward Jackson Park - Parakeet x7 with one pair displaying and mating. I see the old nest tree has been sawn down and cleared but they seem to have found another tree with a hole inside the park itself which they were on with excavating. Also Sparrowhawk circling overhead.
Photos : 1. Lesser Redpoll - 2. Siskin - 3. Great Crested Grebe - 4. & 5. Ring-necked Parakeet
It certainly seems like it!
Yesterday a pair of Canda Geese were displaying and mating at Cowpen Bewley WP. Today it was Siskin, Robin and Parakeets!
Stillington Forest Park - am - Siskin c.20, Lesser Redpoll x6, Green Woodpecker x1 - flew in and landed in the top of a tree on the hill on the south side before dropping to the ground in the factory area where also calling. Linnet x3, Song Thrush x2, Goldfinch c.20, Yellowhammer x4, Dunnock, LTT x6, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coot and Moorhen. Coots were displaying/fighting and Siskin male displaying to female and passing food.
Hurworth Burn - feeding station very active mostly with Blue Tit and Great Tit but also LTT x2, Robin x2 with one displaying to the other and gifts of dried leaves and seed, Blackbird. GSW overhead but didn't come to feeders.
Crookfoot Reservoir - Goldeneye 15+, Shelduck x2, Wigeon c.30, Great Crested Grebe and loads of gulls. No sign of the Smew.
Ward Jackson Park - Parakeet x7 with one pair displaying and mating. I see the old nest tree has been sawn down and cleared but they seem to have found another tree with a hole inside the park itself which they were on with excavating. Also Sparrowhawk circling overhead.
Photos : 1. Lesser Redpoll - 2. Siskin - 3. Great Crested Grebe - 4. & 5. Ring-necked Parakeet
Attachments
ALFIE TEMPLE
Well-known member
Goosander
Very confiding female Goosander at Herrington Country Park yesterday (down to within 5 metres of the "jetty")
Very confiding female Goosander at Herrington Country Park yesterday (down to within 5 metres of the "jetty")
StevieEvans
Well-known member
Houghton Non Motorised Local Patch 09
Things seem to be picking up by the day, although today was especially pleasant. We sat & had a picinc lunch at Joes Pond during which we saw 1 frog/toad. Lots of Skylarks, Reed Buntings etc singing.
Another sure sign that Spring is round the corner - the Swans have started to drive off the Canadas.
Three pairs of Lapwing on territory, (unfinished . . . )
Shown a nice pic of a drake Mandarin on the pond at Barnes Park, Sunderland - this was a week or two ago, bird appeared unringed.
IanF said:
Things seem to be picking up by the day, although today was especially pleasant. We sat & had a picinc lunch at Joes Pond during which we saw 1 frog/toad. Lots of Skylarks, Reed Buntings etc singing.
Another sure sign that Spring is round the corner - the Swans have started to drive off the Canadas.
Three pairs of Lapwing on territory, (unfinished . . . )
Shown a nice pic of a drake Mandarin on the pond at Barnes Park, Sunderland - this was a week or two ago, bird appeared unringed.
FoghornKinghorn
Durham Recorder
Question about Waxwings.
I have only been doing birdwatching for 3 years and am still inexperienced. I was wondering do we usually get this many Waxwings each year in Durham?
I have only been doing birdwatching for 3 years and am still inexperienced. I was wondering do we usually get this many Waxwings each year in Durham?
IanF
Moderator
They vary year to year. It's been a good winter for them. Some years very few at all and occasionally a lot more than we've had this year.
Overall though I'd say it's been a better than average for them numbers wise but with so many around they ate up the berries quickly and moved on. Some winters with fewer birds around they stay in one spot for much longer as the berries last longer.
StevieEvans
Well-known member
An Annual, but irruptive visitor from northern Europe & Russia
Its what happens over there which dictates if, and how many we get over here.
FoghornKinghorn
Durham Recorder
Thanks to IanF and Steve for your answers. Hopefully it will be a good winter next winter for the waxwings. They are beautiful birds.
Cyclops
1 eyed tree hugging nature nut!
Took a little walk out with the kids, Matthew in pushchair scaring all the birds off(he's 3 in april) and Katie, who is 5 next month, was walking alongside with my old 8x22s so she could see the birdies like dad!
Together we spotted Blackbird, Blue and Great Tit,a Robin, a Dunnock,a Moorhen, a few chaffinch,numerous Starling (including a large group atop a big Beech),Black Headed and Herring Gull(maybe a Lesser black-Backed or two) but the highlight was spotting a Goldfinch!
I'm not sure if she could actually see the birds through the binos but she enjoyed the trip out, and when we got home I showed her the birds we'd seen in my Bird book.
Hopefully she'll want to see more as she grows-but how do you know if the focus is right on the bins for their eyes?
Together we spotted Blackbird, Blue and Great Tit,a Robin, a Dunnock,a Moorhen, a few chaffinch,numerous Starling (including a large group atop a big Beech),Black Headed and Herring Gull(maybe a Lesser black-Backed or two) but the highlight was spotting a Goldfinch!
I'm not sure if she could actually see the birds through the binos but she enjoyed the trip out, and when we got home I showed her the birds we'd seen in my Bird book.
Hopefully she'll want to see more as she grows-but how do you know if the focus is right on the bins for their eyes?
June Atkinson
Well-known member
Waxwings are gorgeous!
I agree. We saw a group of 16 recently just north of Ponteland (thanks to a BF tip-off!).
But in the 70s, I remember one severe winter, when we had 60 waxwings in the hedge opposite the house. They stripped the berries in 20 minutes!
And during the first winter in our present house, we had twelve in the cotoneaster at the front. All the berries disappeared there, too!
We have a lot this year, almost wave after wave, although the numbers now seem less than in the earlier sightings.
I agree. We saw a group of 16 recently just north of Ponteland (thanks to a BF tip-off!).
But in the 70s, I remember one severe winter, when we had 60 waxwings in the hedge opposite the house. They stripped the berries in 20 minutes!
And during the first winter in our present house, we had twelve in the cotoneaster at the front. All the berries disappeared there, too!
We have a lot this year, almost wave after wave, although the numbers now seem less than in the earlier sightings.
Last edited:
StevieEvans
Well-known member
Sounds familiar.
Had one 3 & one 5 yr / old out this afternoon.
Saw Nuthatch, GSW, Treecreeper etc at Barnes Pk S'land.
Found a likely looking cavity & hit on lucky with a Tawny in it, flying over our heads.
The lads loved it & went chasing after the owl to try & see it again.
We didnt have any bins today, but the little 'un sometimes uses one of those sets which are "permanently focused" - we have a pair that came off a WWII German tank.
AndyMc
Well-known member
Quiz time again, but not much of a one if you know what you're looking at:-O.
Going through my library I came across these that I'm still having trouble with nailing down the species :smoke:. Can anybody help please?
First one 2 pics. The third pic, who's are these younguns?
Taken at Hurworth Burn last June
Thanks
Andy
Going through my library I came across these that I'm still having trouble with nailing down the species :smoke:. Can anybody help please?
First one 2 pics. The third pic, who's are these younguns?
Taken at Hurworth Burn last June
Thanks
Andy
Attachments
FoghornKinghorn
Durham Recorder
No 1 & No 2 - Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler - Judging by the colour of legs I would say Willow Warbler. Chiffchaff tend to have blackish, dark coloured legs.
No 3- Looks like whitethroat.
No 3- Looks like whitethroat.
Last edited:
smitsel
Local Patcher.
I think you could be right Andrew, having looked at the images more closely. The supercillium in pic 2 is longer than that of a Chiffchaff.
