Durham Birding (46 Viewers)

[IanF]

Saltholme today 25-2-2009.

Seen the following from 10:45am till 14.00pm

Little Egret x 3
Heron x 1
Sparrow Hawk x 1
Coots/Teals/Shell Ducks/Shoveler/Gadwall/Wigeon

Greatham Creek 15:00 pm

1 X Little Egret / Snipes / Teals / Lapwings .

Also Nice to meet Ian F .

Carl Gorse

Good to meet you as well Carl :t:

The feeders beside the hide seem to be working well attracting Goldfinch and Reed Bunting whilst we were there.

The pond was a little quiet with just the Little Egret and a Teal, Wigeon and Coot.

Photos: 1. & 2. Little Egret - 3. Reed Bunting - 4. & 5. Goldfinch

 

[carl_gorse]

Good to meet you as well Carl :t:

The feeders beside the hide seem to be working well attracting Goldfinch and Reed Bunting whilst we were there.

The pond was a little quiet with just the Little Egret and a Teal, Wigeon and Coot.

Photos: 1. & 2. Little Egret - 3. Reed Bunting - 4. & 5. Goldfinch

Thanks Ian , Nice Set of images . I have to say the feeding station today as been alot busyer than the past couple of days . With the Tables getting filled today brought more to the feeders.

May give the Billingham Country Park a try 2moro . With all the good reports ive read .

Regards
Carl.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Called at Durham yesterday for the dipper then onto Hartlepool & Newburn Bridge.
Pretty much the same at Newburn with oyster catcher, med gull, purple sandpiper, knot, sanderling, ringed plover, red shank etc.

Also called at Znkwks Road, not much here other than stonechat and the odd kestrel.

Nice meeting IanF again :t:.

 

[ALFIE TEMPLE]

Waxwing

Nice surprise in the garden this morning, when c60 Waxwing flew over house. A garden tick (just)

 

[waxyplumer]

Beanies

Hello all,
can anyone give me a grid ref for the Bean Geese instead of "usual field off Moor Lane" please ? Hoping to catch up with them tomorrow.

Cheers, Mick Gibson.

 

[carl_gorse]

Cowpen Bewery Country Park

Went to Cowpen Bewery Country Park

Feeding Station

Green Finch
Chaffinch
Yellow Hammer x 1
Tree Creeper x 1
Robin x 1
Blue Tit
Great Tit

Main Lake

2 Swans and a few Mallards

Other than that its been pretty quiet

Carl

 

[IanF]

A Red-necked Grebe was showing well off the end of the pier at Hartlepool Headland this afternoon. It's been around for a couple of weeks but always distant when I've been there.

I'd just walked to the end of the pier when it came swimming over from the channel marker buoys towards where I was stood. It fished just a few metres away for close on an hour catching wrasse, dabs, sprats and a small crab. Repeatedly pestered by the gulls having to dive to avoid losing it's catch.

The usual waders were along the rocks - Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Curlew plus Rock Pipit, Linnet and Pied Wagtail, Eider, Guillemot, Cormorant and Shag.

The Med Gull was flying backwards and forwards along the beach in the freshening winds.

 

[rokermartin]

Seeing there is a thread on what is the greatest British rarity in the last 50yrs.I thought i would make a list of mega rarities which have been seen in the county and ask the question what is Co.Durham's greatest rarity in the last 50yrs.

Dusky Thrush,Hartlepool 1959
Long-toed Stint,Teeside 1982
White-tailed Plover,Cleadon 1984
Double-crested Cormorant,Teeside 1989
Baillon's Crake,Mowbray Park,Sunderland 1989
Amur Wagtail,Seaham 2005
Siberian Rubythroat,Sunderland 2006
Glaucous-winged Gull,Teeside 2008
My vote would be for Glaucous-winged Gull astonishing record for the county.

 

[IanF]

Seeing there is a thread on what is the greatest British rarity in the last 50yrs.I thought i would make a list of mega rarities which have been seen in the county and ask the
question what is Co.Durham's greatest rarity in the last 50yrs is it
...........................................
Glaucous-winged Gull,Teeside 2008
My vote would go for Glaucous-winged Gull astonishing record for the county.

Same for me Martin :t:

 

[geordie graham]

Would I be right in thinking that Wynyard Woodland Park is the new name of Castle Eden Walkway?.

Graham

 

[IanF]

Would I be right in thinking that Wynyard Woodland Park is the new name of Castle Eden Walkway?.

Graham

Yep! :t:

It's the southern end of the Walkway around the old Thorpe Theweles railway platform. The one with the visitor centre and an observatory. They renamed it a couple of years back.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Hello all,
can anyone give me a grid ref for the Bean Geese instead of "usual field off Moor Lane" please ? Hoping to catch up with them tomorrow.

Cheers, Mick Gibson.

This is the field where the geese were, and hopefully still there for you:

http://www.multimap.com/maps/#map=54.94539,-1.39517|17|4&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:54.94398:-1.39792:17|sunderland%20road|

Hope this helps.

 

[geordie graham]

Yep! :t:

It's the southern end of the Walkway around the old Thorpe Theweles railway platform. The one with the visitor centre and an observatory. They renamed it a couple of years back.

Thanks a lot Ian :t:.

graham

 

[The Chairman]

Hello all,
can anyone give me a grid ref for the Bean Geese instead of "usual field off Moor Lane" please ? Hoping to catch up with them tomorrow.

Cheers, Mick Gibson.

Waxy

The stubble filed is opposite the entrance to SAFC Academy to the west of the mian road and south of the road that leads to Boldon Flats - even you can't miss it as it is massive and filled with stubble (looks a bit like a 2nd winter stubble field but I'm pretty sure its just advanced 1st winterB :smoke:

 

[AndyMc]

A Red-necked Grebe was showing well off the end of the pier at Hartlepool Headland this afternoon. It's been around for a couple of weeks but always distant when I've been there.

I'd just walked to the end of the pier when it came swimming over from the channel marker buoys towards where I was stood. It fished just a few metres away for close on an hour catching wrasse, dabs, sprats and a small crab. Repeatedly pestered by the gulls having to dive to avoid losing it's catch.

The usual waders were along the rocks - Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Curlew plus Rock Pipit, Linnet and Pied Wagtail, Eider, Guillemot, Cormorant and Shag.

The Med Gull was flying backwards and forwards along the beach in the freshening winds.

Is there an end to your tallents? Not only a bird boffin, a sealife savvy as well. I had to google a couple of them creatures :-O

Great Grebe action shot :t:
______________________

Andy

 

[DEREK.C.]

A few pictures i have managed from my travels over the last week or two.

 

[StevieEvans]

DBC/BTO Fieldworkers Meeting

Called at Durham yesterday for the dipper then onto .

Ray, many thanks for the Dipper information - an excellent record ! -
i'll send it into the County database, records like this are always welcome, but especially during an Atlas period.

Speaking of Atlas & Records...

Thursday March 5th 2009 (7:30PM) - DBC/BTO Fieldworkers Meeting at Durham City.


This year's joint DBC/BTO meeting of ornithological fieldworkers will take place on Thursday 5th March at 7.30 p.m. in Room CG91 on Durham University's Science Site.

NB:
The meeting is not intended only for those who are active fieldworkers at present, but for all those who feel they may want to participate at some stage, and for those who would like to know more about current and future surveys and about results from past survey work.

Access to the site is from the south side of Stockton Road at the top of the hill where the A177 enters Durham from Shincliffe and Houghall. Entering the Science Site at the eastern (Shincliffe) end, park on the left about 100 metres in and go into the building opposite by the main entrance.

Room CG91 is one floor down.
If the entrance barrier to the car park is down press the button and the security staff should grant you access.


This annual meeting is generally very well attended - All Welcome regardless of your ability / experience !
Its a great place to catch up with folks & find out whats going on ! - NB: peak activity for Goshawk, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker etc is just round the corner.....
Or why not come along & tell us which species you think would be worth surveying !

Further Detail att'd below

Cheers
SteveE on behalf of DBC P&S Group
Directions / queries ring Mob: 079 79 60 1231

 

[JBee]

A few bits and bobs from various locations.

L-R Black tailed godwit, dipper, nuthatch, marsh tit, wren

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Seeing there is a thread on what is the greatest British rarity in the last 50yrs.I thought i would make a list of mega rarities which have been seen in the county and ask the question what is Co.Durham's greatest rarity in the last 50yrs.

Dusky Thrush,Hartlepool 1959
Long-toed Stint,Teeside 1982
White-tailed Plover,Cleadon 1984
Double-crested Cormorant,Teeside 1989
Baillon's Crake,Mowbray Park,Sunderland 1989
Amur Wagtail,Seaham 2005
Siberian Rubythroat,Sunderland 2006
Glaucous-winged Gull,Teeside 2008
My vote would be for Glaucous-winged Gull astonishing record for the county.

Speaking of rarities did anyone on here get the Duridge Bay Slender Billed Curlew? I am really interested to find out.

 

[JBee]

A few more general shots

L-R Tufty, stonechat, shoveler, lapwing, wigeon