Durham Birding (16 Viewers)

[Boy Wonder]

Of the 43 Avocets present on the Saline Lagoon yesterday 2 were colour ringed.

EG25238 - Red/Blue left, Red/Red right
EG25239 - Yellow/Blue left, Lime/Orange right

Siblings 2/2 ringed on greenabella 31.5.10

Good evidence to show they travel/migrate in family groups as we had two siblings last year. Getting some great results back from this project so please keep an eye out for more colour ringed birds when you're out and about.

 

[DCJ]

hi dave
i would say scand rock pipit looking more like a rock pipit? Cant see neither water or scand in this bird im afraid, the only bird on the ntbc link that it resembles is rock pipit. It hasnt got the key feature of a supercilium to start with?
Cheers
steve :t:

Not a birder/twitcher Steve, I'll them them sort it out :t: (belly not dark enough for a rock pipit I would of thought, got them all a' flappin tho! great to watch, and it still goes on) :smoke:

 

[Mark Newsome]

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

The question was raised on the ID forum, responses here:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=225758
Compare the shape and structure in Dave's photo:http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=374360&d=1331842196 with this one attached from Hamsterley a couple of weeks ago. Although there are slight differences between male and female Goshawk structure, you can see the Gos has a more prominent head/neck, rounded corners to the tail, less distinct barring to the underside of the secondaries and a longer, proportionately thinner hand to the wing. They can be a tricky pair though, and no disrespect to DCJ in posting the photo here.
Further reading here for anyone interested:http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?item=744

Mark

 

[One Man and His Dog]

Not a birder/twitcher Steve, I'll them them sort it out :t: (belly not dark enough for a rock pipit I would of thought, got them all a' flappin tho! great to watch, and it still goes on) :smoke:

hi dave
your right, rock pipit does have dark underparts but can also be pale. ive seen plenty rock pipits with pale underparts, but yet to see a scandinavian rock pipit without a supercilium. have a look on birdguides photo gallery, look up rock pipit and theres some shots of rock pipits with pale underparts, identical to the bird in your photo. it might just change your mind?
cheers
steve :t:

 

[mckivitt]

The question was raised on the ID forum, responses here:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=225758
Compare the shape and structure in Dave's photo:http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=374360&d=1331842196 with this one attached from Hamsterley a couple of weeks ago. Although there are slight differences between male and female Goshawk structure, you can see the Gos has a more prominent head/neck, rounded corners to the tail, less distinct barring to the underside of the secondaries and a longer, proportionately thinner hand to the wing. They can be a tricky pair though, and no disrespect to DCJ in posting the photo here.
Further reading here for anyone interested:http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?item=744

Mark

Thanks for your input Mark - I never thought about asking in the ID Forum, too used to just scanning through these local ones... I'd already found that birdwatch.co.uk link when I'd seen my high level birds, and it convinced me that I was seeing a Sparrowhawk because of the lack of a protruding head. And that was the first thing I noticed with Dave's image, it didn't seem to protrude significantly.

But it seems these birds can be difficult to separate when you have big Sparrowhawks flying around. So I'll just stand back and see if anyone else has other opinions. I know of at least one other bod that has said Dave's is definitely a Goshawk. Interesting...but incredibly frustrating!!

 

[mckivitt]

hi dave
your right, rock pipit does have dark underparts but can also be pale. ive seen plenty rock pipits with pale underparts, but yet to see a scandinavian rock pipit without a supercilium. have a look on birdguides photo gallery, look up rock pipit and theres some shots of rock pipits with pale underparts, identical to the bird in your photo. it might just change your mind?
cheers
steve :t:

Just to muddy the water (or rock), I've seen other photos of the same bird where there's a definite supercilium.

Anyway, you're all missing the point - it was nowhere near a rock, and right next to the water...

 

[DCJ]

The question was raised on the ID forum, responses here:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=225758
Compare the shape and structure in Dave's photo:http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=374360&d=1331842196 with this one attached from Hamsterley a couple of weeks ago. Although there are slight differences between male and female Goshawk structure, you can see the Gos has a more prominent head/neck, rounded corners to the tail, less distinct barring to the underside of the secondaries and a longer, proportionately thinner hand to the wing. They can be a tricky pair though, and no disrespect to DCJ in posting the photo here.
Further reading here for anyone interested:http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?item=744

Mark

Fair enough Mark, I initially went by the size, this was a humongous bird, easily larger/(similarish) to a buzzard, the local female sprawk nowhere near the size of this thing, first sighting it looked like a marsh harrier when it flapped.
I will try the photo again but very very high, as you said, well out of range.

 

[DCJ]

hi dave
your right, rock pipit does have dark underparts but can also be pale. ive seen plenty rock pipits with pale underparts, but yet to see a scandinavian rock pipit without a supercilium. have a look on birdguides photo gallery, look up rock pipit and theres some shots of rock pipits with pale underparts, identical to the bird in your photo. it might just change your mind?
cheers
steve :t:

Its up to those that want to crack on about it Steve, have to say though, give the lads their due, the confusion started when it started calling like a watta pipit, I've moved on coz its stoat, weasel and fox season, something else as well, eludes me at the moment. :stuck:

 

[One Man and His Dog]

Just to muddy the water (or rock), I've seen other photos of the same bird where there's a definite supercilium.

Anyway, you're all missing the point - it was nowhere near a rock, and right next to the water...

what point would that be? You get rock pipits at inland sites with water on passage and water pipits at the coast on rocks, so what was your point again? Also water pipit call resembles rock pipit call? Anyway if i had seen the bird i would of called rock pipit and thats my final word on it. :t:
cheers
steve :t:

 

[NeilF]

Durham dales today, couldn't get the camera to focus on the Osprey. I know, a bad workman blames his tools...

 

[Ray.Scott]

Yesterday

Trip up North.
Called at Amble and Druridge, nothing much out of the ordinary, plenty eider, cormorants, gulls etc at Amble and pretty much the usual gulls etc at Druridge, but fog/sea fret was pretty bad.
Headed inland a bit to far pastures, which had a couple of chiffchaff, coal,blue,great,willow and LT tits, wren chaffinch and bank vole in the car park area and virtually zero in front of the hide.

 

[Ray.Scott]

A few from Far Pastures.

 

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - 9.00am - Water Pipit x4 on field behind fire station. Two eventually flew off over fire station. Short-eared Owl behind workshops. Also Snipe & Little Egret. Fox with prey.

Seaton Common - Stonechat x2. Golden Plover c.80 Zinc Works Road

Dormans Pool - Marsh Harrier flew through at 11.30 just as I arrived. Stonechat pair by level crossing.

Potrack Roundabout/Billingham Beck - Green Sandpiper still.

Wynyard - Hen Harrier appeared at 4.20 for 20 mins. Also Merlin, Kestrel & Buzzard x3.

 

[Adam W]

Would anyone be kind enough to give me an idea of where to go at Hamsterley forrest to stand a chance of seeing the Goshawks, I'm only really familiar with the Bedburn end where the visitor centre is but from what I gather thats the wrong end but I havent got a clue where I need to be.

Feel free to PM me if you prefer.

Cheers Adam.

 

[birding maniac]

Hi,
Can someone tell me when is best for and where the water pipits are favouring on fire station pool? I put in 1.5 hours yesterday and there was no show, although 4 had been reported 20 minutes before. Other birders were there and didn't see then so I know IRS not just me.
Thanks
Bm

 

[IanF]

The Water Piptis are showing early mornings but moving off later in the day. I was there Sunday morning and four were present 9.00am-10.00am but at least two flew off over the fire station after that. I dare say the others did as well but I didn't see them go.

If you stand at the screen then they were on the furthest pool over, there's a bit of a muddy heap just behind the fire station fence corner. That's where they mostly were or slightly left by some small reedy tufts.

Apparantely 2-3 were back there this morning but there was no sign of any at lunchtime when I called in.

Sounds like the Glossy Ibis moved to the Phil Stead Hide late afternoon as well according to TBC web site.

 

[degsy_safc]

Sounds like the Glossy Ibis moved to the Phil Stead Hide late afternoon as well.

Hope its taken its scope / bins if it wants to see the Water Pipits :-O:-O

 

[Ray.Scott]

Weardale, yesterday

Ride over bollihope area.
3 ring ouzels, song thrush, dipper, muscovey ducks, mipits, skylark, 3 distant buzzard, pied wagtails, lapwing, fieldfare, distant wheatear, red grouse and the usual crows etc.

 

[Ray.Scott]

A few of the ring ouzel,
Also nice to see Hillary at Bollihope, hope they came a bit closer for you :t:.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Ended the day outing, at the stang, to let the missus see the crossbills at close quarters, well they didn't dissapoint and she was well pleaseed.
Also siskin, mipits, skylark, kestrel, robin red grouse etc + distant buzzard and one which flew overhead as we drove home.
Excellent day out :t:.