Durham Birding (17 Viewers)

[great bustard]

Watched a large Goshawk displaying over Belmont Ind Estate (Mullards) this morning. The huge 'roller coaster' display caught the eye, thought it may have been a captive bird but didnt appear to have any jesses on, Watched it do a couple of laps before flying west and out of site.
Also looked like a female? Do female Goshawks do the display thing???

 

[93Birder]

Watched a large Goshawk displaying over Belmont Ind Estate (Mullards) this morning. The huge 'roller coaster' display caught the eye, thought it may have been a captive bird but didnt appear to have any jesses on, Watched it do a couple of laps before flying west and out of site.
Also looked like a female? Do female Goshawks do the display thing???

Ask One Man and his Dog, he's an expert, there's nothing he doesn't know.

 

[great bustard]

excellent...........

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Do female Goshawks do the display thing???

Hows it going? Hope your well.

Both Sparrowhawk and Goshawk do the display and both fan out their undertail coverts. Always brilliant to watch, I love to watch the male Goshawks displaying. I've been watching the same male for a few weeks in Durham dales and one of the days he was doing his slow wing rowing with his undertail coverts fluffed out, he then proceeded to see off a rather large female Sparrowhawk. I love to watch both species displaying; great. :t:

Cheers,

 

[great bustard]

Ok, it was problies a sparrowhawk...

 

[knotsbirder]

Ask One Man and his Dog, he's an expert, there's nothing he doesn't know.

:-O

 

[2slo]

A pair of Bullfinches in the back garden today:

 

[IanF]

Seaton Common - Zinc Works Road - pm - Wheatear x2 m&f and a striking male Yellow Wagtail all in last field on left beside the beck.

Dormans Pool - 2.00pm - Twite c.20 on embankment at top car park.

 

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - fire station field - Black-tailed Godwit, Little Egret, Redshank x2.

Phil Stead Hide - Little Grebe x2, Little Egret x1, Redshank x2, Goldfinch and Blue Tit coming to feeder.

Saltholme screen - Yellow Wagtail x1, Wheatear x2, Barnacle Geese x8.

Saltholme Hide - Avocet x2, Redshank x3, Ringed Plover x1. Ruff x2 and Brent Geese x2 also reported.

Merlin and two Kestrel along A1185 by the sub-station entrance.

 

[IanF]

Colour ring updates

The Cormorant with orange darvic and CP3 seen at Crookfoot Reservoir on 30th March was ringed as a chick at Abberton Reservoir, Essex (OS TL9617) on the 14th May 2011.


A colour ringed Curlew seen on Seaton Common on 8th April 2012 with combination RW OG was ringed (BTO ring FC48905) on 29th July 1991 at Seal Sands and aged as an 'adult' (first summer or older).

Prior to this winter, RW OG was last recorded on 19th November 2009 when observed feeding at Seaton Common. It's previously recorded on only three occasions, twice on Bran Sands (14/12/00 & 12/09/07) and Seaton Common (13/12/00).

 

[Jonathan Hare]

Ward Jackson Park

Over the weekend I visited Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool.

I saw 5x Ring Neck Parakeets, 4x Tree Creepers, 12x Blackbirds, 2x Chaffinch, 4x Dunnocks, 2x Wrens, House Sparrows plus others that were darting about to quick before I had time to focus on them plus numerous pigeons. One thing that shocked me was how many Seagulls are now starting to take over the Park pond & scrapes (that just been added). It was the one place in town that you could go to get away from seagulls, but now there are dozens there.

On the water I spotted this pair colourful of Ducks, which changed colour depending at what angle in the light you saw them. The colours changed from greens to blues to purples. Are these Mallards, or are they another spiecies?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31848041@N08/6919842098/

 

[knotsbirder]

Over the weekend I visited Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool.

I saw 5x Ring Neck Parakeets, 4x Tree Creepers, 12x Blackbirds, 2x Chaffinch, 4x Dunnocks, 2x Wrens, House Sparrows plus others that were darting about to quick before I had time to focus on them plus numerous pigeons. One thing that shocked me was how many Seagulls are now starting to take over the Park pond & scrapes (that just been added). It was the one place in town that you could go to get away from seagulls, but now there are dozens there.

On the water I spotted this pair colourful of Ducks, which changed colour depending at what angle in the light you saw them. The colours changed from greens to blues to purples. Are these Mallards, or are they another spiecies?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31848041@N08/6919842098/

Hi Jonathan,

They're what are affectionately named "Yuck Ducks" - ie farmyard Mallard breeds that have found their way into the wild.

Sam :t:

 

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - Saltholme Hide - Whooper Swan x4, Black Swan x1, Ringed Plover x1, Goldeneye x2, Redshank x3. Brent Geese x2 on wet grassland opposite Paddy's Pool.

Seaton Common - pm - Wheatear x7 on the mounds by the entrance to North Gare access road.

Dormans Pool - pm - Green-winged Teal, Pintail x6, Ringed Plover x2 on the causeway along with Greylag pair with newly hatched goslings x6 - there were seven but a fox wandered out onto the causeway with one in it's mouth as the rest paddled across to the far side of the pool. Water Rail x2 in front of hide. Stonechat pair by car park.

 

[Michael A]

Popped out for an hour today at lunchtime and lucky enough to snap a few shots between showers,Wheatears back on Muggleswick common also Black Grouse (very uncommon in this area) x1 Swallow, Common Buzzard no sign yet of Redstart or Pied Flycatcher but they should start to show very soon.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trampsandhawkers/
http://www.durhamwt.co.uk/
http://www.northeast-butterflies.org.uk/
http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/

 

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - fire station field 8.30-9.00am Water Pipit x2, Snipe x3, Redshank x3, Black-tailed Godwit x1, Pied Wagtail x2 - then disturbed by fox runnning around the field.

Seaton Common - Wheatear x1 at bottom of Zinc Works Road. Peregrine on power station roof. Redshank x9 huddled together in one group.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Couple of Hours at Teesside today.
Little grebe, 2 little egrets, male pochard, goldfinch, wren and grey heron from the Phil Stead hide.
3 little egrets on the Fire Station pond, but no sign of the water pipit.
Avocets, redshank, oyster catcher and lapwing on the Saline lagoon.
Avocets seemed to be well spread out over greatham creek, also the West side of the main road.

 

[IanF]

Had a trip over to the dales today. Goshawk, Peregrine, Red Kite, Buzzard giving good views though distant. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker & tagged Red Kite seen by others seen by others in Hamsterley area.

Several Redpoll & Siskin at Lunton Hill. Lots of Willow Warbler and Meadow Pipit on the small tree tops around the viewpoint. Must have just arrived from the number/concentration.

Bolliehope - 10+ Ring Ouzel, mainly males with three singing. Two females, one paired up and nesting. Mistle Thrush. Grey Wagtail and Dipper along the beck. Lots of Curlew, Wheatear, Oystercatcher, Red Grouse plus a few Golden Plover and two SEO on Eggleston Common.

Hooded Crow reported on Seaton Common this afternoon, but no sign early evening. 40+ Golden Plover present.

 

[June Atkinson]

tagged Red Kite seen by others seen by others in Hamsterly area.

Following your report, Ian, could I ask anyone who has seen the tagged kite or any other kite activity in the Hamsterley Forest area to get in touch either via BF , with me or through our Friends of Red Kites mailbox on http://www.friendsofredkites.org.uk/page20.htm

There is also a Sighting sheet here: http://www.friendsofredkites.org.uk/page6.htm


To have red kites breeding in Hamsterley Forest would be a great encouragement, especially after we lost them in Teesdale.

 

[IanF]

The tags were blue but no other details were seen. Apparently two are seen regularly here.

I saw one at Bolliehope Common but it was too high/distant to tell if it was tagged.

 

[June Atkinson]

The tags were blue but no other details were seen. Apparently two are seen regularly here.

I saw one at Bolliehope Common but it was too high/distant to tell if it was tagged.

Thank you for your swift reply, Ian.

Blue tags denote 2010 release red kites. I'll pass this on to Ken Sanderson.
We are getting more reports of dispersed kites this year, which is encouraging, provided that they don't fall prey to persecution.

The Tag colours can be found here: http://www.friendsofredkites.org.uk/page11.htm