Durham Birding (3 Viewers)

[JontyCalvert]

Hi all, first post here but thought i may aswell instead of just sat watching. Am a regular visitor to Low Barns and today i had a first with a goldcrest, did manage a few pics but not great at all. adult feeding a juvenile. also saw this in the trees near the car park area. what do you think? is it a whitethroat, again i apologise for the picture but its all about learning!!!!!
kind regards

 

[IanF]

Hi all, first post here but thought i may aswell instead of just sat watching. Am a regular visitor to Low Barns and today i had a first with a goldcrest, did manage a few pics but not great at all. adult feeding a juvenile. also saw this in the trees near the car park area. what do you think? is it a whitethroat, again i apologise for the picture but its all about learning!!!!!
kind regards

Welcome aboard :t:

A good find with the Goldcrest.

The throat looks a bit light and it could be a Whitethroat but I think it maybe a juvenile Spotted Flycatcher from the marls on the upper breast. There were several around when I visited last week.

 

[IanF]

Greatham Creek - am - high tide - Common Sandpiper, Little Gull x3, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Avocet x2. Dunlin c.20.

RSPB Saltholme - Saltholme Hide - a little bit busy today with the WR Sandpiper around and the kids being off school but at least there was a few more birds around than on my last visit though no sign of the Spoonbill today.

Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover x2, Black-tailed Godwit x2, Ruff, Little Egret x2, Redshank x2. WR Sandpiper was still present at 1.30pm when I left.

 

[dannyboy]

Id

Welcome aboard :t:

A good find with the Goldcrest.

The throat looks a bit light and it could be a Whitethroat but I think it maybe a juvenile Spotted Flycatcher from the marls on the upper breast. There were several around when I visited last week.

It looks like a Whitethroat but I agree with Ian. I would say Flycatcher and as he says there are a few around Low Barnes at the moment. It goes to show the difficulty with some ID and the benefits of having a picture.

Paul

 

[vanellus]

It looks like a Whitethroat but I agree with Ian. I would say Flycatcher and as he says there are a few around Low Barnes at the moment. It goes to show the difficulty with some ID and the benefits of having a picture.

Paul

I instantly thought Spotted Flycatcher. Posture says Spotty. It's sitting in a typical Spotty site. It's a Spotty - they're brilliant birds to watch.

 

[JontyCalvert]

Hi all, first post here but thought i may aswell instead of just sat watching. Am a regular visitor to Low Barns and today i had a first with a goldcrest, did manage a few pics but not great at all. adult feeding a juvenile. also saw this in the trees near the car park area. what do you think? is it a whitethroat, again i apologise for the picture but its all about learning!!!!!
kind regards

Thanks to you all for your help, its very much appreciated. To be honest would have never thought of a flycatcher but like i say its all about learning!!!
:-O

 

[IanF]

The White-rumped Sandpiper was still present on Saltholme Pond west yesterday. Still distant but giving a little bit clearer views in better light than previously.

Pretty quiet otherwise with Little Egret x7 on the Bottom Tank.

Wildlife Watchpoint - Little Egret x1.

Saltholme Hide - Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit x2, Dunlin x4 close to the hide. Bar-headed Goose still present. Several Pied Wagtails and two Yellow Wagtails outside the hide as well.

Kestrel and Sparrowhawk seen. A Hobby was seen by a friend around lunchtime in the car park to take insects over the vistor centre before heading off towards Haverton Hole.

Peregrine juvenile at Dormans Pool in the afternoon.

Dormans Pool - am - Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat all sining and displaying still. Several Swift, Swallow and Sand Martin around.

 

[Dab-chick]

Hey there Fellas !:hi:

We were determined to get a closer look at one of the 3 or more local Egrets, so found ourselves "chillin' in the Freezer" by 05:30..... but a good while later ,but no luck today ......
we did see the plover chicks being brooded by their mother, a couple of teal , singles of Yellow wagtail and Grey Wagtail , a fishing Common Tern , Great crested Grebe, and my favorite Dabchicks close to the Freezer , but no othe rwaders that we saw.
walking round it was very cold in the breeze, but plenty of birds in the sun out of th e wind - we also spotted Sparrowhawk , Kestrel , 3Little Owl , Gropper Warbler , tons of White throats, indeed most of the birds seemed to have young with them ,Stock Dove , Yellowhammer , Reed buntings , Lesser White throats , Chafinch & Goldfinches , Longtail tit and WIllow tit in family groups. A freshly cut hay field was swarming with Meadow pippits but a Sparrowhawk still managed to leave empty handed :eek!:
a few unusual birds included 2 Tree Sparrows over heading for the country club , 2 seperate Jays and a couple of Coal tits wandering in the hedges.

A great walk out but nice to get in & get warmed up , even the dog was cold :-O
Laters:hippy:

 

[Ray.Scott]

Hartlepool/Teesside

Started the day off with a walk round Hartlepool Headland:

3 Juv, guillemot, 1 Juv, kittiwake, 2 Juv, common tern, 18 or so eider a few turnstone, pied wagtails and the usual gulls, cormorants, starlings etc.
Nothing of note around the croft and even less at Jacksons landing.

Newburn bridge: ringed plover & more turnstone.

Nothing worth mentioning at Saltholme other than 3 little egrets at the Wildlife Watchpoint.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Couple more from Newburn Bridge & Saltholme.

 

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - Phil Stead Hide - Little Egret x4, Black-tailed Godwit x2, Snipe x3, Cormorant x3 plus Teal, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Coot, Moorhen. LBB**Gull, Kestrel and a few Common Tern and Goldfinch.

Saltholme Hide - pm - c.3.00pm Peregrine over west pond heading towards Dormans Pool (also reported at 12.40), Yellow Wagtail x2, Common Sandpiper x1, Dunlin x1, Shoveler x4. Sand Martin x.60 on mud opposite hide.

At 4.00pm Little Egret x4 at Phil Stead Hide. Over tip to north Lapwing c.2000! plus around 40 on the bottom tank.

Lots of Sand Martin and House Martin over the reserve.

 

[mckivitt]

Finally got my Rainton Meadows year list up to 100 species this dinnertime. Yesterday's no. 99 was a juvenile Green Woodpecker, and the big 100 was a juvenile Cuckoo!

I thought it was a Sparrowhawk until Gary got a proper look at it when it took flight. And that's the first Cuckoo I've ever seen. Bonus!

 

[JontyCalvert]

Few pics from my 5-7am rambles round Low Barns the past couple of mornings. Beautifull at that time of the morning just not great light early on. Still have not managed to catch the Green Woodpecker or the otters as yet. But here's hoping.:t:

loving the siskins, beautifull yellow on him. the dipper was a first for me on the river.

 

[JontyCalvert]

And some more pics. Sorry for the inclusion of the squirrel, just thought it made me smile!!!
There wasabout 6-7 Goosanders on the river, very jumpy and with bad light i could not get a great pic but great to see them.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Called at Low Barnes again today:

Pretty much the same as our last visit.
2 kingfishers flew in front of the West hide, dippers present on the river also 3 grey wagtail.
Descent views of 1 goldcrest and 1 spotted flycatcher at the feeding station, although only managed crap photos.

Not sure about Image 1, maybe juv, reed bunting ?

Also 2 Southern Hawkers seen near the dragonfly bridge.

 

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - Phil Stead Hide - Snipe x4. Little Egret x2.

Saltholme Pond west - Ruff x3, Dunlin x4.

Back Saltholme - Temmincks Stint, Common Sandpiper.

Black-tailed Skimmer and Common Darter plus a hawker in flight along the path to Saltholme Hide.

Fox seen from Saltholme Hide.

 

[dannyboy]

Id

Called at Low Barnes again today:

Pretty much the same as our last visit.
2 kingfishers flew in front of the West hide, dippers present on the river also 3 grey wagtail.
Descent views of 1 goldcrest and 1 spotted flycatcher at the feeding station, although only managed crap photos.

Not sure about Image 1, maybe juv, reed bunting ?

Also 2 Southern Hawkers seen near the dragonfly bridge.

Ray
Picture 1 is a Juvenile Reed Bunting judging by where you took the picture(I presume along the walkway in the reeds) I think this may well be one of it's parents feeding it a few weeks ago.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Ray
Picture 1 is a Juvenile Reed Bunting judging by where you took the picture(I presume along the walkway in the reeds) I think this may well be one of it's parents feeding it a few weeks ago.

Cheers dannyboy :t:.
That's exactly where It was taken, It has a good right to be getting bigger, judging by what the parent's got for It :-O.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Called at South Shields today to check on the terns:

Only a couple of sandwich terns, quite a few common and 1/2 a dozen arctic.
Also the usual gulls, oyster catchers and cormorants.

Not sure about image 3 ?.

 

[Adam W]

I think image 3 could be a Juve Arctic Tern.