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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Northumbrian Birding (5 Viewers)

Unexpected sight tonight driving home from work - 3 little egrets in the horse paddock across Horton Road from the Three Horseshoes Pub at East Hartford.
 
Hoping to be in Northumberland next weekend for our annual jaunt. Would appreciate info re the shore larks at Chevington - would be a lifer for both of us.

Also am travelling by car from Manchester and hoping to cut across Weardale and look for black grouse. Any advice on where exactly to look would be greatly appreciated.

Will as usual wear my green Northern Ireland hat, so if you see us, say hello.
 
By the mouth of Chevington Burn, NZ 272982 (roughly). Park either at Druridge Bay Country Park and walk south or by Druridge Pools and walk north.

Will be off out there in a few minutes...They were still present last week.
 
Park at the turning circle at East Chevington itself and walk south along track until you get to burn mouth, area has been seeded so should hopefully still be there for you! For black grouse the road from St John's Chapel used to be good for them but it was a while ago I was there.
 
Derek Polley said:
Hoping to be in Northumberland next weekend for our annual jaunt. Would appreciate info re the shore larks at Chevington - would be a lifer for both of us.

Also am travelling by car from Manchester and hoping to cut across Weardale and look for black grouse. Any advice on where exactly to look would be greatly appreciated.

Will as usual wear my green Northern Ireland hat, so if you see us, say hello.
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Hi Derek. I was going to say, ask about the Grouse on the Durham thread because they might have more up to date info. But having now looked on the Durham thread, it doesn't seem to be used much.

The Langdon Beck end of the road from St Johns Chapel used to be good for then, it's also been a few years since I was last there.

I usually go here for Black Grouse.

www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.873446,-2...n-OvHGQ01dkH5ZCupgHA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

You may have to put in a bit of time waiting for the Shore Larks. On Wednesday I waited more than an hour and a half and didn't see then. The Twite were coming down to the seed but no sign of the Shore Larks.
 
Thanks for all comments, we usually walk North from Druridge to Hauxley so we know the burn area, our hope was that they were still about. Now all we need is to be lucky as we know sometimes they are absent. We are trying to work two visits just in case but depends on other halves agreeing!!

Pacific diver appeared a few years ago in Co Tyrone and was widely ticked, but if its about it can join the 2017 list as well as the Northumberland list.
 
Thanks for all the comments. We walk North from Druridge so have stopped at the burn mouth for sanderling and rtd. We were hoping they were still about, they are, so we need to be lucky. We are trying to wangle two visits just in case.

We had a pacific diver in Tyrone a few years ago but will take another one if it's there.

Have planned a route from Kirkby Stephen across to Brough with options north or south so fingers crossed. If everything goes to plan I'll go for the red kites on the way home as my luck will be in.
 
Thanks for all the help. We usually walk north form Druridge and know the burn area well. Our worry was that the birds had flown, thankfully not, so now we need to be lucky. We are hoping to get a second slot just in case.

Pacific diver appeared in Tyrone a few years ago but if its there well take it.

Have planned a route across from Kirkby Stephen via Langdon Beck and surrounding roads so fingers crossed for a lifer - we dont have them in NI.

Thanks again, watch his space!! |:D|
 
A big murmuration of Starling over Brunswick Village this evening. I've heard that the locals have been complaining about them, so the council have been letting flares off to try and disperse them.
 
Very successful day last Friday. Full report will follow but just to note the following:

Black grouse seen at Langdon Beck.

Shore lark seen Thursday by me, then Doris completely redesigned the beach and despite 3 visits on Friday there are was no sign of them and David missed them. .

Pacific diver seen well

Met a birder in a high viz vest at Budge screen who mentioned Longhirst Flash. Using Brian Unwin's guide we went there but it seemed to have altered somewhat. Nevertheless between 4.30 and 5.30 in fading light we saw 2 seo, bean goose and white fronts!! Mega end to the day.

All the hand made feeders seemed to be empty and neglected at Cresswell, Druridge, DBCP and East Chevington. Apparently the gentleman who maintained them has not been seen for a while. If he doesn't reappear and no one steps up to the plate maybe someone should do a tidy up and remove the feeders as a lot if them are going a bit manky!!

Watch this space for the full report with photos
 
Derek, you mention missing yellowhammers in your blog: good numbers have been around west of Widdrington Village, towards the new lake in the old opencast in the fields and scrub by the sub-station for the turbines (I clocked a group of 2 dozen last week) or up towards the old landfill and the ruins of the Stobswood brickworks.

Plenty of goldfinches up there too.
 
Ferruginous Duck at Gosforth Park this afternoon (access to Northumbs Nat Hist Soc members, or buy a day permit from Hancock Museum). View from screen at west end of lake.
 

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Black-throated Thrush being reported by Birdguides at Prestwick Carr today. The bird was seen near the sentry box (close to where the G. G Shrike's been) then flew towards Ponteland golf course. Just what we need - another sneaky Thrush to lead us all on a merry dance!
 
East Chevington

Well, here we are again, seven years after I posted a series concerning the botched job of cleaning out the outlet channel at East Chevington North Pool in February 2010 (see page 218 and onward), which had done nothing to release the water that was impounded by reed growth blocking the stream.

Don't forget that the botched job in itself was some years after than it should have been.

It's also two years this month since I walked the channels of both the North and South Pools with a representative of the Wildlife Trust to point out what needed to be done urgently to correct the unhappy situation. I must point out here that Steve was very receptive and helpful and the work was to be carried out in Autumn 2015. My hopes were raised.

Needless to say, the work was never done. I believe this may have had something to do with the building work at Hauxley, which is still in progress.

We are now well into the spring migration and breeding season once more, so another year has been lost and NWT has missed yet another opportunity to do this what should be routine, but essential maintenance. I believe they had it scheduled to be done in March. Well here is the news. March has been and gone.

Somebody has been in and cleared about ten yards of reeds in a half-hearted fashion recently at the extreme downstream end of the north outlet and because the water is exceptionally high after another winter there is a trickle of outflow. This trickle will soon dry up and once more we will be left with an over-filled, flooded and stagnant lagoon.
 
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