Northumbrian Birding (3 Viewers)

[craigthirlwell]

I spent most of today in and around the Alwinton area.
The usual suspects on the river, heron, grey wagtail and dipper.
On the hills, stonechat, whinchat, wheatear, linnet, skylark and tons of mipits. 3 buzzard a single raven, kestrel and peregrine.
The highlight was watching a spotted flycatcher for about twenty mins swooping back and forth from the same perch, first for the year.

On the way back I decided to have a look in on the kites in Barlow burn. Only spotted 2 kites, wt 34 (2005 bird) and a bird released in 2006. Wandering around I also flushed out a SE owl.

All in all a good day.

 

[Ericmd]

Took my mate and his 6yr old son on tour of ashingtons local sites.Recommendd,you have 2 more sets of eyes and ears to use!and you take your time.
bothal pond
one barnacle goose had us trekking up the lane to get views;swallows,greenfinches,linets,rooks kept us happy though.
heard a commotion on the water,the angler spoked the geese who landed in front of the viewpoint..great pictures.2 ringed plovers and oystercatcher droped in.
drove ahead and saw a jay perched breifly on the steep bank afore bothal houses.stopped and pished a while and it obliged for my mate.birdsong had us all tense!goldfinch,goldcrest high up,robins blackies creepers took turns to sing and be ID'd.
Longhirst
A fox stayed in the scope for the lad while a heron guarded the far corner.gadwall and shelducks re-inforced my mates dis-belief there were so many varieties.questions!A common whitethroat appeared on the rape heads,close for the bill shades to be shown.little things like that I take for granted,pass over and dare Isay Tick,filled the experience.
Linton
Walk through tth wood listening to chiffchaff,wren,willow warbler,blue and great tits,and a faint bullfinch.The last 20 yards to the hide produced a big family of Long tails,seeping their song.From the hide,distant views of the canda chicks and gulls;a common sandpiper rested on the rhs boulder to set us up for tea!
At home,the lad took possesion of my camera and made his mam stop ironing to look at the brownapple goose,swaldow,cheesegull and smilepooper!:'D

 

[The Liverbirder]

Harthope

Probably visiting on Friday. I walked Hawsen Burn last time. Are there any other routes such as walking along the access road after parking the car, for example?

 

[craigthirlwell]

Check out this rubbish.

I took these by pressing my mobile phone against my scope.

David Bailey eat your heart out

 

[level seven]

Probably visiting on Friday. I walked Hawsen Burn last time. Are there any other routes such as walking along the access road after parking the car, for example?

By access road, do you mean the track which carries on past the buildings at Langleeford as a continuation of the tarmac road up the valley, after it ends? I assume you do, as I can't think of any other.

I was there a couple of weeks ago with a group and we saw Redstarts about half-a-mile past the buildings, on the right of the access road (more a track by this point) as you head out, in a copse of oaks as things open out a bit on that side of the path. Also a Green Woodpecker and Mistle Thrush. It's a likely area for birds in my experience. I saw a Cuckoo there last year.

There was a pair of Ring Ouzels up Hawsen Burn as well as Whinchats, Stonechats and Wheatears.

The prominent wooded area the road passes through on the way up the valley is also worth checking out, although it was quiet when we were there. Someone might have seen a Redstart there though and I've seen one there a couple of years ago, as well as various warblers and a Green Woodpecker.

 

[The Liverbirder]

Access road is the one up the valley that ends in the fence that says No Parking Beyond This Point with Hawsen Burn on the right and off-road parking to the left.

 

[martin kitching]

Access road is the one up the valley that ends in the fence that says No Parking Beyond This Point with Hawsen Burn on the right and off-road parking to the left.

You can continue along the road on foot beyond the Hawsen Burn. If you walk to the holiday cottage at Langleeford Hope (where the path crosses a tiny stream in a small plantation) and then back you should be in with a good chance of Redstart, Tree Pipit, Green Woodpecker, Wheatear, Stonechat and Whinchat. You could get Ring Ouzel along there although the Hawsen Burn itself is probably more reliable. Also, remember to keep scanning the opposite side of the valley for anything up above the skyline.

cheers
martin

 

[The Liverbirder]

Grateful. Many thanks.

 

[RobF]

Hooded Crow near Rochester yesterday, wondered what the hell is was at first as it flew across the road.

Had a trip down to Mordor (County Durham) yesterday, Teesdale was absolutely heaving with waders, it really puts our moors to shame. Lapwing with chicks in every field, Blackgrouse everywhere, it was amazing.

Rob

 

[craigthirlwell]

Hooded Crow near Rochester yesterday, wondered what the hell is was at first as it flew across the road.

Had a trip down to Mordor (County Durham) yesterday, Teesdale was absolutely heaving with waders, it really puts our moors to shame. Lapwing with chicks in every field, Blackgrouse everywhere, it was amazing.

Rob

Rod did you notice any grey partridge on the tops? I drove over from weardale to teesdale on saturday. I was with 'our lass' so didn't stop but i was amazed to see so many.

I've read the theories about pheasants out competing grey partridge in the lowlands because pheasants are said to be more resistant to parasites.

With Red Grouse suffering badly from parasites i wonder if partridge have found a new niche?

Craig

 

[stew the smew]

Check out this rubbish.

I took these by pressing my mobile phone against my scope.

David Bailey eat your heart out

LOL don't knock it craig... i took this picture of a ring ouzel up wooler way a couple of weeks ago...

which gave me the idea of making an attachment for my cr*ppy digital camera so i attach it to my scope. the results are fairly variable but it'll do for record shots and/or until i can afford a decent set-up...

was at whittledene reservoirs tonight. not much on the bottom lakes due to fishermen. from the hide; lapwing, greenshank, cammon sandpiper, ringed plover, little ringed plover, dunlin, pied wag, chaffs, reed bunting, yellowhammer, swallow, sand martin, gc grebe, goldeneye and green woodpecker overhead.

also a little owl on the road between harlow hill and horsley.

 

[stew the smew]

Rod did you notice any grey partridge on the tops? I drove over from weardale to teesdale on saturday. I was with 'our lass' so didn't stop but i was amazed to see so many.

saw 4 of them next to the farm just outside edmunbuyers on the road to stanhope. also juvenile ring ouzel just up the road...

 

[Vipers]

I had a couple Tawny owls at Prestwick carr last night. They were hunting from post to post in the middle of the field near the cross roads. Really nice to see them out in the open.

 

[RobF]

Rod did you notice any grey partridge on the tops? I drove over from weardale to teesdale on saturday. I was with 'our lass' so didn't stop but i was amazed to see so many.

I've read the theories about pheasants out competing grey partridge in the lowlands because pheasants are said to be more resistant to parasites.

With Red Grouse suffering badly from parasites i wonder if partridge have found a new niche?

Craig

I didn't see any Grey's right on the tops but saw a pair by the cattle grid where the Langdon Beck road meets the main dale road, and three pairs around Peghorn. There were Pheasants everywhere, right out to the quarry on the top, they are all 'wild' as the estate don't release any.

Not sure about the disease theory, Grey's suffer from Trichostrongylus tenuis like Red Grouse (of which I saw plenty in Teesdale). There have always been good populations of Greys in the marginal upland grassland, they have good breeding productivity (loads of inverts/no agrochemicals) but struggle over winter when the rush and grass seeds run out.

Rob

 

[Stewart J.]

Hi Rob, interesting discussion re Grey's which are still easily found in my local patches. Though this year at 2 of them Red-legged seem to have taken over and I haven't caught up with any Grey. Obviously this could be coincidence but at both sites this is the first season I've recorded Red-legs?

Red-legs are released in surrounding areas by game interests making me wonder if these escapee's from the shoots are colonising new areas and pushing out Grey's?

Good birding

Stewart

 

[RobF]

Had an interesting ring recovery today, a LBB Gull that I found dead under some telegraph wires near Knowesgate was ringed in Vest-Agder in Norway as a pullus in 2001. 645km, 244 degrees, 2129 days.

2 Grasshopper Warbler and Redstart near Comb today. Fledged grey wags on the Coquet at Alwinton and Hunters Burn (a trib of the North Tyne).

Rob

 

[RobF]

Hi Rob, interesting discussion re Grey's which are still easily found in my local patches. Though this year at 2 of them Red-legged seem to have taken over and I haven't caught up with any Grey. Obviously this could be coincidence but at both sites this is the first season I've recorded Red-legs?

Red-legs are released in surrounding areas by game interests making me wonder if these escapee's from the shoots are colonising new areas and pushing out Grey's?

Good birding

Stewart

Interesting Stewart, that backs up some anecdotal evidence I have of the partridge in the Coquet valley. When we moved here in 2003 there were 2 pairs of greys around our house, then a shoot on the Scotch side started releasing Red-legs (tens of thousands, shooting 6 days a week), they drifted over in large numbers and since then the greys have gone.

Released Red legs move a huge distance, in the Yorkshire Dales they used to turn up at least 20km from the nearest release point.

Rob

 

[piecatcher]

I spent a most enjoyable couple of hours up near Bolam Lake today. I was there on Sunday and came across a roosting Tawny owl, so off I went today with my Digiscope set up, but would you belive it, the Tawny was gone. Not all bad news though as I found this male Redstart along with his missus, bringing grub back to their nest in the tree trunk. There were also a few tree pipits in the area.
Steve

 

[level seven]

I spent a most enjoyable couple of hours up near Bolam Lake today.

Nice shot Steve.

 

[The Liverbirder]

Spoonbill at Castle Island, Ashington

Still there at 4.40 pm