Teesside International Nature Reserve (2 Viewers)

[StevieEvans]

Photos are great Ian!

We need to get an adaptor sorted out!

You can Guarantee the SpotSand will be re-located 2moro...
Not b'cos its Friday the 13th, but b'cos we're away to M'chester for a wedding.

SE

 

[StevieEvans]

Been away a week, what have i missed then Ian ?

Couple of hours last night:-
Little stint & 4Greenshank, 30Swifts- Calor Gas
4 Common & 1 Green Sand, 7 Blackwit, 2 Snipe - Long Drag

A swift was trying to perch on an upright of a large metal electricity pylon as darkness fell (20:48) at a height of about 40'.
It made 3 attempts but didnt seem to be able to get 'comfy'.
The longest it remained perched was 3 seconds.
It was on the N.East side of the 1st pylon at the south end of the drag, which would have given it shelter from ths blustery rain showers....

SE.

 

[IanF]

Hi Steve,

I just PM'd you actually.

You picked a good week to be away as things have quietened down again and the water levels risen.

The Spotted Redshanks are still around along with Greenshank on Back Saltholme. I forgot to metion the Little Stints. The Calor Gas pool does seem to be performing about the best at present with a little more mud visible.

I hadn't seen the Green Sand. this week, but at least two SEO's are still around the Fire Station area and over towards the tip. No sign of the Harriers this week by me but one is reportedly about.

 

[StevieEvans]

18:00 - 21:00 SAT 21st Sunny & Clear. HighTide.

8 -10 Short Eared Owls - between BkSalt & Tioxide.
6 Little Egrets - Greatham / G'bella


Dormans
Water Rail pair with 2 small downy chicks at southern end & others calling.
1 CommSand, 1 Ruff, 178 Teal.
1 Reed Warbler still singing. 40 Linnet on side of tip.

Rec Pond
20 GCGrebe, 20+ Little Grebe, 1 CommSand,

Calor Gas Pool
3 Greenshank, 5 Dunlin,

Back Saltholme
1 Greenshank, Ad LRPlover, 3 Ruff, 3 Dunlin

Creek Bridge
Ad summer Grey Plover. Kingfisher at bridge & later down creek. 7 CommSand, Peregrine (Tank Fm pylon), 5 Little Egret, 3 Greenshank, 2+Whimbrel heard going SW at dusk.

Greenabella
1 Temmincks Stint, 2 Spotshank (1juv & 1ad winter)1 Little Egret, only 1 SEO, 7+Greenshank, 3 Blackwits, 1 Ruff, 9 Dunlin, 30 Redshank, 25 Curlew, 163 Stock Dove pre-roost on wires.

Seal Sands (hi-tide)
Drake Scaup & 500+BHGull.

 

[IanF]

A very good selection there Steve. Afraid I wasn't out last night. I'll be down tonight having a look for the Grey Plover though

 

[StevieEvans]

Ian
#approx 1500 mixed terns at Seaton Snook on the rising tide 20:30

Greenabella
Seo, 11 Greenshank, 9 Blackwit
2 large Grey Seals in the creek, fighting &/or playing?

SE

 

[IanF]

Tonight I popped down to the Teesmouth Hide on Greatham Creek 7.00 pm - 8.00pm.

30+ Grey Plover on the mudflats as the tide came in along with several Black Tailed Godwit, 4 Bar Tailed Godwit, loads of Curlew and Oystercatcher, Dunlin and just one Knot. Several Common Sandpiper about too. Couldn't spot any Green Sand. though Little Stint on Calor Gas pool again at Port Clarence.

7 Little Egret flew off the Creek into the bushes half way between the bridge and Gretham Church at 8.15 pm to roost for the night along with one Grey Heron - just as the rain started again.

Three SEO's were on the same hedge line to the left below the tip.

 

[StevieEvans]

17:00 - 18:00

fem/juv type Marsh Harrier still over Dormans/Hargreaves
Little Stint still on Calor gas pool
6+ Ruff with 100's of Lapwing & Starling on flooded stubbles adjacent to A1185

 

[IanF]

I got the Little Stint, Dunlin, Greenshank and a Green Sand. on the Calor Gas pool this afternoon.

There were two Marsh Harriers over Doorman's around 3.00 pm. One was a female and the second a very pale juvenile also a female which stayed at the north end before heading off over to the Long Drag.

Was this the one you saw ? - not a great photo I'm afraid with the gales we were having at the time.

The Peregrine was taken from the conveyor belt/crusher at you know where

 

[StevieEvans]

Great 4-toes Ian!

The M.harrier we saw was a darker bird than that one.
I think thats the exact same Per that we observed though! (fem?)

Both Temmincks & Little Stint reported on Calor Gas today!
& a fly through Honey Buzzard......!

S

 

[StevieEvans]

Road death Seo

Ian
Managed to sort out images of the roadkill Seo.

The upperside pic shows the incompletely developed primaries

On the underside, the white quills can be seen

(Ps. Any advice on picture size & downloading etc apreciated- only 2nd time i've managed to sucede- most times i give up)

Steve

 

[IanF]

Thanks for posting these Steve. They don't too well developed to me either. Certainly the young one I saw flying around the following week must have been at the saem stage if even that well developed as there was a lot of quill in view.

Thursday there were six of the about around 7.00 pm over Holme Fleet circling about me down to 20 yards. Just the two of them last night. A Merlin is still about on Greenabella / Downstream side Greatham Creek and a pair of Sparrowhawks about Dorman's Pond. The waders seem to have gone quiet again.

I haven't seen the Marsh Harriers since Thurs. though mornings and afternoons seem to be better times rather than evenings which is all I can manage mid week.

Your photos look great to me. As regards dimensions I usually stick to standard sizes of 800x600, 640x480 etc. but the dimensions you used here work well with the subject. Files sizes can be uploaded up to 200 kb which is sometimes useful for max detail, but more often under 100 kb is better for shorter upload/download times. Looks like you have cracked the file size reduction okay. Sometimes when attaching a photo it can take a while for it to upload if the Net is slow. Any probs then let me know.

 

[StevieEvans]

Hello Ian
Whats the latest down there, then ?
SE

 

[IanF]

Hi Steve,

I have been down the last couple of weeks through being on holiday and then working late afterwards.

Hopefully I will get down there this weekend. Plenty of migrants though at Hartlepool and South Gare being reported.

 

[Karvel]

Hello,

I found this thread on a Google search so apologies for the intrusion: but does anyone know any actual directions to where the seals are in seal sands? (or at least to the area)

 

[SteveClifton]

[I found this thread on a Google search so apologies for the intrusion: but does anyone know any actual directions to where the seals are in seal sands? (or at least to the area)/QUOTE]

I think the best place to see them is from the A178 (hump back road bridge) where it crosses Greatham Creek, about half way between Port Clarence and Seaton Carew. You can walk east from there about 1/4 mile along the southern side of Greatham Creek to a hide that overlooks Seal Sands, though the bridge itself is usually the easiest place to see the seals. There are often at least 10 loafing on the mud just west of the road. You can see them with the naked eye, but binoculars would be helpful.

Also, be careful where you leave your car! Parking on the bridge is not recommended, but ensure you can see it if possible as the area has a reputation for car crime.

Steve

 

[IanF]

Yep! They're right beside the A178 Tees Road at Greatham Creek. Park in the car park or on the roadside and look upstream from the bridge. They can be anything from 30m-100m away.

As the tide drops they head down the Creek onto Seal Sands where there are a few Grey Seals as well as the Common Seals.

 

[Karvel]

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&h...1745,-1.212369&spn=0.001755,0.005686&t=h&z=18

Would that be the bridge you were talking about? (sorry about the zoom-in)

 

[IanF]

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&h...1745,-1.212369&spn=0.001755,0.005686&t=h&z=18

Would that be the bridge you were talking about? (sorry about the zoom-in)

Yep! That's the bridge. There's a car park just off the bottom of the photo.

 

[Karvel]

Yep! That's the bridge. There's a car park just off the bottom of the photo.

This one? http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&h....214418&spn=0.000877,0.002843&z=19&iwloc=addr