Durham Birding (3 Viewers)

StevieEvans · May 4, 2011

agamiheron said:
No sign of Scaup at Rainton Meadows this morning. But did see Sedge Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler last night to make it all 9 warblers seen in the same day!! Managed 69 species in the four visits in the 24 hour period - yet still missed 'relatively' easy species of Coal and Willow Tit, Curlew and LEO!!!

Good going,
Scaup flew off north east with a small group of Tufties at @ 21:30 last night.
Min of 11 male Reed Warbler in Rms/Joes complex.
Lesser Whitethroat singing at Pool1 this morning until it took off & flew south to land beyond the stone wall at pool 3.
Sedge Warbler in display flight, recent reports of Yaffling green woody seem to refer to trilling Dabchick !!
Herring Gull collecting a huge clump of nest material is something I havnt seen on site previously, also Coot adult inflicting GBH on one of it's chicks again this morning, untill it was almost dead, as recently described & photographed by JBee.
Male Kes arriving as a bolt out of the blue to see off a pr of marauding Jackdaws entering the pole mounted box.

ChrisWS · May 4, 2011

agamiheron said:
No sign of Scaup at Rainton Meadows this morning. But did see Sedge Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler last night to make it all 9 warblers seen in the same day!! Managed 69 species in the four visits in the 24 hour period - yet still missed 'relatively' easy species of Coal and Willow Tit, Curlew and LEO!!!

Hi

Sounds like you had a good 24 hours. You said that willow tit and LEO were 'relatively easy', but I don't see willow tit that often and haven't seen a LEO for ages. I've not been to Rainton Meadows (apart from to the DWT offices once) -is this the place to catch up with LEO?

Thanks
Chris WS

Ron Hindhaugh · May 4, 2011

Day out

Here are some shots from Muggleswick today. The trouble with Woodpeckers is they are always on the other side of the tree.

JBee · May 4, 2011

StevieEvans said:
also Coot adult inflicting GBH on one of it's chicks again this morning, untill it was almost dead, as recently described & photographed by JBee.

Very aggressive towards chick.

IanF · May 4, 2011

Not a great deal seen this morning at RSPB Saltholme though a Cetti's Warbler showed itself whilst I was looking for dragonflies at Dormans Pool

ChrisWS · May 5, 2011

3 swifts between 3.50 and 4pm over the west end of Darlington.

Ray.Scott · May 5, 2011

Crimdon and Teesside

Called at Crimdon with the hope of little Terns yesterday.

On arrival we were greeted with about 30 workers, who were busy erecting the boundary fence around the Terns breeding ground, needless to say there wasn't a Tern in sight.
After a walk along the beach, we were just about to leave when 5 Terns landed on the shoreline, followed by another 3 :t:.
Also present were ringed plover, sanderling, meadow pipits, skylark, linnets, white throat, reed buntings etc and 2 kestrel.

From there we called at Dormans and the Saline Lagoon.
Dormans was wick with white throat and sedge warbler and the Saline Lagoon held the usual avocets, one common tern, 6 shell duck and only saw one avocet chick.

Ray.Scott · May 5, 2011

A few from Dormans and the Saline Lagoon.
The Avoct standing has a chick at It's feet.

StevieEvans · May 5, 2011

Report of 2 Nightingales singing at Cowpen Bewley in recent days. This would seem incredible, unless it was simply an echo or someone using playback....?

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Shelduck with a flotilla of ducklings on the water tonight, Whimbrel over @ 21:30
Passage waders limited to pr of Common Sand today at RMs, with 4Lrp, GC & Little Grebes in flight the full length of the pool, male YellowWagtail & Yaffling Yaffle there today ( Enjoy your Wolverines & Brown Bears M8 ), LTTit nest predated by Magpie, but adults still attending the 1 remaining chick.

-----------------------------

Checked up on a newly established Tree Spug colony with young Jimmy, 10 pairs with eggs/chicks; an interesting 1 was a dead & bloodied Blue Tit in a Tree Spug nest alongwith 2 bluetit eggs, a previous check had revealed a fresh TSpug nest & 2 eggs.
We can only assume the Spuggy came back to discover the squatter & nailed it ( bloodied & cowering in corner of nest ).

Another J hadn't noted before was Blue & Great Tit both brooding clutches in TSpug boxes only 2 metres apart.
Other species noted during checks included Yellow Wagtail, Buzzard & Lesser Whitethroat.

ChrisWS · May 5, 2011

2 more swifts today at 5pm over Darlington. Am I just behind the times and has anyone else seen any?

bob freeman · May 6, 2011

ChrisWS said:
2 more swifts today at 5pm over Darlington. Am I just behind the times and has anyone else seen any?

Half a dozen over Lizard Lane Marsden 20.00 hrs last night,a tad late this year.

StevieEvans · May 6, 2011

ChrisWS said:
2 more swifts today at 5pm over Darlington. Am I just behind the times and has anyone else seen any?

There's been small nos of Swifts around for a fortnight
Most I've seen are 70 at Ch.Le.Street
For many years 6th/7th May saw the first real arrival in the Durham area.

explora56 · May 6, 2011

OK I just found this thread being new here I live in Brafferton near Newton Aycliffe.

Yesterday River Skerne adjacent to the Hallgarth Golf Course a female Goosander set up as I approached unfortunately only got rear end shots then in the copse next to the railway line a beautiful Bullfinch and partner. Lots of Swallows in the village first arrival was 5th April there are Swifts here too.

Now I know you guys are here I will keep dropping in.

Cheers
Bill

IanF · May 6, 2011

ChrisWS said:
2 more swifts today at 5pm over Darlington. Am I just behind the times and has anyone else seen any?

Saw my first one last night at Cowpen Bewley. I think seven is the maximum I've heard of around the north side of the Estuary. Sightings have been pretty poor so far.

StevieEvans · May 6, 2011

IanF said:
Saw my first one last night at Cowpen Bewley. I think seven is the maximum I've heard of around the north side of the Estuary. Sightings have been pretty poor so far.

Cool onshore breeze keeping Swifts away from coast & at favoured inland locs. We've only had a single round our local housing estate.

StevieEvans · May 6, 2011

Called on spec to Washington WWT
Wader lake superb. Avocet pair with 3 chicks seeing off anything that came within 40' of them. The other pair still with eggs.
Lots of Lapwings with young, Greylags with goslings, Heronry very impressive, with many large young standing on nests.
@30 Common Terns on their nest island, occasionally 'dreading' up in a noisy cloud, on one occasion to see off an overhead Sparrowhawk.
Nice surprise with 2 drake Garganey feeding very actively.
Others seen Inc 2 Buzzard, Stock Dove, 2Swift, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Reed Warbler singing, Goldcrest, 2Jay, Nuthatch, GSWpkr, Curlew, LRPlover, Black tailed Godwit, Coal Tit nest building in hole in ground, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch.
Very productive visit.

ChrisWS · May 6, 2011

A lunchtime trip from work to Muggleswick Woods and Derwent Gorge today. Plenty of singing pied flycatcher, redstart, willow warbler, chiffchaff, garden warbler, blackcap, and a wood warbler. Red kite over the woods too. A fantastic place at any time of year, but brilliant now - highly recommended.
Swifts now over Stanhope, where I work. First of the year there today.

IanF · May 6, 2011

RSPB Saltholme - 3.00-4.00 pm - Phil Stead Hide only visited - Common Sandpiper x2 with one giving very close views, Little Egret x1, Avocet x1, Snipe x2, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Shoveler, Canada Geese with young, Greylag Geese, Moorhen, Coot with seven fresh hatchlings, Lapwing, Swallows, Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail.

Cowpen Bewley W.Pk. this evening - the Nightingale gave good views in the open in the sun for around 30 seconds before flying across the grassed area into the trees behind the birders where it went to ground for 40 minutes before briefly bursting into song no mor than 3m immediately behind where everyone was stood.

FoghornKinghorn · May 7, 2011

Nightingale

After having heard the distress call of Nightingale last year at Whitburn I thought my chances of seeing the species in Durham was going to be 0. Imagine my surprise when a singing bird was found by Rokermartin a week or so back.

I have seen the bird twice now. Twice on Wednesday and once yesterday. However yesterday was by far the best sighting as I watched it singing deep under cover. It took me a while but managed to locate it sitting singing and got my scope onto it as it sat deep in the bush. The two other blokes present seemed happy as they got a look through the scope and managed to see the bird.

Here is my terrible video from yesterday which doesn't really reflect views through the scope: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRwLl2Barls

Here's an excellent video taken by Paul Hindess of the bird (a few days ago): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enOsGUdyjmc&feature=channel_video_title

Cheers,

StevieEvans · May 7, 2011

A mile ramble round a farmland section of the patch, the landowner showing us a Long tailed Tits nest in an ornamental cypress beside his front door, we came upon 3 other pairs taking food to the nest. Lots of Skylarks & Meadow Pipits, Lapwings rising in unison to ward off passing corvids. A couple of single Tree Sparrows darting over offering further encouragement. Couple of Kes up on the wing, a nest box damaged with roof off, although another close by holding a Barn Owl. Loads of Swallows, with 7 nests in one stable block alone. A muck heap held a fine cock Greenland Wheatear. Whitethroats widespread although Yellowhammer nos a tad low.

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Young JW reporting from the Dale has a couple of Dippers with second clutches
MH reports 3 singing Corn Bunts just inside the Ho'ton patch boundary, but none as yet from the Newbottle / Stoneygate site.

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