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In AND around Sunderland (1 Viewer)

Adam W

Adam W

Well-known member
I thought I'd have a go at starting a Sunderland thread and see how it goes.
Notice I've said in AND around so feel free to post anything within a sensible distance or maybe even you've been further a field but are from Sunderland no real rules as far as I'm concerned.

I know there's one or two locals doing a Sunderland list this year so it will be interesting to see how they end up,I'm sure they'll be some cracking birds in there somewhere.

I'll start things off with a few shots of some interesting birds seen in Sunderland so far this year thats if Cox Green is in sunderland not quite sure but if not well its not far outside.
 

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Adam W said:
I thought I'd have a go at starting a Sunderland thread and see how it goes.
Notice I've said in AND around so feel free to post anything within a sensible distance or maybe even you've been further a field but are from Sunderland no real rules as far as I'm concerned.

I know there's one or two locals doing a Sunderland list this year so it will be interesting to see how they end up,I'm sure they'll be some cracking birds in there somewhere.

I'll start things off with a few shots of some interesting birds seen in Sunderland so far this year thats if Cox Green is in sunderland not quite sure but if not well its not far outside.
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Cox Green is defo within the City of Sunderland boundaries.
 
Nice Idea, though not from Sunderland I am sometimes up there.
Could someone clear up where the Sunderland 'area' is- lke where does it extend to?
Also, where is Cox Green by the way?
 
approx Map of Met Boro of Sunderland, ive edited the Google map following a paper O/S map, please use as a guide only - theres a couple of errors but gives you a good idea :-

City of Sunderland

some of the well known & well watched locations within the Sunderland area include:-

Barmston Pond, Washington WWT, Herrington C.Pk, Hetton Lyons C.Pk, Joes Pond / Rainton Meadows complex, Tunstall Hills, Hetton Bogs / Hetton Houses Wood, Sedgeletch, Ryhope Dene, Salterfen Rocks at Grangetown, Hendon Town Moor, Timber Beach, Hylton Dene etc


there are lots of areas that are slightly 'off the radar' at present :-

other than the WWWT stretch, the Wear Valley between Fatfield & Claxheugh Rock area is undervisited ( decades ago covered by PA & SH with a plethora of good birds including all 5 grebes & breeding Hawfinch etc )

the Burdon / Cherry Knowle area is another grey area - 'Here be Dragons . .' springs to mind...


Plenty of scope & a decent range of breeding species too - it will be interesting to see how the year pans out....


Highlights so far for 2011 in Sunderland include:-

Arctic Redpoll
Mealy Redpoll - RM's, Mount Pleasant, WWWT, Elemore,
Little Egret (MH) - Lambton Cokeworks
Buzzard
Yellow legged Gull (MN) - Chilton Moor & Grasswell
Med Gull (MN / CW) - Rainton & Lyons Pk
Med Gull 2nd wint (CW) - Lyons Pk
Iceland Gull ad (AW / SE) - Roker Pier & South Bents
Iceland Gull imm (MH) - Grasswell
Lesser Black Backed Gull - Fatfield & WWWT
Stonechat
Shoveller - WWWT & Offerton Haughs
4 owls - no Short-eared yet
Shelduck (IH) - Timber Beach
Bittern
Long tailed Duck (JW) - Cox Green
Jack Snipe
Red Legged Partridge (MH) - Sharpley
Brambling
Mandarin (JW) - Mowbray Pk (drake)
Mandarin (DHS) - Cox Green (drake)
Waxwing
Twite (GS) - Haining
Water Rail
Gadwall (DL / SE) - Lyons Pk & Offerton Haughs
Crossbill (CW) - Carr House
Kingfisher
Peregrine (SE) - WWWT
Dipper



Theres a fair number of birders living in this area & i should imagine a few folk will contribute to the topic Adam :t:

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This afternoon Little Owl activity building, with multiple birds active at dusk, culminating in a pair copulating on a post
What a difference this milder spell has made, a lot more bird song noticeable - again as the light went today, all the Grey Partridge rushing abou in noisy pairs compared to the coveys during the recent snow cover.

 
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A great idea for a new thread. Look forward to contributing some stuff/within reason, lets not go into it all again I think you know what I mean.

Not much around the University but I am determined to get that Iceland Gull on South Pier before the winter is out. Apparently its been returning for a number of years now, something like 10 I think rokermartin said? I did have a Woodcock fly into the window at Uni clearly fresh in from the continent.

I hope I find a Glaucous or something on South Pier this winter, or even better a Yellow-legged or Caspian Gull (hmmmmmmmmmmmmm). I am not concerned about Thayer's, mainly because I don't think I'd ever find one haha

I guess we can add Rainton reports? It is in Sunderland after all?
 
Thanks for adding some info Steve and Andrew, hopefully Steve's post will haved helped answer birding maniacs questions but just to add a bit more about Cox Green its on the river I think its pretty much opposite Washington wildfowl park but if you go on google maps and just type in Cox Green you'll find it(I'd post a link to a map if i knew how to).

I believe that Iceland Gull has been returning for quite a while now,I saw it there last winter aswell. I think I'm right in saying that Martin had Iceland,Glaucous and Yellow Legged there last winter. Caspian would be great but could be a tricky one given the distances involved I dare say the same would go for Kumliens and Thayers but thats perhaps a little too optimistic anyway.

And yes of course feel free to add reports from rainton or for that matter anywhere else in the near area that might be of interest and I suppose that doesnt have to just mean birds either any form of wildlife will be of interest to most people i should think.
 
Adam W said:
I think I'm right in saying that Martin had Iceland,Glaucous and Yellow Legged there last winter. Caspian would be great but could be a tricky one given the distances involved I dare say the same would go for Kumliens and Thayers but thats perhaps a little too optimistic anyway.

And yes of course feel free to add reports from rainton or for that matter anywhere else in the near area that might be of interest and I suppose that doesnt have to just mean birds either any form of wildlife will be of interest to most people i should think.
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Yeah I can remember Martin saying that he had all 3 last winter, no doubt when he returns he can put us right :-O

Caspain would be really difficult at that range, I think the birds jizz would be about the only thing to go off. Unless it was a nice relatively easy 1st winter. Though Martin and Steve did have a Casp at Rainton early on last year about Fed-March if I remember correctly?

I shall add some reports from Rainton and the surrounding areas. Certainly a healthy population of Roe Deer round my way as well, seen a few in the past 3 weeks.:t:

Yellow-legged Gull at Chilton Moor today and yesterday (DC/MN), I still need one of my county list. Cracking birds to see, a nice adult is always best though.
 
Adam W said:
Thanks for adding some info Steve and Andrew, hopefully Steve's post will haved helped answer birding maniacs questions but just to add a bit more about Cox Green its on the river I think its pretty much opposite Washington wildfowl park but if you go on google maps and just type in Cox Green you'll find it(I'd post a link to a map if i knew how to).

I believe that Iceland Gull has been returning for quite a while now,I saw it there last winter aswell. I think I'm right in saying that Martin had Iceland,Glaucous and Yellow Legged there last winter. Caspian would be great but could be a tricky one given the distances involved I dare say the same would go for Kumliens and Thayers but thats perhaps a little too optimistic anyway.

And yes of course feel free to add reports from rainton or for that matter anywhere else in the near area that might be of interest and I suppose that doesnt have to just mean birds either any form of wildlife will be of interest to most people i should think.
Click to expand...

Adam heres a pic of your Iceland Gull, (#103 on my Sunderland List)
 

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StevieEvans said:
Adam heres a pic of your Iceland Gull, #103 on my Sunderland List
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Living in Ashbrooke I think the thread is a great idea - I look forward to contributing,my observations may in the main refer to "regular" birds but should help to provide an interesting insight,along with other reports,to the birds within the City.
 
Andy K said:
Living in Ashbrooke I think the thread is a great idea - I look forward to contributing,my observations may in the main refer to "regular" birds but should help to provide an interesting insight,along with other reports,to the birds within the City.
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I think it will be really interesting to combine sightings of birds in well built up city areas (Sunderland) and the surrounding countryside. See the difference in terms of species and almost certainly populations etc.:t:
 
Andy K said:
my observations may in the main refer to "regular" birds but should help to provide an interesting insight,along with other reports,to the birds within the City.
Click to expand...

Every bit, infact probably more important than rarities, i look forward to seeing you reports:t:
 
Grangetown area

Adam W said:
Nice one Steve, certainly closer views than I got, not sure i can claim it as mine though it had been reported before i saw it first.
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Quick scout round Grangetown area added a couple to my Sunderland list

1 cock Snow Bunting (havnt heard of many others ?), 3 Stonechat & 1Fulmar

Also singles of Grey & Pied Wagtail, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Grey Partridge (3 + 2 + 15), Peregrine south offshore, 5 RTDiver, 9Purple Sand, 30 Oiks, 20Turnstone, 1Knot, , 1Sparrowhawk, 1Kestrel, 1Song Thrush, 1Wren.

#106 species noted.
 

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Adam W said:
You're doing pretty well so far Steve, I havent heard of any Snow Buntings in the area so far this year.
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been making the most of it Adam, back working next week. :-C

male Snow Bunt came past me calling,
he dropped down just north of the Paper Mill at Hendon Grange, just as i was getting closer he moved on due to walkers & dropped in again towards the storage tanks /terminal - but by then i was wrapping in.

its all posh down there now - even a proper car park.... although im not sure if the cars there last long...... ;)

i was surprised how few passerines there were down there, no pipit nor larks.


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Still a good selection of birds i havnt heard mentioned from the Sunderland area yet:-

Green Woodpecker, GC & the 3 scarcer Grebes, Scaup, Smew, Marsh Tit, Whooper Swan, Short-eared Owl, Hawfinch (very close but not quite in S'land), Hen Harrier, Goshawk, Red Kite, Bean/White Fronted Goose, Lapland Bunting, Water Pipit, Chiffchaff, Glaucous Gull, & an array of coastal stuff inc, GN & BT Diver, Brent/Barnacle Goose, Scoter, Merganser, Auks, Gannet, Grey Plover, Godwit etc

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nice mixed flock of finches, buntings & tree sparrows nr Middle Haining on way through today including @ 20 Brambling.


 

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StevieEvans said:
been making the most of it Adam, back working next week. :-C


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Isnt it always the case that work gets in the way,I've got a week off coming up so hopefully I'll get to make the most of that too.

Some cracking birds listed there Steve.
 
Adam W said:
Isnt it always the case that work gets in the way,I've got a week off coming up so hopefully I'll get to make the most of that too.

Some cracking birds listed there Steve.
Click to expand...



I think what the top list shows us is what a superb & diverse area Sunderland is for local birders....
If you were to draw up a map of birding destination in NE England, Sunderland isnt a place that would often get a mention......


1st list are some of those "we've" had :smoke:

2nd list are the targets..... these need crossing off the "hit list" with extreme prejudice :eek!: ;)
 
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