Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, Billingham. UK (1 Viewer)

[IanF]

A brief visit yesterday. I had planned a longer stay but a friend called about some Snow Buntings on the beach just as I reached the lake so I cut my visit short.

It was a good start as when I arrived in the car park a single Waxwing and two Redwing were in the trees above the car park. Lots of Tree Sparrow were on the car park feeders plus the usual tits and Robins.

I decided to check out the area where the Redpoll were last week so I walked back along the A1185 to the gate into the wood. No sign of any there, though I didn't explore too far as the flooding was pretty bad and the paths were pretty clarty. I decided to head back to the car park following the very muddy path through the wood as the Waxwing and Redwing had flown off in that direction. No sign of them either but a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over heading west.

Back at the car park I headed over to the lake. Plenty of ducks on the water with a dozen plus Tufted Duck - still no RN Duck though. The main attraction were Goldeneye x11. I can't recall seeing so many here before. Two Cormorants were feeding as well.

About then I received the phone call so I headed back to the car.

 

[IanF]

Sightings from 3rd January -

A miserable grey day - car park tables - Yellowhammer x6, Tree Sparrow x10, Bullfinch x5, Coal Tit x2. Magpie pair collecting twigs to build a nest in the bushes above the car park tables.

Lake - Goldeneye x8 incl. 3 males, Pochard x2, Cormorant x1, Tufted Duck x6.

 

[IanF]

A revisit this morning on another grey day.

Lake - Goldeneye x5, Gadwall x18, Tufted Duck x12, Pochard x2, Little Grebe x1.

Car park tables - Bullfinch x3 (2m,1f), Magpie pair still nest building, Yellowhammer, Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow c.15, Coal Tit, Reed Bunting x5.

 

[Michael A]

A revisit this morning on another grey day.

Lake - Goldeneye x5, Gadwall x18, Tufted Duck x12, Pochard x2, Little Grebe x1.

Car park tables - Bullfinch x3 (2m,1f), Magpie pair still nest building, Yellowhammer, Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow c.15, Coal Tit, Reed Bunting x5.

Also have a Magpie repairing nest locally, but unseasonable weather could change very quickly.

 

[Jeff Turner]

cowpen bewley c.p.
feeders very busy this morning
chaffinch,reed bunting,blue tit, great tit, coal tit, robin,tree sparrow, yellowhammer, bullfinch, greenfinch, dunnock, great spotted woodpecker, pied wagtail
all within a very entertaining 45 minutes

jeff

 

[IanF]

I spent the morning wandering around the park. There was a little more to see today away from the car park tables.

A pretty dull morning with heavily overcast skies.

Lake - Goldeneye x7 (1 adult male), Pochard x4, Gadwall x16, Tufted Duck x14, Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Bullfinch, Long-tailed Tit x1.

Cloff Bridge - finch flock c.200 mainly Linnet.

Cycleway by sewage works - Goldfinch c.40.

Bullfinch seen in the car park, by the lake and on the SW side of the park.

 

[IanF]

A lovely sunny day yesterday for a visit. Unfortunately I only had sufficient time to visit the car park area. Lots of birds coming in once I put out some food on the ground and tables. Just the usual species though with Yellowhammer x5, Bullfinch x4, Tree Sparrow c.12, Reed Bunitng x6, Coal Tit x2, Dunnock x2 plus Robin, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Crow, Magpie, Blackbird and House Sparrow.

 

[IanF]

Not much change over the last couple of weeks. The car park area holds by far the most birds with little to see other than on the lake. Up to six Bullfinch have been coming to the feeders. Sparrowhawk is a regular sight dashing through.

A visit this morning across to the lake and back.

The car park feeders were busy as usual. Nice to see a Great Spotted Woodpecker on the fat ball feeder. Lots of Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow.

Long-tailed Tit c.12 in trees beside track heading over hill to the lake.

Lake - Goldeneye x15 (5 ad male, 10 fem/eclipse), Gadwall x10, Tufted Duck x22, Pochard x4 plus Mallard, Coot, Moorhen.

The sunny photos were taken last Saturday.

 

[jp59]

Goldcrest

Female Goldcrest at 10:30 on the track next to railway lines on the way back to car park, near the big black X35 sign.

Usual visitors to feeders and the Goldeneye on lake.

 

[Geordie john]

Hi I visited last Saturday and enjoyed my short stay ...the Tree sparrows were very obliging. unfortunately I had a short walk and on return to the car picked the ash tray from the foot well thinking nothing of it until I was half way home and decided to put the radio on ..it had been stolen but what amazed me was that there were at least 15 cars in the car park and folk photographing the feeders where I was parked ...I am quite amazed no one said anything to me or didn't chase the scum away from my car I certainly would have intervened and given my justice out had I seen some one elses car being broken into !

 

[IanF]

Sorry to hear about the theft from your car. It used to be a big problem here but hasn't been for a couple of years now. Hopefully it's not a sign of things to come. It does sound odd that no one noticed anything untoward.

 

[IanF]

I paid a visit yesterday as well.

Things were pretty unchanged in the car park area with Tree Sparrow x21, Yellowhammer x3, Bullfinch x3 were most notable birds.

There was a little more fresh activity on the lake with Tufted Duck x31, Goldeneye x10, Pochard x3, Gadwall x8, Canada Goose x1, Mute Swan x1. Robins, Tits and Wrens were in the lake side bushes. Lots of gulls on the lake as well.

 

[IanF]

A little foggy starting off this morning but the sun burnt it off by mid-morning.

Lake - Tufted Duck x31, Pochard x6, Gadwall x6, Canada Goose x3, Mute Swan x1. No sign of any Goldeneye today.

I had a good wander around the park but there was very little to see away from the car park area other than lots of Chaffinch and several Robin plus the off Blue Tit and Great Tit.

Car park area - A single Redwing was perched in the trees above the car park. Coming to the feeders were Tree Sparrow x12, Yellowhammer x15, Bullfinch x6, Long-tailed Tit x2,Great Spotted Woodpecker x1, Redwing x1, Reed Bunting x8 plus usual tits and finches and Dunnock x2.

 

[IanF]

I only got as far as the car park area this morning. Too cold and windy to venture any further in the heavy snow showers

Great Spotted Woodpecker x2, Long-tailed Tit x2. Yellowhammer x8, Tree Sparrow x12, Wren, Robin, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Greenfinch, Dunnock.

 

[IanF]

I spent the morning wandering around the park.

Birds were still coming to the car park feeders when I arrived with Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Yellowhammer and Bullfinch though not in the numbers they've previously been.

Following the hedge by the visitor centre to the railway line and then to the lake there was little to be seen heard other than the odd singing Blackbird, Robin, Wren, Chaffinch and Great Tit.

A good head of birds on the lake, predominantly Tufted Duck x49 with Pochard x6, Shoveler x2, Canada Goose x4, Mute Swan x1, Mallard x6, Coot & Moorhen.

I met a couple of friends who'd just seen a Kingfisher on the beck but it had moved on by the time I got there. I lingered in the Faith Wood area listening to the birds singing when the sun got out. No sign of any Chiffchaff yet. Mainly it was Chaffinch, Wren, Robin and Blackbird.

Walking along the cycleway it was nice to see Yellowhammer x6 back on breeding territory along with a few Chaffinch & Tree Sparrow.

As I approached the car park a Woodcock gave good views as it flew over the car park from the direction of the visitor centre.

The feeding station remained pretty quiet despite a 40 minute visit whilst I waited to be picked up. Several Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow and two Long-tailed Tits gave good views as they came to the food I put out.

 

[IanF]

I spent the morning wandering around the park. On the whole there weren't a great number of birds to see. A few were singing on and off in the cold winds and between the wintery showers.

Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting & Bullfinch female still coming to car park tables. GSW in trees above.

Most notable birds on the lake - Shoveler x4, Tufted Duck x39, Canada Goose x4.

Claxton Beck - Kingfisher.

Faith Wood - Woodcock flew over head from the hill and landed in the wood.

Chiffchaff calling infrequently by the hill.

 

[IanF]

A little dull this morning with heavily overcast skies and some ground fog however it cleared out after about an hour to leave a lovely sunny morning and one of the warmest days we've had so far this year.

There was a good influx of birds this morning with Redpoll c.50, Goldcrest x1, Blackcap male, LTT, Jay, GSW, Chiffchaff x10, Bullfinch x4, Woodcock flushed from under foot on edge of path - all in Faith Wood area. Green Sandpiper and Grey Wagtail pair on beck at end of boardwalk.

Lake a little quieter with most of the Tufted Duck moved on - Tufted Duck x 12, Canada Goose x6, Pochard x6, Little Grebe x2. Oystercatcher & Curlew overhead.

Nuthatch in trees by lake - a seldom seen species in the park. Kingfisher flying along North Burn.

Car park bushes - Reed Bunting, Bullfinch pair, Yellowhammer x4, Tree Sparrow x10, Coal Tit.

I only had the Canon SX50 HS with me in the morning with which all the photos were taken. I called back mid-afternoon with the DSLR hoping to take a few more photos but there was very little to see. Only two Chiffchaffs singing and not much else apart from two Kingfishers along North Burn.

Video clip of Lesser Redpoll - http://youtu.be/7QpqGNNvyCc

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[IanF]

As I was passing today around lunchtime near the entrance a Buzzard was being mobbed by a Crow.

Several Willow Warbler were calling the other side of the fence.

 

[IanF]

I spent about and hour in the park this morning with a walk over to the lake and back.

Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers were in the reeds by the car park when I arrived. The feeders were much quieter today with just a few Chaffinch and Tree Sparrow visiting.

Walking over to the lake following the beck to Faith Wood I came across Bullfinch x2, several more Whitethroat and five male Blackcaps well spread around. Chiffchaffs and Willow Warbler were singing as well as Chaffinches, Wrens and Blackbirds. No sign of any Grasshopper Warbler yet. I heard what might have been the Nightingale having returned again but it was only two short snippets so I couldn't be certain - maybe more wishful thinking than anything.

The lake was pretty quiet as well with a few Tuifted Duck, two Canada Geese, Little Grebe and a few Moorhen and Coot. Heron x2 and Cormorant x1 were resting on the margins. More Blackcaps and Willow Warblers were in the surrounding bushes. A nice sight was a Sedge Warbler in the reeds along the north edge.

A few Swallow and Sand Martin were over the lake.

 

[IanF]

After a week of mostly pretty miserable weather it was a lovely sunny morning with next to no wind for a wander around the park.

Nothing much seen walking over to the lake and very little on the lake itself. The odd one or two Mallard, two Coot and a Moorhen. A Mute Swan was asleep on the island opposite the railway and a Common Tern was resting on the stony island. Three Swift were feeding over the the lake occasionally giving close views.

Walking around the lake to the bench near the hide the bushes held Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Garden Warbler and Wren plus the usual Chaffinch and Blue Tit. Whilst sat on the bench a Sparrowhawk flew out from the trees by the hide and headed off towards the railway.

As I made my way back to the car park as I reached the edge of Faith Wood a Kestrel was soaring by the pylon. Whilst taking a few photos of that I heard the distinctive song of a Nightingale - it was back! That's three years in a row it's turned up albeit a few weeks late as the previous years it's been here at the start of May.

Whilst listening to the Nightingale several Blackcap and Song Thrush were trying to compete with it's song. Whitethroat, Goldfinch and Willow Warbler were also feeding in the bushes nearby. As usual it proved difficult to view though I managed to take a few photos and a short video clip.

Nice to see a few more butterflies around as well today. Isa w saw my first Speckled Wood of the year and Large Red Dandselflies.

Video - http://youtu.be/DITu0LcNSgA

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