Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[StevieEvans]

I had a Mistle Thrush singing from the top of the Whitburn Lodge yesterday and at Hendon today. If that's not suprising, seems a little early to me, I disturbed a Blackbird from nest in a Cleadon Village garden last Monday!

Hi Buzzard, The nest report is amazing & possibly even worrying....
This was posted #2318 (dont know by who...?) on Thursday 12th Oct this year:-

An early singing Mistle Thrush at Houghton yesterday morning.

Steve I had a drake on a private pool near Little Stainton last year from 5th February to 25th March 2005.
This was only the second I've recorded in the "Darlington" area during almost 25 years of observation.
The first record being a first winter female, perhaps remarkably only 3 miles away as the crow flies, at Longnewton Reservoir (again private) from 29th Novmember 2004 to 16th April 2005.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
CHRIS BELL
DARLO

Thanks Chris, looks like it was another cracker! good stuff.
Will be doing a species spotlight on LTD for our journal for sure.
A bit like buses them two birds of yours..... amazing coincidence & a great example of the reward some serious local patching eventually bring.

Steve

 

[Shaggy2070]

HELP!!!
I got my bins out of the case yesterday and was shocked to see two images when I looked through them they were OK when I last used them a couple of days ago.
Does anyone know what the problem could be and can they be fixed???

 

[StevieEvans]

HELP!!!
I got my bins out of the case yesterday and was shocked to see two images when I looked through them they were OK when I last used them a couple of days ago.
Does anyone know what the problem could be and can they be fixed???

.........erm.... this perhaps -------> B

sounds like youve given them a knock, im sure someone can advise on a local mender.
SE

 

[StevieEvans]

Lsw / Hawfinch

Its getting towards that time of year again, heres a reminder about the DBC Site guide for Croxdale / Sunderland Bridge / LSW / Hawfinch.

Visit DBC website ( See Below - cant get my link to work)
click on The Birds
then Site Guide
then Croxdale


The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen yesterday with a mixed flock of tits etc along the avenue leading to the Hall from the old stone bridge (best to park at far end adjacent to estate gatehouse)

Best chance of Hawfinch is around the grounds of the Hall itself (strictly private but visible).

A check of the river often pays off (as long as its not in spate) with Dipper, Kingfisher, Goosander & Dabchick all regular; Green Sandpiper formerly so.

Good range of species over the estate with Water Rails prominant on the old river meanders at dusk, as well as recent Barn, Tawny and Little Owl in the area.

Excellent network of public rights of way on this working estate.
Steve.

 

[Shaggy2070]

.........erm.... this perhaps -------> B

I wish!!!

 

[IanF]

We had a ride through to Low Barns this morning.

A strange sight in the car park was a Grey Squirrel feeding on rose hips and hawthorn berries - so much for them eating nuts!

The vandals had been at it again chopping down trees - this time in the feeding station. Trees at either side of the feeders have been felled removing some of the natural cover for the birds. Birds were still regularly visiting though not in any great numbers - Willow Tit x3 kept arriving together and squabbling amongst themselves, a single Nuthatch kept taking sunflower seeds to the bush behind the feeders. There were c.12 Chaffinch about, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Coal Tit. A Pheasant kept wandering in and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over as we were leaving.

The alders as you leave the car park towards the West Pond again held Siskin around 30 and whilst watching them c.20 Redwing flew over heading west.

We spent an hour in the West Pond hide but no sign of any Kingfishers today. A stoat passed through twice. Present were Cormorant x2, Mallard x9, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot and a single Grey Heron. We had fly overs of Jay, Canada Goose x12 and Greylag Goose c.30. Pheasant were around the old hide.

The woods trees and bushes down to the river and along to the south hide held only Blue Tit and Great Tit.

From the South Hide we could see Pochard, Tufted Duck, Mallard and a single Goldeneye in front of the hide. Mallard 20+ were on the north side behind the big island. Cormorant x8 were on their island.

Following the path around to the North Hide yielded only Blackbird and Magpie. Even the pond from the hide was quiet with only Mallard and Tufted Duck in view.

 

[IanF]

I thought the skies were clearing this afternoon so I headed down to Greatham Creek to look for SEO's as Shaggy2070 found one the other day. It was bright for 15 minutes before clouding over heavily followed by a sharp heavy shower - no Owls about.

Heading back south, between Saltholme Ponds I turned left towards Dormans and hey presto there was a SEO in the field by the road - a regualr spot for them each year. It crossed the railway line to Dormans so I followed into the car park. 14:45-15:00 it kept up it's hunting crossing the railway and returning to Dormans - twice catching something. Eventually it headed off along the road to the tip. At least they're still around.

 

[One Man and His Dog]

martin mere trip photos

sorry about the delay in posting photos!

 

[One Man and His Dog]

purple sandpiper

Hartlepool Headland - purple sandpiper

 

[ColinSev]

Merlin or Kes

Am sure a lot of you will find this one easy, but just to settle a debate with a friend can you help identify these 2 - I believe the 1st is a Merlin (at the Gare), the 2nd I believe is a Kestrel (at zinc road). - But tis possibe I am wrong.


IanF - I know what you mean by the "vandals" at Low Barns, they did the same last year on the islands - i thought would affect the kingfishers but it was an excellent year for kingfishers this year. It does seem to me as though they just want to fill the charcoal burner with the wood - it is very infuriating

cheers

Colin

 

[IanF]

Am sure a lot of you will find this one easy, but just to settle a debate with a friend can you help identify these 2 - I believe the 1st is a Merlin (at the Gare), the 2nd I believe is a Kestrel (at zinc road). - But tis possibe I am wrong.


IanF - I know what you mean by the "vandals" at Low Barns, they did the same last year on the islands - i thought would affect the kingfishers but it was an excellent year for kingfishers this year. It does seem to me as though they just want to fill the charcoal burner with the wood - it is very infuriating

cheers

Colin

Both Kestrel by the looks of it - male and female. A Merlin has been hanging around the aea though. I've seen it on the sand dune area of the Snook and on the dunes and field by the power station. Other birders have seen it on Greenabella and from the hide on Greatham Creek. Most years it follows around the Twite which have been moving between the Snook and Greenabella again this year.

 

[Keith Reeder]

Yep, two kestrels.

 

[JBee]

A big thank you to Colin Wilson

Colin kindly agreed to have a ride out with me today and show me a few places for bird photos.
Seaton Snook unfortunately is just too far for me to hike with my gear due to gammy leg etc (Unless you know an easy way down there Ian)
It may be worth noting (for those who don't already know) there is a chance you may get pulled over by the power station police (armed) and have to go through a form filling excercise as to who you are etc. It isn't a big deal and does provide you with a bit of paper that you can show if you get stopped a second time. We were stopped on Zinc Road.
Anyway from Zinc road we went to the headland and Colin patiently stood as I filled my boots with shots of various species (some I didnt have)
Thanks also to Colin for putting up with a later phone call asking "What was that bird in the pool" and "Did I get a photo of a knot"

I'll put a handful of shots over two posts if thats OK.

 

[JBee]

And just a few more

 

[rokermartin]

Whitburn Steel today 3 Snow Bunting on beach ,2 ad Med Gulls and 1 Swallow south.Sunderland Harblour 1 ad YL Gull and a male Peregrine over.

 

[IanF]

...........
Seaton Snook unfortunately is just too far for me to hike with my gear due to gammy leg etc (Unless you know an easy way down there Ian)
It may be worth noting (for those who don't already know) there is a chance you may get pulled over by the power station police (armed) and have to go through a form filling excercise as to who you are etc. It isn't a big deal and does provide you with a bit of paper that you can show if you get stopped a second time. We were stopped on Zinc Road.
Anyway from Zinc road we went to the headland and Colin patiently stood as I filled my boots with shots of various species (some I didnt have)
Thanks also to Colin for putting up with a later phone call asking "What was that bird in the pool" and "Did I get a photo of a knot"

.......................

A great set of shots there!

Zinc Works Road is the closest you can get to the Snook I'm afraid. Mind you at high tide when it's a decent one the water reaches the dunes and 100 yds south can be a good spot for birds.

I've been stopped a few times by the power station police but they know me now. You've got to be unlucky to get stopped and it's only those carrying cameras.

Hartlepool Headland is certianly a good place to get close views and photos - even better at high tide as the Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper line up along the edge of the pier and the RT Divers feed close into the sea wall.

 

[StevieEvans]

Yep, two kestrels.

Keith, your contributions to this thread realy are outstanding........... :clap:

 

[StevieEvans]

Bishop Middleham

Brief visit to Castle Lake & surrounds, produced good numbers of birds.
Water table seems to be on the way back up, still a small puddle at Stoneybeck, but A1 Flashes topped up nicely.
Hopefully we'll get some birdwatchers down there when the hides get built....?

Waders
80 Curlew
34 Redshank
330 Golden Plover
1 Ruff
560 Lapwing
1 Green Sandpiper (regular winter site)

Waterfowl
210 Greylags
200+ Teal
300+ Wigeon
pr Pintail (A1 flashes)
32+ Shoveller
<20 Gadwall
6 Dabchick

3 Heron, 10 Pied Wagtail, 400 mixed gulls

3 Kingfisher on R.Skerne, 2 at sluice & another at usual spot adjacent to the M-Way tunnel.
1 Water Rail was a surprise find as i followed a flying Kingfisher with the scope. It was feeding along the sheltered Skerne approx 50metres downstream of sluice
10 each of Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer & Chaffinch at swg wks.
Pair of Little Owls sheltering in their Ash trees on usual Moto-x track area.
Others in the railway line / sluice area included 6+ Goldcrest, 12 Fieldfare, 40 Redwing

Called in at a Leo site at dusk on way home, hoping for a hunting bird, but no luck.
SE

 

[Keith Reeder]

Keith, your contributions to this thread realy are outstanding........... :clap:

Just as well I don't lose much sleep worrying about your approval then, eh Steve?
:h?:

 

[StevieEvans]

We had a ride through to Low Barns this morning.

The vandals had been at it again chopping down trees - this time in the feeding station. Trees at either side of the feeders have been felled removing some of the natural cover for the birds......

.....I know what you mean by the "vandals" at Low Barns........... it is very infuriating ......

Ians heard this one before,
Some years ago we watched a Water Rail (the first record for a good while according to MI) going about his business in the lakeside sedges & rushes one sunny afternoon.
We returned the following weekend with other birders to see if it was still there.
We were amazed at the sight of what had been done...
We asked some of the volunteer workers why they had strimmed the lakeside vegetation down to resemble the surface of a snooker table :-

" we wanted to make it easier for people to see the Water Rail " - & they weren't making a joke either !

I could go on
about them starting to strim the Reedmace bed when the Bittern was in residence or another winter when they were operating the multi decibel woodchipper while members of the public walked by, having travelled from as far as Richmond & Alnwick to get a glimpse of the Bittern.
Or when they started to fell the non-native Burnhope Plantation while it held resident Red Squirrel & Long-eared Owl.
Hows about the destruction of the County's largest Long-eared Owl roost (20+birds), sadly mirrored recently by the loss of a successful breeding area for the same species, once again- through the inappropriate use of chainsaws...
but i won't......
SE