Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[russkie]

brasside today - sunday

bullfinch - male + fem
long tailed tit - party
nuthatch
40+ lapwing in field
jay - pair

 

[Skelly]

Wing tagged, ring tail Hen Harrier over Dormans and Saltholme pools this morning.

Barnacle Goose at Bishop Middleham.

 

[john gardiner]

Stevie, been to the fields at the rear of the Cong Wood near Pelton Fell for the Tawny Owl survey. I got there 10 mins before dusk to see 30 Greylag fly off westwards from the pond there. Then I saw a Buzzard been chased off in ther same direction by 4 Carrion Crows. When it got dark some gunshots could be heard from the Hett Hills direction this seemed to start off a Little Owl which could be heard nearby to where I was standing. I waited 10 more minutes before heading home, just before I got to the path near Waldridge club I heard some hooting from the west end of the Cong Wood. Will try and get to the Lambton Worm/Batleys this week.

 

[StevieEvans]

5 House Martins at home

lambton Bridge
21 Goosander 14 hauled out preening & roosting on gravel bank, with 7 fishing. (excellent photo oppurtunity)...
2 Dipper watched from bridge feeding underwater.

Barmston Pond
1 lame Ruff, 1 Black tailed Godwit, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Shoveller, 12 Snipe
Sparrowhawk mobbing Kestrel, Willow Tit, 12 Long tailed Tit

West Pastures
4+ Short eared Owls including a very washed out pale bird which appeared to be a youngster. (another observer has had 6 there today)
350 of both Golden Plover & Lapwing

 

[Mark Newsome]

Glad you found West Pastures OK Steve. PC had 6, possibly as many as 8, Short-eareds this evening (he stayed until dusk). This area used to be a good site for wintering Hen Harriers too, but not for quite a few years. Certainly an excellent undisturbed area with plenty of feeding. I'll be checking back regularly...

 

[StevieEvans]

Glad you found West Pastures OK Steve. PC had 6, possibly as many as 8, Short-eareds this evening (he stayed until dusk). This area used to be a good site for wintering Hen Harriers too, but not for quite a few years. Certainly an excellent undisturbed area with plenty of feeding. I'll be checking back regularly...

Very impressive area, Surely other owl species there too... ;-) a harrier or an over wintering shrike would be nice...

Stevie, been to the fields at the rear of the Cong Wood near Pelton Fell for the Tawny Owl survey. I got there 10 mins before dusk to see 30 Greylag fly off westwards from the pond there. Then I saw a Buzzard been chased off in ther same direction by 4 Carrion Crows. When it got dark some gunshots could be heard from the Hett Hills direction this seemed to start off a Little Owl which could be heard nearby to where I was standing. I waited 10 more minutes before heading home, just before I got to the path near Waldridge club I heard some hooting from the west end of the Cong Wood. Will try and get to the Lambton Worm/Batleys this week.

Hi John, a productive visit by the sound of it, the ten min deadline for the Tawnies seems strange but looks like you "sqeezed" one in!
Keep track of those Little's too, we've just been looking at territories for the four 10Km squares covering Durham City/Houghton & Spenny/Bish Midd & have totalled 94 pairs!! (breeding atlas in '92 stated only 100 or tentaviely 150 for the whole vice-county)....
Buzzard lowland records seem to be coming on nicely (i'll PM you with electronic address of the person who is co-ordinator for local Buzzard records, im sure he will be pleased to hear about it)

first of i hope a weekly report from Brasside.

Hi Nigel,
hope we do get a weekly report from here....
daily coverage here in early to mid 90's produced a crop of unusual species:-
Slavonian Grebe, Eider, Fulmar, Shag, Common Scoter, Garganey, Osprey, Twite, Scaup, Merganser, Ruff, Black tailed Godwit.
Ferruginous Duck, Black throated Diver, Night Heron & Bittern, Crane & Red Kite nearby, have been seen in the past.
Last couple years has seen Dipper & Bewicks Swan
Evening visits pay dividends as a large Goosander roost exists overnight (site max 109 birds), with a reasonable Water Rail population too.

 

[StevieEvans]

2 immigrant Song Thrushes over Barnes Park, Sunderland today.

4-5 House Martins remain at home, Grey Wagtail over south west & 2 Pied Wagtails mobbed a Sparrowhawk for in excess of 200metres at Houghton.

A Jay was on a busy roadside path near Broompark this evening.

SE

cheers steve
yesterday girlfriend had poss sighting of water rail but was just a bit quick getting into cover.
today usual suspects but prob willow tit - bib looked small so prefer to marsh.
martins have disapppeared.
luckily will be able to get there quite regularly as mother in law [future!!!!!!!!!] is able to be on her own for a couple of hours. nice worn path takes you right round the pond/lake.

Good Willow Tit site, Marsh occurs but is sporadic, & not annual.

oh have sent off my cheque by the way.

Great another victim ;-)

 

[russkie]

cheers steve
yesterday girlfriend had poss sighting of water rail but was just a bit quick getting into cover.
today usual suspects but prob willow tit
martins have disapppeared.
luckily will be able to get there quite regularly as mother in law [future!!!!!!!!!] is able to be on her own for a couple of hours. nice worn path takes you right round the pond/lake.

oh have sent off my cheque by the way.
cheers
nigel

 

[StevieEvans]

Redwing - single over at Merryoaks, Durham.
32 unidentified grey geese south
Goldcrest, Nuthatch & GSW in suburban gardens there.
Vis mig of Skylarks & Mipits
SE.

 

[russkie]

evening stroll at Brasside

treecreeper
male wigeon - amongst the tufted
curlew - flying low over the pond - calling
kingfisher - one, possibley a second one with it

building up quite a nice little list there
nigel

 

[russkie]

GS woodpecker today at Brasside
nigel

 

[StevieEvans]

Tried for Red Brested Flycatcher at Whitburn, got a glimpse of it & heard it calling.
As a bonus found our first Yellow Browed of the season.

5 or 6 Redwings over whilst working near Roker
SE

 

[Mark Newsome]

YBW - great find Steve, glad we haven't missed out when there's quite a few of them to the south of us. Roll on tomorrow! - Richard's Pipit is my prediction, plus more YBWs. Weather looks to be holding for Thursday, but the high pressure is losing it's grip from Friday. Back to south-west for the weekend. Shame.

 

[Keith Reeder]

Good bet, the Richard's, Mark - we've had a Richard's and a Red-throated on the Farnes today, as well as a couple of YB warblers.

 

[StevieEvans]

YBW - great find Steve, glad we haven't missed out when there's quite a few of them to the south of us. Roll on tomorrow! - Richard's Pipit is my prediction, plus more YBWs. Weather looks to be holding for Thursday, but the high pressure is losing it's grip from Friday. Back to south-west for the weekend. Shame.

Yes, well if you hadnt have found that RBFly, i wouldnt have been there...!
A lucky day for me all round, shouldnt have been over there till Friday, but put my Roker job forward, found a £10 note in the street, got a £20 tip after finishing job & the warbler to cap it off after working nearby. Im sure tomorrow will be a different kettle of fish...
SE.

Whitburn Area Info Daily at:- http://www.whitburnbirding.co.uk/
213 species so far this year in South Tyneside....!

Jack Snipe singles back at Rainton Meadows & South Hetton Cokeworks over last few days.
SEO nr Lanchester

My predictions for tomorrow:- Rouzel, GGShrike, Firecrest & Richards Pipit..

 

[salty]

Yes, well if you hadnt have found that RBFly, i wouldnt have been there...!
A lucky day for me all round, shouldnt have been over there till Friday, but put my Roker job forward, found a £10 note in the street, got a £20 tip after finishing job & the warbler to cap it off after working nearby. Im sure tomorrow will be a different kettle of fish...
SE.

lol, nice work stevie.....i bet tomorrow you get a £30 parking fine then stand in dog poo in the street.........stay lucky!

 

[russkie]

rainton meadows
shoveler - four
gadwall - pair
plenty of greylag and lapwing
pochard on joes pond

 

[StevieEvans]

predictions wrong, but another YBW at Dawdon Blast Beach this afternoon.
other migrants there - Robins 10, Song Thrush 3, Blackbird 4, Redwing 1, Greenfinch 1, Redpoll ssp 2, Goldcrest 2.
Also Stonechat, Little Owl, Sparrowhawkseveral sorties over the migrant trap & Kestrel. Grey Wagtail on the beach.
Reeb Bunting, Linnets, Mipit, Magpie.
A Razorbill close inshore, 8 RTDivers ots with 2 Little Gulls feeding offshore amongst a small gull flock. The odd Gannet or two passing. Amazingly 3 wader species on the beach...just shows how its cleaning up, 2 Turnstone, 1 Redshank & 3 Oystercatcher.
SE.

Barmston at lunchtime 101 Teal 1 Blackwit, 1 Ruff, 7 Shoveller, 14 Snipe, 4 Bullfinch, 4 Siskin.

 

[salty]

me and rayl have been enjoying the SEO near to daisy hill this evening, we noted how high it was flying - something skelly noted too - i aint seen one fly this high before!

it was getting mobbed now and again, but instead of taking to the trees, it tends to head skyward!

also 2 sparrowhawk and 1 kestrel in same field.

 

[StevieEvans]

A photo of a SEO seen recently in Co.Durham..........