Ross Ahmed
Well-known member
seggs said:
Not all the teams handed their lists in so not sure.
-
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Durham Birding (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Skelly
- Start date
Not all the teams handed their lists in so not sure.
StevieEvans
Well-known member
Good stuff Will & Micky[email protected] said:
& its a Self found too !
SE
we noted 5 that your team didnt, so total is into the 90'sseggs said:
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StevieEvans
Well-known member
Local Patching - Houghton-le-Spring area
A couple of hours out & about to add to my local patch list this afternoon.
Started with a noisy flock of 53 House Sparrow on the edge of the estate.
Pretty much next bird was a Kingfisher cutting off a bend & shooting through the tops of Alder & Birch saplings.
15 Blackbird &2 Song Thrush
20 each of Collared Dove & Wood Pigeon
Blue tit & Long Tailed Tit. Great Tit singing
Sparrowhawk hunting
Not much along the next open stretch due to the wind, but a further 2 Song Thrush & a Reed Bunting flicked up.
2 Kingfishers flew off together over the murky flooded beck
a Mallard drake was a patch year tick !
A dozen Siskin & Redpolls 5 Goldcrests
Approach the sewage outfall too hastily & inadvertantly flushed a Water Rail which flew up the cokeworks bankside to land in a Whinnie bush ! After a few moments a Stoat came along bouncing along, hunting & flushed it back down the beck.
Singing Dipper at the scrapyard
Ad fem Sparhawk hunting low over beck again - surprised theres any dippers left..
Viewing from the disused railway line the Green Sand was visible imediately, white underparts standing out in the bright winter light.
Along the line to Morton & Morton House Woods
Nuthatch & Stock Dove added here high in huge Beech trees.
Little Owl sitting in the sun in an isolated Oak.
A small cottage with free range hens & geese held 14 Collared Dove, Reed Bunting, 3 Yellowhammers
A single Red legged Partridge close to the Country club
Stubble along the country lane passed Durham Turf, towards Rainton Meadows site , saw a handful of Skylarks kick up, then more lifted, 23 in total.
Then a surprise as a mixed flock lifted from game bird cover - 20+ Tree Sparrows & a Corn Bunting (first time both here in recent years)
Flock of 26 Magpies in one tree.
Met up with C & J on the line & quickly picked up Willow Tit.
Main pool at Rainton saw patch year ticks galore with
24 Curlew, a Cormorant & a couple of kestrels went over :-
Coot, Dabchick, Wigeon, Canada, Greylag, 3 Pink feet, Pochard, Tufted, Teal, Wigeon
A couple of hours out & about to add to my local patch list this afternoon.
Started with a noisy flock of 53 House Sparrow on the edge of the estate.
Pretty much next bird was a Kingfisher cutting off a bend & shooting through the tops of Alder & Birch saplings.
15 Blackbird &2 Song Thrush
20 each of Collared Dove & Wood Pigeon
Blue tit & Long Tailed Tit. Great Tit singing
Sparrowhawk hunting
Not much along the next open stretch due to the wind, but a further 2 Song Thrush & a Reed Bunting flicked up.
2 Kingfishers flew off together over the murky flooded beck
a Mallard drake was a patch year tick !
A dozen Siskin & Redpolls 5 Goldcrests
Approach the sewage outfall too hastily & inadvertantly flushed a Water Rail which flew up the cokeworks bankside to land in a Whinnie bush ! After a few moments a Stoat came along bouncing along, hunting & flushed it back down the beck.
Singing Dipper at the scrapyard
Ad fem Sparhawk hunting low over beck again - surprised theres any dippers left..
Viewing from the disused railway line the Green Sand was visible imediately, white underparts standing out in the bright winter light.
Along the line to Morton & Morton House Woods
Nuthatch & Stock Dove added here high in huge Beech trees.
Little Owl sitting in the sun in an isolated Oak.
A small cottage with free range hens & geese held 14 Collared Dove, Reed Bunting, 3 Yellowhammers
A single Red legged Partridge close to the Country club
Stubble along the country lane passed Durham Turf, towards Rainton Meadows site , saw a handful of Skylarks kick up, then more lifted, 23 in total.
Then a surprise as a mixed flock lifted from game bird cover - 20+ Tree Sparrows & a Corn Bunting (first time both here in recent years)
Flock of 26 Magpies in one tree.
Met up with C & J on the line & quickly picked up Willow Tit.
Main pool at Rainton saw patch year ticks galore with
24 Curlew, a Cormorant & a couple of kestrels went over :-
Coot, Dabchick, Wigeon, Canada, Greylag, 3 Pink feet, Pochard, Tufted, Teal, Wigeon
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JBee
Well-known member
Need your help again 
I have hundreds of what I thought were all curlew photos - curved beak = curlew (so I thought).
Going through my files even with my lack of knowledge I think I can see big differences in some of the shots.
I presume the one with the really long beak is the curlew but can anyone tell me what the other is? I don't know enough to hazard a guess at whimbrel.
Thanks
I have hundreds of what I thought were all curlew photos - curved beak = curlew (so I thought).
Going through my files even with my lack of knowledge I think I can see big differences in some of the shots.
I presume the one with the really long beak is the curlew but can anyone tell me what the other is? I don't know enough to hazard a guess at whimbrel.
Thanks
Attachments
StevieEvans
Well-known member
JBee said:
Hiya John
Both images show Curlews - huge variation in bill lengths in both sexes
You might want to start a thread on BF's:-
Bird Identification or Taxonomy Q&A
The forum to discuss the complex business of Identification or Taxonomy.
Cheers
Steve
June Atkinson
Well-known member
Invitations for you from Northern Kites
Please read the message on Northern Kites thread, giving you an invitation to three events.
Please read the message on Northern Kites thread, giving you an invitation to three events.
Last edited by a moderator:
IanF
Moderator
More recent report here - Evening Gazette 9th January 2007IanF said:
It was a bit to wet and windy today at lunchtime to go a for a look around.
I went to Rainton Meadows on Monday - the first time I've ever been there. Unfortunately the binoculars were forgotten so there was a lot of guess work going on. Saw what I think was quite a large flock of Goldfinches, blue tits, green finches, robin and water birds, mainly mallard , canada geese and a few tufted
seggs
Alrite!
what a shame!! i have left my sarnies, flask and even forgot to lock the doors on the way out, before a trip, but never the BINS.. :eek!: i even carry compacts in the car for the off chance..( which i had to replace recently due to a break in :C )lil-lisa said:
hope your next trip out you remember them.. but great to see what you have seen..
cheers...
steve egg
[email protected]
FATHER AND SON TEAM
book?
have you got a pocket bird book i always carry mine maybe tie the two together for next timelil-lisa said:
StevieEvans
Well-known member
Barn Owl / Enviro Friendly Patching
Barn Owl
A roadside BO on Thursday night (DSo) between Sunderland Bridge & Browney / Meadowfield.
Another hunting close to South Hetton most evenings.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The combined Houghton area 2007 Local Patch list has now risen to 84, with the 3 contributors on foot only.
Thats only one behind the Gateshead Birders website - not that its a competition or anything...
Highlights:-
Green Sandpiper
Common Redpoll
Corn Bunting
GCGrebe
Buzzard
Kingfisher
LEO
Tree Sparrow
Dipper
Jack Snipe
Scaup
Water Rail
SE
Barn Owl
A roadside BO on Thursday night (DSo) between Sunderland Bridge & Browney / Meadowfield.
Another hunting close to South Hetton most evenings.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The combined Houghton area 2007 Local Patch list has now risen to 84, with the 3 contributors on foot only.
Thats only one behind the Gateshead Birders website - not that its a competition or anything...
Highlights:-
Green Sandpiper
Common Redpoll
Corn Bunting
GCGrebe
Buzzard
Kingfisher
LEO
Tree Sparrow
Dipper
Jack Snipe
Scaup
Water Rail
SE
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mark ridsdale
Well-known member
thats a great start :clap: Stevie whats the extent of your local patch?
StevieEvans said:
StevieEvans
Well-known member
Gateshead
Had best part of the day in Gateshead area.
Hard work with the wind, but checking sheltered spots paid off.
Spent an hour in the hide at Thornley woodlands. Limited activity on the feeders here due to the constant presence of an imm fem Sparrowhawk.
It spent most of its time trying to catch squirrels & a Magpie or two. I use catch in the loosest possible sense of the word.
One of the squirrels was particularly bold & even scrambled back up onto the bird table to feed. After another attack the squirrel ran at the hawk, forcing it to flush up, after she had landed on a log pile.
I watched the bird for an hour & it was hopeless, ignoring smaller prey items nearby....
maybe it thinks its a Gos ? :h?:
Kites were superb in strong wind.
A heronry was devoid of any activity.
Loads of species variety around the shelter of Far Pastures car park - masses of midges here. Most impressive were Siskins drinking & bathing in the car park puddles, which gave the bairn the chance to try his new Bob the builder wellies. Water levels high on Pools, with single feeding Common Snipe & Kingfisher through. A Jay perched up was a nice year tick.
1,000 gulls roosting nr Barlow burn.
Sled Lane had 8 Goosander (4M) & a fem Goldeneye.
Tried Shibdon later in the afternoon, Teal nos very low <30 seen. The only highlight was 18 Goldeneye (10ad males) with much chasing & display. Also 2 Snipe, pr Wigeon, 6 Shelduck, 13 Cormorant, Goldcrest etc
Not too impressed with the islands & earthworks & why so close to the hide ?
1,000+ Corvids, mostly Jackdaws over Sherburn Towers late PM.
Dropped back to Far Pastures at dusk & glimpsed a "long winged" owl over the rough area adjacent to the swg wks...... may have been one of my favourites.....
64 species noted in total
SE
Had best part of the day in Gateshead area.
Hard work with the wind, but checking sheltered spots paid off.
Spent an hour in the hide at Thornley woodlands. Limited activity on the feeders here due to the constant presence of an imm fem Sparrowhawk.
It spent most of its time trying to catch squirrels & a Magpie or two. I use catch in the loosest possible sense of the word.
One of the squirrels was particularly bold & even scrambled back up onto the bird table to feed. After another attack the squirrel ran at the hawk, forcing it to flush up, after she had landed on a log pile.
I watched the bird for an hour & it was hopeless, ignoring smaller prey items nearby....
maybe it thinks its a Gos ? :h?:
Kites were superb in strong wind.
A heronry was devoid of any activity.
Loads of species variety around the shelter of Far Pastures car park - masses of midges here. Most impressive were Siskins drinking & bathing in the car park puddles, which gave the bairn the chance to try his new Bob the builder wellies. Water levels high on Pools, with single feeding Common Snipe & Kingfisher through. A Jay perched up was a nice year tick.
1,000 gulls roosting nr Barlow burn.
Sled Lane had 8 Goosander (4M) & a fem Goldeneye.
Tried Shibdon later in the afternoon, Teal nos very low <30 seen. The only highlight was 18 Goldeneye (10ad males) with much chasing & display. Also 2 Snipe, pr Wigeon, 6 Shelduck, 13 Cormorant, Goldcrest etc
Not too impressed with the islands & earthworks & why so close to the hide ?
1,000+ Corvids, mostly Jackdaws over Sherburn Towers late PM.
Dropped back to Far Pastures at dusk & glimpsed a "long winged" owl over the rough area adjacent to the swg wks...... may have been one of my favourites.....
64 species noted in total
SE
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Nothing too exciting, guess too windy? I had a lovely walk into Durham from Shincliffe this pm along river banks and looked rather silly in the bank in wellies, woolly hat and
bins - ah well, a lifetime spent in lycra taught me not to bother too much!
Tonight I decided to walk from the farm with a big light and was startled by a large owl (no idea what sort) that flew right in front of me. Quite exciting for a novice. Also saw a gorgous dog fox in our paddock. Tawney's calling also.
Saw two guys walking (9.45) with rucksac's etc, pleasent but later wondered if they were birders, was it you?
bins - ah well, a lifetime spent in lycra taught me not to bother too much!
Tonight I decided to walk from the farm with a big light and was startled by a large owl (no idea what sort) that flew right in front of me. Quite exciting for a novice. Also saw a gorgous dog fox in our paddock. Tawney's calling also.
Saw two guys walking (9.45) with rucksac's etc, pleasent but later wondered if they were birders, was it you?
DaveB
birding.daveb.co.uk
Escomb and Low Barns
Eighteen different species were seen at Escomb, which had good numbers of Redwing (25+), Blackbird (10+), Mistle Thrush (2) and Song Thrush (2).
The Low Barns feeding station was not as busy as usual, but still had all the usual visitors including Chaffinch (10+), Blue Tit (10+), Great Tit (2), Coal Tit (2), Nuthatch (1), Robin (2) and Dunnock (1). The west pond had Grey Heron (1), Mute Swan (2), Tufted Duck (4), Mallard (15+) and a drake Goosander (1 over). Eight Cormorants, an adult Great Black–backed Gull and up to eight Goldeneye (including 2 displaying drakes) were seen on the main lake. A Sparrowhawk was also seen on the return to the car. Only thirty different species seen during this two hour visit.
Eighteen different species were seen at Escomb, which had good numbers of Redwing (25+), Blackbird (10+), Mistle Thrush (2) and Song Thrush (2).
The Low Barns feeding station was not as busy as usual, but still had all the usual visitors including Chaffinch (10+), Blue Tit (10+), Great Tit (2), Coal Tit (2), Nuthatch (1), Robin (2) and Dunnock (1). The west pond had Grey Heron (1), Mute Swan (2), Tufted Duck (4), Mallard (15+) and a drake Goosander (1 over). Eight Cormorants, an adult Great Black–backed Gull and up to eight Goldeneye (including 2 displaying drakes) were seen on the main lake. A Sparrowhawk was also seen on the return to the car. Only thirty different species seen during this two hour visit.
ColinSev
Well-known member
Teesmouth
Spent this morning getting blown all over the North Gare pier. Was there at 1st light - even beat the anglers
7 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Rock Pipits. Guillemots, Razorbill, Red throated Diver, 20 or so Scoter well offshore.
Huge flock of gulls down the Gare Road, many Curlews and Lapwings.
Up the Zinc Road - Male Stonchat (never saw the female which is usually there, Merlin flow over the grassland and landed near the fence (pretty close to a sheep too)
Gonna try for the Kites tomorrow
Colin
Spent this morning getting blown all over the North Gare pier. Was there at 1st light - even beat the anglers
7 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Rock Pipits. Guillemots, Razorbill, Red throated Diver, 20 or so Scoter well offshore.
Huge flock of gulls down the Gare Road, many Curlews and Lapwings.
Up the Zinc Road - Male Stonchat (never saw the female which is usually there, Merlin flow over the grassland and landed near the fence (pretty close to a sheep too)
Gonna try for the Kites tomorrow
Colin
Attachments
The gaffer
Enthusiastic amateur
I ventured out in the wind for an hour late afternoon.
Trow quarry 16 eider, male and female offshore, 30 + Oystercatcher on the rocks by the gun implacement.
Boldon Flats most of the usual species present but across the road in the field were c. 50 grey lag geese which were preparing to roost.
Trow quarry 16 eider, male and female offshore, 30 + Oystercatcher on the rocks by the gun implacement.
Boldon Flats most of the usual species present but across the road in the field were c. 50 grey lag geese which were preparing to roost.
StevieEvans
Well-known member
Barn Owl / Enviro Friendly H.A.P.Y Patching
.
One of the regular Sedgeletch Barn Owls watched hunting prior to first light this morning. (PHi)
(along the plantation edges west from the BeeHive pub)
MAP - Watch Barn Owls here !.
www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=54.8554&lon=-1.4922&scale=25000&icon=x
Barn Owls regularly use this large field.
If you visit & do see BO's here, then please let us Know.
NB.
This area is part of the Great North Forrest & the site is threatened with development.
( the owners wanted to pay their planting grant back to the Forestry Commission & clear fell all 8,000 trees !)
DBC have provided site surveys & information & will continue to support the Tree & Wildlife Action Group (TWAG), the body who are organising & successfully opposing the proposals, to ensure the area is safeguarded for local people to enjoy.
There has been much media attention on this matter - starting last summer:-
TWAG_Newbottle_Wood_1
TWAG_Newbottle_Wood
further info att'd below.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Peregrine & 4 others added to Houghton Area Patch Year list.
Now total is 89 species.
gaps to fill include SEO, Merlin, LBBGull, Med Gull, Jay, Marsh Tit, Gren Woodpecker, Ruddy Duck
------------------------------------------------------------------
SE
.
One of the regular Sedgeletch Barn Owls watched hunting prior to first light this morning. (PHi)
(along the plantation edges west from the BeeHive pub)
MAP - Watch Barn Owls here !.
www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=54.8554&lon=-1.4922&scale=25000&icon=x
Barn Owls regularly use this large field.
If you visit & do see BO's here, then please let us Know.
NB.
This area is part of the Great North Forrest & the site is threatened with development.
( the owners wanted to pay their planting grant back to the Forestry Commission & clear fell all 8,000 trees !)
DBC have provided site surveys & information & will continue to support the Tree & Wildlife Action Group (TWAG), the body who are organising & successfully opposing the proposals, to ensure the area is safeguarded for local people to enjoy.
There has been much media attention on this matter - starting last summer:-
TWAG_Newbottle_Wood_1
TWAG_Newbottle_Wood
further info att'd below.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Peregrine & 4 others added to Houghton Area Patch Year list.
Now total is 89 species.
gaps to fill include SEO, Merlin, LBBGull, Med Gull, Jay, Marsh Tit, Gren Woodpecker, Ruddy Duck
------------------------------------------------------------------
SE
Attachments
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