Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[Mark Newsome]

For alnyone not familiar with Whitburn Obs:
The Obs is at the south end of Whitburn coastal park. Go to the southern car park (not the lighthouse one) and look south across the 'nature reserve' field, and its the stone built building on the clifftop. Grid ref - NZ414632, Multimap link: www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=54.9617&lon=-1.355&scale=25000&icon=x
You can get a key for a minimal deposit via the DBC - contact Peter Bell, 10 Lizard Lane, Whitburn, SR6 7AH (tel 0191 529 4941), or like Steve says, if you know someone with a key, get them to copy one.
Otherwise, there's nearly always one of us in each Saturday and Sunday morning every weekend from first light until late morning, and also through the week if the weather looks decent (more so in summer/autumn and during northerly winds). There's a log book in there too, so you can see what's been seen in recent seawatches. Generally the best time to seawatch is the first few hours from first light (around 08.00 at the moment) - afternoons can be a rather quiet away from the main migration periods of spring and autumn.
If anyone's a bit inexperienced in seawatching, myself or Paul (Pablo Hugelist) are the main residents and we'd be more than happy to give you a helping hand.

 

[Mark Newsome]

A bit of local Jarra' news (via Pablo): there's 2 Waxwings in the usual housing estate in Jarrow, on Saxon Way, near the Queens Road day centre. (ref NZ332655, www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=54.983&lon=-1.4828&scale=10000&icon=x ). Also 4 Blackcaps and plenty of Redwings there too. There's still quite a few berries in this area so a decent chance that the Waxwings could stay/build up.

 

[ted hilland]

Lanchester,Greencroft and Craghead

At last we have some seasonal weather, beautiful cold crispy day with proper temparatures and no mist or rain.

Had a good day out at Greencroft / lanchester area today. There is a healthy populaton of Nuthatch which were very vocal as well as four Treecreepers.

GSWood and Green Wood were seen and heard throughout the day.

A huge flock of about 150 Woodpigeon were inside the woods and a smashing flock of finches numbering up to two hundred mostly chaffinch but no sign of any Brambling though there may well have been as the flock was very mobile and hard to pin down.

Thrushes were well represented, mostly Blackbird but Redwing and Fieldfare were present.

To the rear of the Greencroft industrial estate five Common Snipe were flushed and an overhead flock of about twenty Mistle Thrush were on the move.


Craghead, and a nice mixed flock of Lapwing and Golden Plover in the fields above South Moor golf course

Nice day out great weather good birds , coupled with Greyhound racing on Sky tv tonight what more can a man want .......... oh yes B

 

[spuggy]

John it was good to meet you and Glen. I am not too dissapointed with the rail not turning up,probably the wrong type of leaves, I will have to return to see it, I bet it was there today I saw your car at the entry but did not have the time to pop in. Thanks for a good afternoon hope to see you at the weekend.

 

[seggs]

A bit of local Jarra' news (via Pablo): there's 2 Waxwings in the usual housing estate in Jarrow, on Saxon Way, near the Queens Road day centre. (ref NZ332655, www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=54.983&lon=-1.4828&scale=10000&icon=x ). Also 4 Blackcaps and plenty of Redwings there too. There's still quite a few berries in this area so a decent chance that the Waxwings could stay/build up.

hi mark do you know if the birds have been around long or just reported today? waxwings and blackcaps!!!
i know this spot is a good place for waxwing if any to grace s.tyneside in the winter.. also heard of a black redstart visiting a certain garden every spring on passage by another jarra lad..

 

[Mark Newsome]

The Waxwings are still at Jarrow this lunchtime (same area as yesterday, berries trees near the day centre). Yesterday was the first they'd been reported, but they were very mobile when I was there, so could have been in area longer. Plenty of Mistle Thrushes and Redwings there too, plus a Grey Wagtail and a Blackcap this morning. Everything scattered however when a cracking male Sparrowhawk flew straight down the middle of the street and clattered into the nearby hedge.

Whitburn was wild and windy this morning - glad we've got a stone built hide and not wood! Seawatching was OK, but no Little Auks appeared. The highlights were 2 Great Northern Divers, 1 Great Crested Grebe, a Blue Fulmar, 3 Velvet Scoters, a drake Scaup, 1 Puffin, plus a selection of other wildfowl. Auks were still very few. We watched a Razorbill on the sea getting picked up by its legs by a GB-b Gull, carried a short distance and dropped. However the Razorbill was still fit enough to hold its breath and swim for it's life, and appeared to get away unscathed, popping up behind where the Gb-b was waiting.

 

[lil-lisa]

Think I saw a garden warbler today up at Doxford International but as it 's the first one Ive ever seen I;m not 100% sure. Very much like a Robin ( but with no red breast) eating berries then hopped off into the undergrowth a bit like a Dunnock. The problem I have is that my book says they are only here from April to October. Can anyone help?

 

[IanF]

Think I saw a garden warbler today up at Doxford International but as it 's the first one Ive ever seen I;m not 100% sure. Very much like a Robin ( but with no red breast) eating berries then hopped off into the undergrowth a bit like a Dunnock. The problem I have is that my book says they are only here from April to October. Can anyone help?

Garden Warbers do migrate. Maybe Blackcap or even Cetti's Warbler - appearance and habit would fit - a good find so far north. A few Chiffchaff overwintering, but habit isn't usually skulking.

Any other ideas?

 

[Mark Newsome]

Think I saw a garden warbler today up at Doxford International but as it 's the first one Ive ever seen I;m not 100% sure. Very much like a Robin ( but with no red breast) eating berries then hopped off into the undergrowth a bit like a Dunnock. The problem I have is that my book says they are only here from April to October. Can anyone help?

Garden Warblers and Blackcaps are very similar in size and shape, and in some lights, the dull red-brown cap of a female Blackcap can look same as rest of it's upperparts (plain dull olive). A Garden Warbler would be truly exceptional (one in Devon this January was the first ever January UK record!), whereas there's a good number of Blackcaps around this winter (eg 4 at Jarrow, 6-8 in Gateshead area, 3 in Cleadon etc). In winter, they can act very differently to how they do when nesting, such as visiting bird tables. I'd say the odds are highly stacked in favour of your bird being a Blackcap. Good find though!
There's only ever been one Cetti's Warbler in Durham and as Ian says, they are skulking. However they much prefer damp habitats. Getting one at Doxford International would be probably similar odds to getting the UKs second winter Garden Warbler!

 

[Mark Newsome]

A few (rather poor) images of this mornings birding at Whitburn and Jarrow.
(GN Diver, Song Thrush and Waxwing).
Apparently there's now 6 Waxwings in Jarrow, on Abbey Road (not sure where that is though).

 

[DaveB]

Bishop Auckland (Dam Head) and Lower Teesdale

Good numbers of thrushes near Bishop Auckland Rugby Club included Redwing (50+), Blackbird (20+), Mistle Thrush (2) and Song Thrush (5). Two Treecreepers, four Great Tits, two Blue Tits, a single Robin and five Goldfinch were also in the area.

Two Red Grouse were seen at Barningham and 100+ Fieldfare were seen to the west of the village. A further four Red Grouse were close to the Stang. Poor weather then forced an early retreat.

A single Common Buzzard was seen on the outskirts of Barnard Castle.

 

[sharpy]

Just a shot of one of the Goosanders down on the Wear in Durham City
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i178/sharp5/Goosander-10.jpg
Regards Alan.

 

[JBee]

Just a shot of one of the Goosanders down on the Wear in Durham City
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i178/sharp5/Goosander-10.jpg
Regards Alan.

Great shot Alan.
Feeding station was definatley a no go area for photos today.

 

[StevieEvans]

Local Patching - Houghton-le-Spring area

CW reports :-
male Merlin nr Hetton Bogs ( species #94 for patch this year )
also 2 Jacks, 2 Rails, 4GSW & 2 Roe Deer

& from the Obs:-
1 GND, 1 Puffin & a Manxie

 

[seggs]

Just a shot of one of the Goosanders down on the Wear in Durham City
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i178/sharp5/Goosander-10.jpg
Regards Alan.

brill shot sharpy!!
love this type of photo( in action) so to speak..

 

[Mark Newsome]

Now 10 Waxwings in the housing estate at Jarrow, still along Saxon Way near the day care centre. Also 3+ Blackcaps and lots of the regular thrushes there. (photos to follow this evening). The Waxwings looked fantastic when the sun broke through for a while, even managed to get a few of the local residents out to have a look at them (the birds were a relief to one bloke - he thought I was DSS waiting outside his house with a big camera lens...).
Reports back from Whitburn Obs via Ross and Pablo sounded very similar to the last few days. This mornings totals included 5 Great Northern Divers, 3 Blue Fulmars, 3 Velvet Scoters and a Long-tailed Duck. Nine species of wildfowl in total again, same as yesterday but a different selection. The coming days should still see a few seabirds passing our coast; the wind is staying from the NW and birds should continue to trickle back north.

 

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Now 10 Waxwings in the housing estate at Jarrow, still along Saxon Way near the day care centre. Also 3+ Blackcaps and lots of the regular thrushes there. (photos to follow this evening). The Waxwings looked fantastic when the sun broke through for a while, even managed to get a few of the local residents out to have a look at them (the birds were a relief to one bloke - he thought I was DSS waiting outside his house with a big camera lens...).
Reports back from Whitburn Obs via Ross and Pablo sounded very similar to the last few days. This mornings totals included 5 Great Northern Divers, 3 Blue Fulmars, 3 Velvet Scoters and a Long-tailed Duck. Nine species of wildfowl in total again, same as yesterday but a different selection. The coming days should still see a few seabirds passing our coast; the wind is staying from the NW and birds should continue to trickle back north.

seen 9 waxwings outside omalleys pub this morning a local birder says they roost there all the time in the trees not in the bar!

 

[lil-lisa]

Thanks for the help yesterday guys. Saw the same bird on 3 seperate occasions today and it does in fact have a vey faint brown cap,,, so going with a female Blackcap. A first for me . Also saw Chaffinch-1, Great Tit-1, Bullfinch-4, Greenfinch-2, Wren-1, Magpie-6, Song Thrush-3, Blackbird -4, Robin -1 and a Kestrel hovering. The people at work thought I was going mad cos I spent most of my break just staring at the same patch of trees.

 

[Mark Newsome]

...The people at work thought I was going mad cos I spent most of my break just staring at the same patch of trees.

Now that you're 'addicted to birding', better get used to strange looks from people! This morning I had half a dozen pensioners staring and pointing at me from their day care centre and wondering why I was pointing a big lens at them. I'm sure several went away to do their hair and makeup! Another Jarra local was mouthing at me to 'f... off' from the front of his house, until he came out, borrowed my bins and saw the Waxwings for himself. He was well impressed! Amazing how interested passers-by can be if you take the time to explain what you're doing.

 

[Ross Ahmed]

Some good birding in South Tyneside today.

In addition to seawatching stuff at Whitburn and Waxwings/Blackcaps at Jarrow, got 2 Nuthatch and Treecreeper in Jarrow Cemy, adult Mediterranean Gull and Goldeneye at Boldon Flats and a Tawny Owl at West Hall.

Some interesting stuff reported in South Tyneside in past few weeks includes a Brambling today in Jarrow Cemy, a Water Pipit at Boldon Flats and Marsh Tit and Lesser Redpoll at Station Burn LNR.