Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[IanF]

Hartlepool Headland - called back this afternoon for a little wander around. No new birds and some existing ones look as if they've moved out.

Brambling x1
Blackcap x4
Redwing x21
Goldcrest x30+
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Linnet

On the shore - at high tide

Turnstone
Purple Sandpiper x20+
Redshank
Cormorant on the sea

 

[StevieEvans]

This Thursday Evening, 19:30 University of Durham, off Stockton Road
DBC Indoor Meeting.
" 36 Years and Counting; the Kibblesworth Common Bird Census " talk by Fred Milton.

Should be an interesting one & Fred can be quite funny....

Grid ref: NZ276415
Web Address: www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=54.7686&lon=-1.571&scale=25000&icon=x

Talk about Kibblesworth very interesting.
36 years of constant study, data collection & analysis of survey results....
The overall picture did show some losses but on the whole species diversity & no's had increased since 1970.
150 pr's of all species in '70 compared with 500 pr's in 2005.

A total of 99 species have been recorded in the 36 year... the list included rarities like Hoopoe, RBShrike, Bluethroat & Hen Harrier nearby.

An couple of interesting points were all the data & bird records were factored into the Opencast Conditions & also the farmers friends all wanted surveys & bird boxes on their land too.

 

[Mark Newsome]

Still a few birds left on South Tyneside coast - Little Bunting at Marsden Quarry (though exceptionally elusive!), Siberian Stonechat next to Whitburn Obs, still Yellow-broweds at Marsden and Whitburn CP, a couple of Black Reds by Whitburn Obs and 7 Bewick's Swans heading south offshore. Goldcrest numbers are still high, but thrushes are generally well down. The next couple of days will probably see most migrants clear off.

 

[russkie]

dawdon and hawthorne this morning

still remnants of the goldcrests
song thrushes - a few on elderberry
yellowhammer - 4
meadow pipit - couple of dozen
greenfinch - dozen
stonechat - 3
blackbird - 6 feeding on elderberry
goldfinch - flock of 12
blackcap - female

 

[russkie]

slavonian grebe - Hetton Lyons - large lake - showing well

 

[Mark Newsome]

Reasonable wildfowl movement off Whitburn today, including 8 Barnacle Geese (in off) and 9 Long-tailed Ducks. Also 5 Sootys, 1 Manx, 2 Poms and 25+ Little Gulls. 3 Lap Buntss are still on the Leas and a Black Red is still by the Obs at Whitburn.

The sluice gate has been put into Boldon Flats this week - just in time for this rainy weekend - and the flood water is already over the ditches. Lots of birds are arriving, including 65+ Wigeon and good numbers of Lapwing and Golden Plovers. Worth checking if your passing through the area.

 

[StevieEvans]

Slavonian grebe - Hetton Lyons - large lake - showing well

Second site record (previous one over ten year ago), showing down to 20metres. Also 2 Jack Snipe, 1 Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher & Brambling there.

An hour with Russkie late this afternoon in the wet (checking a farm site for nest box provision) produced :- Brambling, Willow Tit, Woodcock, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Bulfinch, 40 Redwing.

Another Slavonian Grebe ots with 500 Common Scoter at Blackhall Rocks.

17 Golden Plover at Waldridge Fell.

SE

Hunting Barn Owl reported between High Schincliffe & Bowburn

 

[john gardiner]

Slavonian Grebe still on large lake at Hetton Lyons. Showind Well.

 

[Mark Newsome]

A crowded hide at Whitburn failed to connect with Flamborough's Fea's Petrel from this morning. However an excellent Leach's Petrel went north, plus 14 Little Auks, 5 Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Pom Skuas, 85 Little Gulls, and a decent variety of backup wildfowl and seabirds.

 

[StevieEvans]

Boldon Flats early evening.
2 Black tailed Godwits, drake Gadwall, 56+Wigeon, 40+Teal, 50+Redshank, 2 Curlew, 250 Lapwing.
2 Woodcocks out to feed at dusk at Flats Bridge / Cattery.

I am overjoyed to report i have finally seen one of the fabled Leech's Guillemots north past Whitburn......! thanks to the seawatching experts at Whitburn Obs.

SE

 

[Mark Newsome]

Maybe I should have pointed out that the Leach's Petrel was in late October, in south-easterly winds and on a flat sea. They CAN and DO occur in these conditions (despite similar records in the past being rubbished by 'local birders' who weren't even seawatching at the time), although to avoid the record being rejected by the DBC, the species does have to be spelt correctly on the written description.
Forgive my frivolity - thank goodness those days are hopefully over... :clap:

 

[StevieEvans]

Leeches Petrol ? :brains:

 

[Bonsaibirder]

Leach's

Hi Mark/Stevie,

It was a good crack in the seawatching hide yesterday. The Leach's Petrel was great and the Pom Skua was good too! Really enjoyed it and didn't lose too many brownie points either.

Looking forward to the next time.

Cheers,

Steve

 

[Denis J]

Just spent 2 hours at Seaham docks hoping for a Little auk to fly past...not a sign but did see a red necked grebe fly past south and goldeneye past north then my wife looked into the dock ...you guessed it Little auk 50 yards away on the water)

 

[StevieEvans]

Herrington Country Park
Last hour of daylight, a good selection of species at this easy & very accessible (much of it can be viewed from car park) & busy site.
Only 3KM from Barmston & 2KM from the tidal R.Wear, surely only a matter of time before it turns something up....
Winter species include Short-eared Owl, Jack Snipe & Green Sand.

fem Goldeneye, fem Pochard, 67 Canadas, 2 Greylag, 3pr of adult Mute Swans + (5 & 4 youngsters), 167 Mallard, 4 Little Grebe, 35 Tufted Duck, 50 Coot, 1 Wigeon, 4 Teal, 6 Moorhen.

1 Green Sandpiper, 8 Common Snipe, 40 Lapwing, 3 Redshank, 2 Heron. Singles of Grey & Pied Wagtails

Finally had a flock of Fieldfare, 11 going over the pools.
Other species:- Reed Bunting, Skylark, Mipit, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Redwing.

Slav Grebe remains on Hetton Lyons.

 

[russkie]

sparrow count on garden feeder at home

tree - 7
house - 3

 

[Mark Newsome]

A sign of the times... I had up to 25 Tree Sparrows at the back of my house last winter, mainly due to an adjacent setaside field, but this is now back to wheat. No sign of a regular flock so far this autumn...

 

[russkie]

yeah i had 25 + last couple of years but down to single figures at the moment - fingers crossed for their return

 

[StevieEvans]

South Bents today at work.
1 Merlin over southwards, mobbed by 2 Kestrels.
5 Siskin, 1 Meadow Pipit & 5 Skylark over south.
7 Goldcrest, 2 Blue Tit & 1 Coal Tit in gardens.
SE

Very Productive meeting of Projects & Surveys Group tonight.
Discused promoting participation & co-ordinating fieldwork to produce effective results, & means of results publication.
A Dozen "Core Species" have been chosen for surveying, every single record of these is required (New Year '06 Launch)
Update on 2005 fieldwork.
A draft survey programme has been listed for 2006.
Other topics discussed Urban Gull Colonies, Nestbox schemes, Training days for New Surveyors.
SE

Very Vocal Barn Owl over Hetton last night .......

 

[IanF]

Bishop Middleham by Castle Lake today.

Grey Wagtail x2
Pied Wagtail
Whooper Swan x4
Mute Swan
Snipe
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
Little Grebe
Goldeneye
Shoveler
Kestrel
Redwing x9
Fieldfare x21
Meadow Pipit
Cormorant

Fox x1

Still dipped Little Owl - though the farmer was very active that area and of course it's school hols - so kids!

Hurworth Burn
Great Crested Grebe
Redwing
Fieldfare
Goldeneye
Wigeon
Cormoroant
Little Grebe
Ruddy Duck
Redshank
Goldcrest
Grey Heron
Kestrel
Barnacle Goose x1 in with 51 Canada Goose.

Weasel

Hartlepool Headland
Oystercatcher
Guillemot
Purple Sandpiper
Redshank
Turnstone
Cormorant
Shag
Dunlin

Still a few Goldcrest and Redwing about as well.