Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[Mark Newsome]

Enjoyed a mornings raptor watching south of Greta Bridge. No Red Kites found but several Buzzards seen, 5+ Sparrowhawks and a Goshawk. The Stang was alive with Lesser Redpolls and a few Siskins, and there were still a handful of Redwing and Fieldfare nearby.
Bishop Middleham on the way home produced 1 GC Grebe, 1 Ruddy Duck, 1 Green Sandpiper, 5 Wigeon and 2 singing Corn Buntings by Castle Lake. Surprisingly I saw no hirundines at all.
The Golden Plover flock (485) was still at Houghton Gate, looking superb in the sunshine. Also still 130 Curlews there.

Several Red Kites were found by others on today's survey, with The Chairman finding 2 near Cockfield and Pablo Hugelist getting 1 near Derwent Res. A good few Goshawks were also seen by the Kite watchers at various locations.

 

[IanF]

Hurworth Burn this evening produced one LEO and two LO were nearby. Also bumped into Hutch :t:

Other birds seen included Swallow, Willow Tit, Chiffchaff 3+, Red Bunting, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Yellowhammer, Lapwing, Blackbird, Wren, Fieldfare, Curlew, Pied Wagtail and Woodcock.

 

[hutch]

great too see ianf at Hurworth Burn directions were spot on :clap: jan as allways when it comes to meat eaters was the first to see a leo i only got a quick veiw as it flow off, we wil be back

amazing how she sees owls but anything else has to land on her

 

[Cyclops]

Was putting the shopping trolleys away yesterday(i work at somerfield) and spotted a hawk flying over,probably a kestrel

 

[DEREK.C.]

Elemore Hall
14 chiff chaffs singing this week throughout the woods but still no willow warblers or black caps. 4 redwing including a singing male still in the area.
The buzzards are keeping a low profile all of a sudden,although one has been heard calling from cover once or twice. 3 pair of sparrowhawks are still soaring occasionally , with 2 kestrel nests discovered this week.
The wetland still holds 8 curlew,25 lapwing, 6 snipe+ pairs of heron, reed bunting and oystercatcher.
Put myself out this weekend and covered the whole area and counted the following~ goldcrest =16 singing males
song thrush 14 pair +
robin= 32 singing males
great spotted pecker 4 pair
jay 3 possibly4 pair
but the most common bird by far is the chaffinch , only a fool would try to count those, so i might give it a go next week

 

[Mark Newsome]

Elemore Hall
14 chiff chaffs singing this week ...

Excellent stuff Derek. Not many people do full censuses of their local birds but it can be really productive (ask Colin Wilson - he knows pretty well every bird on his patch on a personal basis!). It'll give a good incentive to do the same next year again, see what's increased and what's decreased.

Willow Warbler and House Martin reported from Shibdon Pond today. Also still just a trickle of Sandwich Terns past Whitburn today (PH) - no real spring rush in any of the seabirds yet, with Gannets remaining very low in number.

 

[seggs]

visited washington wetlands centre today...
only have limited time this weekend at home to spare before heading down south again... so had to get the durham tick for avocets this year incase they do not stay and nest...but the signs are good for breeding.. seem well settled and not bothered about the noise from visitors...worth the entrance fee alone!!!.. i think a public information board in the hide telling people about the birds would be good as we had to explain to quite a few visitors that they are wild!!..and the only pair in durham breeding ..also a black tailed godwit in s.p. here. and the herons nesting told 38 birds here..
.. loads of chiffchaffs singing around the centre...at least 6 pairs of bullies at the feeding station along with the usual suspects...
stopped at boldon flats on the way back.. 25+ curlew..2 redshank..4 herons...8+ yellowhammer...30+ linnet...15+ tree sparrow..

 

[JBee]

New species at feeding station.
5 individuals took up residence on all the main feeding poles.
Not sure where they flew in from.
After my botched stock dove ID I'm hesitant to suggest these could be yellowhammer.
Positive ID welcome.

 

[level seven]

New species at feeding station.
5 individuals took up residence on all the main feeding poles.
Not sure where they flew in from.
After my botched stock dove ID I'm hesitant to suggest these could be yellowhammer.
Positive ID welcome.

It does look very much like a yellowhammer at first sight, but look closely at those red feet. That's what gives the game away. I'll leave it to the experts to actually ID it though as I'm way out of my depth.

 

[NeilF]

Had a run through to Tunstall Reservoir this morning, passed a large (100+) flock of Fieldfare at High Stoop.
The reservoir was quiet only 6 Greylags and 1 Cormorant.
The 'nature reserve' at the northern end had a pair of Goosander, a Heron and a couple of singing Chiffchaff.
Seen elsewhere around the area of the reservoir were 1 GS Woodpecker, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Redshank, 2 Moorhen, 1 Coal Tit & 1 Mistle Thrush.

 

[StevieEvans]

It wouldnt be Easter without ducklings...

female Mallard with 14 chicks a few days old at Wolsingham, also Dippers carrying food there.
train ride up the dale saw half a dozen Sand Martins back at their colony & a handful of Goosanders.

Sherburn House
Quick morning visit with my little helper
4 Sand Martins back at the tiny colony.
Multiple Chiffchaffs - after reading Dereks post i feel a bit guilty about not bothering to count 'em !
Again only a single male Blackcap singing intermitantly & a Willow Warbler seemingly unwilling & unable to finish off his tune properly, watched at close range in a very quiet sub-song.
Tawny sat close to nest tree - presumably the male bird.
Nuthatch pair have seen off the Blue Tits & finished off the mud plastering work, with vegetative nest material carried into the old woodpecker hole today.
Still a decent Redwing flock of 38+ birds, several breaking off from feeding to fly up to sing from tree tops.
2 views of Kingfisher - 1 Orange, the other Blue.
Others inc Yaffle, drumming GSW, Treecreeper, Kestrel pair etc.



Another active Long-eared Owl nest located. (in an old crows) :t:


Hetton Lyons today
single Wheatear & Stonechat
3 each of Little & Tawny
2 GCG & 28 Mutes

Bogs Today
8 singing Chiffchaff
1 Jack Snipe 1 Kingfisher


Sedgeletch yesterday Morning
singing Willow Warbler

SE

 

[DaveB]

Hurworth Burn (yesterday)

A single Common Buzzard was seen from the old railway line. Other birds seen from the footpath included Sand Martin (5), Kestrel (1), Bullfinch (at least 2), Skylark (1+), Lapwing (5+), Curlew (2), Great Tit (2), Blue Tit (4+), Long–tailed Tit (4+), Blackbird (2) and Yellowhammer (1 heard).

At least twenty Tufted Duck were on the reservoir, along with seven Great Crested Grebe, five Goldeneye, three Cormorants, nine Wigeon, one Pochard and one Ruddy Duck. Approximately eighty Greylag Geese and at least ten Canada Geese were in surrounding fields.

At least one Long–eared Owl (possibly two) were in the area.

A pair of Little Owls, two Grey Partridge and approximately thirty Linnets were seen on the return journey.

Good to see IanF & Hutch.

DaveB

 

[The Chairman]

A 2 hour walk round Tunstall Hills this morning but still no Willow Warblers in yet. Nice male Sparrowhawk and Long tailed Tit nest building with Willow Tits excavating in elder as usual. Light passage north of Meadow Pipits and a White Wag also flew north but only other possible migrant was a Goldcrest. Prompted by DerekC Elemore posting I had a count of some common stuff and surprised to find totals of 33 singing male Wrens and 20 singing male Dunnocks.

 

[Cyclops]

Ooh, nearly forgot! I heard a GS Woodpecker yesterday drumming in the woods near the reserve in Darlington.
No chance of spotting it but it was great to hear!

 

[[email protected]]

red kite

Liam and I saw a red kite take a meadow pipit on the wing this morning at byermoor.it kept a hold of it for about 30 sec then drop(dead) it in a field and flew away without eating it?

 

[seggs]

marsden quay and surrounding area this am..
did not pick the little owls up but was surprised by the number of birds here.. 20+ greenfinchs...15+ goldfinchs...5 great tits...6 blue tits...5 singing robins..3 wrens..1 pair of reed buntings..1 cock pheasant..1 female kestrel..10+ linnet..10+ meadow pipits.. not bad for a area full of empty fosters cans and litter!..
then had a walk arround the coastal park..
again no migrants seen but nice all the same...
3 pair of reed buntings in the reserve area ( cracking male birds!)...10+ linnet...3 great tits... 4 blue tits..4 meadow pipits...3 singing skylarks...
a feeding frenzy was going on out to sea...along with the usual gulls and cormorants...4 razorbills and 3 r.t.divers joining in..
noticed yesterday that the main cormorant breeding ground is now the stack off lizard point.this used to be only herring gull ground.. no cormorants at all on marsden yesterday..

 

[DEREK.C.]

Had a look to bishop middleham this afternoon, and got off to a great start with a little ringed plover being the first bird seen at the roadside pool.
Castle lake held 3-4 pair of shelduck,shovelar,gadwall + 8 sand martin,single green sandpiper, great crested grebes and little grebes+ peregrine flying over. Canada goose, lapwing and oystercatcher all look like nesting on the island up to now. Castle farm held dozens of yellowhammer,chaffinch +half a dozen redwing and tree sparrow .

 

[One Man and His Dog]

birds of interest

Shibdon pond: 2 gadwall,10sandmartins,1willow warbler

Lamsley meadows:1green sandpiper,4little ringed plovers,2swallow,

thanx
steve

 

[seggs]

hi some pics from yesterday my first outing with dslr camera
i hope i manage to get them on the post... apologys if they dont new to this

 

[seggs]

well managed to get them on but will not open up?!!!! :storm: help!!