Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[IanF]

Can anyone give me directions to Castle Lake? Never been and fancy going to see if stork still there tomorrow. May head over to Low Barns whilst in that area.
Is there anywhere else close to there people would recommend?
Cheers
Chris

Directions to the lake with map links are - here

That may fill your day if you're doing both Bishop Middleham and Low Barns.

 

[IanF]

I had a wander around Hurwroth Burn Reservoir this afternoon. A little gloomy starting off with blanket cloud and light drizzle but it brightened a little as time went on.

The usual suspects were along the old railway line with Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Willow Tit and Long-tailed Tit.

Over the water were Swallow, Swift, House Martin and Sand Martin.

On the water were the usual range of birds but of particular note were a pair of Black-necked Grebe. I think they may be just passing through as they stayed well out from the edge and showed no interest in checking the reed margin.

It was the first time I connected with the Buzzard that's been around the area a while - though still very distant.

Kestrel and Sparrowhawk about as well.

 

[littlebrownthing]

Cheers Ian - will try to post anything of interest that I turn up

 

[DEREK.C.]

Had a look over weardale today for the bto survey.Popped in to Waskerly Res and saw 6 Common Sandpipers, 4 Wheatear,4 Grey Wags and my first House Martins of the year. Next stop was Tunstall Res, no sign of any Flycatchers or Redstarts but saw 3 Marsh tits ,3 Great Peckers and 4 Treecreepers.

See the clubs got a Storm Petrel barbecue in july, wonder what they taste like.

 

[ALFIE TEMPLE]

BARMSTON POND:
Single Barnacle Goose with the resident Canada and Grey lag (harrassed by both).
My wife reported "3 white birds, smaller than Heron, with long necks" flying out of a field (which had horses in), less than a mile away -hence my visit to Barmston pond.
Could only have been Little Egret?

 

[The Chairman]

Just a quick note to reassure those of you who have logged into the DBC website and might have some concerns about the proposed "Storm Petrel Barbecue" in July.

The DBC are as you know committed to studying and conserving the birds of County Durham so we are not really proposing to roast these tiny seabirds -sure they would be a bit fishy and barely any meat on them anyway! (Don't suppose that would stop the French though - with no apology to any of you who may be Francophiles!)

 

[The Chairman]

BARMSTON POND:
Single Barnacle Goose with the resident Canada and Grey lag (harrassed by both).
My wife reported "3 white birds, smaller than Heron, with long necks" flying out of a field (which had horses in), less than a mile away -hence my visit to Barmston pond.
Could only have been Little Egret?

Or maybe Cattle Egrets - a lot rarer than Little but expanding their range north and with the influx of Glossy Ibis into SW England???????

Certainly worth keeping an eye open.

 

[Skelly]

single whimbrel near blanchland this evening. Also wheatear at smiddyshaw reservoir. B

 

[StevieEvans]

Got to work yesterday to find a work colleague walking round with a video camera showing everyone something she'd recorded on it that morning. Being the nosey person I am I asked about it and was shown a few mins of footage of a L.E.O sitting in a tree at the bottom of her garden and 4 GSW on her feeders... how jealous was I......

PS the stork is probably getting ready for me--lol

Hi lisa
Sounds like a very nice garden, if you have any other details youd like to pass on for the survey, then they'll be gratefully recieved.
So we can expect the stork to move northeastwards before too long then



Herrington CPk
Had hoped for Bng's, but had to make do with singles of Yellow Wagtail & Common Sandpiper.
Met a very nice woman with a swan pole - one cob there has (if you'll pardon the expression...) an injured knob 3
Poor thing... the nice lady says it appears to have been subjected to an electrical charge !!!! :eek!: (apparently flew into lecky cable).

On a serious note though, we have her phone number for taking care of injured swans & any other injured birds, inc seabirds.

SE

 

[Cyclops]

5 crap flight photos at Hetton Lyons Park

Excellent photos JBee,now can we have a pic of that bloody stork please,i'm dying to see it but its unlikely i will in Darlington

 

[JBee]

Excellent photos JBee,now can we have a pic of that bloody stork please,i'm dying to see it but its unlikely i will in Darlington

STORK you say ??????
Bugger - thats 5 hours camo'd up in Asda wasted then ||

 

[The gaffer]

Ring Ouzel

Ring ouzel in a garden next to White Horse Pub this morning, chased off by resident nesting blackbirds.

Brian

 

[littlebrownthing]

Garganey

Birdguides reporting a Garganey at Whitburn. Anyone know whereabouts it is? On the CP pond perhaps?

 

[[email protected]]

marg has buttered off?

STORK you say ??????
Bugger - thats 5 hours camo'd up in Asda wasted then ||

what happened to the tub of marg pic??Have you been censored?
our works pied wagtails are back on the Factory roof. great something to watch while i eat my bait.

 

[great bustard]

hello. Bishop Middleham today produced the following :-
Several Gadwall, shovler, tufted, mallards, GCG, Yellowhammer, yellow wagtail, can someone tell me the difference between a white wagtail and female pied wags? there were two wagtails that were like pied but light grey on the backs, i looked em up and thought they were white ones?, green woodpecker, and a kingfisher flying along the little river near the sheep and swan family, shellduck, ringed plover, oyster catcher, linnet. and i think that was it really , sorry, also coot and moorhen, starling jackdaws and wood pigeon, there , now hats defo it. (and great blue and long tailed tits)

 

[NeilF]

I also visited Bishop Middleham/Castle Lake this morning and can add the following to great bustards list; White Stork, Grey Heron, Canada Goose, Teal, Lapwing, Swallow, Sand Martin, Willow Warbler, Tree Sparrow & Reed Bunting.
I too saw the Green Woodpecker, it flew out from Carr Wood & landed on a nearby telegraph pole.

 

[JBee]

what happened to the tub of marg pic?? Have you been censored?

It would appear so, either a little humour isn't allowed or blatant advertising is frowned upon.

 

[JBee]

Today I went back to try and photograph the GCG displaying armed with the correct lens.
Unfortunately only 1 grebe on the lake
At one point I noticed it had a decent sized fish in its beak but it was right across the lake (Insert shows uncropped picture) - a bit too far even for the Sigmonster and 1.4 converter.
However on processing the images on the computer I have just spotted a bird on the re-enforced bank. (circled in red)
I'm going to take a wild guess at green sandpiper and if so I'll be a bit miffed I didnt spot it "in the flesh"

 

[Ian Hamiltan]

Today I went back to try and photograph the GCG displaying armed with the correct lens.
Unfortunately only 1 grebe on the lake
At one point I noticed it had a decent sized fish in its beak but it was right across the lake (Insert shows uncropped picture) - a bit too far even for the Sigmonster and 1.4 converter.
However on processing the images on the computer I have just spotted a bird on the re-enforced bank. (circled in red)
I'm going to take a wild guess at green sandpiper and if so I'll be a bit miffed I didnt spot it "in the flesh"

hi jbee
its a common sandpiper

 

[JBee]

hi jbee
its a common sandpiper

Thanks Ian - just as frustrating as I havent any shots of one of those either