Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[MalR]

bishop middleham

Paid my first ever visit to this site this afternoon. It really is impressive – stork or no stork! In fact, there was no stork on Castle Lake when I arrived (about 12.30), but a couple I met put me on to it and we had distant flight views as it soared above the trees on the far side of the motorcycle circuit. It later returned to Castle Lake and I was able to enjoy better views. So, for anyone planning to go down: if the stork isn't there when you arrive, don't despair. It's obviously fairly mobile and may well turn up. Apart from that, and the species listed by greatbustard and NeilF, there were a few corn buntings around, all in good voice. Seems like a good area for them.

Malcolm

 

[Bonsaibirder]

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

Hi LBT,

Sorry for late reply but have only just seen your post - the Garganey was seen during a seawatch, flying north with two Common Scoter !!

Indeed, we managed a duck extravaganza (10 wildfowl species!) during the seawatch this morning.

Canada Goose
Shelduck (5)
Tufted Duck
Scaup (2)
Eider
Goldeneye
Common Scoter
Mallard
Goosander
Garganey

also two Manx Shearwaters, Sandwich Terns, Common Terns etc

Cheers,

 

[patmartin]

There is a Lesser black backed gull snagged on one of the posts in the middle of Barmston pond,looks like it needs some intervention of the human kind if it is to escape a grim fate.

 

[IanF]

I had a look down to Seaton Snook this afternoon hoping for Ring Ouzel as some were reported there this morning and 20-30 have been reported along the coast south of the river.

No sign of any but c40 Wheatear in the field behind the power station, c.40 Golden Plover in full summer plumage, Linnet, Mipit, Canada Goose, Pied Wagtail, Magpie and Sky Lark.

 

[JBee]

Displaying grebes was a little difficult with just a single bird so had to make do.
It spent a lot of time looking skyward - for signs of its mate possibly????
Bird kept quite a distance off due to the local kayak clubs Sunday paddle.

 

[Ian Hamiltan]

There is a Lesser black backed gull snagged on one of the posts in the middle of Barmston pond,looks like it needs some intervention of the human kind if it is to escape a grim fate.

im afraid i wont be there until tuesday by that time itll probably be dead
unless someone turns up with waders and a rubber dingy before then.
its a tough life being a bird.

 

[JBee]

Few more bits and bobs from Hetton Lyons today

 

[Ian Hamiltan]

Few more bits and bobs from Hetton Lyons today

what fantastic shots.

 

[IanF]

No sign of any Marsh Harrier at Dormans Pool this evening, but the SEO put on a good display as it played tag again with a couple of Crows.

 

[JBee]

No sign of any Marsh Harrier at Dormans Pool this evening, but the SEO put on a good display as it played tag again with a couple of Crows.

Only one SEO Ian - you lost your lucky rabbits foot |:d|

 

[Cyclops]

Looked out the kitchen window while doing tea and I saw House Martins wheeling overhead!
Summer's on its way!

 

[The Chairman]

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)

Female and juvenile Pied Wagtails can easily be confused with White Wagtail but they invariably show grey on the flanks just below the wing. White Wags are a much "cleaner" bird overall and if you are in doubt check the flanks as they are always very clean white on White Wags even in autumn. For further information on these two and other "tricky" species I would highly recommend The MacMillan Field Guide to Bird Identification. (Harris, Tucker & Vinicombe). Its almost 20 years old now and doesn't cover everything but is a very useful addition to the birding library.

 

[littlebrownthing]

Brilliant day

What a great day - seen absolutely loads of stuff including 3 new birds to add to my life list!!
Over 50 species today which I wont bore you with but highlights were:
Whitburn CP: Wheatear, Tree Sparrow and Sparrowhawk
St Mary's Island: Garganey, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler
Stoneybeck Lake: Little Ringed Plover, Corn Bunting, Peregrine, Gadwall
Castle Lake: White Stork, 1st Willow Warbler of year, Corn Buntings again
Then dinner in Cross Keys in Bishop Middleham - AWESOME

 

[StevieEvans]

Paid my first ever visit to this site this afternoon. It really is impressive – stork or no stork! In fact, there was no stork on Castle Lake when I arrived (about 12.30), but a couple I met put me on to it and we had distant flight views as it soared above the trees on the far side of the motorcycle circuit. It later returned to Castle Lake and I was able to enjoy better views. So, for anyone planning to go down: if the stork isn't there when you arrive, don't despair. It's obviously fairly mobile and may well turn up. Apart from that, and the species listed by greatbustard and NeilF, there were a few corn buntings around, all in good voice. Seems like a good area for them.

Malcolm

Nice to see so many people enjoying the site over recent days.

We got through for 8ish but the Stork didnt appear at Castle Lake (from south) till 10:30. It skimmed the tree tops at the railway line as it came by. What a huge bird!

Nice to meet up with FredM, a previous long term club official who put Castle Lake on the map several years ago.
Even Fred (like several others..) wasnt sure exactly what the access situation was........ there will be a few marker posts in due course to guide visitors, untill the Nature Reserve interpretive signs arrive in summer.

Fresh migrants included single Dunlin, Pochard, Wigeon & 3 Common Sand. Obviously birds moving through on a daily basis - although the turn over of birders insnt usually so great....


HBurn briefly on cool wet afternoon.
all 3 hirundines & a Swift gliding close by giving good views over the embankment between the water bodies.
2 Lesser Whitethroats, walking north from car park, one singing male showing reasonably well on RHS just before you leave the cutting.

SE

 

[JBee]

Little grebe

Half a day at Seaton pond to photograph ruddy duck (7 of them there)
However they seem to have a line drawn through the middle of the lake that they wont cross.
So I gave them the cold shoulder in favour of the 6 little grebes about 80 yards in front of me.
It was great watching them chase and mop up as a large hatch took place on the water.
Very poor photos as they were so far off (and they are small) but worth keeping for the memory.
PS - no sign of the male and female shoveler there yesterday.

 

[JBee]

Few more little grebe behavioural photos.
Sorry - once again - long way off so quality down the pan.

 

[IanF]

Zinc Works Road Monday morning held three Whinchat which were sat along the roadside fence posts. One Ring Ouzel on the field behind the powerstation with c.30 Golden Plover still. Loads of Wheatear dotted around the field and along Zinc Works Road where also two lots of Stonechat paired up.

 

[The gaffer]

Coutlhard Park

I had some business in Cleadon Village yesterday and decided to have a look at this park which I never seen mentioned. It does look like it has something to offer as it is not the usual manicured type of park but still has wild areas, few proper footpaths and lots of mature trees.

Plenty of chaffinch, greenfinch and goldfinch, blue and great tits, song thrush and blackbirds. A local was telling me that there is normally a woodpecker in there but I could not find it.

I did spot a tawny owl being harrassed by a cock blackbird but unfortunately did not have my camera with me - typical!! The owl was roosting in a tree only a few metres away from the footpath.

Brian

 

[Ian Hamiltan]

thru north hylton early am yesterday was a reeling
grasshopper warbler and the usual bird was still reeling from
nissan later.
up to barmston pond
pr little grebes
pr mute swan
pr greylag geese with 5 gosling
6-8 mallard
10 tufted duck
8-10 coot
4-6 moorhen
pheasant
woodpigeon
skylark
wren
blackbird
sedge warbler
2 blackcap
lesser whitethroat
3-4 willow warbler
chiffchaff
great tit
jackdaw
chaffinch
reed bunting
back thru n.hylton
cormorant
shelduck
phasant
oystercatcher
curlew
redshank
herring gull
lbb gull
woodpigeon
collared dove
skylark
wren
dunnock
robin
blackbird
song thrush
grasshopper warbler still reeling
6 blackcap
lesser whitethroat
10 willow warbler
3 chiffchaff
coal tit
blue tit
great tit
magpie
jackdaw
carrion crow
house sparrow
chaffinch
greenfinch
goldfinch
bullfinch
2 yellowhammer
thru timber beach was a singing lesser whitethroat

 

[Ian Hamiltan]

There is a Lesser black backed gull snagged on one of the posts in the middle of Barmston pond,looks like it needs some intervention of the human kind if it is to escape a grim fate.

i was at barmston pond on the following tuesday and the gull
was stll snagged up and still alive.