Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[StevieEvans]

?

Does anyone know when the work at Castle Lake stops today? I was one of last night's disappointed Yorkshiremen, and couldn't believe it when it was on this morning. Hoping to try tonight but no point if work carries on into the evening.

Where will all yesterday's waders have gone? Are there any other pools nearby? The WP must have been somewhere nearby last night.

Hi
Who's told you it was there today ?
Nobody we know has seen it today....
(Work finished for today)

Birds today included Common Tern, Kingfisher, Peregrine, 3 Ruff, 2 Greenshank etc

Cheers
SE

 

[DEREK.C.]

I am presuming the red eye marking denotes a juvenile - changing to yellow at some stage.

Your getting better John, i can see you giving us a talk on the species of your site of scientific interest before long .

 

[JBee]

Your getting better John, i can see you giving us a talk on the species of your site of scientific interest before long .

I'm good at guessing sometimes

 

[Lawts]

Hi
Who's told you it was there today ?
Nobody we know has seen it today....
(Work finished for today)

Birds today included Common Tern, Kingfisher, Peregrine, 3 Ruff, 2 Greenshank etc

Cheers
SE

Birdguides reporting bird still present this morning at 07.00

 

[boroboy]

a wilsons phalarope as just being been found at catterick race course on a pool there must be the same bird?

 

[The Chairman]

Does anyone know when the work at Castle Lake stops today? I was one of last night's disappointed Yorkshiremen, and couldn't believe it when it was on this morning. Hoping to try tonight but no point if work carries on into the evening.

Where will all yesterday's waders have gone? Are there any other pools nearby? The WP must have been somewhere nearby last night.

Not certain who put message on Birdguides today but I was down there until 7am and there was no sign of it although weather was very poor with heavy rain so could have been sheltering out of view. Its possible that Birdguides picked up a posting from this Forum today which relating to YESTERDAY morning as the bird was not present at dusk last night.

Fortunately for you Yorkshiremen it appears to have moved straight down the A1 near to Catterick and was reported there this afternoon. Good luck and always seems better to get it in your own County anyway.

 

[SteveClifton]

I had the bird for about 40 minutes this evening at Catterick Racecourse lake (not the one on the middle of the racecourse), but unfortunately it flew off before I managed to get any photos (it was dark and drizzling-typical for when you find a decent bird on your patch!). I phoned it into RBA who obviously put the news out. Looked identical to the Bishop-Middleham bird (surprise-surprise!)which I saw a couple of days ago.

 

[waxyplumer]

Phalar-hopeless

Despite the weather and missing out on the Wilsons Phalarope,I've had a pretty good weekend.Bishop Middleham yesterday,spent the morning with the rest of the shovellers at Castle Lake doing a little more work on the island and having a laugh.No Phalarope but managed; Peregrine,Ruff,Kingfisher, Greenshank,Common Sandpiper,Snipe,Ringed Plover,Dunlin etc..etc.. Whitburn obs this morning,very enjoyable with new lifers for me Sooty Shearwaters and Great Skuas with excellent close views of both.Apparently one of the best morning seawatches for a while according to the regulars.The list of birds seemed endless.Thanks to the lads this morning for the "introduction to seawatching" and pointing out to me all the manxies,bonxies,sooties and all the other birds with proper names I can't remember.Never let the weather put you off, I'm glad I didn't.Cheers lads.

Mick Gibson.

 

[The Chairman]

Despite the weather and missing out on the Wilsons Phalarope,I've had a pretty good weekend.Bishop Middleham yesterday,spent the morning with the rest of the shovellers at Castle Lake doing a little more work on the island and having a laugh.No Phalarope but managed; Peregrine,Ruff,Kingfisher, Greenshank,Common Sandpiper,Snipe,Ringed Plover,Dunlin etc..etc.. Whitburn obs this morning,very enjoyable with new lifers for me Sooty Shearwaters and Great Skuas with excellent close views of both.Apparently one of the best morning seawatches for a while according to the regulars.The list of birds seemed endless.Thanks to the lads this morning for the "introduction to seawatching" and pointing out to me all the manxies,bonxies,sooties and all the other birds with proper names I can't remember.Never let the weather put you off, I'm glad I didn't.Cheers lads.

Mick Gibson.

Pleased you enjoyed it Michael and for those of you who weren't there here's the best of what you missed from dawn until 12 noon -ish.

Sooty Shearwater 17N 1S
Manx Shearwater 92N 17S
Gannet 470N
seven species of duck including
Teal 470N 75S
Wigeon 8N
Scaup 1N
Common Scoter 83N 21S
11 species of wader including
Grey Plover 2N
Knot 7N
Bar tailed Godwit 3N
Whimbrel 73N 4S
Ruff 1S
Bonxie 3N 4S
Arctic Skua 10N 19S
four species of tern including 1 Roseate

Many of the birds were very close giving superb views.

The forecast looks good for seawatching at least for the next 2-3 days (some predictions have the N-NW wind lasting as long as Friday morning). With high pressure over Scandinavia there is also the possibility of a few passerine migrants turning up at the coast so it looks like a few short days at work in the week ahead for many of us.

Good luck and don't forget to send in your records to DBC. Thanks.

 

[ColinSev]

Low Barns

Visited Low Barns this afternoon - it was very quiet bird wise, suppose the birds don`t like the squally wind and showers either.

However whilst down by the river I noticed a bird of prey high up and 2 crows were mobbing it. I got the bins focussed on it just before it dissappeared behind the tree line - it was about twice the size of the crows and greyish white - then it disappeared. I can only assume that it was a Goshawk - however can`t be certain.

That was the only interesting thing I saw there oh and a grey wagtail on the river. Should have gone to the coast me thinks.

Drove through Kininvie on way home and in the field just outide were 200 lapwings with 100 Golden Plovers mixed among them.

 

[DEREK.C.]

Castle Lake

Had to go to Trimdon this morning, i knew Castle Lake would be to tempting, so i had to pop in before i set off home.
Wilsons gone, but still plenty about 3 Ruff,3 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper and a single Green Sandpiper. Counted 35 Pied Wagtail and 26 Little Grebe.

 

[Shaggy2070]

Hetton Bogs

Spent the day at Jaybee & C.W.s hide.
First thing I saw was a Kingfisher followed by the usual Blue, Great, Coal and Willow Tits. After about half an hour a Water Rail came out into the open for a feed followed by two young Moorhens. Only two types of Finch, 1 Chaffinch and a family of four young Bullfinch. Other birds at the hide were Robin,Dunnock, Willow Warbler, Mallard, Wren and Magpie.
At one point a Willow Tit had a lucky escape when a Stoat climbed onto the bird table as it came in to land.
The Water Rail came out into the open throughout the day up untill I left at 4 o'clock.

Fly overs were 2 Sparrowhawks, Kestrel, 2 Carrion Crows, 3 Jackdaws, 4 Wood Pigeons, and about 5 Gulls

 

[seggs]

dipped big style with the wilsons..p. went twice friday and saturday..nope not to be!..but still nice to get good views of ruff,greenshank and l.r.plovers..
great to visit a new location..
still i only live 30 minutes away not like the couple i met on saturday who had travelled from preston..!
limited time today meant going to lizard point on the way to work..11ish for 40 minutes..
33 common scoter(3 small flocks)..3 velvet scoter(together)..12 teal...12 eiders..all ducks heading north..2 manxs..massive gannet movement ..

 

[IanF]

Spent the day at Jaybee & C.W.s hide.
First thing I saw was a Kingfisher followed by the usual Blue, Great, Coal and Willow Tits. After about half an hour a Water Rail came out into the open for a feed followed by two young Moorhens. Only two types of Finch, 1 Chaffinch and a family of four young Bullfinch. Other birds at the hide were Robin,Dunnock, Willow Warbler, Mallard, Wren and Magpie.
At one point a Willow Tit had a lucky escape when a Stoat climbed onto the bird table as it came in to land.
The Water Rail came out into the open throughout the day up untill I left at 4 o'clock.

Fly overs were 2 Sparrowhawks, Kestrel, 2 Carrion Crows, 3 Jackdaws, 4 Wood Pigeons, and about 5 Gulls

Great set of photos Shaggy - especially of the Water Rail. I nearly headed up there myself this afternoon, but instead stayed on my patch. Staying local though paid dividend as I picked up two new species for Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park - one a bird Spotted Flycatcher and the other a butterfly - Speckled Wood.

Plenty of other stuff around as well - full report - here

 

[DEREK.C.]

2 Little Egrets at Greatham Creek, plus a single Greenshank and 6 Ruff amongst the Redshanks and Dunlin.

 

[seggs]

lizard point 11.15

been to the car park again today for a hour or so,visabilty poor out to sea..
heres what i seen close in..
103 common scoter
366 gannets
83 eiders
1 g.c.grebe
2 mallards
2 bonxies
3 sooty shears.
8 manx shears.
all the above mainly heading north..also 95 oystercatchers..23 redshanks
to note
excellent hour in the car!

 

[MalR]

been to the car park again today for a hour or so,visabilty poor out to sea..
theres what i seen close in..
103 common scoter
366 gannets
83 eiders
1 g.c.grebe
2 mallards
2 bonxies
3 sooty shears.
8 manx shears.
all the above mainly heading north..also 95 oystercatchers..23 redshanks
to note
excellent hour in the car!

Steve,

Were you by any chance in a maroon estate car? I think I might have arrived just before you left. Gannet passage was still heavy into the early afternoon. I saw four manxies. No sooties or bonxies, unfortunately. One nice bird was a whimbrel south over the car park, which very considerately called as it went over, otherwise I would have missed it.

Stopped off at whitburn on the way home. Two adult med gulls and two adult common gulls among the black-headed gulls at the water's edge on the beach south of whitburn steel. Good mixed flock of waders picking over the seaweed, including one ruff. First one I've seen there.

All in all, a nice couple of hours despite the gloom and the wind.

Malcolm

 

[great bustard]

saw my first osprey today!!!! At whittle dene resovoir (out of the area i know but still chuffed)

 

[seggs]

Steve,

Were you by any chance in a maroon estate car? I think I might have arrived just before you left. Gannet passage was still heavy into the early afternoon. I saw four manxies. No sooties or bonxies, unfortunately. One nice bird was a whimbrel south over the car park, which very considerately called as it went over, otherwise I would have missed it.

Stopped off at whitburn on the way home. Two adult med gulls and two adult common gulls among the black-headed gulls at the water's edge on the beach south of whitburn steel. Good mixed flock of waders picking over the seaweed, including one ruff. First one I've seen there.

All in all, a nice couple of hours despite the gloom and the wind.

Malcolm

hi malcolm
yes that was me in my portable skip..
the main passage of duck etc., died down a bit just before 12....found this yesterday too..
hope to meet you soon

 

[littlebrownthing]

Scopes

I know this is slightly off topic but can anyone recommend a good dealer for spotting scopes? Got some money coming and want to invest in a scope (second hand would do) but dont know where to start. Looking at paying up to about £400 as that's all I can stretch to.
Cheers
Chris