Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[DEREK.C.]

Had a look over Weardale today, quiet at first ,apart from the Red Grouse, then saw two Snow Bunting on the road side near Waskerley carpark.
Next drove through Blanchland to Hunstanworth where 200 finches flew up , closer inspection revealed around 150 of them were Brambling , they soon came back down to feed on beechmast in the churchyard.
Decent day for Buzzards with 6-7 seen , before the mist came down.

 

[StevieEvans]

DBC Castle Lake Nature Reserve
brief visit
2 Dunlin 600 Golden Plover 180Wigeon 300lapwing 1Green Sandpiper 16Shoveller Sparrowhawk 6Reed Bunting 6Grey Partridge 33Curlew
Current Barn Owl actvity on east side of village & very fresh pellets found today..
Cheers
SE

A specieal request to any person who may know of a business or organisation who could donate towards a draw down payment of £1,200.00
This is the 10% of the £12,000.00 Durham Bird Club have kindly recieved from CDENT.
This is required for us to proceed with the installation of bird hides at Castle lake nature reserve.

 

[echo24]

Hetton Bogs

Hi folks, I'm planning a visit to Hetton Bogs in the next few days for hopefully some decent photos, I will of course be taking food up there with me (as i'm aware of previous events) but was wondering is there still food being put out on the feeders on a regular basis by anyone??
Cheers,
Dougie.

 

[JBee]

Hi folks, I'm planning a visit to Hetton Bogs in the next few days for hopefully some decent photos, I will of course be taking food up there with me (as i'm aware of previous events) but was wondering is there still food being put out on the feeders on a regular basis by anyone??
Cheers,
Dougie.

Feeders continue to be topped up Dougie.

 

[Mark Newsome]

Hi folks, I'm planning a visit to Hetton Bogs in the next few days for hopefully some decent photos, I will of course be taking food up there with me (as i'm aware of previous events) but was wondering is there still food being put out on the feeders on a regular basis by anyone??
Cheers,
Dougie.

Hi Dougie,
Food is still being put out. Water Rails haven't been so showy in the last few days - just 1 bird out in the open. The water levels are also a little higher which has probably affected the way birds are using the feeding station at the moment.
According to CW, the seed thief has now been identified. It appears the bird food was being nicked to feed pheasants in the adjacent wood so one of the local [email protected] could try trap them for his tea/sell down the local pub. I hope JBee has been busy force-feeding the local idiot fat balls this week.

 

[JBee]

I asked said pheasant plucker outright several weeks ago if he had been taking food - he said no.
That was prior to us (well Colin) finding the pheasant trap.
From then on it was a no brainer other than we had no concrete proof - then Colin found one of the stolen buckets and my fat knife near the trap.
So apologies from me personally for ever suspecting that it was any of the birding visitors.

 

[echo24]

Thanks John / Mark, hopefully I'll get lucky with the water rail - if not, i'm sure there'll be other birds to photograph - and a change of scenery will do me good as I think the little owl at trow (Trowl) is getting sick of me and my camera now )
Cheers,
Dougie.

 

[JBee]

You are pretty much guaranteed shots of water rail Dougie.
Maybe not there in the numbers at the moment but very consistent.
Often the first bird you see on arrival.

 

[StevieEvans]

Raily interesting

Hi Dougie,
Food is still being put out. Water Rails haven't been so showy in the last few days - just 1 bird out in the open. The water levels are also a little higher which has probably affected the way birds are using the feeding station at the moment.....<snip>.....

Mark
From my experience i have seen that male Water Rails are highly territorial & aggressive.
They will patrol regular routes, (Brasside) attacking intruders with a running dash, hawk like flying attacks crashing into vegetation after their targets or sometimes squaring up to one another to fight like cockrels(Bearpark Hall)

Being a well known breeding haunt, the Hetton Bogs sightings of up to 8 birds in the autumn were almost certainly a family, which has now split up - resulting in the seemingly lower population.
I wouldnt be surprised though, if there are sightings of 2's & 3's together over the coming months, as being polygamous males may have females in tow.

.......only 4 rails out - you definately picked a bad day - I had 8 a few weeks ago

John, It'll be interesting to see what happens with the Rail numbers at the Bogs feeding station over the next few weeks - male W.Rails patrol & defend their territories very actively & aggressively....... Presumably the 8 active at one time are a family group that are yet to split up .....?

-


In recent years during hard weather i have watched a female working along an icy edge at dusk (Butterby) being followed by a male which let her do all the hard work, but then moving in swiftly to rob her of food items. Shortly after this he broke off to scuttle after another bird & chase it off in flight.
Also of interest, during the same interaction was one of these two (m/f?) which dived head first through ice to catch a small minnow which it then quickly but rather comically stabbed to death on the ice & ran off with.

They can be quick to take advantage of several food sources, shot Magpies & Rabbits placed on wooden boards in Typha inlets (Lyons Pk(CW) / Brasside) were attractive to them.

Its well known that in frozen conditions (if we every get them again) they can, when hunger forces them, turn on small birds - rushing at them along the ground & even going after Wrens, Robin, Dunnock & the like as if they were a tiny Sparrowhawk.

In Co.Durham many of the waters on the Tees marshes hold WR's year round, other good "sites" to watch include Shibdon Pond, Sedgeletch Swg Wks, Low Butterby, Hetton Lyons etc

A very interesting & attractive species.
One to look out for towards the end of a short winters day.......their squealing calls at dusk are an experience in itself.
Cheers
SE

 

[JBee]

Thank you Steve - I have become so used to seeing rails that I now don't give them a second thought - an insight into their habits is more than welcome.

 

[StevieEvans]

Thank you Steve - I have become so used to seeing rails that I now don't give them a second thought - an insight into their habits is more than welcome.

John
are you going to start back at The Bogs now that the nicker is nabbed...?
i reckon your just the man for a nice frame filler of a Rail with a captured Wren in its bill dunking it under the water.........
cheers
SE



LSW seen today ......R.Browney valley area.

 

[JBee]

John
are you going to start back at The Bogs now that the nicker is nabbed...?
i reckon your just the man for a nice frame filler of a Rail with a captured Wren in its bill dunking it under the water.........
cheers
SE

Well I did get a rail ripping a frog to bits
Yes I'll be continuing at the bogs Steve - have too much time and effort invested not to.
Currently time is fully occupied trying to get some decent SEOs in flight - all I need is a day when the sun actually shines.
Also where I stand is weasel/stoat highway so I'm desperate for decent shots of them.
I'm fully aware, day to day whats happening at the Bogs and at the moment it seems to be not a lot.

 

[StevieEvans]

Well I did get a rail ripping a frog to bits
Yes I'll be continuing at the bogs Steve - have too much time and effort invested not to.
Currently time is fully occupied trying to get some decent SEOs in flight - all I need is a day when the sun actually shines.
Also where I stand is weasel/stoat highway so I'm desperate for decent shots of them.
I'm fully aware, day to day whats happening at the Bogs and at the moment it seems to be not a lot.

Thats Good.
Id imagine with all those voles down Durham Turf, its only gonna be a matter of time before you get a Barnie out & about........... (we're all waiting for the Great Grey Shrike or Hen Harrier to make an appearance.... )

have you got a "sqeaker" for the Stoats? (as you will know, 2 bits of polystyrene rubbed together can work, or sucking back of your hand - good to get passing owls to circle round you at dusk)
SE

 

[JBee]

have you got a "sqeaker" for the Stoats? (as you will know, 2 bits of polystyrene rubbed together can work, or sucking back of your hand - good to get passing owls to circle round you at dusk)
SE

Were you watching me today by any chance????????
Got a widgeon whistle off Malcoms nephew (farmer)
Was trying to call in weasels this afternoon - looked up - SEO right above my head - took a shot (stopped squeaking in case it attacked what it thought was a rabbit ) it flew off.
Too dark an afternoon for decent shots.
Spun camera back round on lane again for weasels and there was a one only yards from me - looking for the rabbit I guess
By then the light was so low as to make getting a sharp shot a non starter.

Thats Good.
Id imagine with all those voles down Durham Turf, its only gonna be a matter of time before you get a Barnie out & about........... (we're all waiting for the Great Grey Shrike or Hen Harrier to make an appearance.... )
SE

A barnie I'd recognise - Great grey shrike, Hen harrier???? Double dutch - I'm just getting to grips with things like bullfinch

 

[DEREK.C.]

Mystery Bird ?

You may have already seen these pics on another thread,but i thought i would post them on here as well.
They were took at Bollihope yesterday NY9935.
When i first saw it, from a great distance, i just thought Common Buzzard,it circled for a few seconds until two Buzzards came in and chased it.
I thought nothing more until i got home and cropped the pictures, when i thought it didnt look like a Buzzard after all ( neck and wings d`ont seem right to me ).
It looks like a Crow chasing it on the pics ,although at the time i cant recall seeing a Crow there, just what i thought were 3 Buzzards.
Meanwhile on the other thread most people say Buzzard, some say juvenile Golden Eagle ,some say an Eagle of some sort (possible escape) even Harris Hawks been mentioned.
It looks like its either moulting its outer primaries(which is unusual this time of year for a Buzzard) or its been recently kept in captivity or thirdly its been shot to pieces.
Hopefully somebody might get a decent shot of it (with a camera) and confirm what it is, what do other DBC Members think? :t:

 

[The Chairman]

DURHAM BIRD CLUB - IDENTIFICATION WORKSHOP

Do you have difficulty identifying those grey/brown winter waders - well help is at hand courtesy of Durham Bird Club as we are running our first identification workshop this Sunday 2 December 2007

Members and interested parties are invited to meet up at the north end of Marine Drive, Hartlepool at 9am - grid ref NZ 519347. Irrespective of the weather we will be there - as this is the first workshop we may be alone but hopefully not. Look forward to seeing you there.

 

[Bonsaibirder]

You may have already seen these pics on another thread,but i thought i would post them on here as well.
They were took at Bollihope yesterday NY9935.
When i first saw it, from a great distance, i just thought Common Buzzard,it circled for a few seconds until two Buzzards came in and chased it.
I thought nothing more until i got home and cropped the pictures, when i thought it didnt look like a Buzzard after all ( neck and wings d`ont seem right to me ).
It looks like a Crow chasing it on the pics ,although at the time i cant recall seeing a Crow there, just what i thought were 3 Buzzards.
Meanwhile on the other thread most people say Buzzard, some say juvenile Golden Eagle ,some say an Eagle of some sort (possible escape) even Harris Hawks been mentioned.
It looks like its either moulting its outer primaries(which is unusual this time of year for a Buzzard) or its been recently kept in captivity or thirdly its been shot to pieces.
Hopefully somebody might get a decent shot of it (with a camera) and confirm what it is, what do other DBC Members think? :t:

Hi Derek,

It looks like a Buzzard to me. I think your first instinct was correct. But please post a link to the other thread, it would be interesting to read.

Cheers,

 

[DEREK.C.]

Here is the link Steve, for the mystery bird. http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=102010

 

[StevieEvans]

Some you win......

Durham City area

Went to check on a BO box we couldnt get access to last time & found it loaded with sticks - blooming Jackdaws!
Close by were another couple of boxes, but imagine my disbelief on turning the corner to feed the vast swaithe of rough grass was back under the plough, an autumn sown crop well away....
This cant be helped i think, (apparently a poor year of wheat production in many parts of the world has seen the price shoot up),
But what i saw next realy got me going - the tree containing the box had not only been generously "pruned" by a tractors front loader !... but to add insult to injury - the box was down & had been left lying where it fell.:C (sharp edge of loading bucket had been forced down gouging into the marine ply to get it off the tree)
No nest, but it had been used by Kestrel. It transpires that contractors had been in to do the work, not the farmer himself.

Trudging up the hill (i can cope with ladders & rucksack, but wasnt expecting to have to carry a box back..), i paused hoping for a better outcome at the next one close by....
No such luck - it was in use..... but yet another squatter in residence -a Grey Squirrel scurried around before sprinting out.

Stashing the box & ladder out of the way, i looked on the bright side & thought about the pound i would be saving by not feeling lucky enough to play the lottery this week

Thankfully a dose of good birding was close at hand & picked up Green & Great spotted woodpeckers both in flight, 6 or more Jays massively outnumbered by 60+Magpie. Another Stormcock sang from the top of the wood, although there wasnt much of a breeze, with a decent group of 16-17 others nearby. Many small flocks of Redwing & Fieldfare about now with approx 800 Wood Pigeon dropping down to feed on crops in the distance near Finchale.
A LEO roost was the intended target now, i had a good idea where they might be & saw 3 in mature Hawthorn trees overhanging a bramble tangled fence on the edge of a scrubby Silver Birch wood, although there may have been more. 3 Willow Tit, a dozen or so Bullfinch & a Woodcock in the immediate roost area served as good indicators for lowland Leo habitat.
On the way back to the ladders (& box) other species added included singles of Nuthatch & Treecreeper working their way around an isolated Oak, the latter dropping to the base of the truck before starting over.

My immediate thought (having had time to deceide not to burn the farm down) was to take the box back with me, do a repair & re-site it, but a short cut back found me coming across a run down old building - thick white splash marks down the concrete outside, my luck seemed to have changed...
peering through the half broken down doorway, more splash & the distinctive big round black pellets amongst the gloom & rubbish.....
Hopefully this time box will be in a much better spot...

A single Tree Sparrow went over as i was leaving, capping off an up & down day
Cheers
SE

 

[Bonsaibirder]

Thanks Derek,

I've changed my mind already!

See you,

Steve

Here is the link Steve, for the mystery bird. http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=102010