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Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

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FATHER AND SON TEAM
merlin seen

i put that raptor pic from waskerley on another thread and merlin was the outcome ..so merlin seen:t:
lamesley today 6 skylark none there last time i was there 14 med pipit 8 yellowhammers
 
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StevieEvans

Well-known member
Houghton area Local Patch

have you read this ? my brother told me about the article
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/7234444.stm

Thanks for link - heard it had been on local TV.
A 5 owl site: An excellent accolade for any nature reserve & an excellent piece of PR for DWT.

Owl calls resource at bottom of link

---------------------------

Little Owls basking in the sun at 2 sites today while erecting further BO boxes. ( evidence below roost image att'd - RHS pellet very fresh & shiny - image by DK. )
Nuthatch, Stock Dove & Yellowhammer amongst those singing today.
Steve
 

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rokermartin

Well-known member
HYB Warbler showed very well this morning,heard it call a couple of times.Also female Blackcap seen.5 YB Warblers found this month in Cornwall,Devon,and Somerset 6 wintering in total and 3 HYB Warblers.Excellent winter for these Phyllos Warblers.It is really good having YBW,HYBW and Firecrest in the county this time of year very exceptional.So dont have to worry about not seeing these birds in the autumn now.We just want a Pallas's Warbler to found wintering in the county somewhere.
 
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[email protected]

FATHER AND SON TEAM
house sparrows

my house sparrows are showning a lot Interest in there nest hole in our roof singing and bringing in nesting bits and pieces a bit later than last year think it was the back end of jan
 

matthall

matthall
:gutted . i told my mam about the humes warbler and if she knew where norton was . she knew where it is but its far away from where i live. and me , my mam and dad are going on holiday next week. my dad can't take me because he's at work . gutted about not seeing it . we can't go on saturday because thats when we go away . i'm not the one to skive off school anyway . gutted . i'll probs not see one again in my life.
:C:C:C:C:C
 

Paul Mc

Just a beginner!
In need of a lift?

:gutted . i told my mam about the humes warbler and if she knew where norton was . she knew where it is but its far away from where i live. and me , my mam and dad are going on holiday next week. my dad can't take me because he's at work . gutted about not seeing it . we can't go on saturday because thats when we go away . i'm not the one to skive off school anyway . gutted . i'll probs not see one again in my life.
:C:C:C:C:C

Sorry mate, If I could help I would. Bet someone on the site will come up with a good (and safe) suggestion?

Paul Mc
 

IanF

Moderator
The Hume's YBW was showing well at Norton this morning though still very active and disappeared a couple of times for 20 mins or so. Quite a few other birds around though - Blackcap pair, Goldcrest x2, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Chaffinch, Blue Tit and Great Tit. Also Jackdaw and Great Spotted Woodpecker. BTW I had a chat with the verger today - no weddings this Saturday so no problem with birders visiting and using the church car park.

A quick stop at Billingham Beck Valley feeding station produced Willow Tit x1, Bullfinch 12+, Reed Bunting x7, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-taield Tit, Coal Tit, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Moorhen.
 

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IanF

Moderator
This afternoon I popped along to Hardwick Hall Country Park, but didn't stay very long. Most of the free standing water was frozen over even much of the large lake and loads of families with screaming kids so not a bird in sight in the woods!

Instead I headed back east via Hurworth Burn Reservoir. The feeders were quite active mostly with Great Tit and Blue Tit though a Coal Tit was a regular as well as Chaffinch. Dunnock and Robin were on the ground and every 20 minutes or so a Treecreeper was behind the feeders. A Willow Tit came to the feeders a couple of times. It was good to meet up with Scuzz again as well :t:

A quick look over the reservoir - Great Crested Grebe x3, Coot, Moorhen and Pochard. Wigeon c.100 were on the field below the railway line and a a flock of Fieldfare 100+ passed over heading north-east.
 

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ColinSev

Well-known member
Pics from the weekend

Apologies for late post - am too busy - think I need to retire
Had a visit to Hetton Bogs, and was only one there on Saturday morning - very nice with sun on my back - (sat behind the hide of course - sheesh some people!). 2 water rails showed, otherwise nothing unusual but all birds nice and close particularly a robin.
Rainton Meadows next saw the 12 of so SEOwls as they got disturbed ahead of me.
Saw perched SEO after seeing a perched Stevie Evans and chipper young `un (you must have walked his legs off) Good to meet you again.
Saw 2 SEO near car park late in day also
Can anyone id this as a stoat or weasel, I think its a stoat but was at RM`s car park.


Just seen Ians post about busy place - dread to think what Norton Church yards going to be like at the weekend - would like to see the HYB warbler but its going to be a nightmare with all the birders traipsing about a graveyard - can imagine the press!!

Cheers Colin
 

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matthall

matthall
Apologies for late post - am too busy - think I need to retire
Had a visit to Hetton Bogs, and was only one there on Saturday morning - very nice with sun on my back - (sat behind the hide of course - sheesh some people!). 2 water rails showed, otherwise nothing unusual but all birds nice and close particularly a robin.
Rainton Meadows next saw the 12 of so SEOwls as they got disturbed ahead of me.
Saw perched SEO after seeing a perched Stevie Evans and chipper young `un (you must have walked his legs off) Good to meet you again.
Saw 2 SEO near car park late in day also
Can anyone id this as a stoat or weasel, I think its a stoat but was at RM`s car park.


Just seen Ians post about busy place - dread to think what Norton Church yards going to be like at the weekend - would like to see the HYB warbler but its going to be a nightmare with all the birders traipsing about a graveyard - can imagine the press!!

Cheers Colin

its a stoat , colin . if you had a photo of its tail , then that would be more clinching . stoats have a black tail , while weasels don't
 

Ray.Scott

Well-known member
Look Out

Tried a couple of hours at Cowpen Bewley, nothing out the ordinary apart from the Mallards are at It, (image 3), trying to produce food for the Herons, I doubt the spell of good weather has got them confused.
Called in at Jacksons Landing to find not a thing on the water apart from a few canoeists, maybe that's why!
From there to Hurworth where I bumped into IanF, nice to finaly meet up and enjoyed the chat:t:
Just after you left Ian, the kestrel returned, but as normal, had It's back to me, also tree creeper returned for a short while, just as well cos most of my previous shots had green fishing line in them.
 

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StevieEvans

Well-known member
Houghton area Local Patch

.....<snip>.....Saw perched SEO after seeing a perched Stevie Evans and chipper young `un (you must have walked his legs off) Good to meet you again.
Can anyone id this as a stoat or weasel, I think its a stoat but was at RM`s car park.
Cheers Colin
Good to bump into you Colin, aye little'un took a shine to you - Gets excited in that field as we sometimes put a Hare up & once saw a "Foxy" there too. He did the full circuit from 10am - finally drifting off into land of nod six & a half hours later! Hes sussed the pan & tilt but struggles with the scope focus for now - should get better when he reaches 3 year old ;)

Think it may be a Weasel ? - Their heads, neck & body all appear roughly same size like a "sausage" on legs. RMiG is right about the black tipped tail to a Stoat - although their white parts arent generally as clean as those of the Weasel - usually a hint of yellow.


Patch today
Adult Yellow legged gull
Cock Greenfinch in display flight
Frogs mating & Peacock Butterfly out
Reed Buntings singing at 3 sites; cock Yellowhammer singing at one.
RMs
Oystercatchers now up to 7 in number.
Siskin & Lapwing flocks dispersing
Ground foraging Jay panick stricken after being flushed by low flying Seo. Three hunting mid aftnoon at Pool II - best series of prolonged close views so far this year.
pr Gadwall on pool I, 1st yr male Shoveller on pool II.
Steve
 

Marmot

Well-known member
:gutted . i told my mam about the humes warbler and if she knew where norton was . she knew where it is but its far away from where i live. and me , my mam and dad are going on holiday next week. my dad can't take me because he's at work . gutted about not seeing it . we can't go on saturday because thats when we go away . i'm not the one to skive off school anyway . gutted . i'll probs not see one again in my life.
:C:C:C:C:C

There seems to be plenty of food for it in the Churchyard so hopefully it may still be hanging around when you come back. Can't your Dad or another relative bring you down as soon as school comes out as it is still light down here until about 5 o clock.
 

JBee

Well-known member
The sunny days don't come round very often now so you have to take advantage of them.
 

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