Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[Gill Osborne]

Heard today that the Ruddy Ducks at Shibdon are going to meet their maker on Friday.
So i advise forum users who see Ruddy Ducks not to post sightings on the forum. Unless of course you believe in the cull

:-C Yep....keep schtum!

 

[great bustard]

:-C Yep....keep schtum!

I was at Rainton and there was definatley no ruddy ducks Not even one, reckon the have all gone down south

However there was a pair of Shoveler + 1 drake on Pool 1 and 1 SEO hunting.

 

[Mark Newsome]

'Too late' was the cry...

...but it appears 5 Common Cranes spent a couple of days in newly growing crop fields not too far from Seaton Pond early last week. They were seen to fly off south and tied in neatly with the report of 5 over Saltburn on Thursday. Amazing how such large birds can 'disappear' and evade detection.

 

[matthall]

Pair of Wrens taking Moss into one of our nest boxes.
Could be the first birds to ever nest in our garden:t:.

Got a male building in my hedge .

 

[matthall]

When I went to Joes Pond a few days ago , there was a lot of fishing wire on the hedge between there and the other pond .
Has anyone else seen it ?

 

[malcolm hobbs]

Good guess

Approaching that time of year when just about every new day produces a "new" bird for the year.
Wonder what WE'RE gonna get 2moro ? ...........House Martin? Garganey?[/FONT]

2 Little-ringed Plovers at Back Saltholme this morning. 2 Avocets still on Greenabella; and where my first House Martin of the year flew over.

Malcolm.

 

[rokermartin]

Hurworth Burn a few newly arrived migrants today 3 Willow Warblers, 8+ Sand Martin, 2 Swallows.None of these birds were there yesterday.Also Buzzard and Peregrine flying around.

 

[great bustard]

1 Little Ringed Plover at Houghton Gate

 

[matthall]

Pager report BITTERN seen at Low Barns today.

It was on this website where I first saw the sighting , Martin.


http://www.teesmouthbc.com/db/sighting.aspx

 

[matthall]

I'm a young birder and I'm thinking about purchasing my first telescope .
Can anyone recommend any types which aren't too costly ?
I don't mind if they're 2nd-hand because it'll be my first one and I'm not fussy.
Any help would be much appreciated .
Thanks

 

[Ray.Scott]

A brief walk round Hetton Lyons Park earlier today, most of the regulars still there i.e. wood duck, mallards, coots etc.
17 Mute swans and GC Grebe on big lake also, 2 swans on the middle pond, one sitting on the nest.

Hopefully the gun totting yobs will leave them alone.

Grey Heron on the fishing lake amongst the reeds and kestrel hunting near the roadside.

 

[Gill Osborne]

Seven Sand Martin at Shibdon Pond today :t: And no Ruddy's! :king: (first time I've ever been pleased to NOT see something) :-O

 

[rokermartin]

Another pager report Spoonbill ,Saltholm pools at 5 55pm then flew to flooded fields out of view.

 

[rokermartin]

Did will robinson report it ?

Not to sure who reported it, but it was seen again at back Saltholm at 6 55pm showing well

 

[IanF]

I ventured onto a new birding area today - the Castle Eden Walkway from the A689 northwards for a couple of miles - usually I do it from Hurworth Burn southwards. Nothing really of note - quite a few Chaffinch, Yellowhammer, Dunnock and Wren. Most notable was Sand Martin x6 - first ones I've seen this year.

I then drove around to Hurworth Burn and walked southwards to check if things were as quiet at the north end as usually there's loads of birds about. Sure enough it was positively alive with birds. Willow Warbler x8 (which weren't there a couple of days ago), Chiffchaff 12+, Goldcrest x1, Mistle Thrush x1, Song Thrush, Robin, Wren, Fieldfare x7, Lapwing c.8, Pheasant x7, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Treesparrow x5, Treecreeper, Long-tailed Tit x5, loads of Blue Tit, Great Tit and Yellowhammer. Sand Martin x8 and Swallow x2 - probably the ones Rokermartin saw.

A little unusual to see a Blue Tit removing fresh moss from a nest box instead of adding it! I did wonder if it was relocating as a Great Spotted Woodpecker had been drumming on the box a few minutes earlier whilst the Blue Tit was inside! :eek!:

Best find though was a pair of Willow Tit excavating a nest cavity in sawn off tree stump - right beside a popular bench seat on the cycleway.

The reservoir was very quiet - Coot, Moorhen, Great Crested Grebe x1, Tufted Duck x2, Shoveler x2 and Goldeneye x1.

Heading back towards the A19 a Buzzard was in the area of Pudding Poke Farm again.

 

[The Chairman]

Not to sure who reported it, but it was seen again at back Saltholm at 6 55pm showing well

Several very reliable observers have confirmed the Spoonbill sighting - details of whom shown on Teesside website. One exceptionally fortunate observer now reports a Long tailed Skua over Hartlepool Headland this evening - should have gone to Specsavers me thinks

 

[rokermartin]

Several very reliable observers have confirmed the Spoonbill sighting - details of whom shown on Teesside website. One exceptionally fortunate observer now reports a Long tailed Skua over Hartlepool Headland this evening - should have gone to Specsavers me thinks

That will be Durham's earliest ever Long tailed Skua ,normally May or June when they turn up in the Spring on the east coast.

 

[StevieEvans]

Springtime predictions

Malcolm
Hows about Common Sand, Tree Pipit & Garganey 2moro
Redstart & Grasshopper Warbler over the weekend...
Eagle Owl..............mmmmm.........not this spring, perhaps later in the year.:smoke:

On a slightly more serious note:-
I wonder who can predict.........
who's gonna be the next DBC member(s) to get his(their) photograph(s) taken blatantly ignoring the discrete KEEP OUT sign & clambering over the 5-bar gate at Castle Lake..............:eek!:
Maybe the club committee should see if they have a joiner among their ranks - seems he'd have first hand experience of, and be the best person to advise on how high to extend the aforementioned gate. nudge, nudge, wink, wink say no more my son....:-O

I had 120 Redwings go west over Wtn Glbrt & driveby Little owl & Tree Spugs nr Cocken
Steve

 

[IanF]

............... One exceptionally fortunate observer now reports a Long tailed Skua over Hartlepool Headland this evening - should have gone to Specsavers me thinks

I wish I knew him as I'd love to go birding with him. Mr. Robinson has had some amazing finds over the last couple of weeks! :smoke:

 

[degsy_safc]

Hi Guy's,

Have only visited Teesmouth a couple of times over the last few weeks. Managed to find Cowpen Bewley, Saltholme, Zinc Works Road, Greatham Creek, Seaton Snook and North Gare. Have since found out where Firestation Pool is - but can anyone please advise where Greenabella is??

Unfortunately i haven't had much luck on my trips to date, probably as i have always visited late morning / early afternoon - and following Ian's threads the bulk of species seem to be pictured from 15.00 onwards....

Nevertheless i will keep trying ... So any advice on some of the other Teeside locations will be greatly appreciated.. Anyway a couple from last weekend taken down Zinc Works Road - before the snow arrived ||