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Durham Birding (9 Viewers)

What do people reckon about the populations of our summer warblers this year.

The impressions that I have are as follows:

Willow Warbler - average
Chiffchaff - seemed well up when they first arrived, but seemed to drop down slightly thereafter

chiffchaffs seem to be everywhere this year
 
What do people reckon about the populations of our summer warblers this year.

The impressions that I have are as follows:

Willow Warbler - average
Chiffchaff - seemed well up when they first arrived, but seemed to drop down slightly thereafter
Wood Warbler - down
Lesser Whitethroat - up
Whitethroat - down
Blackcap - down
Garden Warbler - wouldn't like to comment?????
Grasshopper Warbler - about average for past few years (but up when compared to for example late 90s)
Sedge Warbler - average
Reed Warbler - average

Pretty much agree Ross, although Willow Warblers seem up round my way.
Grasshopper Warbler numbers are the same, although they arrived a week later this year, round here .
Blackcaps also seemed to arrive really late this year .
 
What do people reckon about the populations of our summer warblers this year.

The impressions that I have are as follows:

Willow Warbler - average
Chiffchaff - seemed well up when they first arrived, but seemed to drop down slightly thereafter
Wood Warbler - down
Lesser Whitethroat - up
Whitethroat - down
Blackcap - down
Garden Warbler - wouldn't like to comment?????
Grasshopper Warbler - about average for past few years (but up when compared to for example late 90s)
Sedge Warbler - average
Reed Warbler - average

For numbers seen and heard when out and about in the county I'd generally agree, although in the woods around Barney, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff numbers seem to be about 50% down from last year, whilst Wood Warbler is still to appear at all.

Locally, I think Garden Warbler numbers are around average, whilst Blackcaps, although arriving very late (like Derek C.'s birds) seem to be up in numbers this year.

In addition Pied Flycatcher numbers appear to be very low locally this year, whilst Spotted Fly numbers look to be O.K., and their arrival date back was later than average last year.
 
What do people reckon about the populations of our summer warblers this year.

The impressions that I have are as follows:

Willow Warbler - average
Chiffchaff - seemed well up when they first arrived, but seemed to drop down slightly thereafter
Wood Warbler - down
Lesser Whitethroat - up
Whitethroat - down
Blackcap - down
Garden Warbler - wouldn't like to comment?????
Grasshopper Warbler - about average for past few years (but up when compared to for example late 90s)
Sedge Warbler - average
Reed Warbler - average

Ross, close to home several warbler species have still been arriving to lay claim to territories over this last week. - This includes Reed, Sedge, Garden & Grasshopper.
Lesser Whitethroat prominent & up with 10 territories within 1,200m's of RM's (5-6 last year)
Grasshopper Warblers either way down or not all in on territory yet, as i can only find 9 in that same area, whereas we had 20+ reeling birds last year.
Far more worrying from my lowland perspective is the continuing decline of Summer visiting species like the Cuckoo, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail...& you can forget about Whinchat.
Swift & House Martin also seem low this year.
Steve
 
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Hi John - good to see you posting :t:

I'm still struggling for Wood Warbler as well - only that possible one at Bedburn last week - or was it a Song Thrush? They do seem to be in very short supply the last couple of years. I wonder if the earlier reports of birds just arrived and are now settling in elsewhere - that seems to be the case for Bedburn. I may give Dryderdale and Adder Wood a look next week.

There was plenty wood warblers about when we were at hamsterly at least 2 pairs.

Pictures below.
 

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Well I'm starting to get out more and today I took matthew out in the pushchair up the country lane and round thru the farm. Was hoping to see or at least hear a Curlew or two but not today. Closest I got was 2 Lapwing. Got really good close up views with the new 10x 50s. When I was a kid I used to see flocks of them not just one or two. Be interesting to hear of others Lapwing counts in the area.
Later, thru the farm, I saw this years first Swallows and House Martins,always great to see. Then at the other end of the long farm track(very rough on the pushchair's wheels!) I saw a Mistle Thrush singing atop a bush- I just don't see them as much as Song Thrushes.
Earlier in the walk I did hear a strange bird flying over the yellow rape field. Couldn't see it but its call was like that of a Corn Crake only singular. One crek rather than crek crek if you know what I mean. Haven't a clue what it was but it was something small,could it have been a Corn Bunting?
 
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on the way home from work decided to pay a quick visit to barmston pond, whitethroat showing well on top of brambles next to burger van with another one calling on the opposite side of the path. other birds seen a single male reed bunting, 2 long tailed tits , willow warbler, chiffchaff a quick look on the pond 2 common terns being the highlight. on the way back home a female wheatear (a patch tick for me) flew up in front of me, then sat on the fence giving great views. :t:
 
Ooh nice tick on the Wheatear Phil! Last time I saw one was years ago when I lived in wolverhampton! Just how common or not are they up here in Darlington? Now thats got me thinking. Where can i go to check out the population and likelihood of seeing a certain bird in my locale?
 
Paid a first visit to Muggleswick Woods/Crooked Oak near Consett this morning & saw a decent selection of birds, the following were seen in the woods or on the lane down towards them;
Red-legged Partridge (1), Pheasant, Woodpigeon, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Green Woodpecker (heard only), Dipper (2 incl. 1 juvenile), Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Garden Warbler (5), Blackcap, Wood Warbler (1 singing), Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher (2), Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch (2), Treecreeper (2), Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Yellowhammer & Reed Bunting. A Cuckoo could be heard calling distantly.
Failed to connect with any Pied Flycatcher.
 
This afternoon visited Bishop Middleham where the following were in the vicinity of Castle Lake;-
Great-crested Grebe (1), Little Grebe, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Canada Geese, Shelduck, Gadwall, Teal (2m1f), Mallard, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Grey Partridge (2), Moorhen, Coot (at least 5 on nests), Little Ringed Plover (3), Lapwing (& juveniles), Common Sandpiper (1), Woodpigeon, Swift, Swallow, Sand Martin, House Martin, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail (3), Pied Wagtail, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, Tree Sparrow (2), Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet & Yellowhammer.
Something I definately did'nt want to see was a Fox stalking the waters edge in the South-East corner :eek!:
 
Castle Eden Dene

Put in a ten miler this afternoon at Castle Eden Dene, covered virtually the whole lot . Plenty of Tawny Owl activity, the same at Elemore Hall this week, now is a pretty good time to see them, as they are hunting daylight hours. One was being mobbed by a blackbird, and another further through ,which looked like it was eating one. Wouldnt matter as Blackbirds were the most abundant species today (apart from Grey Squirrel )with easily 50 pair.
17 Chiff Chaffs in song, compared to 10 Blackcap. 32 male Wren and 10 pair of Song Thrush and Goldcrest. At least 3-4 pair of Great Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch, surprisingly i found very few Marsh Tits , only half a dozen .Several Jay, Treecreeper seen. Mallard with ducklings in the stream, along with a pair of Grey Wags. Single Spotted Flycatcher seen , should be a lot more really as the habitat is spot on , for them and Redstarts etc.
Saw a Stoat kill a Rabbit on the way back.
 

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Dorman's Pool/Saltholme Pond east - 8.55-9.25 am Marsh Harrier - cream capped - hunting over reed beds. Headed off west and then picked up again over Cowpen Bewley W.Pk - last seen heading north east towards Greenabella Marsh. Grasshopper Warbler by car park still. Cuckoo between car park and tip sat briefly on tip fence before heading over Dorman's Pool.

Back Saltholme Pond - Wheatear x1 sat by end of the causeway, Garganey drake x1, Northern Pintail pair. Most notable were the hirundines in a feeding frenzy swarming low over the pond surface - Swallow c.40, House Martin c.12, Sand Martin c.12, Swift c.50.

Long Drag - walked end to end - a long drag indeed! Had hoped for the Marsh Harrier again but no joy. Not a lot to show for it - several Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff and a Cuckoo. Loads of Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting.
 

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Dormans Pool

Tried to connect with Marsh Harrier today after work. On the way down to the hide met another guy who said he was there for same reason and said he had been there 6 hours and left. When I approached the hide, I saw a Marsh Harrier 100 yards to the north and a short eared owl had a go at it - then it went out of view as the SEO landed on top of telegraph post. The harrier appeared again to the north of Dormans Pool and then soared high up for 5 minutes before stooping on the east side near where the raised car park is (typical they are always on the other side of the pool. It had a cream coloured crown and was awesome to watch.
Plenty of whitethroats - saw at least 6, and sedge warblers and 3 wrens. Nothing unusual on Dormans pool
 
Houghton area Local Patch

walking back from town this afternoon, the apprentice stopped "dadi i seen sum thing" to point out 2 fledgling Dunnocks at the base of a Privet hedge that i had overlooked.:t:

at home the mobile Blackbirds nest & contents lasted till mid week... though now sadly perished - although i'm surprised they lasted as long as they did, with long periods of enforced non attendance by the adults.
But, life goes on & the pair have a new nest coming on nicely - its amazing how quickly they work! Its higher in the Hawthorn, so hopefully cats wont get in this year...

Herrington CP late this afternoon.
Looking good for a Hobby at moment, a decent concentration of the 3 hirundines, totaling 100 birds, with all 3 species sitting in the road/car park at times plus 70 Swifts.
Pool adjacent to Foxcover Plant'n holding breeding Dabchick & 9 newly arrived cygnets. Now that the Mute Swan family are on the water, the Cob is even more hell bent on evicting the Canada goose pair. Even repeatedly chasing the goose off her nest before interfering with it.:eek!: A single Common Tern went through NE, continuing on towards the A19, where we could hear a distant Cuckoo singing.
Family party of 9 or more Long tailed Tits in the wood with a couple of noisy but unseen GSW's

Steve
 
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just got back from muggleswick,highlights were 3 wood warbler 1 single and 1 pair,pair of pied flycatcher,single spotted flycatcher,single cuckoo,also heard a green woodpecker
 
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